me2 loyalty missions ranked

Mass Effect 2: 7 Best Loyalty Missions, Ranked

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Mass Effect: 7 Underrated Characters

The unwritten rules of the mass effect trilogy explained, 5 best nintendo switch games to play if you like mass effect.

• Loyalty missions in Mass Effect 2 are crucial for keeping squadmates alive in the final Suicide Mission.
• The best loyalty missions in the game, such as Samara's and Kasumi's, offer unique gameplay experiences and memorable storylines.
• These missions provide deeper insights into the characters' backgrounds and motivations, expanding the Mass Effect universe.

While the main story of Mass Effect 2 focuses on the threat of the Collectors, a mysterious bug-like species who have been abducting human colonies, a massive portion of the game is spent completing missions that relate to Shephard's squadmates. These are called loyalty missions, and they're extremely important to play through since they can decide whether or not a certain character dies during the final Suicide Mission , so for anyone hoping to keep everyone alive until the end, it's necessary to finish each one of them.

These Mass Effect characters don't get quite as much attention as a lot of their peers, despite how interesting they are as individuals.

With that being said, these missions vary quite a lot in their overall quality, with some being very short and forgettable, while others are considered some of the best missions in the entire series. It's time to take a look back at some of the very best loyalty missions featured in Mass Effect 2 to understand what makes them so iconic and memorable to a lot of fans of the series.

Samara's Justicar Code Forces Her To Confront Her Incredibly Dangerous Daughter

Because Samara follows the strict code of the Justicars, it means that she's essentially allowed to kill anyone who's seen as dangerous or evil, but when her daughter becomes one of her targets, it brings out a slightly more emotional side to the stoic Asari. Samara's daughter is an Ardat-Yakshi , a unique type of Asari who gets a thrill out of seducing people with their wicked charms and then killing them as soon as they let their guard down.

Shephard essentially acts as the bait in this mission, as the player must try to act as casually as possible in the Omega nightclub to try and catch Morinth's attention. When she finally sits down to talk, there are a few very specific dialogue options that must be chosen to get her to invite Shephard to her apartment, which eventually results in an intense battle between Samara and her daughter. Not only does the mission expand upon the Asari culture, but the difficulty of pulling the whole thing off makes it very intense, even though it's a non-combat mission.

Kasumi's Hunt For Her Graybox Turns The Game Into A Spy-Thriller

Kasumi's mission feels incredibly unique compared to many of the others, primarily because of the spy-thriller angle it takes with the gameplay. In an attempt to retrieve her Graybox, a small device left behind by her late lover Keiji , Kasumi and Shephard travel to a luxurious party hosted by the snarky billionaire Donovan Hock where the box is being held in a giant vault.

Despite being over a decade old, the original Mass Effect trilogy can still surprise players with some of its less obvious systems and mechanics.

For most of the mission, the player will need to acquire information, hack into terminals, and sneak around some rooms to try and get into the vault, which itself is packed full of some extremely intriguing items like the Statue of Liberty's head, and a statue of Saren from the first game. It all ends in a final chaotic gunfight with an airship, and an emotional cutscene where Kasumi finds all the memories she and Keiji shared still stored on the Graybox.

Tuchanka As An Area, And The Thresher Maw Fight, Both Make Grunt's Loyalty Mission A Real Stand-Out

After Grunt starts becoming irritable and angry on the Normandy for seemingly no reason, players must take him to the Krogan homeworld, Tuchanka, where he can complete the rite of passage to be inducted into a clan. The mission itself is packed full of some incredible action segments, especially the fight against the Thresher Maw , which the player can either leave alone or defeat if they have strong enough weapons.

What makes the mission so memorable is Tuchanka itself and the Krogan who inhabit it. Old, rundown, and barely standing, Tuchanka provides a rare insight into the Krogan's social situation, and how devastated their species has become after the implementation of the Genophage. It might be on the shorter side, but this mission still does a great job of fleshing out both Grunt as a character and the Krogan as a major species within the universe.

Garrus' Quest For Revenge Is Full Of Thought-Provoking Dilemmas And Exciting Combat Encounters

Garrus may be just as charismatic and witty as he was in the first game, but his personality and moral code have changed quite a bit since he became the Archangel. Garrus proves that he's more than willing to take matters into his own hands when he suggests tracking down Sidonis, a Turian who left his squad to die a few years ago. Throughout the mission, Shephard will have a few opportunities to either encourage Garrus' thirst for revenge or to try and restrain it.

For example, when the two meet their old friend Harkin, who has been trying to kill them with giant LOKI mechs, Shephard can either let Garrus shoot his legs to paralyze him for good or tell him to stand down. This all culminates in a nail-biting final segment where Garrus finally has Sidonis in his crosshair. Sidonis reveals that he deeply regrets what he did to Garrus' men, and it's up to Shephard whether Garrus gets his sweet revenge, or if he misses the chance, and learns to forgive and forget.

Seeing Where Jack Grew Up Provides An Insight Into How Corrupt And Twisted Cerberus Is

Jack initially comes off as a rude and loudmouthed individual who seems to love nothing more than rubbing people the wrong way, but when traveling to the Cerberus base where she grew up, everything about her character starts to make a lot more sense. While wandering around the base, Shephard and Jack will get to see the cells where Cerberus was holding kids to be experimented on, along with fighting pits, and other gruesome areas.

Fans of the Mass Effect franchise with a Nintendo Switch can enjoy other, similar games after completing the iconic sci-fi trilogy.

While Shephard is technically working for Cerberus for the purposes of the story, this loyalty mission provides a grizzly insight into just how evil and ruthless the group is. By the time Shephard and the team reach Jack's cell, a scientist is trying to retrieve the data that was conducted from the cruel experiments, resulting in a very tense conversation between him and Jack which Shephard can intervene with. The visual storytelling on show in this area is incredible, providing plenty of haunting imagery that lingers in the brain long after the mission is over.

Tali's Trial Has Become One Of The Most Intense And Fascinating Scenes In The Series

After being blamed by her people for sending live Geth to the Migrant Fleet, Tali is threatened with being expelled by her people, but things become much more complicated when it is revealed that it was her father who activated them in the first place. This leads to one of the hardest decisions in the entire series as the player must choose whether to expose Tali's dad to protect her status as a member of the fleet or to go along with what Tali says and hide the evidence, which will cause her to be banished.

This incredibly compelling personal dilemma is at the heart of the mission, but there's also a big focus given to the Migrant Fleet, and more specifically, how the Quarians feel about taking back their homeworld from the Geth. While some are all in favor of obliterating every last Geth left standing, others defend them, with this political tension playing a big part in Tali's trial at the end. This single mission does so much to expand the wider universe of Mass Effect , while also having an emotional aspect at its core, which focuses on one of the series' most beloved characters.

Players Learn More About Mordin And His Underlying Guilt Of Developing The Genophage

The Genophage is a deadly manufactured disease that was created by the Salarians to "monitor" the Krogan population so that they wouldn't grow too large to take over the galaxy, as they have nearly done countless times in the past. It's an incredibly controversial part of Mass Effect that often gets mentioned here or there in the games, but in Mordin's loyalty mission, the player, and Mordin himself who was at the head of creating it , must face the issue head-on.

What results is some extremely deep and philosophical conversations about the morality of the Genophage, and whether Mordin can justify committing genocide for the sake of saving the other species in the galaxy. Mordin also expresses his guilt throughout the mission, pondering whether he really is a monster, or the only one willing to do what no one else could. By the end, it's revealed that one of Mordin's students is trying to rectify the Genophage, forcing the player to choose whether this is the right or wrong decision. The whole mission is an emotional rollercoaster that is packed full of great dialogue and some fun combat sections to boot, and it ultimately makes Mordin one of the most fascinating characters in the entire series.

• Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2: The Squadmate Loyalty Missions, Ranked

If Shepard wants to come out of Mass Effect 2's Suicide Mission with everyone intact, they'll need to complete all squadmate loyalty missions.

Mass Effect 2 ended with a massive Suicide Mission that Commander Shepard and their squadmates spent the entire game preparing for. Not only did they acquire all the resources they needed to successfully pass through the Omega 4 Relay and prepare the Normandy SR-2  against threats, but each squadmate sought to put their affairs in order. Most fully accepted that they were likely not coming back from the Collector Base , and wanted to get closure first.

Of course, it's possible to come out of the Suicide Mission with everyone alive and ready to fight the Reapers in Mass Effect 3, and one of the most important steps in guaranteeing everyone's safety is to earn their loyalty. The only way to do that is to complete each companion's loyalty mission before heading through the relay. Some of these missions are way better than others, though.

RELATED:  Mass Effect: How to Romance Jack

Zaeed Masani

More than anything else in the galaxy, Zaeed wants revenge against his former partner, Vido Santiago, who he formed the Blue Suns Mercenary group with. Vido not only betrayed Zaeed, but also shot him in the face and left him for dead after an disagreement about allowing the Batarians to join the Suns. Zaeed's mission is an action-packed race against the clock to capture Vido before he can escape.

While exciting, this is a particularly tough mission for a Paragon Shepard to complete. Sacrificing innocent lives to ensure Zaeed catches up to Vido is more or less required, and ignoring the people burning in the fire racks up some heavy Renegade points. Shepard can still earn Zaeed's loyalty by convincing him to put his revenge aside until after the Suicide Mission, but doing so is incredibly difficult. Not securing his loyalty makes it harder for him to survive, and even if he does, he's killed by mercenaries on the Citadel during  Mass Effect 3 's Volus Ambassador mission.

Jacob Taylor

Jacob  is difficult to get close to. He's all business, and his ties to Cerberus sometimes challenge his loyalty to Shepard. Jacob questions a lot of Shepard's decisions, and that could be because his personal life has been tainted by his father's disappearance 10 years earlier. Gaining Jacob's loyalty means investigating a distress call from the MSV Hugo Gernsback, the ship Jacob's father was on when he disappeared.

Related: How Mass Effect Changed Video Games Forever

Even though this mission gives Jacob the resolution he is looking, those answers aren't exactly satisfying. Ronald Taylor turned out to be a monster, taking advantage of the toxic plant life on Aeia to influence the minds and manipulate the crew into questionable servitude. Though completing the mission earns Jacob's loyalty and softens him up a bit, seeing what Ronald Taylor did can make players sick to their stomachs.

Legion's recruitment  can potentially come pretty late in the game, meaning players can miss their loyalty mission -- and the consequences of Legion's mission are integral to Mass Effect 3 's events. When Legion asks to speak to Shepard, the Geth explains that the collective is divided between those who are in line with the Reapers (called the Heretics) and those who wish to be free of the Old Machines.

The Heretics are developing a virus designed to reprogram the collective and ally them with the Reapers. Moving through Heretic Station, Shepard and Legion can disable the Geth nodes while shutting down the spread of the virus. Once the virus is deleted, it's up to Shepard to decide what happens to the Geth collective. Will they rewrite the heretics so they become part of the collective, or destroy them entirely? It's a lot of pressure, and that decision weighs heavily on the future.

Related: Mass Effect: Andromeda - How the Andromeda Initiative's Mission Failed

When Shepard recruits  Asari Justicar Samara , she asks them to help her learn the name of the ship that transported her quarry off-world. Completing that mission convinces her to join the crew, but her work is far from done. As Shepard begins talking to her, she explains the larger scope of her mission and confesses that she has no desire to endure a Suicide Mission if she can't complete her task first.

Samara seeks Shepard's aid in hunting down and exterminating a dangerous Ardat-Yakshi named Morinth. Morinth, who also happens to be Samara's daughter, has been preying on innocents on Omega, and stopping her before anyone else gets hurt means using Shepard as bait. While her loyalty mission is fun, Samara's cold nature on account of her dedication to duty makes it harder to relate to her. She's an essential force during the Suicide Mission, however, so completing this mission is important.

Related: Mass Effect: Why THESE Asari Are So Dangerous

Miranda Lawson

As far as companions go,  Miranda Lawson is a double-edged sword. She's second-in-command to Shepard, and earning her loyalty is no easy task -- especially with the psychotic biotic Jack on board. Miranda's loyalty mission involves rescuing her sister, Oriana , before their father can find and corrupt her like he did Miranda. She's relying on a childhood friend, Niket, to help get Oriana to a safe new life. Unfortunately, Niket sets her up, creating a race against time to protect Oriana.

Miranda's loyalty mission is tied closely to Jack's loyalty, and unless Shepard has either Renegade or Paragon nearly maxed, it's impossible to win over both women. One of them will inevitably go into the Suicide Mission unfulfilled, which could mean death or a dark fate in the third game. If you want to secure Miranda's loyalty without alienating Jack, make sure to max out Paragon or Renegade before breaking up their fight.

Jack 's loyalty mission is one of the most emotional ones, but it's ties to Miranda's loyalty hold it back from being one of the best in the game. After revealing that she was raised by Cerberus in a facility on Pragia, Jack asks Shepard if they can destroy the place so she can move on. While there, Jack walks Shepard through horrifying memories of fear and loneliness as a little girl tormented by her captors. They encounter another experiment, there to resurrect the project, but Shepard can give Jack the go ahead to blow the facility to bits before returning to the Normandy.

Back on the Normandy, Jack confronts Miranda about what happened to her. Shepard can intervene and either side with one of them, or use maxed Renegade or Paragon options to convince them to set their differences aside and look at the bigger picture. If Shepard's Renegade or Paragon level isn't high enough, they will have to side with either Jack or Miranda, putting the other's loyalty out of reach.

Related: Mass Effect: Mating With This Asari Will Get You Killed

When Tali  gets a message from the Fleet informing her the Admiralty Board is charging her with treason , she seeks Shepard's help. Arriving at the Migrant Fleet reveals that the Alerei, where Tali's father was working, has been overrun by Geth, and they believe it was her fault for sending active Geth technology to be studied and researched. Tali and Shepard must fight their way through Geth to find out what happened to Tali's father, resulting in an emotional moment where they discover him dead.

Tali's father was reactivating Geth to perform weapons tests, though he professes Tali had no knowledge of his activities. Tali begs Shepard not to reveal the evidence to preserve her father's name, though it's up to Shepard to decide how to respond. If Shepard claims there was no evidence to exonerate Tali, her loyalty is forfeited, and she's expelled from the Fleet. However, Shepard can win Tali's loyalty by pointing out that, given her history, Tali would never betray her people, and the trial is a political farce.

Kasumi Goto

Even though Kasumi  was only available through DLC, she still came with a loyalty mission. One fun things about her mission is that Shepard gets to dress up and attend a party with elite members of high society at the home of notorious arms dealer Donovan Hock. Donovan killed Kasumi's partner, Keiji, and stole his graybox , a device used to store memories and information -- and Kasumi wants Shepard to help get it back.

Related: Mass Effect Legendary Edition Will Be More Welcoming to Women Gamers

Kasumi's mission makes her feel more like a member of the team, as she's not interactable like other companions are. Here, Shepard gets to see an emotional side to the stone cold hacker, discovering that the real reason she wants to retrieve the graybox is her struggle to cope with Keiji's death. She wants to hold onto his memories, but unfortunately, they need to be destroyed. This means letting go and saying goodbye once and for all.

Mordin Solus

Mordin Solus became a fan-favorite due to his evolution. One of the Salarian scientists responsible for the Genophage, his reason and logic make it impossible for him to reflect on his past objectively. He did what was necessary at the time, but underneath his bravado and pride is a wounded soul troubled by the repercussions of his actions. When Mordin's former assistant, Maelon, is abducted on Tuchanka, he seeks out Shepard's help to secure any secrets that might fall into the wrong hands.

As the pair moves through the hospital where Maelon is being kept, it becomes apparent the Krogan have gone to incredible lengths to try and resolve the genophage, including deadly experiments on female Krogan. When they find Maelon in the laboratory, Mordin discovers his assistant wasn't captured, but is working with the Krogan out of guilt. Consequently, Mordin questions his abhorrent methods; he rushes Maelon with the intent to kill, but Shepard can intervene. The decision to either destroy the data or save it is left to Shepard.

This encounter with Maelon and the discovery of his research factors heavily into Mass Effect 3 , providing Mordin with the tools he needs to create a cure for the genophage. This brings the evolution of his character full-circle and makes his loyalty mission one of the best in the game.

Related: Why Is There So Much Lens Flare in Mass Effect Legendary Edition?

Tankborn, purebred Krogan companion  Grunt  becomes like a son to Shepard as the games progress. When Grunt starts to go a little crazy, getting to the bottom of what's wrong becomes a priority. Grunt's place in Krogan society is called into question because he was a genetic experiment and not born naturally. When talking to the shaman on Tuchanka, it becomes apparent that Grunt must undergo the Krogan Rite of Passage to satisfy the urges inside him.

Not everyone believes Grunt should have that right, but during the trial's three stages, he takes down enemies before facing a massive Thresher Maw. Taking down that Thresher Maw earns Grunt prestige and respect from the clan chieftain, which is Wrex if he's still alive. He will become Urdnot Grunt, but not until squaring off with a band of Krogan enemies who don't think Grunt should be accepted into their society. Completing Grunt's mission and earning his loyalty strengthens the bond between Grunt and Shepard and shapes the warrior he becomes in the third game.

Thane Krios

Thane's loyalty mission  is one of the most endearing in the game because, as he prepares for his inevitable death, he finds himself confronting one of his regrets. As an assassin, he has taken life after life because it was what he was built to do -- but the life he feels he's damaged most is that of his son, Kolyat . Not only did Thane's actions lead to the death of his wife, Irikah, but he abandoned Kolyat after she died.

When Thane asks Shepard for help, he explains that Kolyat's spirit has been corrupted, and he wants to save him. Though Shepard insists there are better people to aid in his mission, Thane wants Shepard's help in saving his son from a life of crime. Intervening in time to stop Kolyat from ruining his life affords Thane the opportunity to create a bond with his son before his death, providing both with a sense of peace and a few good memories. Not completing this almost certainly guarantees Thane's death during the suicide mission.

RELATED:  Mass Effect: Saren's Evil Plan Was ALMOST Perfect

Garrus Vakarian

Garrus and Shepard have been through a lot together by the time they recruit Archangel for the Suicide Mission. However, during their time apart, Garrus underwent a tragedy that threatened to reshape his entire philosophy. He began working with a team of specialists to carry out vigilante justice against Omega's criminal enterprises. Though they did began to make a difference, one of them betrayed the whole group and got the other 10 men killed.

Embittered by this betrayal and the loss of good men, Garrus wants revenge against Sidonis. When the opportunity presents itself, he asks for Shepard's aid in helping him track down and take out the Turian. After he's located, Shepard can convince Garrus not to abandon his principles in favor of revenge, pointing out that Sidonis will spend the rest of his life feeling guilty for what he's done.

What makes this loyalty mission the best is that is calls Garrus' character into question, demonstrating how easy it can be to lose control of one's principles when pushed too far. This was a huge moment for Garrus, and it shaped his bond with Shepard, proving that the two could do anything together.

KEEP READING:  Mass Effect: The 5 Biggest Plot Twists in the First Game (& Why They Matter)

Every Mass Effect 2 Loyalty Mission - Ranked

Who comes out on top in the original Suicide Squad?

The Mass Effect 2 loyalty missions are arguably the best side missions in gaming history. These weren't simple fetch quests, or even a case of doing enough nice things for a character so they'd like you. Each and every one of these quests dove into the soul of your squadmates, developing their story, revealing their motivations.

Even the ones featured at the lower end are be some of the best gameplay experiences in modern RPGs. Mass Effect 2 remains the jewel of Bioware's crown, and is a genuine contender for the best game of the Xbox 360/PS3 era.

But which of them are the best? Which are the crem de la crem de la crem ?

For this list, we're taking into account gameplay (obviously), but also the story, the effect on Mass Effect lore and the impact it had on the character overall.

Note: Liara's Lair of the Shadow Broker is excellent, but as she's not a permanent squadmate, I'm not counting it.

12. Zaeed - The Price Of Revenge

Mirthless, merciless mercenary Zaeed Massani is kicking us off at number 12. Zaeed was a DLC character, available via a free code if you bought the game new. However, with used games being a booming market (and there being some issues with porting the DLC to Xbox One), some players missed out on this mission, which has to count against it in the rankings.

In truth though, there's more than that counting against The Price Of Revenge. While some missions on this list have enough heart and soul that an entire game could have been built around them, Zaeed's is a by the numbers revenge outing. There's nothing especially wrong with the gameplay, with some sections featuring some great run and gun fun.

Still, it's hardly inspiring. Or particularly indicative of the quality of missions still to explore. For most fans, this was a mission they'd put off on their second playthrough, or perhaps rush through first to get to the good stuff later.

The final scene where Zaeed tosses his burning used clip into a gasoline puddle to create an explosion is cool enough to fit a John Carpenter movie though, so at least there's that.

Self appointed queen of the SJWs. Find me on Twitter @FiveTacey (The 5 looks like an S. Do you get it? Do you get my joke about the 5?)

Mass Effect 2 loyalty guide and how to gain the loyalty of squad members

Working your way through the Legendary Edition and trying to secure everyone's Mass Effect 2 loyalty? Here's how to do it

Gaining the Mass Effect 2 loyalty of your crew is an essential part of your adventure, at least if you want to complete the final Suicide Mission in a way that's successful for as many of them as possible. There are over a dozen characters that you can recruit in this second part of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition , completing missions with them to earn their fealty, and you'll need to know the right decisions to make along the way so you can weave them all into a close-knit squad ready for the final push. To help with this, we've got a complete rundown on how the Mass Effect 2 loyalty missions work, along with the actions required so you can get the best possible outcomes for everyone.

Mass Effect 2 loyalty missions

Find out what the best Mass Effect 2 weapons are for your playstyle and where to find them.

As members are recruited to your squad their Mass Effect 2 loyalty missions become available, though you usually need to complete a regular mission or assignment first before each loyalty mission can be accessed. Completing the loyalty mission for a squad member will make them loyal to Shepard, which increases their chance of survival if you make the right choices during the Suicide Mission and can impact on the Mass Effect 2 endings , as well as unlocking an alternate outfit and their bonus power. This bonus power can then be learned and used by Shepard, by purchasing the Advanced Training research project, though you can only have one active bonus power at a time.

Below we've listed the Mass Effect 2 loyalty missions in the order they become available, along with the bonus powers you unlock for the characters by completing them. This comes with the caveat that if a certain character has not been recruited to your squad yet then their loyalty mission is skipped over, but it comes up next in the rotation once they join as a crew member:

• Jacob Taylor: The Gift of Greatness - Barrier
• Miranda Lawson: The Prodigal - Slam
• Jack: Subject Zero - Warp Ammo
• Mordin Solus: Old Blood - Neural Shock
• Grunt: Rite of Passage - Fortification
• Garrus Vakarian: Eye for an Eye - Armor-Piercing Ammo
• Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi - Reave (or Morinth - Dominate)
• Tali'Zorah vas Neema: Treason - Energy Drain
• Thane Krios: Sins of the Father - Shredder Ammo
• Legion: A House Divided - Geth Shield Boost

There are also the following three loyalty missions that were originally DLC, and can be accessed as soon as the relevant character is recruited to your crew:

• Zaeed Massani: The Price of Revenge - Inferno Grenade
• Kasumi Goto: Stealing Memory - Flashbang Grenade
• Liara T'Soni: Lair of the Shadow Broker - Stasis (completing this mission unlocks the Stasis power but Liara does not join your crew)

Bear in mind that in some circumstances, there are decisions or actions you can take during a loyalty mission that stop the squad member from becoming loyal, even if you complete the mission. These are the ones you need to watch out for:

• Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi - If you don't keep Morinth's attention she will leave the club, so Samara cannot capture her and will not become loyal. If you side with Morinth then Samara will be killed, then replaced on the crew by Morinth who will be loyal and unlock her bonus power instead of Samara's.
• Tali'Zorah vas Neema: Treason - If you provide evidence that Tali's father was guilty of treason, she will not become loyal.
• Thane Krios: Sins of the Father - If you don't update Thane while using the catwalks to track Joram Talid, Kolyat will assassinate Talid and Thane will not become loyal.
• Zaeed Massani: The Price of Revenge - If you save the workers then Zaeed will not become loyal, unless you can use the high Charm option at the conclusion of the mission.

There will also be confrontations between squad members onboard the Normandy immediately after certain pairs of loyalty missions have been completed, which you'll need to resolve. These are:

• Miranda Lawson: The Prodigal and Jack: Subject Zero
• Tali'Zorah vas Neema: Treason and Legion: A House Divided

If you have a high enough Paragon or Renegade score then a Charm or Intimidate option will be available to diffuse the situation and keep both of the crew happy, however if that isn't accessible (or you choose not to use it) then you'll need to side with one member and lose the loyalty of the other. Losing a squad member's loyalty in this way does not prevent access to their alternate outfit or bonus power, and while it is possible to regain this lost loyalty later with another Charm or Intimidate option if available during conversations, any Mass Effect 2 romance you were pursuing with them cannot be rekindled.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 500 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.

In a first for dying consoles, Microsoft is giving Xbox 360 games deep discounts before digital purchases end for good

Dune prequel series set 10,000 years before Denis Villeneuve’s epic gets its first trailer

XDefiant is ditching skill-based matchmaking because Ubisoft thinks it's not good for fun or variety, and it "means every casual game is repetitive"

Most Popular

• 2 Homeworld 3 review: "Brings the series safely into the modern era"
• 3 Animal Well review: "An endlessly inventive Metroidvania with unfathomable depth"
• 4 Crow Country review: "a lovingly built greatest hits mix of retro horror ideas"
• 5 Hades 2 review: "The roguelike DNA at the heart of this sequel remains as tight and cutthroat as its predecessor"
• 2 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review: "Offers spectacle and thrills, but lacks the smarts and ambition of its predecessors"
• 3 Tarot review: "A predictable and tame take on Final Destination"
• 4 Unfrosted review: "Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix movie is a deliciously silly, spoofy tale"
• 5 The Idea of You review: "Anne Hathaway works overtime to give this rom-com even the appearance of substance"
• 2 Demon Slayer season 4, episode 1 review: "Comes perilously close to the dreaded f-word – filler – at times"
• 3 Orphan Black: Echoes review - Krysten Ritter and co try their best in unimaginative sci-fi spin-off
• 4 X-Men ‘97 episode 9 review: "There’s no way any of this ends on a high note"
• 5 Doctor Who episodes 1 & 2 review: Space Babies may divide the fans, but Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson make for an immediately winning new TARDIS team

• Entertainment
• PlayStation
• Elden Ring Guides
• Roblox Codes
• Pokemon Legends Arceus
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

Mass Effect 2 Loyalty Guide (Legendary Edition) – How to Gain Everyone’s Loyalty

Playing through  Mass Effect 2 as part of the new Legendary Edition release might remind you just how important  loyalty is throughout the game. As Shepard puts his/her crew together they don’t immediately gel as a team. You have to earn their trust in order to get more info and upgrades out of them. But most important is having their loyalty when heading into the final mission of the game. To help you make sure you have them all here’s our Mass Effect 2 loyalty guide for ME Legendary Edition.

How to Gain Everyone’s Loyalty in Mass Effect 2 (Legendary Edition)

In Mass Effect 2 you earn your team members’ loyalty by completing their specific set of loyalty missions. These are unlocked after you’ve spoken with them a few times in between preceding missions and reach a certain point in the game. However, with Mass Effect Legendary Edition you will have two loyalty missions unlocked as soon as you recruit the team members. These are Kasumi and Zaeed, which were released as DLC characters in the original game. However, we recommend saving these until you’re a higher level and have more teammates to bring along with you on the mission.

With that in mind the best way to earn loyalty is to recruit your crew as quickly as you can, then make sure you speak with all of them whenever you finish a mission. Just make it a routine to check in with all of your crew in between objectives, and try to dive into any personal questions that arise. Once you complete the Horizon stage you can begin doing the loyalty missions for the original 10 crew members, and this is when we would also recommend completing the Kasumi and Zaeed missions as well, just to be safe.

When a crew member is ready to divulge their personal backstory and offer you their loyalty mission you will be told that they want to speak with you when walking near Kelly Chambers. For most of your crew all you need to do is complete that mission and they will become loyal. However, some have special conditions or offer choices that can prevent them from becoming loyal.

We’ve broken down each crew member below in terms of how to gain their loyalty and provided notes for things to watch out for. Listed with the crew member’s name is the mission title of their loyalty quest. If nothing else is mentioned then simply complete it to gain their loyalty.

• Kasumi – Stolen Memory
• If you choose to save the workers you must have a high Paragon level and choose the Charm dialogue option
• If given the option, do not leave Zaeed to die under the metal beam
• Jacob – The Gift Of Greatness
• When Miranda and Jack are fighting be sure to choose Charm or Intimidate options
• Mordin – Old Blood
• Grunt – Rite Of Passage
• Garrus – Eye for an Eye
• Keep Morinth’s attention at the private table and in her apartment
• Avoid talking about justicars or family
• Use Paragon or Renegade options if available
• Do not provide evidence of Tali’s father’s guilt
• Be impartial during her conflict with Legion or you will lose one of their loyalty
• Tali’s can be regained later on through dialogue, so if this happens just keep speaking with her between missions
• Keep Thane updated while following Joram Talid
• Stay impartial during Legion and Tali’s confrontation

And that’s how to gain everyone’s loyalty in Mass Effect 2 as part of the Legendary Collection. Completing these quests and making sure to avoid the things that will cause you to lose loyalty will both grant you that character’s loyalty power and make it easier for them to survive the Suicide Mission at the end.

Search Results

Loyalty missions | mass effect 2 wiki.

• Create new page
• Recent Changes
• Permissions
• Edit Open Graph
• Clear page cache
• Clear comments cache
• File Manager
• Page Manager
• Wiki Templates
• Comments Approval
• Wiki Settings
• Wiki Manager

Loyalty Missions in Mass Effect 2 , are a type of quest unique to each Companion  that once completed unlock that companion's fourth Power  as well as an alternate outfit. Loyalty also grants an extremely important effect on the final Mission  of the game. 

Powers unlocked through Loyalty Missions can also be learned by Commander Shepard . To do so, you have to use the Advanced Training research upgrade, though only one may be learned at any given time of the total 14 available.  You can also access one of these 14 Powers available, when creating a new Commander Shepard  or when importing one from the original Mass Effect.

Acquiring Loyalty Missions

After completing the Mission  on Horizon , you will be informed by Kelly Chambers  that members would like to talk to you. The trigger for Loyalty Missions is more or less the same: you have to complete a Mission  or an Assignment  that ends with a "Mission Complete" screen. (Small Assignments  from the Normandy, Omega , Illium , Tuchanka and the Citadel do not count as triggers for the Loyalty Missions ).

The Loyalty Mission for Grunt , Legion , Tali , Thane and Samara  have an additional trigger. If by that point, all but one character has been recruited and all other squad members' Loyalty Missions  have been completed, then the Loyalty Mission of the aforementioned character will become available directly after them joining the crew.

Availability

The  10   Loyalty Missions  will be acquired in the following order:

• Jacob Taylor
• Miranda Lawson
• Mordin Solus
• Garrus Vakarian
• Thane Krios

Zaeed Massani 's and  Kasumi Goto 's  Loyalty Missions  work differently than the members in the base game. Their  Loyalty Mission  becomes available upon recruitment.

Note that if you do not recruit a certain member, their  Loyalty Missions  will be skipped and the next one from the aforementioned sequence will be available for completion instead. You will acquire the skipped Loyalty Mission after completing an  Assignment  or  Mission  upon recruiting that squad member. For example, if you have Garrus' and you haven't recruited  Samara , you will get  Tali's   Loyalty Mission  instead.

It is possible to make choices during some  Loyalty Missions  that prevent squad member involved from becoming loyal, even though the  Mission  will be considered complete. These are the following:

Samara : If you don't attract or lose  Morinth's  attention during her mother's  Loyalty Mission  will cause  Morinth  to leave, preventing her from being trapped by  Commander Shepard  and  Samara . This results in  Samara  not becoming loyal.

Tali : During her  Loyalty Mission, by  providing the evidence that  Tali's  father was guilty of treason will prevent her from becoming loyal.

Thane : If you don't update  Thane  during his Loyalty Mission while you are following Joram Talid, results in Kolyat killing Talid.

Zaeed : If you choose to save the workers during his  Loyalty Mission , will prevent him from becoming loyal, unless you are able to use a high-level  Charm  at the end of the  Mission . Also, leaving him pinned under the beam will kill him at the end of his  Loyalty Mission.  However, this option will become available  ONLY  if you have already gone through the  Omega 4 Relay , you chose to save the workers and have at least 2 more squadmates left.

Confrontations

After completing their respective Loyalty Missions, two pairs of team members will end up in an argument. These are:

• Legion and Tali : Legion  scanned Tali's Omni-Tool to obtain information on the Flotilla  and wants to transmit it back to the Geth .
• Jack and Miranda : They argue about Cerberus' and the Illusive Man's responsibility and involvement for the experimentation on  Jack .

These confrontations will happen as soon as you return to the Normandy after completing the Loyalty Missions  of both parties involved in the discussion. You will be brought in to settle the dispute and then, can choose to support one member over the other during the disagreement. You will lose the loyalty of the one you didn't support.

In order to calm both members, it is necessary to choose a Charm or Intimidate option. If you don't have enough Paragon or Renegade points, the options will be grayed out, forcing a choice between two squad members. 

You have the possibility to regain the lost loyalty of a squad member with another Charm or Intimidate conversation option later. Keep in mind that the team member whom you did not support, will no longer respond to romantic overtures, even if their loyalty is regained at a later time. Losing the loyalty of the team member, will not result in the loss of their alternate outfit or special Power .

All Loyalty Missions in Mass Effect 2

• Garrus: Eye for an Eye
• Grunt: Rite of Passage
• Jack: Subject Zero
• Jacob: The Gift of Greatness
• Legion: A House Divided
• Miranda: The Prodigal
• Mordin: Old Blood
• Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi
• Tali: Treason
• Thane: Sins of the Father
• Kasumi: Stealing Memory
• Zaeed: The Price of Revenge

• Recent Changes +
• File Manager +
• Page Manager +
• Create Wiki +
• ⇈ Back to top ⇈

Mass Effect 2: The Gift Of Greatness Walkthrough

This is how you help Jacob with his morally questionable father.

Loyalty missions are among the most enjoyable parts of Mass Effect 2 . They let you get to know your squad on a bit of a deeper level as you help them deal with personal issues. For instance, The Gift Of Greatness is all about Jacob's relationship with his father. And it's not just about typical parental drama.

RELATED: Mass Effect 2: Optimal Mission Order

Jacob hears that his father may be alive, despite disappearing on a mission ten years ago. So, he, naturally, wants to check the situation out. It makes for an emotional and sometimes tricky quest with multiple endings. Here is how to get through it all and make the right decision in the end.

Starting The Mission

Shortly after completing Horizon , Kelly Chambers will inform you that Jacob would like to talk . Therefore, visit him in his usual spot within the Normandy Armory.

When you engage him in conversation, he will reveal that his dad's ship recently sent out a distress signal. While he's not sure anything will come of it, he asks if you guys can check it out.

So, go to the Galaxy Map and plot a course for Aeia , which is in the Alpha Draconis system of the Rosetta Nebula. You must scan the planet to locate the distress signal and land there.

Arrival And First Fight

Before you land, you must select your squad . You have to take Jacob, and you can bring whoever else you desire. You face a fair few shielded enemies and plenty of mechs. Therefore, Tali would be a great choice if you've recruited her. If not, Garrus or Miranda are suitable replacements.

Once you land, it doesn't take long to find the giant ship. You can go inside to look for supplies, and there are also logs to access outside . The most interesting thing in this area, though, is the VI that is just past the ship. It gives you more insight into what happened to the vessel and crew.

Go past the beacon to run into the first survivor . And in the conversation you have with them, you realize that her mental state isn't great.

She warns that there are hunters rebelling against their leader. Some of the said hunters immediately show up and a ttempt to shoot the woman - you can save her with a paragon interrupt . Afterward, it's time to fight the feral hunters.

The battle can actually be a bit tricky on harder difficulties. Your best bet is to keep your squad behind cover and watch out for the shotgun enemies that try to flank you. Once the skirmish is over, pick up ammo and move forward.

Female Settlement

After a short walk, you reach an all-female settlement . While conversing with the residents, you discover that Jacob's father made them eat toxic food . Therefore, they don't want to talk for long because Jacob reminds them of him.

You're free to examine things around the entrance to the camp. But when you go further in, you get attacked by Mechs. Take them out, and feel free to continue your search.

When you're finished, head to the area where the Mechs spawn. You will find a doctor wanting your attention.

When you talk to the woman, she gives you a datapad that further incriminates Jacob's dad . Go through the conversation and then proceed a little further to find a wall blocking your path.

Luckily, there is an inactive Mech in front of it that you can set to explode. Do that and then run away to leave the blast radius . When it blows up, you can progress.

RELATED: Mass Effect 2: Every Loyalty Mission, Ranked From Worst To Best

At this point, Jacob's dad, Ronald, will contact you and warn you that he's lost control of the Mechs . He's happy you're here to save him, though.

Ronald's warning about bots is timely, as a bunch of them spawn in the next camp. Thankfully, they don't all appear at once, though. Instead, they trigger in little groups. Therefore, the best course of action is to take it slow and wipe out each group at a time before progressing to trigger the others.

After they're all down, search for any supplies before leaving the camp. It doesn't take long to run into more adversaries, though.

And for this next fight, there isn't a lot of cover around. So, sprint to the one piece of cover in sight and take down the advancing mechs.

Ronald's Base

Finally, you reach Ronald's base, but, like his mechs, his guards aren't exactly listening to him. Therefore, you must take them out. Near the entrance, there are some power cells on the ground that you may want to pick up.

This section is a bit tricky, but your best chance of survival is the large wall in front of you. Go to either side of it and peek out to shoot people or use powers against them. After you take a few out, a large YMIR Mech enters the fray.

While the human enemies will generally stay in cover, this beast will head towards you . Therefore, back up a bit to where the power cells were and shoot the Mech from there. The bot doesn't seem to like passing the large wall, so you have a bit of safety in this position. If you're struggling to take the Mech down with standard firearms, use your power weapon.

When the Mech is defeated, head back to the wall to finish off the remaining guards . You can even head past the wall to get closer to the enemy if you're feeling brave. Once they're all dealt with, loot the place. Now that there are no more distractions, you can go through the door at the back of the area to reach Ronald.

Confronting Ronald

In the following cutscene, Jacob and Ronald have a tense conversation.

You make several dialog choices throughout the interaction, but your squadmate does most of the talking. However, in the end, you decide Ronald's fate. These are your options:

• "He Can't Escape The Law Now" - You have the man arrested by the Alliance.
• "Leave Him In The Hell He Made" - You and the squad return to the Normandy, leaving him with no defenses and a group of hunters vying for his blood.
• "I'd Shoot Him" - You suggest shooting him, but Jacob doesn't want to do it. So, he leaves his father with a gun and just enough ammo to kill himself.

After the mission, you get an additional cutscene where Jacob confronts The Illusive Man, thinking he sent him the information about the distress signal. But it wasn't him, this was Miranda's handiwork, and she even enters the conversation to admit it.

You get a little more dialog before the mission ends.

NEXT: Mass Effect 2: How To Complete Garrus' Loyalty Mission

Mass Effect 2 Bonus Powers - what Advanced Training research to pick

The RPG systems in  Mass Effect 2  are streamlined when compared to the first game in the series, but in many ways ME2 offers improvements and adjustments to make the role-playing progression you can do more satisfying. One key pillar of this is the  Bonus Powers  that Shepard can recieve - one extra power that's picked via the  Advanced Training  research project that becomes available part-way through the game.

The function of the Advanced Training is pretty simple - it allows Shepard to pick up a bonus power that's based directly on one of his squadmates. In some menus, these are also called  Unique Squad Member Powers . With that name, it's not a surprise to say your squadmates are also key to unlocking the bonus powers. Each bonus power is unique, and some are better than others, with the exact suitability depending on your character class and play style. With your Advanced Weapon Training , this allows you to customize your class more than you'd first think.

On this page, we run down all ME2 Bonus Powers available through Advanced Training , and drop our picks for the best bonus powers. 

ME2 Bonus Powers and how to unlock them in Advanced Training

There's one Bonus Power for each member of the main playable cast of squadmates and party members in Mass Effect 2 , plus one extra bonus power for ME1 squadmate Liara T'Soni, who has a significant appearance in one DLC mission strand.

Each bonus power is basically a unique skill that up until that point is exclusive to the character in question - and they're all unlocked by completing each character's loyalty mission and securing their loyalty . Bonus powers actually remain unlocked into New Game Plus and other subsequent play-throughs of ME2, also - so you can begin to spec characters in interesting ways right from the start if you're inclined to play the game more than once.

Shepard can only have access to one bonus power at any given time. To bequeath your Shep with a bonus, simply go to the research terminal aboard the Normandy in Mordin's science lab and use the Advanced Training research. This costs 5000 Element Zero, and allows you to teach Shepard one of the bonus powers, which will then appear as a bonus skill on their character screen.

This research can be repeated, which means you can experiment with a bonus power and then swap it for another if you wish - the skill points spent on the power will be refunded. Just try not to do it too much, though as Element Zero is by far the rarest of the elements.

Here's the Bonus Powers, and which character unlocks them:

• Armor-Piercing Ammo  - Garrus
• Barrier  - Jacob
• Dominate  - Morinth (replaces Samara)
• Energy Drain  - Tali
• Flashbang Grenade  - Kasumi
• Fortification  - Grunt
• Geth Shield Boost  - Legion
• Inferno Grenade  - Zaeed
• Neural Shock  - Mordin
• Reave  - Samara
• Shredder Ammo  - Thane
• Slam  - Miranda
• Stasis  - Liara (Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC Mission Reward)
• Warp Ammo  - Jack

You might notice there are 14 bonus powers when there are only 12 party members in ME2. The two bonuses are deliberate. During Samara's loyalty mission , under certain circumstances she can be replaced with Morinth; Morinth has a different power. Liara is not a permanent squadmate in this game, but joins you briefly during the Lair of the Shadow Broker quest - after that DLC quest line (which is included in Legendary Edition) is completed, you can research her bonus power, which is a skill she had in ME2. 

The Best Bonus Powers in Mass Effect 2

As with many choices of this nature, there is no absolute right answer as to the single best bonus power in ME2 . It will depend on your character class of choice, your play style, which are the best weapons for you, and generally how confident you feel in battle. However, we do have some recommendations of load-outs and the like where certain bonus skills from advanced training stand out in particular. So, without further ado...

• Reave - the best biotic option:  while there's a couple of Biotic powers on this list, if you want a powerful bonus biotic move, this is the one. Reave is a versatile skill, doing double damage to armor and barriers while also restoring health to the user when used on organic targets. You have to be in range to actively target an enemy, though - you can't blind-fire it. We'd go so far as to say it's the best biotic skill in the game, really. It is a wrecking ball once you get used to using it, and on Insanity the manner in which it tops up your health can make Shepard feel very, very tough. 
• Geth Shield Boost - a great option for survivability & Infiltrators:  if you're an Infiltrator Class, or you just want more survivability in battle, the Geth Shield Boost power shouldn't be overlooked. While you probably won't have Legion loyal until very late in the game if you're following our ME2 mission order , the Shield Boost will provide great extra cover during the suicide mission . As well as a high-powered new shield, one of the evolutions you can pick when the skill hits rank 4 also allows the shield boost to give a boost to your weapon damage, making it not entirely passive. It works particularly well on infiltrators, but will make any class more of a bullet sponge.
• Armor-Piercing Ammo - the best ammo bonus:  there's a few bonus powers that are focused on ammo, but the best of them is Armor-Piercing Ammo. While Warp Ammo is great for shredding barriers, the truth is that Barriers are the least common sort of damage protection you'll be up against in ME3 - you'll see way more shields and armor. Bosses and larger enemies always have armor, even if it's underneath their shields. This power gives a massive bonus against both armor and health, and was so powerful that it ultimately gets massively nerfed in ME3. It's a great pick for Soldiers who are entirely gun-focused.
• Stasis - for controlling the battlefield:  you can only cast stasis on one target at a time, but it's powerful - it stops an enemy dead in their tracks. They also can't be damaged in that state, but it means you can freeze a powerful foe in place to control the flow of battle briefly. It works on all enemies - even the final boss - which means you can use it to lock down a powerful foe to take down their minions, making crowd control in difficult battles easier. In addition, after Stasis wears off enemies fall to the ground, and while they're briefly downed they take bonus damage. It has an added boon that is perhaps unintended in that if you Stasis enemies on floating platforms that then move, or flying enemies like Scions above bottomless pits... they'll just fall into the abyss, to their doom, instnat kill. It's not the most exciting of powers, but it is extremely high utility.
• Barrier - for the defensively minded:   keeping in mind what we said above about the Geth Shield Boost, Barrier is the power you should pick if you really want maximum defenses and aren't as bothered about also getting an offensive damage boost on the back-end. It's a safe power, and is especially useful for classes that have less natural defenses, or for a class like Soldier that is constantly in the enemy's face.
• Dominate - for ruining an organic's day:  if you like the AI hacking power where you can turn one enemy on their allies, Dominate is basically that - but for organics. It's a good, strong power, and most of the enemies you face in the main plot will be organic. If you also have AI Hacking, it means you'll never come up against an enemy you can't brainwash. The downside - you'll have to sacrifice Samara to get it. 

• My Reading List
• Account Settings
• Newsletters & alerts
• Gift subscriptions
• Accessibility for screenreader

Video game news and analysis. Tips to help you win.

Launcher News

Every ‘Mass Effect’ squadmate, ranked from a storytelling perspective

[ I’ve already played the trilogy. Should I buy ‘Mass Effect Legendary Edition’? ]

• Relevance to the overall story and plot
• Character development/arc across the trilogy
• Uniqueness in character concept
• Loyalty mission (not applicable in 3)

Mass Effect 1

Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 3

11. Miranda

We noticed you’re blocking ads!