In this guide, we will discuss all the key choices and consequences in Mass Effect 2. Every choice has a consequence and if you want the game to work out the way you like, then start reading. Let’s get started with the Mass Effect 2 Choices and Consequences guide to help you shape up the world you need.
Mass Effect 2 Choices and Consequences
We will take a look at every decision possible in Mass Effect 2 and its effects in not only ME2 but also the next game, Mass Effect 3 and how your choice has an impact on the conclusion of the series.
These are the major decisions you have to make in ME2 Depending on exactly what you need to happen in your world; considering you’ve already done at least one playthrough of the game, follow the instructions below to learn more about Mass Effect 2 Choices and Consequences.
Vido Escapes Zaeed Choice
In this stage, you will be given two choices. Either help the factory workers escape or ignore them and go after Vido. if you choose the first option, Vido will escape and Zaeed will get himself trapped under some debris, the three choices of this stage are:
“You brought this on yourself”
If you choose this option. This will increase the chances of Zaeed to live. This will boost your team’s strength for the suicide mission.
“I’m leaving you here”
This option is only available when Zaeed has survived the suicide mission with at least two other squadmates. If you choose this option Zaeed will be left to die. He won’t be present in the citadel in Mass Effect 3. You will also lose the chance to get the option of grabbing both war assets at the end. You will have to pick just one.
Any other option
If you choose an option other than the mentioned above, Zaeed will join your squad but will not be loyal. He will die in the citadel in Mass Effect 3, and you will have to choose one war asset at the end rather than two.
Normandy Upgrades
The most reliable way to clear the suicide mission is to purchase all three Normandy upgrades. If we fail to purchase any one of them, it will guarantee the death of a character when the Suicide Mission tests that attribute of the Normandy. the three options at this stage are:
Silaris Armor Tech
This costs 15,000 palladium and is unlocked by asking Jacob about Normandy upgrades. If we choose this option Jack will not die on the spot and the armor will hold. If you don’t purchase this upgrade, Jack however will die.
Thanix Cannon
This costs 15,000 platinum and is unlocked by talking to Garrus about Normandy upgrades. If we choose this option, nobody will die. if you don’t purchase this upgrade, a squadmate will die during the approach to the collector base.
Order of priority: Thane > Garrus > Zaeed > Grunt > Jack > Samara > Morinth.
Cyclonic Shield Tech
This costs 15,000 Platinum and is unlocked by talking to Tali about Normandy upgrades. If we choose this option nobody will die. if you don’t purchase this upgrade, a squadmate will die during the approach to the collector base if you do not put them in the squad for the cargo bay fight.
Order of priority: Kasumi > Legion > Tali > Thane > Garrus > Zaeed > Grunt.
Awakening Grunt
Successfuly completing the mission “Dossier: The Warlord” will have you back on the Normandy along with Dr. Okeer’s Krogan. You will be faced with two options:
Open the Tank
If you open the tank Krogan (grunt) will join the squad. He can survive to appear in Mass Effect 3.
Keep it Sealed
If you don’t open the tank you will not add Krogan to your squad. If you do not awaken him, he will eventually be dead in Mass Effect 3.
Miranda: The Prodigal
The prodigal is a loyalty test for Miranda. The two options are:
Completed the Prodigal
If you complete this mission, you will get to warn her about Kai Leng in Mass Effect 3. This increases the chance of her survival in Horizon. She can still die but only if you choose “I just want Oriana” and ignore the other option.
Ignored the Prodigal
Miranda will never survive the events of Priority in this case.
Jack VS Miranda
When you return to Normandy after The Prodigal and Jack’s loyalty missions in Mass Effect 2, you’ll have to settle an argument between the two. You can go about this in two ways:
Charm / Intimidate
If you choose this option, Shepherd will calm both of them down without upsetting any of them, thus keeping their loyalty intact.
“Back off, Miranda” / “Too back, Jack”
By choosing this option, the person you are asking to step down will be upset with you, you can only gain their loyalty back by talking to them or romancing with them after the argument ends.
Maelon’s Data
After Mordin’s Loyalty Mission on Tuchanka, Old Blood, you will have two chocies that can mean life or death for Eve.
Spare Data
In this case at the end of the Priority: Tuchanka, Eve will survive the procedure. This will make it impossible to sabotage the Genophage cure without having to kill the STG doctor present.
Destroy Data
In this case, Eve will die at the end of priority. The only way to sabotage the Genophage cure without having to kill the STG doctor is to walk away with their lives is if Wrex is not killed on Virmire or not recruited at all in Mass Effect 1.
Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi Choices
You can easily fail the samara’s loyalty mission and failure can occur at two different points. The first one is when you enter and try to gain Morinth’s attention, secondly when you try to talk to Morinth at the club table. There are two scenarios:
Morinth Leaves
If you fail to complete the four club activities, then Morinth leaves and the mission fails. This shows that samara is disloyal and that will put her in danger during the suicide mission.
Morinth Doesn’t Leave
After you complete both stages of the club, you gain Morinth’s attention, this will prove samara’s loyalty and you will proceed to the final stage where you retreat to Morinth’s apartment.
Samara VS Morinth
After the loyalty test of Samara. You will proceed to Morinth’s apartment and there she will try to seduce you. If you pass the persuasion check, you can resist her. Now you will have two options:
Kill Morinth
You can gain Samara’s loyalty by deciding to kill Morinth. She will be killed by her mother. This will decrease the chances of Samara being killed in The Suicide Mission
Kill Samara
if you choose to kill samara. you will gain Morinth’s loyalty. Samara will be killed by her daughter. Morinth will join you in Normandy disguised as her mother and she can also survive the Suicide Mission and appear in Mass Effect 3.
Thane: Sins of the Father
This is Thane’s loyalty mission that can result in him being completely disloyal to you. in this mission towards the end you have to tell Thane periodically about the position of Turian politician Talid in a limited amount of time. There are two scenarios:
Keep Track of Talid
You can earn Thane’s loyalty in this case if you keep him updated about Talid’s position throughout this section. In this way, Thane can mark his way to Talid’s apartment where he can stop Kolyat.
Lose Track of Talid
If you lose track of Talid, Kolyat will assassinate Talid and escape. This will make Thane disloyal to you and can cause his death or someone else’s.
Tali: Treason Loyalty choices
This stage is very tricky because even if you complete Tali’s loyalty mission you still won’t gain his loyalty. All of this depends on what you choose at the end of Tali’s trial. This will affect both Tali’s loyalty and Mass Effect 3. The three options are:
Charm / Intimidate / Rally the Crowd
If you chose any of the above, this will make shepherd easily convince the Admiralty Board to clear all the charges of Tali without showing evidence of her father’s action. in this way, you can earn Tali’s loyalty. This will also help you to peacefully choose a resolution to the Quarian/Geth storyline in Mass Effect 3 thanks to this Mass Effect 2 Choice.
“We have no evidence”
If you chose this option, Tali will be exiled. But this was done without showing the evidence of her father’s action, in this way you can earn Tali’s loyalty. But this will not help you to peacefully choose a resolution to the Quarian/Geth storyline in Mass Effect 3.
“Yes. Here is the evidence”
If you chose this option Tali will be exempted from all the charges. But you did this by showing the evidence of her father’s action, in this way you lost Tali’s loyalty. You will not be able to peacefully choose a resolution to the Quarian/Geth storyline in Mass Effect 3.
The Fate of the Geth Sniper
After completing the Reaper IFF mission, you will have the shell of Geth sniper that is familiar to the Shepard. Then you go back to Normandy and then you go to the AI core, after which you have two options:
Activate the Geth Sniper
If you choose this option, you can gain it as a squadmate. If it survives Mass Effect 2 then it will allow a peaceful resolution of the Quarian/Geth storyline.
Sell the Geth Sniper
If you sell it, you will gain 50,000 credits, it will become inaccessible as a squadmate. In Mass Effect 3, Geth sniper will be replaced by the colder Geth VI. and it will be difficult to broker peace between the Quarians and Geth. At the end of Priority: Cerberus Headquarters, you will have to face the Assassin army.
Tali VS Legion
When you complete both the missions Treason and Legion: A house-divided, loyalty missions, you will find Tali and the Legion in a big argument. Similarly, you need to pass the persuasion check to pick an option, which are:
Charm / Intimidate
Choosing this option won’t upset anyone. This will keep them loyal to you and your romance with Tali will not be disrupted
“Back off, Tali” / “Legion, stop transmitting”
This option will upset the person you are telling to stop or back off. That person will become disloyal to you. If you tell this to Tali, your romance will permanently end with her.
Fate of the Crew
The Collectors will show up on the Normandy after the Reaper IFF Mission on the derelict Reaper. Depending on how much time you waste doing missions and assignments will decide how many of your crew members are killed.
There are three different scenarios:
No Delay
If you enter Omega-4 without any delay after the crew is taken, every member will be alive, and you will meet them in the collector base.
Delay of 1-3 Missions and/or Assignments
If you enter Omega-4 Relay with a delay of completing 1-3 assignments, half of the crew will die.
Completing 4 or More Missions and/or Assignments
If you enter Omega-4 Relay with a delay of completing 4 or more missions, all of Normandy’s crew will die.
Fate of the Collector Base
The final decision that you have to make is to decide the fate of the collector base. You will have two options that have a direct effect on Mass Effect 3
Destroy the collector base
If you destroy the collector base, and in addition if you have low EMS value which means that mass relays will be destroyed. The only option left will be to pick the Destroy ending which will wipe out everyone on earth.
Save the Collector Base
If you save the collector base with a low EMS value which means mass relays will be destroyed. The only option will be the control ending and everyone will live on earth.
Suicide Mission Choices
The most important mission of Mass Effect 2 is The Suicide mission. Every loyalty mission, the choices, and the calls you made have a huge effect on the Squad and Mass Effect 3.
Veetor’s Fate
You will be given the option to decide the Veetor’s fate after you complete the Freedom’s Progress mission. The options are
Veetor goes with Tali
If you choose this option Tali will take the Veetor but you can find it again when you meet him in Tali’s treason, where he will be friendly to Shepard. If Kal’Reegar is also alive, you choose the option “Rally the crowd” at the end of Tali’s trail. Similar results will occur as using the charm option.
Veetor goes with Cerberus
If you choose this option, you can still find it in the Migrant fleet, but there he will be afraid of Shepard and you have don’t have the choice to pick the “rally the crowd ” option.
Dinner with Kelly
You will be able to determine, what kind of relations, you want with Kelly at the beginning of Mass Effect 2. there are two options:
Had Dinner with Kelly
By choosing this option, Kelly will take care of your fish. This can help us in Mass Effect 3 in the Docks. This is the only way to get Prejek Paddlefish in the third game. There she will return you that fish.
Didn’t Have Dinner with Kelly
This option will lead to no appearance of Prejek Paddlefish in Mass Effect 3 and she won’t even appear in the third game.
Ilium: Conrad Verner
You will bump into Conrad Verner if you use charm /intimidate in Mass Effect 1 when you enter the eternity bar on llium. Depending on what you choose will decide Conrad’s fate in Mass Effect 3.
You have two options:
Help Conrad
Choosing this option will help Conrad Verner live and he will appear in Mass Effect 3.
“Get Lost” / “You Screwed Up”
Choosing these options will make Conrad angry and he will leave.in this way, he can’t appear in Mass Effect 3. Radio news in the Hub area will tell you that he died trying to stop some teenager from surfing on top of the bus.
Khalisa Al-Jilani
She is the smear reporter from Mass Effect 1’s “the fourth estate” Side Quest. You will find her outside the lounge in the citadel. You will determine what to do with her. You have two options:
Punch Her
If you choose to punch her, this will make her used to these punches. When you punch her for the third time in Mass Effect 3, she will dodge it.
Don’t Punch Her
If you choose not to punch her in both Mass Effect 1 and 2, she will change her reporting tactics and see the reason for the good of the earth.
Kal’Reegar Interrupt
You will meet Quarian kal’Reeger when you approach Tali’s position towards the end of the recruitment mission on hailstorm. Kal’reeger will offer you to fight Geth with a rocket launcher and this is the point when he gets up and you will be provided with a Paragon interrupt. It’s his choice to either:
Use Interrupt
This option will ensure Kal lives and appears at the end of the mission and in Tali’s treason. Shepard asks him to stand down and tells him about the number of men lost. You can only use the “Rally the crowd” option if Veetor was given to Tali at the end of freedom’s progress. this will give the same results as the charm option.
Ignore Interrupt
This option will lead to Kal’s death as he will approach the battlefield to distract Geth. in this way he can not appear at the end of the mission and in Tali’s treason. This will also lock the option of “Rally the crowd” at the end of the trial.
Cheating on the Virmire Survivor
Romancing the Virmire Survivor in Mass Effect 1 will have an impact on Mass Effect 3 IF you don’t stay loyal to them during the events of Mass Effect 2.
Cheat on Them
If you cheat, they will call you out in Mass Effect 3 and this will make things difficult for you at the end of the Priority: Citadel II to convince them to side with you. You can apologize and makes things even when you are being confronted.
Stay Loyal to Them
Choosing this option will make things easier. You will gain the favor you first had by romancing with them. They will side with you at the end of Priority: Citadel II.
Fate of the Geth Heretics
Fate of Heretics is decided at the end of the legions loyalty mission, A House Divided. You will be provided with two options:
Rewrite the Heretics
This option will increase their strength in Mass Effect 3. It will make things easier to side with them in Quarian/Geth storyline peacefully.
Destroy the Heretics
This option will decrease their strength. But it will make things easier to side with them in Quarian /Geth storyline peacefully.
Lair of the Shadow Broker Choices
As you complete this mission, DLC will result in a status quo change for a major character. This has a serious impact on things in the future. There are two options:
Shadow Broker DLC Completed
Choosing this option will increase the chances of Liara being the new shadow broker by many different characters throughout Mass Effect 3, and Mass Effect 2 squadmates are well aware of this.
Shadow Broker DLC Ignored
If you choose this option Shepard will not be aware of Liara being the new Shadow broker. Shepard will come to know about this in a very funny way if you Talk with EDI in the cockpit and refrain from talking to Liara aboard the Normandy.
Final Overlord DLC Choice
You will have two options after this mission. The point to be noted here is that going through this DLC means that Shepard will know of Gavin Archer when he appears in Mass Effect 3’s “Arrae: Ex-Cerberus Scientists” Mission.
The options are:
“David is coming with me”
This option will make Shepard take David to Grissom academy. He appears in Mass Effect 3’s “Grissom academy: Emergency Evacuations” mission. this will allow you to have access to a room with a new weapon and sniper rifle piercing mod.
“The project needs him”
If you choose this option, David will not appear in Mass Effect 3. Gavin archer will tell you about the death of David in the Arrae mission.
Arrival DLC
Depending upon the status of completion, it will have a minor effect on some aspects of Mass Effect 3.
Arrival DLC Completed
At the start of Mass Effect 3, Shepard’s reason to be in custody is due to the destruction of the Alpha Relay that destroyed the system including the Batarian Bahak system. If Balak lived through Bring Down the Sky in Mass Effect 1, then he’ll use it as a reason to hate Shepard.
Arrival DLC Ignored
If you ignore the Arrival DLC, then at the start of Mass Effect 3, Shepard is held in Alliance custody due to them working with Cerberus in general throughout Mass Effect 2 and Alliance 103rd Marine Division War Asset strength will reduce by 50.
Mass Effect 2 Suicide Mission Deaths Consequences
This is the most influential part of Mass Effect Trilogy. It deals with what happens if they die. With a few exceptions, should they live through, all of these characters can be found on the Silversun Strip and called to the party in the Citadel DLC of Mass Effect 3.
Zaeed, Grunt, Samara, and Legion can die or otherwise have their presence removed from the game before the Suicide Mission. Their abscence will be the same as their deaths in a suicide mission, carrying over to Mass Effect 3.
Jacob Taylor
There are two scenarios:
Jacob Lives
If Jacob lives, he’ll appear in Mass Effect 3’s Arrae. You can confront him about the relationship with Dr. Brynn Cole on Silversun if you romanced him which can be either accepting or abrasive.
Jacob Dies
If Jacob dies, he’ll be completely absent from Mass Effect 3, and any romance with them is halted. In his stead will be the very minor character Dr. Webber, who only appears in the Arrae: Ex-Cerberus Scientists Mission.
Miranda Lawson
The two different scenarios are:
Miranda Lives
If Miranda survives the Suicide Mission, she’ll return in Mass Effect 3 with her B-Plot, as she tracks after her sister Oriana while on the run from the Illusive Man.
Miranda Dies
If Miranda dies in the Suicide Mission, she has no replacement, any romance with them is halted. The finale of her storyline in Mass Effect 3 is all that remains as it is needed for the game’s story, and it transpires without her.
Kasumi Goto
The two different scenarios are:
Kasumi Lives
If Kasumi survives, she’ll be present for the Citadel: Hanar Diplomat Mission in Mass Effect 3. If you did her Loyalty Mission, she’ll give her support for the war effort.
Kasumi Dies
If Kasumi dies, she won’t be present in Citadel: Hanar Diplomat, which means that you must make a difficult choice at the end of the Mission that would have been solved if Kasumi was present.
Zaeed Massani
The two different scenarios are:
Zaeed Lives
If Zaeed survives the Suicide Mission, he can be encountered again in the Citadel: Volus Ambassador Mission and help snag two War Assets if he’s Loyal, then he can then be personally recruited as a War Asset.
Zaeed Dies
If Zaeed dies, then he won’t be present in the Citadel: Volus Ambassador Mission and would be replaced by a woman and Krogan mercenary at the end. You’ll be able to pick just one War Assets at the end of the war.
Garrus Vakarian
The two different scenarios are:
Garrus Lives
If Garus lives through the Suicide Mission, he can be met again in Mass Effect 3 on Menae to rejoin you as a Squad Mate, the first character to be in Shepard’s main squad through all three Mass Effect games.
Garrus Dies
If Garrus dies, he will not be present and has no replacement character. Any romance with them will be halted.
Grunt
The two different scenarios are:
Grunt Lives
If Grunt survives the Suicide Mission, he’ll be present in the Mission Attican Traverse: Krogan Team Mission. If you attain his loyalty in Mass Effect 2, he may appear further.
Grunt Dies
If Grunt dies in the Suicide Mission or wasn’t awakened in the first place, he’ll have no presence in Mass Effect 3.
Jack
The two different scenarios are:
Jack Lives
If Jack survives the Suicide Mission, you can encounter her again during Grissom Academy: Emergency Evacuation. She’ll have a second appearance in the Purgatory bar on the Citadel.
Jack Dies
If Jack dies, she won’t appear in Mass Effect 3, and romance with her is halted. In the Grissom Academy: Emergency Evacuation Mission, she’ll be replaced by Jason Prangley.
Mordin Solus
The two different scenarios are:
Mordin Lives
If Mordin survives the Suicide Mission, he’ll appear in the third game for the Krogan storyline.
Mordin Dies
If Mordin dies, then in Mass Effect 3 he’ll be replaced by Padok Wiks. While Wiks is present even if Mordin lives, he serves in the STG Doctor role.
Samara
The two different scenarios are:
Samara Lives
If Samara lives through the Suicide Mission, she can be encountered again in the Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastery Mission and be met on the Citadel later.
Samara Dies
It’s possible to recruit Morinth over Samara. Her death has the same effects as her dying in the Suicide Mission. If Samara dies, she makes no appearance at all, and any Romance with her is halted.
Morinth
As Samara is mutually exclusive, both can’t be in your squad at the same time.
Morinth Lives
If Morinth survives the Suicide Mission, then you get an email about why she left, and during the Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Mission, you can find more emails where she tries to contact her sisters. In the final Mission, you’ll have to kill her as a Banshee enemy.
Morinth Dies
If Morinth dies, she has no presence in Mass Effect 3 whatsoever.
Tali’Zorah vas Neema
The two different scenarios are:
Tali Lives
If Tali survives the Suicide Mission, she appears in the Quarian storyline, where she rejoins your Squad, also a peaceful resolution to this storyline can be possible.
Tali Dies
If Tali dies in the Suicide Mission, she won’t be present in the third game, and Romance with her will be halted. In which she’ll be replaced by Shala’Raan. It’ll be impossible to have a peaceful resolution to the Quarian / Geth storyline.
Thane Krios
The two different scenarios are:
Thane Lives
If Thane survives the Suicide Mission, he’ll be present in the third game and plays a major role in the halfway point of the story.
Thane Dies
If Thane dies in the Suicide Mission, he won’t be present in Mass Effect 3, and romance with him will be halted. In the Priority: Citadel II Mission, he will be replaced with Captain Kirrahe if he survived Virmire.
Legion
The two different scenarios are:
Legion Lives
If Legion survives the Suicide Mission, he will be present in the third game during the Quarian/Geth storyline. If Shepard brought them along during Tali, the Admiralty Board won’t freak out when they enter the War Room, as they’re already familiar.
Legion Dies
If Legion dies in the Suicide Mission, he won’t appear in Mass Effect 3. His role will be replaced with a Geth VI in the Quarian/Geth storyline, who is colder and more skeptical of Shephard. Legion’s death also means that a peaceful resolution cannot be achieved at the end of the Quarian/Geth storyline.
