Cheats and Bonuses
Editing the configuration file (PC)
First make a backup copy of Coalesced.ini (Mass Effect 2 folder, BioGame, Config, PC, Cooked) and edit it with a text editor. Some lines appear several times in the file.
- Extra health: Health=1500 becomes Health=9500.
- Infinite ammo: bInfiniteAmmo=true becomes bInfiniteAmmo=false (as reported by the original source).
- No reloading: AmmoPerShot=1 becomes AmmoPerShot=0.
Bonuses from the first Mass Effect
With a save from the first Mass Effect on your hard drive, use that profile in Mass Effect 2:
- "Rich" achievement: 100,000 credits.
- Level 50 character: 30,000 credits, 2,000 experience points and 5,000 of each resource.
- Level 60 character: 50,000 credits, 4,000 experience points and 10,000 of each resource.
New Game+ Bonus
After finishing the game, start a new game with the final save: choose a Skill Bonus at the start, you keep your skill points and experience, +25% experience for all characters, 200,000 credits, 50,000 of each resource, the Paragon and Renegade points return to neutral and you keep weapons and armor (without upgrades).
Loyalty Mission Bonus
Completing a squadmate's loyalty mission unlocks an ability for Shepard (it requires the ship's Advanced Training upgrade), changes the colors of the outfits and improves the chances of surviving the suicide mission:
- Armor-piercing ammo: Archangel. Biotic Barrier: Jacob. Fortification: Grunt. Geth Shield Boost: Legion. Incendiary Grenade: Zaeed.
- Neural Shock: Mordin Solus. Reave: Samara. Discharge Shield: Tali. Grand Slam: Miranda. Warp Ammo: Jack.
- Dominate: kill Samara during her mission and let Morinth replace her.
Game Tricks
- Easy Paragon and Renegade points: after unlocking the training that lets you redistribute skill points, the Mastery talent adds a percentage to Paragon and Renegade. Repeat Respec and Mastery until the bars are full.
- Easy materials: in the Valhallan Threshold, Micah system, look for three planets rich in minerals hidden among the asteroids.
- Extra skill points: recruit Morinth for the Dominate ability and buy the Advanced Training upgrade, then select Dominate: you get a bonus skill point to use with the Reset. Repeat for another point.
- Geth ammo: change the difficulty to Hardcore before landing and complete Tali'Zorah's recruitment mission: in the room where she is you find the Geth pulse rifle. Then set the difficulty back to the original setting.
- Cryo Blast: use a biotic power to lift the enemy and hit it with Cryo Blast while it is still lifted: it stays locked in a permanent state, unable to do damage. Useful against Harbinger: this way it cannot jump into another body.
- Rapid fire with the M-920 Cain: fire and hold the fire button, pressing Reload after every shot.
- Dominate and Samara: take Samara's loyalty mission all the way to the confrontation with Morinth and save. Choose to let Morinth win over Samara and make a separate save; go to the ship and talk to Morinth; load the previous save and have Samara kill Morinth. This way you keep Samara in your squad and also have Dominate.
- Romance with Kelly Chambers: talk to her often and choose the kind answers, invite her to dinner, don't let her die in the final mission and pick a loyal escort for the crew. At the end of the game talk to her: you will receive an e-mail and can invite her to your quarters for the romantic scene.
Anomalies (Side Missions)
Scan these planets (cluster, system, planet):
- Caleston Rift: Solveig (Sinmara), Talava (Taitus). Crescent Nebula: Lusarn (Tarith), Zelene (Helyme). Eagle Nebula: Amun (Neith), Strabo (Jarrahe Station).
- Hades Nexus: Sheol (Gei Hinnom). Hourglass Nebula: Faryar (Daratar), Ploitari (Zanethu). Minos Wasteland: Fortis (Aequitas).
- Omega Nebula: Ariniarkan (MSV Strontium Mule), Fathar (Lorek). Pylos Nebula: Dirada (Canalus), Nariph (MSV Broken Arrow). Rosetta Nebula: Enoch (Joab).
- Shrike Nebula: Xe Cha (Zada Ban). Sigurd's Cradle: Decoris (Sanctum), Skepsis (Franklin). Titan Nebula: Haskins (Capek).
Element Zero (Rich Planets)
- Crescent Nebula: Tarith (rich). Eagle Nebula: Anthur, Preying Mouth (rich). Hawking Eta: Etamis (rich).
- Hourglass Nebula: Daratar, Erinle (rich). Nubian Expanse: Thunawanuro (rich). Pylos Nebula: Boro, Raisaris (rich).
- Rosetta Nebula: Joab, Mizraim (rich). Sigurd's Cradle: Watson (rich). Shrike Abyssal: Tosal Nym, Zada Ban (rich). Valhallan Threshold: Garvug (rich).
- Moderate planets: Caleston, Helyme, Sekhmet, Gotha, Dobrovolski, Gei Hinnom, Thegan, Mantun, Invictus, Yamm, Nearog, Siano, 2175 Aeia, Laban, Sanctum, Ekuna, Talis Fia, Capek, Farlas, Israfel, Kakabel.
