Upgrading Technology

Commander Shepard can improve the mission’s chances for success by upgrading the squad’s firearms and armor, building special prototype weapons, and pursuing new technology via research projects.

All of these are essential for keeping the squad ready for the growing threat across the galaxy.

Upgrades make your equipment and abilities more powerful.

There are multiple ways to acquire upgrades, such as spending credits to purchase them in stores or discovering technology while on a mission (and then scanning it with the omni-tool).

Once new tech has been acquired, it is registered at the research lab on the Normandy.

Many upgrades have multiple levels. The benefits of upgrades are largely multiplicative.

When Shepard discovers the first biotic damage upgrade, it offers 10% additional damage from biotic attacks at level 1. Acquiring level 3 increases the additional damage to 30%.

You can keep track of all acquired upgrades in the lab on the Normandy, which is available once you convince Mordin to join your team.

Shepard’s private terminal in the CIC or inside the commander’s personal quarters charts all of the upgrades acquired. The terminals can also help reveal squad and ship deficiencies.

Using the information provided by the terminal (and these upgrade charts), you can make educated moves toward gathering more upgrades, which in turn can affect which research projects you pursue.

Research Projects

Research projects consist of everything from new weapons, such as the cryo blaster, to the Microfiber Weave upgrade, which increases the ferocity of Shepard’s melee attacks.

The most powerful upgrades in the game are built in the lab, and become available to you when you acquire enough weaker upgrades.

For example, purchasing or researching assault rifle upgrades will unlock research projects for powerful additional assault rifle upgrades.

You won’t be able to access the Tungsten Jacket research project until you have upgraded your assault rifle to Damage Level 2.

Discover research projects by scanning unique technology (such as computer terminals or discarded weapons) on missions.

Scanning this technology with the omni-tool automatically sends data back to the Normandy for analysis.

Once analysis is complete, research projects become available; you can view your research projects at the research computer in the Normandy’s lab.

In the lab, spend minerals to turn research projects into upgrades. Minerals can be found in storage crates while on a mission or through mining operations via probes.

Be sure to reference the “Planetary Database” chapter to see which worlds are more likely to have the best element deposits.

Sometimes when you obtain an upgrade, your scientists will have a research breakthrough and a brand-new research project will become available.

The upgrades produced from these research breakthroughs are the best upgrades in the game. It can’t be stressed enough: Researching upgrades is critical to success in Mass Effect 2.

It’s recommended you obtain enough minerals to obtain all useful research upgrades as they will greatly improve your capabilities.

Use the tables and charts in this chapter to take the guesswork out of acquiring upgrades and research projects.

By knowing exactly which upgrades are out there and where to acquire the means of developing them, you can prioritize which upgrades Shepard pursues.

Upgrade tables note when an upgrade can only be acquired via a research project, and if so, how much the project will cost.

Stores and Upgrades

Stores on galactic hub worlds like Omega or the Citadel are an excellent way of acquiring upgrades. Upgrades can be purchased from stores with credits.

Obtain credits on missions by finding them and by receiving a bonus from Cerberus for completing missions.