The first Mass Effect game released in November of 2007. Ever since then, fans have been obsessed with the universe and all the care that BioWare put into developing it. Some dedicated gamers have been playing off-and-on for years and, by now, are truly unmatchable.
These long-time pro players of Mass Effect are seldom shy to share their wisdom with the online community. After all, if they spent enough time playing in order to master these skills, who wouldn’t want to brag about them? These are a few of the best things that pro players are able to do in Mass Effect.
10 Purposefully Explode Your Enemies
Mass Effect 2 is infamously the most difficult of all three games (especially on harder difficulties). As a result, players became creative in their approaches to slaughtering enemy hordes.
Not only did these players explode things that the game provides, like explosive crates or tanks full of gas, but they also began to use the enemies! Fans noticed that Pyros, Geth Destroyers, and Abominations, among others, explode when killed and could be used to damage other opponents.
9 Reach Max Level In One Playthrough
In previous Mass Effect games, especially the first one, it was damn near (if not entirely) impossible to reach the maximum level cap on your first playthrough. Gamers had to go through it once or even twice more in order to get to the cap.
In Mass Effect Legendary Edition, though, fans will be happy to hear that the experience tweaks that BioWare announced have solved this problem. Now, they will be able to reach the level cap in only one playthrough, assuming they’re willing to put a little elbow grease in.
8 Use Grenades Paired With Cloak
Inevitably, all players end up in a bad position. Each player has their own unique “panic” button ability or strategy for getting out of these pickles, but this is one you may not have tried yet.
Mass Effect 2 and 3 introduced an ability called “Tactical Cloak.” It makes Shepard practically invisible to their enemies (which gamers loved to exploit for funny videos or memes). It’s especially valuable when paired with a grenade because grenades (unlike other weapons) don’t disrupt your cloak.
7 Revive Allies Without Medi-Gel
At the beginning of the third game, players learn that they can revive their squadmates manually, by approaching their body. It’s not perfect, since companions often die in inconvenient places, but this method uses no medi-gel.
It’s incredibly valuable, but the player is dealing with a lot by the time of Mass Effect 3 and may not remember all the minutia. To work more like a pro player, make proper use of this ability. After all, you’ll need your medi-gel later, so no point in wasting it.
6 Focus On Damage-Dealing Powers To Avoid Using Ammo
It doesn’t occur to most players to find a long-term solution to their ammo problem. They just conserve as they can and loot as much as possible. Fans who have given the game a little more consideration, though, opt for a different strategy: if you find yourself constantly running out of ammo, focus on damage-dealing abilities.
Abilities will recharge again and again, even as Shepard’s ammo clip becomes lighter and lighter. This doesn’t necessarily mean that fans need to play a soldier or combat-focused class; biotic and/or tech-focused classes have some brutal damage-dealing abilities as well.
5 Lift Or Throw Rushing Krogans
Players have to deal with enemies that bum-rush their squad in just about every game. Krogans are often the culprit in these cases, though others include Geth Destroyers and the disturbing Husks.
Instead of wasting ammo trying to shoot them down (especially on large enemies like Krogan), invest in some biotics. Using Lift, Throw, Barrier, or a few other choice abilities will ensure that Shepard is home in time for dinner.
4 Turn Off Auto Level-Up
The player is given a choice at the start of Mass Effect: do they want to level up their character and/or squad manually, or allow the game to do it for them? Many players choose an option (often auto level-up) and proceed to forget about it entirely.
The best players return to this section later to change their decision. Disabling auto level-up grants you more freedom over your character’s build and allows you to develop your companions while keeping Shepard’s abilities in mind.
3 Unlock A Unique Weapon On Insanity
Having the best weapons can be the difference between life and death in the Mass Effect trilogy. To access this top-tier weapon, players will need to brave Mass Effect 2 on “Hardcore” or “Insanity,” the hardest difficulties available. Then, during Tali’s recruitment mission, Shepard can find the Geth Pulse Rifle in the same room as they find Tali.
This gun’s main draw is that it easily rips through barriers, shields, and armors. It was also added to Mass Effect 3, though there are no special requirements to obtain it in that game.
2 Drop Enemies To Their Death
This mechanic which players can abuse is one of the reasons that biotics are so overpowered in Mass Effect games. In the first Mass Effect, there’s a “terminal height” built-in. This means that a fall from a certain height or higher results in instadeath.
Since Mass Effect 1 can be so clunky, players take what they can get and that includes using the “terminal height” tactic. Use the Lift or Throw biotic ability in order to raise an enemy high enough to meet that terminal height, then laugh maniacally as they fall.
1 Stay In The Mako
In the original Mass Effect, new players were encouraged by more experienced fans to get out of the Mako whenever they needed to fight enemies. That version of the Mako had no weapons, but players could run over or crash into their opponents.
If Shepard killed things this way, they earned far less experience than usual, so hopping out of the driver’s seat was essential to leveling up quickly. In Mass Effect Legendary Edition, however, the Mako has been adjusted to provide the same amount of experience no matter how Shepard kills their adversaries.
NEXT: Mass Effect: Every Race Ranked By Wealth
