As anyone who remembers the sixth’s season of Game of Thrones will know, doors are important things to hold. During the final stage of the Suicide Mission in Mass Effect 2, players face a similar problem. Just replace White Walkers with Collectors and Hodor with most of Shepard’s friends.
The scene comes near the end of the Suicide Mission in Mass Effect 2. Despite how it appears, the dialogue choice at the beginning doesn’t affect much. The options “Someone has to hold this door” and “We’d better hurry” seem like different things, but all that changes are Shepard’s exact words. Either they suggest leaving a rearguard to hold that position, or someone else does, and Shepard agrees. The actual decision is who holds the door, and there are many things the player might want to keep in mind before making their choice.
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Holding the line begins the final stage of Mass Effect 2’s Suicide Mission, and it’s arguably the most dangerous for Shepard’s team. Up to three squadmates can die holding the line. So can both characters the player takes to face the final boss. And while a character’s loyalty plays a huge role, the behind-the-scenes mechanics are even more complicated than they appear.
Each character has a hidden score determining their survivability. It breaks down like this:
- 0 Points: Mordin, Tali, Jack, Kasumi
- 1 Point: Legion, Thane, Miranda, Jacob, Samara/Morinth
- 3 Points: Garrus, Grunt, Zaeed
Additionally, every loyal squad member has their score increased by 1. The squad’s score is the average of each individual member’s score. This number determines if and how many, but not which characters die trying to hold the line. The breakdown is:
- 0 or higher: Everyone survives
- 5: 1 character dies
- 0: 2 characters die
- 5 or less: 3 characters die
Disloyal characters will always be first on the chopping block. After that, the order goes: Mordin, Tali, Kasumi, Jack, Miranda, Jacob, Garrus, Samara/Morinth, Legion, Thane, Zaeed, and Grunt.
Because Mass Effect 2 looks at the average score, it’s possible to save everyone, even if some squad members are disloyal. The idea is that veterans like Zaeed and walking tanks like Grunt can “protect” weaker or less stable party members. Still, it may be worth sending a low-scoring character to protect Kelly, Chakwas, and the other survivors. A loyal squadmate will always survive their escort mission, and removing Mordin, Tali, Kasumi, or Jack should boost the average score. Of, course a full-strength and fully loyal crew will always have a high enough score regardless.
As for who Shepard should take to the final boss, disloyal squadmates will always die if brought along. Apart from that, it is a matter of personal preference and keeping the other team’s score high enough. And, as long as at least two other squad mates survived the mission, Shepard themself will make it back alive.
Mass Effect 2 is available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It’s included in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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