Woo!! We finally did it!! Obviously this isn’t the end, end, but WOW the things that happened here! I’m glad to hear y’all enjoyed it, I appreciate all of you being along for the ride 💙😁 We have Arrival on the horizon, but I wanna take a bit to really absorb everything from this final mission, really take it in before Arrival and eventually ME3! 😁

@CatspawAdventures

Ай бұрын

This is one of the best ME/ME2 playthroughs I've ever seen. The way you truly listen, take things in, and rephrase them to yourself to ensure you understand the lore and details is really unique. Can't wait for you to do ME3.

Shepard: Sorry I'm having trouble hearing you. Reading a lot of bullshit on this line.

The thing what I found most impressive is the fact that you realized something when Harbinger said: Releasing control. I've seen over dozes of ME2 playthroughs and you're probably the first or one of the few people I've seen that actually noticed that. Keep everyone alive is easy if you dived deep into the game. But picking up that little piece of information shows you're actually paying close attention.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

Agreed, and this is a HUGE thing that had me rethink some of what happened in ME1 : Obviously the reapers in dark space can communicate with the collectors in the milky way, so it makes sense that they could communicate with Sovereign. Meaning they knew when he couldn't open the relay to the citadel... so why didn't they open the relay from their side ? Only explanation is they can't, but this is against everything we know about relays, they open from both sides so that's one thing that's strange. Also if they can take control of the collectors, why couldn't they do the same with the keepers ? Meaning when Sovereign saw that his signal to the keepers to open the relay didn't work why not take control of of of them to have him open it anyway ? I suppose it's possible that either the keepers were made with a less advanced technology and they don't have that "functionality", after all they could be the very first race they adapted. Or maybe there is something in Prothean physiology or brain that makes it possible while it wasn't the case with the keeper's original species. In any case a lot of food for thought.

@willvr4

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia Really? I thought it was pretty obvious from the beginning. The Collectors can't talk an Harbinger has a bit of a synthetic choice. *Spoiler Alert* - Idk if it's ME2 or ME3 but in the codex it's mentioned that Harbinger is more likely the FIRST reaper created.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@willvr4 I don't see what that has anything to do with what I posted ? Could you elaborate ?

@Dan-B

Ай бұрын

There’s a weird paradox with most people who have gaming channels being pretty bad at gaming, it’s refreshing to watch a playthrough that doesn’t increase your blood pressure watching them trying to master basic game mechanics or follow the story plot 😝

@Stforv

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia Well, the Reapers actually could control keepers through that signal to Citadel (using Citadel as transmitter). But the last prothean scientists stopped it. And the same kind of signal could still get through collector base and ships (as transmitters) to collectors themselves. At least that's my personal view. Any sci-fi universe has plot holes or some questionable assumptions, the authors can't possibly answer everything and write every specific detail (and they shouldn't). And it's still fun to speculate about things even after 15+ years, that's why there should be unresolved things and officially unanswered questions. Our human imagination loves mystery in all forms.

Not done yet still have the Arrival DLC it is a must before ME3. Congratulations on beating ME2 and not losing a single person.

@SpitFir3Tornado

Ай бұрын

I've probably watched 2 dozen (if not more) let's plays of it just since legendary edition came out. I have only ever seen 1 where they lost someone. You actually have to try pretty hard to lose someone, or just not do the side quests for each character - which I have never seen a youtube/stream let's play where they don't do every one, and I have only seen one where they did not get the IFF spoiled for them (same one where they lost someone).

@ronakpurohit3511

Ай бұрын

@@SpitFir3Tornado I think a lack of some ship upgrades can also have an effect on character survival.

@AveN7ers

Ай бұрын

@@SpitFir3Tornado Yeah the commenters guide them a lot tbh. No other way all of them leave the IFF for dead last. No way all of them leave behind the right squad in the stand your ground part of the SM

Well done, Chris. You even got Miranda's unique dialogue at the end of the suicide mission.

Aren't these the best games ever made Chris? This is why us fans watch others on thier first playthroughs. We want those feelings again. This game stays with you for life.

The collector base is about the size of the Citadel for reference.

EDI ~ ‘It would appear the Reapers absorb the essence of a species’ Sovereign/Nazara ~ ‘we are each a nation, Independent’

You know how during the approach there are several close moments and each time the game zooms on one of your crew members ? Every one of those moments would have led to the death of that crew member if you hadn't upgraded the corresponding ship component. Like in the debris field when Joker tries to evade the occulus while you're in the cargo bay, without the shield upgrades Kasumi would have been toast.

Perfect crew choices every step of the way. Well done! I've seen a few people over-think each decision, and that... tends not to end well! Especially glad you chose to take Miranda into the final confrontation. Not only is she the only squad mate who has a final parting shot at the Illusive Man, but seeing her actually resign from Cerberus is such a satisfying end to her ME2 journey.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

Completely agree with a single small exception, in a harder difficulty I would have taken someone else with Miranda at the end, not enough firepower otherwise.

@davida.j.berner776

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia Yeah, I always take Kasumi into every fight against the Collectors. Not a huge amount of firepower maybe, but her flashbang grenades neutralise Harbinger's energy attacks, so that's a big plus for me. But Tali is a reasonable choice too, I think; not because she brings much in the way of firepower, but because it leaves a stronger group to hold the door. (And, of course, it ensures she survives!)

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@davida.j.berner776 Sure, but try bringing Tali + Miranda on insanity ... Also leaving a strong team behind absolutely but when you have them all loyal and alive and didn't make the mistake to send back one of the powerful ones well you can spare one for your team.

@davida.j.berner776

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia Yup. That mission on Insanity is definitely tough. I've only done it twice (once on XBox and once on PC). These days, I just default to Hardcore. Insanity takes a lot of the fun out of it for me.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@davida.j.berner776 100% Agree, more power to those who enjoy it but I tried it once to see what it was about and put it back on hardcore pretty quickly. But I tested out some parts on insanity including the killing of the reaper, that's how I know that tali doesn't cut it.

Applause. Yes my friend. Harbinger has always been in control. Harbinger is the Dragon, And Shepard is the George.

@Shadowpack95

Ай бұрын

Damn, that's a really esoteric reference there. Not one often seen in the halls of the Modern Internet

@brigadinetype4235

Ай бұрын

@Shadowpack95 Haha. I take that as a compliment brotha. I got the feeling this channels crowd could hang, and honestly, we are about to go into ME3. I wonder how my man here is gonna handle that.

You *really* should talk to EDI about everything again. She experienced a monumental change, she is unshackled, and you haven't discussed anything with her. Also, everyone in the crew would have offered you their perspectives before the suicide mission as well as after. That's why talking to everyone is *really* advised. Onward to Arrival and to the endgame! You also seriously underestimate paragon speeches. They are epic if you don't veer off them.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

Agreed talk to her she has a lot to tell you

In case you're actually a couple of days ahead, here are some mechanical tips for ME3 (no spoilers) As with ME1 and ME2, the first missions include tutorial content. I have seen people miss stuff because they know 80-85% of what it is showing, but please try not to miss the new or changed items. The armor system is largely the same as ME2, but you will need to re-acquire anything beyond the basic N7 armor. Your squadmates' armor/outfit choices *do* affect them (each appearances boosts them in 1 of 2 ways). Skills are the same as ME2, but the trees have 6 layers now. If you import your ME2 Shepard and do not change your class, your skill points will carry over "as-is". The weapons are a mix of ME1 and ME2, leaning a bit more toward ME1 foe Shepard. There are 5 types of guns; your squadmates can each use 2 of the 5 types. Shepard can use all 5 types. When you acquire a gun, you get the base model (EX. Avenger I); they can be upgraded like in ME1 (so Avenger II, III, IV). You can find mods like in ME1, and there are 2 slots for mods on the guns. You do not need to find separate "copies" of each mod for your squadmates; once you have it, you can use it on as many appropriate guns as you like (mods are specific to gun type). Like the guns, the mods have levels you can upgrade. Finally, there is impact on your powers as you change your loadout. Planet scanning is much different, more streamlined and targeted. You can have temporary squadmates. Many do not realize this, especially the first time it comes up. More often, someone will be a "guest star" operating with you but not under your control. Codex entries from ME1 and ME2 are copied into ME3, some with minor alterations. You may want to mark all as read early on so you can more easily find the actual NEW ones (as all are labeled NEW at first). DLCs There are a few DLCs. From Ashes is one you can do early, and I would advise you do so... it offers story-development rewards throughout the game, so the earlier you do it the better. It will appear in your list as a Priority mission (meaning Main Mission) though it is DLC. Other DLCs can be confusing, but labeling them here would be a bit of a spoiler. I will say that at one point you will receive TWO messages from an character and many wonder why; 1 is for main-game activities, and the other is for a DLC centered on that character. A DLC involving "Dr. Bryson", if done too early, contains spoilers for things not introduced in the main game, and I think is better saved for about the halfway point for that reason. The "Dr. Bryson" DLC has a few separate parts that you can do with other missions in between. The DLC for the other character is a single long mission.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

Very well said, I would still add maybe 2 tips : If you want to be able to choose where your skill points go you can go to the shadow broker lair and reset all your skill points and save the game before transferring it to ME3. That way you keep your level and all the points it gives you but can assign them manually exactly as it happened at the start of ME2. If you are given an opportunity to have shore leave (Citadel DLC) you might want to wait until late and not go as soon as you receive the option because you'll need it emotionally before the finale. Well ok 3 tips but this one os a repeat :p DLC from the Ashes, the earlier the better.

Amazing playthrough! Can’t wait for the Arrival DLC and ME:3 (Heads up for ME:3 - do the Eden Prime DLC as soon as you can)

1. First gamer I've watched that voices the realization of the size of the collectors' base. Nice one! I'm watching you first time in my life, it's been minutes and I feel I'll have plenty of good points to comment upon. 2. Good choices along the way, good reasoning, I like the discussion and thought in convo with TIM. 3. BTW, I like the viking braids on your Shep. 4. And yeah - the "another layer of shit" is what this is. Great deduction. I think the voice suggests that Harbinger is name of a Reaper. Got my sub.

Cannot wait to watch you playing ME3 hahah this is gonna be epic. Also, remember on ME1 when Sovereign said "Our numbers will darken the sky of every world"? That ending with a bunch of reapers showing up brought me back to that haha

Man I love ME 2! Watching people play it is so nostalgic

The Reapers are moving! Much congrats for your playthrough. To me it's always satisfying to finish a videogame and I think it's the same for you. The Mass Effect Saga (Andromeda excluded) is my favorite trilogy overall and it's a pleasure to relive the emotions I felt the first time I played it by watching someone else enjoy it for the first time. Out of all the content creators, you seem one of the most genuine and thoughtful I've seen.

having watched your playthrough so far, i find it very interesting how you manage to both spend a lot of time paying attention to the game and the world it's creating while simultaneously missing tons of minor content that relies on one paying attention. it's given me food for thought when it comes to designing my own interactive media

If you didn't take your time and really got to know your squadmates you may have chosen someone not suitable for the tasks and your alternates were pretty spot on for a success xD Having their loyalties actually saves them during that initial fight entering the omega 4 relay some will die if you hadn't done the upgrades as well. That last shot of the Reapers appearing from Dark Space always sends chills everytime I see it xD It just gives you a taste of how F'ed everyone really is seeing how many Reapers was on that one shot alone xD

dont forget the Arrival DLC! caps off ME2 and transitions into ME3. congrats on the playthrough!

It's been a pleasure! One of the best playthroughs I've seen. Hope you enjoy ME3!

Congratulations on finally finishing the main story. Took you a long enough, but you got there... and you managed it without losing anyone. Some nice foreshadowing for Mass Effect 3 there too, with Arrival building it up some more.

Harbinger is the reaper, which controls the Collector General from a distance. His presence in the Collector General "office" is in hologram form, because he is actually in intergalactic space. Since the collectors could not manage to create and protect the human reaper, they were discarded as ineffective tools. They are done for. Imagine getting THAT cliffhanger and having to wait years to see how it goes. You will probably see it next week :D

I literally watched the reaction I had when I experienced this game for the first time :) Good times

14:31 one of the best soundtrack moments in gaming starts right here let’s goooooooo

Masterful management of the mission ! Knowing your crew paid off beautifully but still you did incredible for a blind playthrough :D

Congratulations. I don’t know if any of the viewers told you the order of passage and strategies for selecting missions. If not, beating ME2 on your first try without losing a single crew member is a remarkable achievement. Right now I'm just enjoying the epic ending to one of the greatest video games in history. It was an incredible journey.

Great playthrough, you’re right about the choices: you can choose the wrong people at every option and get your squad mates killed. Leaving the beefy squad mates to hold the door isn’t obvious but the correct choice as well. There’s a flowchart you can google to see what choices lead to what outcomes.

Loving this playthrough man. Im experiencing the series again through your eyes

Don’t forget to talk to EDI now that shes unshackled

Another great playthrough from you man! Looking forward to what comes next.

Perfect choices. Nice work. Enjoyed watching. I'm going back and watch your whole playthrough as soon as there is time. ;-)

The final mission is so bloody good. It lives in my head up there with some of the best missions in any game. Gosh it is so stressful the first time you play it, thinking you're going to get everyone killed and the consequences it could have later. I'm so excited to see your ME3 playthrough you have no idea.

1:14:00 So if I'm not wrong the reapers are the machine version of the Zerg or Tyranid. To anyone who knows Starcraft and/or Warhammer 40k I'm saying this because that's what it seems like. Both the tyranids and zerg take DNA and biomatter from the species they attack, absorbing and adapting it to create newer more powerful nids and zerg. Thus they're always improving themselves with basically the best of the best of which ever organic race is available in each cycle. If anyone has a different idea or want to share their own opinion feel free to do so.

Now I'm curious to hear what you expect from the _Arrival_ DLC and ME3, so I hope you'll be doing a little intro in the next video to convey your expectations. I'd also like to hear what you expect from ME3 _after_ having done _Arrival_ .

If you want, you can talk with EDI about Cerberus now. Since she's now unshackled, TIM has no power over her restrictions anymore, so he can't dictate what she can and cannot disclose to you. *Miranda* Miranda's the only one with unique dialogue right there, when TIM calls you, because she's always been following TIM and his vision. It's also _by far_ the most satisfying ending, seeing her react like that 😁 Also, you seem to very much enjoy seeing TIM beg you to save that station and then saying "no" to him ;) You must've _loved_ Miranda's response to him. *Harbinger* Yep, Harbinger (that's indeed the name of the Reaper) controlled the creature that orchestrated the Collectors. As you can see, that creature looked quite different from the Collectors as well, so it makes sense that the Reapers kept _other_ species around which were able to control and overtake other creatures. They were much less physically imposing and therefore not fit for shock troops, but they had their purposes. *Armada of Reapers* You know, _we_ had to wait for over 2 years before we could play ME3 after that cliffhanger. Imagine how that feels ;) *Ammo* The funny part about picking up ammo in ME2 is actually explained in the Codex through lore. I can't recall the exact wording, but it's something along this: "People were frustrated that in the heat of battle their weapons overheated. So the weapon industry adapted by making the heat absorbers swappable. This means when the gun almost overheats, people wouldn't have to wait in cover, they could just switch out their heat absorber and slot in a new one. This made fights much more dynamic, since the waiting time is much shorter." *Probing* What they really should have done is to give i.e. Thane an "Upgrade" that instead of giving you more probes, a probe would completely collect all resources. That way you have to do the work for a few hours and by the time it gets tiresome, the game offers you to take that tedious undertaking out of your hands. Plus, you can choose if you want to implement it or not. Ideally, someone else would be more suitable, since you only get Thane after _Horizon_ , so perhaps Garrus or Grunt would be better. Then again, I don't really see how they would have access to probe-technology, but then again, why would Thane? Not everyone needs to make sense. ME3 learned from it and it doesn't require you to probe planets a dozen time for minerals anymore. They do retain the 'good' parts of it, like the anomalies. *Insanity* To be fair, on the _Insanity_ difficulty you're not so much reliant on who you bring with you, but how well you can find a use for their abilities. ME1 simply didn't require strategy; you could just power through and win, even on _Insanity_ , but ME2 makes it an actual challenge. Tali's a _very_ underwhelming fighter on Insanity difficulty, but her drones are incredibly useful to keep enemies at bay to gain that little advantage to win those battles. And while Garrus dies a lot because he's relatively fragile, when I use my Cryo ammo and freeze enemies, Garrus always finishes them off with his _Concussive Shot_ to shatter them, allowing me to save my ammo. And when you make him use his sniper rifle, he'll also take up position further away so he doesn't die as often - and he moves around in search for better positions. Something that Grunt doesn't care about, since he runs up with his shotgun, so in his case you need to invest in his shields, damage protection and health generation. Those small things start to matter when you're playing on _Insanity_ difficulty. Abilities become much more powerful if you're applying them strategically, which you only start doing once the difficulty ramps up and you need to find advantages. I personally didn't see all those strategems until I started playing on _Hardcore_ and later on _Insanity_ because there wasn't really a need for these strategies on the easier levels. You just had to take cover and use powers and weapons to win. Why don't you give _Insanity_ a try in one of the N7 missions and see how it feels? If you die too fast/often, you can just change it in the settings. But it'd be a fun new experience and it'll be just for one side quest. *Tali* To be fair, you don't actually _know_ if she's attractive. She's behind a helmet for two entire games, so you don't even know how she _looks_ , let alone know whether she's attractive. To me, the attractive part is actually her _personality_ . She's kind, smart _and_ intelligent. She knows the world isn't black and white, to the point she even accepts she has to team up with a Geth and she's not even openly hostile to it. Some people IRL are openly hostile if you _vote_ differently or listen to a different genre of music. She's just such a breath of fresh air - which is probably a bit spacist to say about a species that lives inside a suit 😅 And keep in mind that she's only became an adult recently. Her pilgrimage was only 2 years ago, so in our worldview, she was 18 back then. I've never known many 18 year olds with such a profound comprehension of the world (or in her case, the galaxy). When I was at that age, I knew of only _two_ girls like that (and I wasn't smart enough to understand that was attractive to me). So yeah, I guess the genuity of her is probably because of that personality, that character. I'd like to think that this is a representation of how it felt back then when people met each other on chatboxes before there was social media or Tinder. You were only able to text-chat with each other, without knowing how the other looked. Still, people fell in love with each other despite that. It's kind of romantic to me.

46:31 There is a third option actually (even though almost no one ever picks that option): Jacob is also an experienced officer and leader and can do the job as well.

Amazing playthrough, Chris. Loved your excitement and attention to story details. Thanks for being so consistent with the uploads. Looking forward to ME 3!

Congrats mate 🎉. Im so hype for ME3.

we finally in end game time for mass effect 3 after the arrival dlc!

Great job, like me you’re a completionist which helps greatly in surviving the suicide mission, and paying attention to your squads skills and personalities. I got a perfect run first time too, I almost did exactly the same as you, except I sent legion into the vent and had Miranda lead the team first time, and Garrus the second. I also sent lording back, to care for the crew if they’re injured, being the Doctor and all just like on omega.

I just got caught up as you released this episode. I cant wait to see how this plays out

1:43:55 So, there are multiple correct answers to each "pick someone" question. You picked correctly, and honestly, your theorizing on secondary options were all good too. You nailed it. 😊 👊

@willvr4

Ай бұрын

Yeah, the only one that doesn't matter is the escort. It doesn't matter who you send, as long as they are loyal. (who the hell is going into this mission without ALL loyal members?)

@MattRowland

Ай бұрын

@willvr4 Well, it CAN matter...as in, if you send Garrus, Grunt or Zaeed to escort and then also take one with you on the final mission.....

@willvr4

Ай бұрын

@@MattRowland I mean, none of the escorts can die if they are loyal and it removes the option of who you can take with you on the final attack because they're back on the ship. I'm not aware of taking any of those 3 you mentioned impacting the lives of any other character.

@KeytarArgonian

Ай бұрын

Mordin is always the correct choice to send back, he can sometimes bug to die if you leave him with ‘hold the line’ team even if you have completed a 100% run, which I have had happen. So it’s always best to send him back or bring him with you - just in case.

@KeytarArgonian

Ай бұрын

@@willvr4it depends. On release sending back Grunt or Garrus can easily bork your entire run. During ‘hold the line’ there is a value table where each character represents a number. Garrus and Grunt are heavy hitters, so they are placed high (I think they are valued 4 iirc). Then you move down a hierarchy of values for each character. The squishiest is Mordin, so he could at times bug and die no matter what you did. If you sent someone like Grunt back with the crew, and took Garrus with you, there’s a high chance you’re losing people holding the line regardless of loyalty. Bear in mind, this is pre dlc. So when Zaeed and Kasumi were added they also contributed to the table values. I’m not sure if the game updated the tables success threshold to reflect the added values they added. Zaeed is also valued quite high. Kasumi is low, but was added to the vent list.

1:15:00 Remember what Mordin was saying in his Loyalty-mission: Human DNA and genetics are unique. That's the reason why Reapers are interested in Humanity.

@chatika_c

Ай бұрын

Also Protheans were the only species with 4-strand DNA, which was probably the reason Reapers failed to figure it out and make a prothean Reaper

@willvr4

Ай бұрын

Yeah, more genetic diversity than the other species.

Chris was not ready for that cliffhanger at the end! 😄😱 But congrats for your perfect ending. Well done! IQ 200 moves from picking squadmates and choices.👍👋 PS: Chris is not ready for part 3....😶

Congratulations commander! Impeccable decision making during the final mission.

fantastic playthrough cant wait for me3

Well, time for the big finale (sort of). This is probably the most satisfying missions to play and complete without loosing anyone. Especially if you know just how badly you can screw up the entire thing. The reveal of Human Reaper is something else. The horror is enhanced even more once you realise that every single Reaper to ever exist was constructed that way. Even then, they are still an unknown, once that you'll eventually have to face off against. Also no, Harbinger IS the Reaper, the Collector Generall never had any autonomy. This entire time, you were fighting a mere Reaper puppet. Now, this isn't spoilery per say, but if you're curious just how wrong the mission could go, here's a list of all things horrible! Starting of, let's talk the crew. Once they are kidnapped, another hidden timer starts. If you don't go through Omega 4, half of your crew dies. If you complete more than 3 missions tho, everyone except for dr. Chakwas dies. Additionally, if you choose not to send any escort with them, everyone dies regardless, this time including the good doctor. On your approach, there are 3 critical ship upgrades you must have: Heavy Ship Armor, Thanix Cannons and Multicore shielding. Each missing upgrade kills one crew member, meaning you can loose 3 people before you even get to the base. Now, moving on to the base itself, let's talk choices! Keep in mind that Loyalty is very important for pretty much everything written bellow. Basicly, if soneone is not loyal, they will fail their task. The first two choices decide the fate of the person going into the ventilation duct. Here, Jacob actually gives the only good advice in the entire game. The only people that can survive the vent crawl are Legion, Tali and Kasumi. These 3 are your tech experts. Anyone else going into the vent dies, regardless of loyalty and Fire Team Leader. Your second choice is the Fire Team Leader. The safe choices are Garrus, Miranda and (for some unknown reason) Jacob. Picking wrong person in this case results in the vent crawler getting killed, no matter if you've picked the right person for the job or not. The third important choice is the person to keep the biotic field around you during the long walk. Here, Miranda says she's capable of doing so. Unfortunately for you, this is one of the few cases where she's wrong. The only safe people for this job are Jack and Samara (and Morinth if you're a psychopath). Piking a wrong person for the task ends up with one of your team members dying. The forth choice is again Fire Team Leader, and again, safe bets are Garrus, Miranda and Jacob. This time, if you pick the wrong person, the Fire Team Leader dies. Anyone can be sent as an escort, as logn as you send anyone they'll make it back to the Normandy. It's generally agreed upon that the one to go is Mordin, since his skillset won't help much in the upcoming fight. For the final push there are two things to consider. Picking non-loyal squadmates as your team members results in them dying after the fight with the Reaper Larva. As for whoever's left, they need to pass a combined combat potential check. I'm not gonna bore you with the math, suffice to say, you've passed it. And now for the absolutely best part of it all. If you somehow manage to get everyone else killed, YOU, Commander Shepard also die. That last part where Shepard gets pulled up to Normandy? Yeah, Joker can't do this alone with his glass bones. This means, it's possible to make Joker and EDI the only people to survive the mission. (Shepard dying here is not canon, so don't worry)

1:32:40- Fun fact: If you have less than 2 members remaining at the end of the "suicide mission", Shepard isn't pulled up into the ship and falls to their death. This makes ME2 the only game in history that begins AND potentially ends with the LEAD CHARACTER DYING... 🤯

OMG yes, I get to wake up to this? Dude you spoil us ;3 EDIT: YOU NOTICED THE "RELEASING CONTROL"! No one ever does for some reason. AND please, react to "THE WORST ENDING" for ME2.

Something most people miss, starting with Project Lazerus, the game actually tells you in every major story and loyalty mission who the correct choices for the Suicide Mission is. It even tells you who most of the bad choices are. Tech: Tali, Kasumi, Legion Fire Team Leads: Garrus, Miranda, Jacob Biotic Specialist: Jack, Samara/Morinth Escort: Mordin, Tali, Jack Hold the Line (stay behind to fight Collectors): Garrus, Zaeed, Grunt (taking any combination of two to fight the Larval Reaper guarantees casualties during the Hold the Line). Unloyal Squad Members are most likely to die and not getting the Normandy upgrades (Silaris Armor, Cyclonic Barriers, Thanix Cannons) can cause you to lose three squadmates before you even reach the Collector Base.

@willvr4

Ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure you can assign any crew member to be the escort, you just can't leave them alone.

@Stforv

Ай бұрын

And if you rush Reaper IFF mission too early and continue doing side quests after the crew gets kidnapped than you start losing crew)

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@willvr4 well depends, your escort needs to be loyal or they'll die, can't remember if the crew makes it in that case but I think yes. Also if you pick a strong companion to escort the crew you might have too weak a team to hold the door while you go fight the baby reaper, so the crew and escort make it but someone dies holding the line. That's why it's optimal to send one of the weakest companions with the crew. And RP wise Mordin makes sense, he is a doctor and can help if any of the crew has physical issues after the ordeal, he was also secret services and would know about sneaking around and find creative solutions, no way a single fighter escorting a dozen of weak unarmed non combattants could fight his way through to the ship.

@willvr4

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia Yeah they have to be loyal. Not sure why anyone would finish this game without getting everyone loyal first though.

I think it was the last video that Chris said something like, "So there was Sovereign, but there has to be at least one other Reaper out there, right?' > 1:39:27 yeah... you could say that

I also chose exactly the same people as you!

Good playthrough! I kinda like the process where you stop doing everything and just sort your mind over everything out loud.

Even while there were some gaps through this playthrough of this game in particular so far I'm glad that there were no big several months long gaps like there were in the first game😊

greatest final mission of all time in any game

And imagine that we had to wait 2 years for the next game to see how it ends.

Oh, you can lose people on the suicide mission. You can lose *everyone* - even Shepard. Heck, you can lose three people before you even get to the Collector base. Of course losing everyone requires playing like an idiot- no ship upgrades, no loyalty missions, bad crew assignments, etc. But getting through a blind playthrough without losing anyone is great. My first time through, I lost Thane, Jacob, Mordin, and Kelly.

@willvr4

Ай бұрын

Yeah, you literally have to intentionally go out of your way to lose the mission entirely and have Shepard die.

"Lose this channel", but the problem is that it's a quantum entanglement communicator. You literally can't lose the channel.

Your thoughts on Me1 vs Me2 are very valid, and I share a lot of them. The stakes in this game feel a lot lower and it's much more of a closed world. ME3 takes the best of both and dials everything up to 11. One of my favourite games ever, but only because of what these first two built.

Congrats on the no deaths! Yes you could have lost any of your squad members, and even the Normandy crew like Kelly or Chakwas. If you did another mission other than Legion's loyalty mission, then you would have lost some of the Normandy crew that were abducted. If you didn't upgrade the Normandy, you would have lost multiple squad members before even stepping foot into the collector base (2-3 I believe). And if you chose people not fitting their role in the suicide mission, many more would have died. You can even die/not be able to import into ME3 if less than 2 squad members survive the suicide mission. So yeah, you can have an absolutely depressing playthrough of only 2 squadmates and Shepard surviving the collector base to import into ME3 😂 I've done it Have a field day with Legion's dialogue by unlocking it through N7 missions, knew you'd be interested in the lore

Harbinger wasn't the collector general. Harbinger is a reaper that was controlling the collectors likely from dark space. Your decisions were perfect, you mentioned making the right calls and this is why some people make mistakes and lose crew members. Because there's a difference between who can do the job and who can do the job the best. And this is why getting to know you're crew and everything about them is so important.

This is by some distance one of the best ME2 playthroughs I've seen. You've been insanely thorough (even when you discovered FTL travel inside systems "late") and engaged with every single piece of lore there was to engage with. Which is why you could pick up on things that most players miss the first time around (like the Harbinger realization). I loved this almost as much as I did my own first playthrough nearly 15 years ago and can't wait for Arrival and Mass Effect 3. Thank you for sharing this with us.

You deserve more subscribers!

Choosing who goes to the cargo hold matters ... the way I play, I always skip one particular ship upgrade, and consequently someone always dies. The squad you choose can't be a casualty here. As for why I skip the upgrade ... I prefer not to recruit the character in question until after the mission.

Played the game 3 times - always romanced Jack. Never know she would be soooo mad if you kind of start something then back off!!!!

12:28 you’re the only person who stays committed to the me1 romance lmao Will say you missed out with tali

I know you still got mass effect 3 to get through but eventually I would LOOOOVE to see you play either Knights Of the Old Republic and or Dragon Age games. Not sure if they are on your radar but throughly enjoyed the series man

You're right, picking the right specialist is critical, however, also is choosing the right companion. For instance, you mentioned that it was important to get the strongest holding the door (right before facing the human reaper). You were right. Some peeps made the right calls regarding the specialist, but would take Grunt with them when battling the human reaper... Not sure it is a spoiler up to this point, but the outcome of that decision is not positive whatsoever... You nailed it!

Ayy, best ending, everyone lives!! I never expected any less from you, Chris. I also always pick Garrus to lead the second teams, it feels like the best possible ending to his ME2 storyline; he starts feeling like a complete failure as a leader because the first time he branched out on his own everyone on his squad was killed, but Shepard has complete trust in his leadership ability, and now he knows he has it in him to lead and keep everyone safe even when facing the biggest threat to the entire galaxy. Greatly appreciate how consistently you uploaded throughout this entire thing, it must have been a mammoth mission in itself 🥰

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

Exactly my thought process for choosing a leader for the second teams :D It's also why I always choose Jack instead of Samara to shield us: Samara is the safest option honestly from a role playing perspective, she has hundreds of years experience in protecting people, she has proven her dedication when she gave up everything including her family to become a Justicar and also when she killed her own daughter to fulfill her mission. She has sworn an oath to us and we know how serious it's for her. But Jack needs this more than Samara, she needs proof that she has people who trust her with their own life, that she is more than the weapon Cerberus wanted to make of her. We didn't need her to kill or destroy, we needed her to protect us. I think it can only help her grow.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

Oh and regarding the second team leader choosing Garrus is also the safest choice for a Paragon Shepard, Garrus cares for the mission of course and can make difficult decisions but he'll also do his best for his team, they are not expendable to him. Miranda is too much of a "mission first" as proven by her reaction when have to decide what to do for the crew, send them alone or with an escort. her only thought is we can't let anything, including the crew's life, get in the way of the mission. So I would fear that she would too easily choose to sacrifice part of the team depending on the circumstances where Garrus would really do his best to avoid having to.

@Stforv

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia Yeah, and when you pick Garrus to lead the strike team Miranda comments "at least this one knows what he's doing". She doesn't even call him Garrus or Archangel just "this one". At least this one knows what he's doing. It's like "whatever, if I don't get to be in the spotlight who cares". That's team building with Miranda, inspiring leader yeah=)

@Charharr

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia Ohh that's a fantastic point with reasoning for picking Jack to shield you! I'll remember it going forward 😃

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@Stforv Oh yes very true ! I like Miranda but she has issues.

In 3, do remember to order squadmates into (covered) position. Also, I'd like to give you a piece of advice on weapons in 3 but let me know if it's alright with you.

You did good, Chris. You could've lost literally EVERYONE (except for Joker and EDI) on that mission. For example, if you did ANY other missions once EDI tells you that the IFF is integrated, the crew would've been liquified. If you didn't get the Thanix cannons, the upgraded shields, and the upgraded armor? You lose 3 team members before even landing on the Collector base. Don't complete all the loyalty missions? Anyone who's not loyal is going to die. Pick the wrong team leaders? Someone's going to die. So yes, you could've lost the entire crew except Joker and EDI. EDIT: Also, there's part of the story that was cut when they decided to make the Reapers the overarching enemy. Originally, the galaxy was essentially dying from overuse of the Mass Effect (remember how Haestrom's sun was prematurely aging? That's the last remnant of the original story.) The Reapers weren't _killing_ everyone, they were _saving_ everyone... by converting them into new Reapers. Essentially, each Reaper has all the memories of all the people that were liquified to make it. Do you remember how Legion mentioned that Sovereign called itself Nazara? In the initial worldbuilding (before they changed it to make the Reapers the villain), the Nazara were an alien race that left behind technology that unlocked the possibility of FTL travel. So Sovereign was millions of Nazara, all liquified and pumped into a proto-Reaper, forming a sort of group mind.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

Oh I knew some of the cut lore but not as detailed as that, thanks it's very interesting to know ! Only it was because of the dark energy not mass effect if I recall correctly ? Wasn't it something like biotics work through the use of dark energy and it builds up and destroys solar systems by aging the sun like what is happening in Haestrom ? Or am I completely mistaken ?

@SpearM3064

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia From the wiki: "Dark energy is manipulated using the extremely rare material element zero. When subjected to powerful electrical currents, element zero releases dark energy that can be harnessed to create mass effect fields, effectively raising or lowering the relative mass of all objects within the field. With the eezo nodules and natural electrical impulses in their nervous systems, biotics can generate and wield dark energy biologically, but the effort is physically demanding." So both biotics _and_ the mass effect, work through the use of dark energy. Think of the buildup of dark energy as global warming, but on a universe-wide scale, slowly killing the universe. The Reapers destroyed organic life every 50,000 years to slow down the universe's death, in the hopes that they or some other race would find a solution to the dark energy problem. The real reason for the Human Reaper was supposed to be the Reapers' saving throw, because they had run out of time. Humanity in Mass Effect is supposedly unique because of its genetic diversity and represented the universe's best chance at stopping the spread of dark energy. The _original_ ending planned for Mass Effect 3, according to Drew Karpeshyn, was going to be "Kill the Reapers and put your faith in the races of the galaxy in finding another way to stop the spread with what little time is left" or "Sacrifice humanity, allowing them to be horrifically processed in hopes that the end result will justify the means." Instead, we got "choose a color: red, green, or blue". On a personal note, I really dislike the "Humans Are Special" trope, so I'm not especially disappointed that they scrapped that ending.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@SpearM3064 Careful you're spoiling ME3 ending !! talking of what was removed is one thing but not the real one ... But thank you I had a vague recollection it's much clearer now and would have been horrific but much better IMO depending on how it was implemented.

This is why ME2 is one of the best games ever made imo :) It might not have the magic of the first one or the scale of 3, but it is so well written and well structured. Amazing start, perfectly organized, well paced, and most importantly has one of the most epic and satisfying endings. Not perfect by all means, but it is as good as it gets.

@Squadwin

Ай бұрын

Every time I play ME2 I wonder: How can the highs be so high, and the lows be so low. The ending mission is emotional, but its so badly written it blows my mind. And it ends telling us whatever we achieved in this game is for nothing. Reapers are still coming, and we have only made steps backwards from the end of ME1.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@Squadwin have you by any chance watched a video about ME2 titled something like "Why is ME2 a great game but a poor sequel" because I completely agree with you and this video perfectly explains in detail all the issues with ME2

@danieladler3210

Ай бұрын

​@@Squadwin That's fair. If you think about it, without ME2 taking its time worldbuilding, introducing additional characters and relationships, ME3 wouldn't be the same. It lay a foundation that pays off in the next game. Can you imagine ME3 without certain characters from this game? Personally I think taking a break from reapers was a god decision. It let the story breath and gave them a chance to build things up. What I like about ME2 that its a self contained story for the most part. Normandy SR2 is more like Serenity from firefly (the show). It's focused on crew. It doesn't matter what the mission is you love doing it with those people. Its a whole different mood. When you finish it you feel satisfied, you feel you did something. You want more. You can't dismiss that effect. I know a bunch of people who played ME2 first and then went back and played the first one. ME1 is amazing (specially because it keeps reapers mysterious, unknowable. It lets your imagination do the work). But its just too short in comparison. Both ME1 and ME3 are like the Firefly Movie. They're more focused on the story and the main bad guys and try to entertain the audience. They're fast paced but without that chemistry and friendship developed in 2, they wouldn't feel as meaningful. My point is when a game is well made and has a good structure, it makes up for its shortcomings. Of course there are many things that could've been better, but I think overall it balances itself out. ME2 is clean and clear. It's always on beat and in tune. It misses a few less important notes here and there but it hits every note where it actually should. It might not be as pretty, complex or as epic as the others, but its performed excellently.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@danieladler3210 Taking a break from the main reason to be of the whole trilogy ? No I don't think it's that smart. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying not having a reaper or reapers to fight directly like we did in ME1 is a bad thing at all. But ME2 should have been about us finding a way to defeat a reaper army we KNOW is about to come and destroy us all. To do so would have logically involved learning more about them, their origin, what exactly they are, their goal and so on. Having this knowledge would have helped us to try and make plans on how to stop them from destroying us. And we might have met the exact same people during this journey so having another story wouldn't necessarily mean not having the same companions at the end. The collectors and Cerberus could have been part of it just not as involved and "taking over" the whole plot as they did. Another issue I have with ME2 is how Cerberus takes over all our agency. In ME1 we as Specters were in charge, we had hints of things to investigate but it was made very clear that it was all up to us how we wanted to proceed and when. Here we are just TIM's puppet, he knows all,plans all, orders us around and manipulates us from start to finish. We have no choice but to work with him, no other option is available and no matter what we did or chose in ME1 everything has been erased, it's as if it never happened.This is made very clear from the start when you lose your crew, your ship, your life and any progress made on the reaper's with the council. And to top it all during the missions we follow EDI's directives : turn here activate that oh here is the information you need. Just don't think shoot and follow instructions. What makes ME2 so memorable is the companions, he loyalty missions and the final heist with the whole gang. it could have been achieved in a very different way.

@Squadwin

Ай бұрын

​@@danieladler3210 I think what we can agree on, is that it makes no sense, trying to talk sensibly with people who are in blinding love with something :) You love ME2 to the point where your comment looks more like poetry than an argument for anything. And as the gaming industry shows, its not like we are going to get anything of this caliber of writing ever again. So there really is no point contributing to gaming culture through commenting. At least there are some TV series to fill the gaps.

Yeah Reapers are gigantic, the bigger ones like Sovereign are around 2 km long, for people who don't use the metric system let's say it's around 6600 feet. So this was really just an embryo even big as it was.

In case you wonder what the consequences are for some of the upgrades and decisions, I've laid down a few for you, in case you're interested. As always, a lot of blank spaces in case you don't want to know, so you won't accidentally read it immediately. --- --- Just to give you an idea of what effect your upgrades have ... for each of the ship upgrades you failed to implement, a crew mate casualty will occur. The most plausible people to die are Jack, Kasumi and Legion based on their location on the ship and where the attacks are aimed at. *Choices* And yes, a bad choice for the tech specialist, secondary squad leader, biotic specialist and all such choices can result in squad mate casualties. So yes, the life of your people actually depend on your logical and tactical choices. Having seen you play and hearing your thought processes, that's not a problem for you :) Taking on a few missions means some of your crew will have been processed as well. The more missions you do in the meantime, the more crew will get processed. *Holding the line* The thing that ME2 uses here is along the same thought logic you have. Each person represents a number in combat proficiency and toughness, so if the total number is below a particular threshold, people will die. Jack, Mordin, Tali and Kasumi are able to fight well, but they're not particularly suited for close combat fights. Jack is incredibly powerful, but she's also reckless and very aggressive, which means she leaves openings. Mordin is a Salarian, those aren't known for their fighting prowess. Tali is pretty much a risk with her suit and Kasumi generally never really fights because she's meant to be invisible and stealthy. So those get rewarded with *1 point* in this fight. Grunt is the only one that really sticks out, but Garrus and Zaeed are worth their money as well, so they're awarded *4 points* . All others get 2 points. So yeah, keeping the 2-pointers and Grunt, Garrus and Zaeed behind means the chances of everyone surviving go up significantly. The threshold is pretty much that adding all of their points and dividing them among all squad mates. If the number is > 2 on average, they will survive. Otherwise, there _will_ be casualties. So bringing Tali with you means you're pretty much removing a 1-point character from the fray, leaving a 2-point (or 4-point) character behind in her place. So yes, considering all the requirements, tactics and choices, this can _literally_ become a suicide mission, with most of your crew mates dying on this mission. The fact that you've completed the mission _without_ losing anyone in the process is quite a feat, so congratulations, man! 😀

Just a suggestion, but it’s become a bit of a tradition for letsplayers and streamers to react to the ‘bad ending’ for the suicide mission, whe worst possible run. Just an idea, I totally understand if you would’t want to for replay reasons.

2:02:23 I don't know if it's true, but few years ago I found information that originaly BioWare planned that Shepard would be resurected not by the Cerberus, but by Geth. But BioWare changed it.

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

you mean EA changed it not bioware maybe ? I could believe this, apparently EA found TIM and Cerberus "very cool" and wanted him as a main character. And don't get me wrong on many aspects ME2 is a great game, but it's really a poor ME1 successor.

@Squadwin

Ай бұрын

@@JezaGaia Where did you get it that EA had creative control over the game? Specifically in this story point?

@JezaGaia

Ай бұрын

@@Squadwin I can't remember exactly but I watched some podcasts, including some with the original creative team and I heard this in one of them but I can't remember the exact one sorry.

Excellent, well done, mission accomplished. 8.75/10. Really enjoyable watching the realisation, the lore drops, The Geth revelations! all of it, nicely reasoned out and nuanced thought provoking questions. This is always appreciated. Your sniping and overall combat need to improve massively going into 3, it changes again and you get faster and more powerful abilities. As always, its your choice, but if you choose infiltrator again and hang back and just shoot at everything through the scope, yes even with in 2 meters, youve annoyed the fuck out of me with that since ME1 XD, but if you play that way and dont improve to match the newer combat abiltieis and parameters, youre not only going to miss out on a brilliant combat experience, but its going to be the same old same old and thats not good enough for your viewers. If we get 10 to 15 episodes in and youre still doing the same stuff you did in 2, floating around, missing shots, that would be an unsatisfactory level of growth. You owe it to everyone to improve, including yourself, ME3 combat is Pinnacle stuff, I implore you, dont let us down. (Personally I would like to see you play a different class, something that forces you to get into the frontlines) After Arrival, brace yourself, you thought ME2 opening was hectic, wait until you see the Reapers Blow up Uranus :D

I give you a quick rundown about the decision int he Sucide Mission. When you Fail at something, one Characters dies according to a priority list. Non-loyal Squadmates will always fail their task. Non-loyal Characters will also jump at the top of the Death-List when "Holding the Line". Spoiler (duh) Space Combat: No Armor: Jack dies No Shields: 1. Kasumi 2. Legion 3. Tali. No Main-Gun: 1. Thane 2. Garrus 3. Grunt In short: Jack, Kasumi and Thane will die quite regulary without Upgrades. Infiltration: Tech: Tali, Legion, Kasumi. For the Meme: Jacob the Vent-God. Leader: Miranda, Garrus, Jacob Newbie-Trap: Despite the EXP; Samara and Zaeed are not the correct choice. Biotic: Morinth, Jack, Samara Newbie-Trap: Miranda. Although condident she will fail. She is better be used as teamleader anyway, Escort: Anyone who is loyal will succsed. But usasully you wanna pick a "weak" fighter, like Mordin or Tali. This becomes important later for "Holding the Line" Part 1: If you pick the wrong Techexpert or/and the wrong leader, the choosen Tech Expert will die. Part 2 a): If you pick the wrong Biotic Expert ->One Memeber of Shepards Squad dies. 1. Jack 2. Garrus 3. Grunt. Considering Grunt's Popularity he dies quite regulary at this point. Part 2 b): If you picked the incorrect leader, he/she will die, except Miranda. Miranda always survies as teamleader. Part 3: In the Final Battle on Shepards Side: Loyal Teammebers will always survive, while non-Loyal Memeber will always die. Miranda got Extra Dialog with TIM. Part 4: "Hold the Line". Now it gets complicated. Each Member , that stay behind to hold he line, got a hidden Defensiv Stats. The average of your Team's Defensiv Stat is used to calculate the number of Squadmates who die. To play it safe, leave Grunt, Zaeed and Garrus always behind: They got BY FAR the strongest Defensiv Stats and keep the other alive. If all Squadmates are loyal it is possible to pick one strong Defender + one "Weakling" with you. For example: Grunt + Miranda, Garrus + Tali, could work, cause Tali, Mordin, Jack, and Miranda are "weak". If your Defensiv Stat is not surficiant, you will lose between 1-4 Squadmemeber. 1. Mordin 2.Tali 3. Miranda are the most likly to die, while loyal Grunt and loyal Zaeed are basicly invincible while holding the line. Part 5: the last Jump. At least two Squadmates from the entire Team need to be alive. Otherwise Shepard will fall to his death. Your Savefile cannot import into ME3.

2:37:05 home is where homies are

TIM wasn't entirely wrong, having the reaper tech would be useful in the fight against them but this applies on 2 conditions : That spending time in the base trying to analyse it all wouldn't also indoctrinate the research team like it did in the derelict ship. I know the collector's base isn't a reaper but still we don't know how indoctrination works, they might have built in something to keep the collectors under control or something . That the research was done by someone trustworthy. he isn't that. Had it been the alliance with Hacket and/or Anderson,maybe but otherwise I wouldn't trust anyone with this, not even the council they're too eager to sweep everything under the rug. SO yes you were 100% right to destroy it IMO but not for the reason Shepard ans Miranda used. It's what frustrates me with this game so many things I would have said instead.

ME games are one of the few where I find myself moving up to a harder difficulty 3/4 of the way through, because if you focus on upgrading all of your weapons and power, the combat becomes a little too easy on Normal mode. The combat feels harder earlier on in the game. I had way more trouble with Eden Prime than I did with this final mission.

From the cut scene it looks like the reaper who controls the collector general is called Harbinger

Imagine if they ever completed the human reaper? How goofy would that ship look like flying around? haha Does the propulsion system come out of its asshole?

And my frog boi survived! So i'll stick for third game. GG