Across the entire Mass Effect trilogy, players will have the opportunity to select a class for their Commander Shepard from the six available options. Each class allows Shepard to be a specialist in Biotics, Combat, Tech, or some combination of two of these. Players can choose from Adept, Soldier, or Engineer if they want to be a pure Biotic, Combat, or Tech specialist, respectively. Otherwise, they can choose Vanguard for Biotics and Combat, Sentinel for Tech and Biotics, and Infiltrator for Tech and Combat. Each of these classes comes with a possible specialization in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, and all of them include a set of powers to choose from when players build their Commander.
Sometimes, though, there will be an especially useful power from a companion or class that players want access to for Shepard. In Mass Effect 2, players can obtain a Bonus Power based on one of their squadmates' abilities. To unlock these, players will need to earn an Achievement, usually by completing a certain squadmate's loyalty mission. These powers can be accessed and purchased from the Research Terminal in the Tech Lab aboard the Normandy, where Mordin Solus is usually found. Only one Bonus Power may be active at a time, but players can purchase and try a new one any time they want as long as they have enough rare resources to do so. Here's how to unlock and use a Bonus Power in Mass Effect 2.
Secure Squadmate Loyalty in Mass Effect 2
To unlock the available Bonus Powers Shepard can learn in Mass Effect 2, players will need to complete each squadmate's loyalty mission successfully. Most of these cannot be failed, but there are a few where players will need to be careful, or they will risk not securing a character's loyalty.
To initiate a loyalty mission, players will need to leave the Normandy for a mission or to explore a hub, then return to it. At the Galaxy Map, Yeoman Kelly Chambers will often tell players after they return that a certain squadmate was looking for them or wanted to talk to them. When Shepard goes to speak with that squadmate, a loyalty mission for that character will open. Once players complete the loyalty mission and earn the associated Achievement, they will unlock that squadmate's Bonus Power and have the option to equip it.
The Bonus Powers, associated squadmates, and loyalty missions required to unlock them appear below:
- Neural Shock: Mordin, "Old Blood"
- Fortification: Grunt, "Rite of Passage"
- Flashbang Grenade: Kasumi, "Stealing Memory" (requires Kasumi - Stolen Memory DLC)
- Armor-Piercing Ammo: Garrus, "Eye for an Eye"
- Slam: Miranda, "The Prodigal"
- Barrier: Jacob, "The Gift of Greatness"
- Shredder Ammo: Thane, "Sins of the Father"
- Reave: Samara, "The Ardat-Yakshi"
- Dominate: Morinth, "The Ardat-Yakshi"
- Warp Ammo: Jack, "Subject Zero"
- Inferno Grenade: Zaeed, "The Mercenary" (requires Zaeed - The Price of Revenge DLC)
- Energy Drain: Tali, "Treason"
- Geth Shield Boost: Legion, "A House Divided"
- Stasis: Liara, "Lair of the Shadow Broker" (requires Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC)
Players will also want to complete all squadmate loyalty missions successfully before the final Suicide Mission, or they run the risk of characters dying while infiltrating the Collector base.
Equip Bonus Powers at the Research Terminal in Mass Effect 2
The Research Terminal is an important mechanic for upgrading weaponry, armor, and even the Normandy itself in Mass Effect 2. Players will need to make sure to make critical ship upgrades as well as upgrades to Shepard's abilities and the squad's overall effectiveness in combat.
Players will find this station in the Tech Lab on the main deck. Using either door, players will either find it right in front of them or to their left when they enter the lab right before they see Mordin at his station.
Players will need to purchase the Advanced Training research project from the Prototypes menu. They will see a list of all available powers and can select the one they prefer. This usually costs 5,000 Element Zero each time. This research project tends to unlock as soon as players complete a squadmate's loyalty mission.
Players should note that after the first time using this project, each time Advanced Training is purchased when players decide to change powers, one point will automatically be assigned to that power. Other points players spent to level up the previously selected Bonus Power will be refunded, and players can either add them back in for their newly selected bonus power or allocate them to other powers.
If players use the New Game+ system offered in Mass Effect 2 when starting a new game, their selected Bonus Power will carry over. Additionally, when starting a new game with a new character, if all Bonus Powers have been previously unlocked, players will not need to purchase Advanced Training and can select their Bonus Power during character creation.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition launches May 14, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with forward compatibility for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.