The Mira Core puzzle in Mass Effect is a Tower of Hanoi-style mini-game in Peak 15 which players will need to complete (or ignore) to reactivate a VI. While the original Mass Effect is full of mini-games and small puzzles players can solve to get new loot or progress in the main story, the amount of mini-games changed over the course of the series and eventually disappeared altogether by Mass Effect 3.
When Shepard and their team enter Peak 15 on Noveria to chase down Matriarch Benezia, Liara's mother, they will need to activate the facility's power core and turn on the disabled Virtual Intelligence system. To reactivate the VI, they will need to use an elevator in the middle of the facility to either bypass or solve the Mira Core puzzle.
Players can simply bypass solving the Mira Core Puzzle in Mass Effect by using omni-gel, but they may not have enough on hand or want to save it for future uses. For anyone looking for a quick visual breakdown of how the Mira Core puzzle works, check out the YouTube video from Marz below!
If players choose to complete the Mira Core puzzle without using Omni-Gel in Mass Effect, they will need to transfer the glowing blue boxes in Core 1 to either Core 2 or Core 3.
Mira Core Puzzle Rules & Order
The Mira puzzle in Mass Effect can be confusing, as only one box will transfer at a time, and players will only be able to move the topmost box in Core 1. The box will install in the same position players found it in Core 1 on either Core 2 or Core 3, but it will not be able to transfer if there is a blue box already installed above it. There are a few basic rules players will need to follow to successfully solve Mass Effect's Mira Core puzzle. These are:
|
Rule 1 |
Only one box may be selected at a time. |
|---|---|
|
Rule 2 |
Boxes can be transferred to either Core 2 or Core 3. |
|
Rule 3 |
Only the topmost box will be selected when the player chooses a Core. It will be placed in the same slot in any of the other Cores as it appears originally. |
|
Rule 4 |
Boxes need to be placed from the bottom up. Players will not be able to transfer a box into Core 2 or Core 3 if there is a box in the space above where it would be installed. |
Knowing this order, Mass Effect players simply need to follow the pattern. Starting with Core 1, players should select the columns and boxes in the following order:
|
Step 1 |
Core 1 → Core 2 |
|---|---|
|
Step 2 |
Core 1 → Core 3 |
|
Step 3 |
Core 2 → Core 3 |
|
Step 4 |
Core 1 → Core 2 |
|
Step 5 |
Core 3 → Core 1 |
|
Step 6 |
Core 3 → Core 2 |
|
Step 7 |
Core 1 → Core 2 |
|
Step 8 |
Core 1 → Core 3 |
|
Step 9 |
Core 2 → Core 3 |
|
Step 10 |
Core 2 → Core 1 |
|
Step 11 |
Core 3 → Core 1 |
|
Step 12 |
Core 2 → Core 3 |
|
Step 13 |
Core 1 → Core 2 |
|
Step 14 |
Core 1 → Core 3 |
|
Step 15 |
Core 2 → Core 3 |
On Xbox, the columns should correspond to X for Core 1, Y for Core 2, and B for Core 3. On PlayStation, the columns should be represented by Square for Core 1, Triangle for Core 2, and Circle for Core 3.
How to Manually Reinitialize the VI at Peak 15
Once players solve the Mira Core puzzle in Mass Effect, Shepard can use the elevator again to return to the main level of Peak 15 and will be able to speak to the VI. They will need to reconnect the landlines and repair the reactor to reach the main facility and find Benezia, which is needed to move Mass Effect's story forward.
If players don't want to solve the Mira Core puzzle and have Omni-Gel on hand, they can use 100 to automatically repair the VI and skip the mini-game. Omni-Gel isn't difficult to get, but it is most useful for repairing the Mako, so players may want to save that and quickly complete this puzzle instead.
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Mass Effect Legendary Edition
- Released:
- 2021-05-14
- Developer:
- BioWare
- Franchise:
- Mass Effect
- Genre:
- Action, RPG, Sci-Fi
- Platform:
- PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
- Publisher:
- Electronic Arts
- ESRB:
- M
- How Long To Beat:
- 60 Hours - 135 Hours
