Mass Effect 2 Achievement Guide & Road Map

Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 Achievement Guide

Overview:
- Estimated achievement difficulty: 5/10
- Approximate time: 35-80 Hours
- Offline: 1000

- Online: 0
- Missable Achievements: 16 – Loyalty and Suicide Mission survival Achievements, Big Game Hunter, Friend or Foe, Master at Arms, Data Hound
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1 (2 if you haven’t played Mass Effect 1)
- Do cheat codes disable achievements?: No cheats.
- Does difficulty affect achievements?: Yes; Insanity difficulty
- Glitchy achievements: None.
- Unobtainable achievements: None.
- Extra equipment needed?: No.
- Is there DLC? Yes.

Cerberus Network
- Difficulty: 1/10
- Time to 15: 1 hour
- Glitchy/Missable/Unobtainable: Revenge! (M)
Kasumi's Stolen Memory
- Difficulty: 1/10
- Time to 15: 1 Hour
- Glitchy/Missable/Unobtainable: None
Overlord
- Difficulty: 3/10
- Time to 25: 1-2 Hours
- Glitchy/Missable/Unobtainable: Data Hound (M)
Lair of the Shadow Broker
- Difficulty: 5/10
- Time to 200: 1-3 Hours
- Glitchy/Missable/Unobtainable: The Hard Way (M)
Arrival
- Difficulty: 4/10
- Time to 100: 2-3 Hours
- Glitchy/Missable/Unobtainable: None

Introduction:
Carrying on the previous story of Mass Effect and Shepard’s mission to prevent the return of the Reapers, you will encounter a vast, immersive world of new environments and characters.

If you have played through Mass Effect and completed the game at a respectable level and have a good amount of completed quests, be sure to import your character into Mass Effect 2 to enjoy the rewards.

Breakdown:
There are several achievements, which are very easy to miss out on, based around the ally (loyalty) missions. There are also several weapon and biotic achievements which are easy to miss. It is possible to get all the achievements in one playthrough by starting with an imported Shepard and playing on insanity, but that would be making things very difficult for yourself. For the sake of this walkthrough, it is suggested you start on casual, normal, or veteran. The achievements are a bit easier this time around, and you can expect to get 600-925(max if you import) gamerscore your first time through if you don’t play on insanity.

Loyalty Missions:
Once you recruit a new squad member you will find out each one will need help at some point through out the story. You can ignore these missions if you like but you will be better off if you complete them. You can either talk to Kelly Chambers (located to the right of the galaxy map) or the crew as you wander around the ship. Make sure to talk to all squad members after each main or side mission.

Importing Your Save:
When you first start up a new playthrough, there will be an option to import a Mass Effect 1 save. Make sure you have one on your hard drive or memory unit in order for this to work. It will take into consideration: your major plot decisions, certain side mission decisions, and depending on your level, you will start out with more resources and a higher level (max level 5 if you were a 60 in ME1.) You will also get the achievement ‘Long Service Medal’ in only one playthrough using an imported character.

Playthrough 1: Normal:
The bulk of your achievement will be earned through playing on Normal. By the time you finish the game you should be around level 26 which will carry over into your second playthrough.

All weapon and biotic achievements can be done within this playthrough, you don't need to directly use the biotics. If you keep two biotic squad members you can use their powers to earn the achievements.

You will want make sure you enter the Omega 4 Relay with the majority of your squad loyal by completing their respective loyalty missions. Please read the guide for more information on these missions. Finding minerals and researching specific upgrades is also a key part of surviving the finale. You will also want to build a relationship with either male or female characters depending on your own Shepard’s gender.

Most achievements will come naturally while playing through the story missions.

Playthrough 2: Insanity:
Before you start playing through on insanity you should have completed at least one playthrough of the game to level up. Starting on this skill won't benefit you in any way, as you won't be strong enough to take on most tasks, and it can get quite frustrating. Doing a second playthrough is also useful, as you will start with 200,000 credits and 50,000 of each resource, which will help you get upgrades quicker.

At this point you shouldn't have to do much apart from continue the story and collect your last few achievements if you missed any on your first playthrough.

Clean-up:
Assuming you survived the suicide mission, you can play after the credits. If you missed any weapon/power/side-mission achievements, you might be able to get them by exploring planets and doing any N7 missions you may have missed. Partial playthroughs may be required if you are unsuccessful with this.

Cerberus Network DLC

Walkthrough:
After acquiring Zaeed and having him on the Normandy, you will have the opportunity to do his loyalty mission gaining his trust, and him as a teammate. You will chase a character named Vido to a refinery (details absent to save from spoiling). Zaeed is hell-bent on revenge which will bring you up to a part in the mission in which you can either continue to chase Vido or save refinery workers. In order to gain Zaeed's trust you will need to go after Vido instead of saving the refinery, but you can talk him into loyalty if your paragon or renegade is high enough (almost top tier required) even if you choose to save the workers. Overall, the mission is fairly straightforward and very easy, the key is gaining Zaeed's trust. Either way you do it, once you gain his trust you will unlock Revenge!,. Just remember, if you do not side with him and do not have high enough paragon/renegade to have him reconsider his loyalty, this achievement will be unobtainable.

Kasumi's Stolen Memory DLC

Walkthrough:
In order to begin Kasumi's loyalty mission you must first meet her on the Citadel. The next time you take a trip to the Citadel after you've bought the DLC pack Kasumi's mission will prompt and you will be able to meet with her. Again, avoiding spoilers there is nothing to note out of the ordinary regarding her mission. By completing her mission you will learn a bit about what makes her tick, why she fights, and who she targets. Even though it's only one mission, her mission involves some of the strongest emotions out of the entire series. Once you defeat the man that helped to ruin Kasumi's life you will unlock Broke, Blind and Bedlam.

Overlord DLC

Walkthrough:
Once we arrive on Aite we'll be briefed on the happenings (of which I will leave out for spoiler sake) and will need to report to different stations in order to get this situation under control. Data Hound requires us to collect the 6 Cerberus data packets scattered across Aite, and we must grab them before going to Alpha Station otherwise we will not be able to get them anymore. There is a nice x360a guide found HERE that gives ample details on where and how to grab these packets.

Once we enter Alpha station our main objective will become clear and we will be on a mission to stop it at all costs. Digital Exorcist, awarded for shutting down the VI, can prove difficult on insanity, but definitely doable if you remember the following tip. Geth spawn, and spawn often, during the battle and the only way to ensure that they are kept at bay is to destroy the green orbs. Anytime the VI acquires new green orbs go after them first and foremost to make the battle a bit easier.

Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC

Walkthrough:
Right from the get-go understand that in order to complete this DLC you will need to beat this particular pack on hardcore or insanity for the The Hard Way. achievement. It will definitely make you work a little harder if you are playing on casual or normal, and will be nothing new if you are already on hardcore or insanity. Like always, take your time, work through scenarios and save often as the save feature is easily your biggest and best ally. I also suggest utilizing your more combat oriented teammates instead of the power/engineer choices. Vasir and then the Shadow Broker will definitely require some good firepower and good soldiering over anything else. And finally, in order to even begin this DLC you must first visit the planet Illium otherwise you will never be able to spark the DLC. Once you are ready switch to your increased difficulty and head to Liara to begin.

To avoid spoiling the plot-line as it's quite interesting and fun I will refrain from giving details on the particular achievements and will instead talk in general of the achievements. As you progress through the story you will encounter Vasir, the Shadow Broker's assassin. Upon defeating her you will unlock Most Dangerous Game, and will move to the second half of the DLC. The Filthy Goat wrote a good little guide for dealing with Vasir on hardcore and insanity that you should definitely take a look at if you are having trouble FOUND HERE. Heart of Darkness will unlock after you progress through the Shadow Broker's room and actually enter the room where he is located while The Hard Way will unlock after you defeat him on hardcore or insanity. The single best tip I can give for the Shadow Broker is to never stop moving. He is slow and powerful and a continuous moving player with weak weapons can easily best him--let alone someone who is proficient with their weapons and abilities.

After you have defeated the Shadow Broker and you move onto the aftermath you will be able to pick up the final two achievements. Revisiting the Shadow Broker's stronghold and viewing all of the terminals in his lair will net you Detail Orientated. Catching Up can be unlocked by revisiting the Shadow Broker's stronghold and talking to Liara and then talking to her again when she has returned to the Normandy. It sounds weird, but alas spoiler-free, although you will understand when you play it.

Arrival DLC

Abbreviated Walkthrough:
Preparations- Make sure your character is fairly strong and comes with good health/shield bonuses as you will need them for the standoff section. Also make sure you take a look at some of the tips and tricks in the achievement guide for Last Stand, so you know what to come to the outpost with. The DLC isn't all that hard, but it can be near impossible if you are not prepared correctly. Also, key to this, make sure to make a save prior to answering the Admiral's order to check it out. This will help you if you accidentally mess up.

There are only three achievements you need to contend with in this DLC, but do not let them fool you--two will require your undivided attention. Right from the get-go we will begin working on Covert Action, which requires you to make it to the good Dr. without drawing enemy attention. In the achievement guide itself there is both a text walkthrough and a video walkthrough that should help you accomplish this with relative ease. When in doubt on this one, just take your time and realize you are not on the clock. The final section of this DLC is a standoff over Object Rho (and for spoilers sake we will leave that unknown). This section of the DLC is essentially stand your ground and survive--plain and simple. Of course this is easiest when done on the lowest difficulty, but with the walkthrough in the achievement guide you should get a good feel of your surroundings and really be able to buckle down for the long five waves. Completing all five waves will unlock Last Stand and finishing the cutscene will unlock The Ultimate Sacrifice.

Conclusion:
Depending on how you have played the game you should find most of the achievements fairly straightforward but will require careful decisions to avoid several playthroughs. You shouldn’t have too much difficulty, aside from your insanity playthrough, which is quite challenging compared to last time. Good luck on your suicide mission!

[x360a would like to thank Sirius for this Road Map]
[x360a would like to thank Wii187 and The Deadly Dog for the DLC additions]

Missing in Action

5
Save your crew from an overwhelming attack
(17)
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

Complete the intro sequence on the Normandy and this will unlock.
Very Elusive

10
Return to active duty
(1)
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

This will unlock after your first meeting with the Illusive Man.
The Convict

10
Successfully recruit the biotic Convict
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

See “The Assassin”
The Krogan

10
Successfully recruit the krogan
(2)
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

See “The Assassin”
The Archangel

10
Successfully recruit Archangel
(2)
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

See “The Assassin”
The Professor

10
Successfully recruit the Professor
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

See “The Assassin”
The Quarian

10
Successfully recruit the quarian
(5)
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

See “The Assassin”
The Justicar

10
Successfully recruit the Justicar
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

See “The Assassin”
The Assassin

10
Successfully recruit the Assassin
These achievements are story related. You will be given two dossiers, which contain all the locations of each crewmember.

Meeting the Illusive Man Part 1:
After your first meeting with the Illusive Man, he will give you dossiers on recruitable squad members. The game recommends you go to Omega first for Mordin Solus and Garrus, but you can do them in whatever order you wish. When you reach the planet with a squad member and land, you will get a mission. You will recruit the squad member upon its completion and the achievement will unlock.

Note: The Krogan achievement will not unlock at the end of the mission like the others. It will unlock when you go into the cargo hold and free Grunt from the tank.

Meeting the Illusive Man Part 2
After meeting the Illusive Man for the second time (after completing Horizon), you will receive the dossiers for the last group of recruitable squad members. You can recruit them in any order you wish.
Friend or Foe

10
Obtain geth technology
(5)
At the end of the mission on the Reaper to collect the IFF, you will meet Legion and will have the option of giving him to Cerberus or taking him back onto the Normandy. Take him back to the Normandy and the achievement will unlock. He will be in the A.I. Core behind the Medical Bay.
Colony Defense

25
Defend a human colony from attack
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

You will receive this mission from The Illusive Man after recruiting the first four squad members (excluding Jacob and Miranda). Complete the mission and the achievement will unlock.
The Prodigal

10
Gain the loyalty of the Cerberus Officer
(5)
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”
Ghost of the Father

10
Gain the loyalty of the Cerberus Operative
(1)
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”
Catharsis

10
Gain the loyalty of the biotic Convict
(3)
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”
Battlemaster

10
Gain the loyalty of the krogan
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”
Fade Away

10
Gain the loyalty of Archangel
(8)
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”

Note: If you don’t let Garrus shoot Sidonis and you don’t have sufficient alignment to rectify the situation, he will not become loyal to you and you will not get the achievement.
The Cure

10
Gain the loyalty of the Professor
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”
Treason

10
Gain the loyalty of the quarian
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”

Note: If you turn in the evidence and expose Tali’s father, she will not become loyal to you and you will not get the achievement.
Doppelganger

10
Help the Justicar resolve her mission
(6)
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”

Note: This is actually quite a frustrating mission if you don’t know how to do it correctly. If you fail to catch Morinth or you kill Samara instead of Morinth (requires sufficient alignment to have the option for this), Samara will not become loyal and you will not get the achievement.

Morinth:
The part that most people find challenging is actually getting Morinth to take you back to her apartment. To do this, you must select the correct dialogue options. Most of them are located on the bottom left of the dialogue wheel. Once you enter the VIP area, talk to the guy directly on your left. He will give you some info that you will use while talking with Morinth.

Correct Dialogue Options:
Art – Vaenia
Music – Expel 10
Drugs – Like Hallex?
Travel – I like danger.
Power – Power is its own reward.
Cat's in the Cradle

10
Gain the loyalty of the Assassin
(3)
By repeated conversations with your squad members on the Normandy (in-between missions), they will eventually come to you for help about a certain situation. Agree and offer to give them help, and you will be given their loyalty mission. Next time you visit the galaxy map, it will show you where to go for each loyalty mission you have (a little note will pop up, EX: “Help Thane”).

Thane’s loyalty mission is another many seem to have difficulty with. There are two key factors in failing:
- If you lose sight of the Turian diplomat, you lose your lead, and you will fail.
- At the end, if you don’t disarm Kolyat and stop the assassination, you will fail.
You can also assassinate the target yourself (Renegade) and still get Thane's loyalty.
A House Divided

10
Hack a geth collective
(6)
See “Cat’s in the Cradle”

Note: You can get Legion’s loyalty mission almost immediately after recruiting him, rather than multiple discussions in between missions.
Ghost Ship

25
Complete the investigation of a derelict alien vessel
(1)
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.
Suicide Mission

50
Use the Omega 4 Relay
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

Discover and collect the IFF to gain access to the Omega 4 Relay. You will be prompted with a mission from the Illusive Man to find and collect this item.
Mission Accomplished

125
Save humanity throughout the galaxy from certain annihilation
(4)
This is a story related achievement, which will unlock with natural progression through the game.

Complete the game on any difficulty and this will unlock. If you aren’t to concerned about the side missions on your playthrough keep completing the Illusive Man’s missions.
Against All Odds

15
Survive suicide mission
(4)
See “No One Left Behind” for complete information.

For this achievement, only Commander Shepard has to survive (you will have 2 squad members as well), so the requirements are less strict. But if you’re going to get that achievement, you will get this one as well.
Insanity

75
Complete the game on the "Insanity" difficulty level without changing the setting
(137)
You need to complete the game on Insanity difficulty setting, this may seem fairly straightforward if you have played through the first game but be prepared. This time around you will be tested. It will require planning and patience.
- Level up your character. Make sure to do the side-missions.
- Make good use of cover and all abilities, if you run around in the open you won’t last long. Make sure to use your armor and shield destroying powers.
- Make sure you also upgrade your weapons and armor
- Balance your team; make sure you have a long range and short-range crewmember with you.
- Know your enemy. Learn the attack patterns and weaknesses of your foes, and exploit them to your advantage.
Squad Members:
Miranda is possibly the best squad member to use, as she has both overload and warp to take out barriers and armor, as well as overload to combat shields. Cerberus Operative (passive power) will also boost your squads damage output.

Grunt is another good member to use. He is a damage sponge; packing strong shields and a good amount of health. When you unlock fortification (loyalty power), he gets even better. He also has a good damage output.

Legion has some great synergy with Miranda. When you unlock the researchable sniper rifle for him, he does some great damage. Partnered with Miranda's Cerberus Operative power, he's lethal at long ranges and can rip through armor.

Classes:
The Sentinel and Soldier are the strongest classes to tackle Insanity.

The sentinel is very durable and versatile. It packs both biotic and tech powers, and can take down armor, shields, and barriers. It's tech armor power is an extremely strong shield boost that lasts until destroyed, which will result in an AoE explosion, damaging everything around you, and it also boosts the damage of your other powers. When you hit the higher ranks, you can take a real beating before it breaks. The Defender passive power provides even more survivability by boosting health and it also gives you other bonuses like damage. Overall, it's a very strong class.

Tip: Reave is a good bonus ability for a sentinel. (unlockable or research advanced training). It's like a super-powered warp. It gives you a health boost and does double damage to armor and shields. Another great option is warp ammo, which can really boost your damage output and help take down those pesky barriers and armored enemies.

The soldier is a pure combat focused class. It possesses a high damage output and good survivability. It also has strong combat abilities to boost it's damage and effectiveness; incendiary ammo helps to take down armor, and disruptor ammo is very effective against shields. Concussive shot knocks down enemies and gives you a little breathing room, and adrenaline rush will cause you to go into slow-mo, allowing you to do some real damage unpressured.

Tip: Warp ammo is devastating on a soldier. With the Revenant LMG, you can tear through armor and barriers with it turned on. Research it if you can with advanced training, or use it if you unlocked it and are starting a new playthrough. Another option is to take a defensive power like shield boost, barrier, or fortification, which will greatly improve your survivability.

Should I just blow through the game without doing side-missions?
No, it is suggested that you do the side-missions and mineral grinding. You don't have to do every single quest or survive the suicide mission for the achievement, but you need to keep your weapons and armor upgraded or the enemies will become too difficult for you to take down as the game progresses.

Should I make a new character or import a high level?
You are better off starting a new character imported from a ME1 save, AFTER completing one playthrough of Mass Effect 2. You will get the best of both worlds; ME1 bonus levels, credits, and resources, and for completing ME2 you will get 200,000 credits, plus 50,000 of each resource and a 25% experience bonus.

Importing a high level character will pit the enemies difficulty curve against you. You won't have as many upgrades, and it will be a struggle. Starting a new character will give you some breathing room at the beginning of the game to pick up some upgrades and level up before the curve kicks into high gear.
No One Left Behind

75
Keep your team alive through the suicide mission
(95)
To get this achievement, no one on your squad can die during the final mission.
Here are the general guidelines:
- Get max loyalty with everyone you can by doing their loyalty missions. This will ensure maximum performance from your squad members and they will have their special powers.
- Note: If you lose loyalty with a crewmember due to a conflict, you will need 80-100% alignment to get the dialogue options to make them loyal again.
- Get the following ship upgrades: Hull, Shields & Thanix Cannon. If you don’t so this, you WILL lose squad members.
- Upgrading your teams weapons and shields makes a difference. Upgrade what you can, but you don’t need to get every single one.
- Assign specialists for each job during the final mission. Using the hybrid characters will usually result in the deaths of squad members.
- Don't take anyone not loyal to you into the final battle, as there is a high chance of them dying in the final cutscene.
Jobs and top character choices (you pick one for each):
- Tubes - Tali, Legion
- 1st Squad Leader - Garrus, Miranda
- 2nd Squad Leader - Garrus, Miranda
- Shields - Samara, Jack
- Escort - Jacob, Mordin, Grunt
Long Service Medal

75
Complete Mass Effect 2 twice, or complete it once with a character imported from Mass Effect 1
(12)
This is a story related achievement.

You will have two options with this achievement, either play the game through twice and complete it, or import a previous profile. If you are new to the Mass Effect game series you may be missing out on some back-story but this won’t affect your gameplay.

If you have played Mass Effect previously you will be able to import your old character into your current game. Once you start a new game select Import from the bottom of the ID screen and select your profile.

Note: You must have finished the game, if you are in the middle of a playthrough with a high-level character and do not finish you will only be displayed with the first playthrough information.
Paramour

50
Successfully pursue a relationship with a teammate
(43)
This achievement requires you to take your relationship with one crewmember further than just loyalty. After each mission talk to all the crew and see who is willing to open up to you and become less formal. Once you start to go through the Omega 4 Relay, the romance scene will occur.

Depending on if you are playing as a male or female character you can interact and start a romance with the following characters:

Female Character
- Jacob Taylor
- Thane Krios
- Garrus Vakarian
Male Character
- Miranda Lawson
- Subject Zero
- Tali'Zorah nar Rayya
Head Hunter

10
Perform 30 headshot kills with any weapon on humanoid targets
(6)
You can do this at the very start of the game when you first meet Jacob. He will explain that he is a biotic and can use his pull ability on enemies. The robots will keep coming through the door until you request his ability so you can keep pulling off headshots until the achievement unlocks or you run out of ammo.

If you miss this infinite loop use the sniper rifle or heavy pistol and pick off enemies from a distance. This is easiest to do on LOKI mechs, as they have low health and lack sufficient protection.
Brawler

10
Shoot and kill 20 enemies while they're knocked back by a punch
(14)
This is easiest done with Husks. You can find a lot of husks on the ‘Horizon’ colony (which is story related) as well as the Reaper while you’re looking for the IFF. Simply run up to them with a shotgun or SMG and melee them with and shoot them as fast as you can. You should see an achievement tracker after each kill.
Big Game Hunter

10
Thresher Maw defeated
(6)
This is missable. On the third part of Grunt’s loyalty mission, you’ll be asked to survive a thresher maw attack for 5 minutes. You must kill it within the timeframe to unlock the achievement. It only has an armor bar, so use heavy weapons and anti-armor powers.
Tactician

10
Hit 20 different targets with multiple biotic powers to combine the effects
(23)
I found the easiest method to obtain this achievement is to hit an enemy with pull. Then, while the enemy is floating, hit it with a warp. An explosion will occur (the combined effect) and the tracker should pop up, saying you added one to the tally. You can use both your own biotic powers and your squad’s biotic powers towards this achievement.
Master at Arms

15
Kill enemies with 5 different heavy weapons during the game
(9)
You need to get a kill with 5 different heavy weapons throughout your playthrough. There are 7 heavy weapons total.

Standard:
- M-100 Grenade Launcher – Picked up as part of the story during the intro mission
- M-77 Missile Launcher – Researchable prototype
- M-622 Avalanche – Researchable prototype
- Collector Particle Beam – Can be picked up during the ‘Horizon’ mission
- M-920 CAIN – Researchable prototype
DLC:
- M-451 Firestorm – Can be picked up during the Zaeed loyalty mission
- M-490 Blackstorm Projector – GameStop preorder reward
Merciless

10
Make 20 enemies scream as they fall or are set on fire
(2)
The best way to earn this achievement is to use incendiary ammo/incinerate as well as biotic powers that lift people into the air or knock them off ledges, such as pull, throw, and slam. Your teammates actions will also contribute to this, so you shouldn’t have too much difficulty.
Overload Specialist

15
Disrupt the shields of 25 enemies
(6)
Shields are a type of protection often used by mechanical enemies and engineers. You, or a squad member, must deal the finishing blow to the shield bar with the Overload power 25 times to earn the achievement. Blue Suns mercenaries have the most engineers with shields, and YMIR mechs also have shields. I found a good amount of Blue Suns engineers on Garrus’ loyalty mission.

Note: Find a group of enemies with shields and destroy them all using overload. Then reload your checkpoint. It will keep your progress and you can repeat the process until you get the achievement.
Warp Specialist

15
Warp the barriers of 25 enemies
(14)
Barrier is a type of shield, but only biotics use them. The blue bar will specifically say barrier instead of shields. You, or a squad member, have to deal the finishing blow to the barrier bar with the Warp power 25 times to earn the achievement. Asari (Eclipse mercenaries) and occasionally krogan will have them. The Collector’s, assassins and harbingers specifically, also use them quite often. Thane and Samara’s recruiting missions both have a good amount of biotics that will use barriers for you to remove.

Note: Find a group of enemies using barriers and destroy them all using warp. Then reload your checkpoint. It will keep your progress and you can repeat the process until you get the achievement.
Incineration Specialist

15
Incinerate the armor of 25 enemies
(19)
Armor is a type of protection, characterized by a yellow bar on top of the enemy’s health bar. To get the achievement, you, or a party member, must use the Incinerate power to deal the finishing blow to an enemy’s armor bar. Krogans, YMIR mechs, Harbingers, and Scions are the enemies that most commonly have armor. Blood Pack Vorcha warriors will also occasionally have them, and a good way to boost the achievement up, as their armor is a lot weaker in proportion to the other enemies. I found that Mordin’s loyalty mission was a great place to earn this achievement due to the high amount of krogan and Blood Pack members you will face.

Note: Find a group of enemies with armor and destroy them all using incinerate. Then reload your checkpoint. It will keep your progress and you can repeat the process until you get the achievement.
Operative

15
Complete a mission discovered by scanning an unexplored world
(1)
See “Agent”
Agent

50
Complete 5 missions discovered by scanning unexplored worlds
(4)
Go to a world and when EDI says: "Anomaly detected" find the point on the planet holding down the to use the scanner and when you find the anomaly, by following the white line on the scanner circle, press to send in a probe, it will mine some minerals also getting you "Prospector" and land on the planet and complete the respective mission. Rinse and repeat 5 times.

Located in: Omega Nebula
System: Fathar
Planet: Lorek

Located in: Caleston Rift
System: Talava
Planet: Taitus

Located in: Caleston Rift
System: Solveig
Planet: Sinmara

Located in: Crescent Nebula
System: Zelene
Planet: Helyme

Located in: Crescent Nebula
System: Lusarn
Planet: Tarith

Note: Neither the Normandy crash site or Jacob's loyalty mission will count for this achievement.

Here is a list of the rest of the planets with these missions.
Prospector

5
Retrieve mineral resources by scanning and probing a planet in the galaxy map
(2)

Run your scanner over an unexplored planet holding . When you find some activity on your scanner, drop a probe with .
Explorer

10
Visit 100% of the planets in an unexplored cluster
(2)
This sounds complicated and drawn out but shouldn’t take too long. You can do this at any point when you have control of the Normandy. Enter any of the system clusters using the Relay station, once you enter a cluster you can go to the edge of your current cluster and explore the rest of the system. You will notice a percentage next to the names of each cluster. Make sure you have enough fuel and make your way to each cluster.

Once you enter an unexplored cluster fly around the planets and enter their orbit by pressing . Back out and repeat this for each planet within each cluster. Once you have visited all the planets within a single system the achievement will unlock.
Power Gamer

10
Reach Level 30 with one character
(18)
You will earn a new level once you complete each mission; you will also gain 40xp for completing various conversations, alignment actions and hacking. You don’t earn experience for killing enemies so just make sure you complete as many free-roam missions as possible. You shouldn’t have any issues with leveling up unless you try to rush through the main story. It is possible to attain this in one playthrough if you do all the side missions.

Avoid talking to the Illusive Man as much as possible until you level up; he will normally give you a mission to do which you have no choice in doing. The mission will start and there only way to end your mission will be to complete it.

It takes 1000 experience to level up. Here are the values for each kind of mission:

EXP Values:
Story Mission: 1000 EXP
Loyalty Mission: 750 EXP
Anomaly Mission: 125 EXP
Miscellaneous Side-mission: 40 EXP

Note: Once you have completed Mass Effect 2, you will earn a 25% experience bonus on all subsequent characters, making this easier to attain.
Scholar

15
Unlock 15 new Mass Effect 2 codex entries
(1)
The Codex is the database of information about the Mass Effect universe. You can find it in the start menu. To unlock new entries, examine things in the environment when prompted and use the ‘investigate’ tab during conversations.

As long as you investigate everything you see within the first few mission you shouldn’t have any issues finding the codex. You may unlock this without paying attention, as you will earn most codex entries from conversations.
Technician

15
Obtain 10 technology upgrades

Once you have recruited Mordin, you can complete Research Projects at the station in the Tech Lab. Go to the weapons and it will show you what upgrades you can make. You will find these upgrades during missions, which will then be available to create.

You will find upgrades lying around missions, and you can purchase upgrades on Omega, The Citadel, Illium and Tuchanka. Obtain any assortment of 10 tech upgrades to unlock the achievement.

Note: Purchased upgrades will directly count; you don’t need to research them, unlike the ones you pick up.

Purchasable Upgrades:
Harrot’s Emporium - Omega - Predictive Display

Saronis Applications - The Citadel - Microcore Amplifier, Ablative VI
Cirta Foundation - The Citadel - Microscanner

Serrice Technology - Illium - Hyper Amp, Quantum Threading, Microscanner
Gateway Personal Defense - Illium - Lattice Shuntting

Fortack’s Database - Tuchanka - Hyper Amp

See "Weapon Special" for a list of purchasable weapon upgrades, which also count towards this achievement.
Weapon Specialist

15
Fully upgrade a weapon
(7)
Once you have recruited Mordin, you can complete Research Projects at the station in the Tech Lab. Go to the weapons and it will show you what upgrades you can make. You will find these upgrades during missions, which will then be available to create.

Along with finding upgrades throughout missions, you can purchase upgrades on Omega, The Citadel, Illium and Tuchanka. The in-game achievement tracker as well as the ‘check upgrades’ station next to the research station will let you know how many you have left on a specific weapon after upgrading it. Each weapon has 5 damage upgrades and various miscellaneous ones. In order to research certain upgrades, you will need to have a certain amount of damage upgrades completed.

Note: Purchased upgrades will directly count; you don’t need to research them, unlike the ones you pick up.

Purchasable Weapon Upgrades:
Kenn’s Salvage - Omega - Shotgun damage upgrade
Omega Market - Omega - Sniper rifle damage upgrade

Rodam Expeditions - The Citadel - Heavy pistol damage upgrade, Sniper rifle damage upgrade, Submachine gun upgrade

Gateway Personal Defense - Illium - Assault rifle damage upgrade, Submachine gun damage upgrade

Fortack’s Database - Tuchanka - Assault rifle damage upgrade, Heavy pistol damage upgrade, Shotgun damage upgrade
Scientist

10
Complete any research project in the Normandy's laboratory
(1)
Once you have recruited Mordin, you can complete Research Projects in the Tech Lab. You can pick up plans for these projects around the environment on missions and such.

See "Technician"
Fashionista

5
Personalize your armor in your quarters on the Normandy
(3)
You will be able to do this for the first time once you escape from the Cerberus facility. You will be standing in a room with Jacob and Miranda, you will be told to talk to the Illusive Man. As you make your way to the conversation you will pass a customization panel on the wall. Access the panel and change a piece of your armor or clothing. You can also do this at any time from your quarters on the Normandy.
Power Full

15
Evolve any power
(4)
When you reach level 4 of a power and you have 4 squad points, purchase that power and it will give you options of evolving your basic power into something more specialized. Pick one and it will unlock.
Highly Trained

15
View all advanced combat training videos at Shepard's private terminal.
(3)
When you first get into the Normandy SR2 after meeting Joker, you will have to go to your private terminal. There are two locations; one in the private cabin and one next to the galaxy map. Watch all 3 videos and the achievement will pop

There are 1 achievements with a total of 15 points

Revenge!

15
Gain the loyalty of the mercenary
(24)
This is a missable achievement.

First time you talk to Zaeed, you will get his loyalty mission. In order to get the achievement, choose to go after Vido instead of saving the refinery workers. However, if your Paragon/Renegade is high enough, you have access to the dialogue options which would allow you can save the workers (paragon route) and still have Zaeed become loyal to you.

There are 1 achievements with a total of 15 points

Broke, Blind and Bedlam

15
Gain the loyalty of the thief
(15)
Similar to Zaeed, Kasumi's loyalty mission will become available after you meet her on the Citadel. The mission is very straightforward with no life or death decision to be made on the way, and can be completed on any difficulty. Just follow the directions given and once you defeat the mission boss the achievement will unlock.

There are 2 achievements with a total of 25 points

Data Hound

10
Collect 6 Cerberus data packets scattered across Aite
(18)
All 6 Cerberus data packets are found in the 1st area you start using the M-44 Hammerhead vehicle. 5 of the 6 data packets can be found within settlements spread throughout the area while 1 data packet is adjacent to a crashed ship located within a dark valley close to Vulcan Station. You can collect data packets before and after you enter both Prometheus Station and Vulcan Station, but will be unavailable to collect once you enter Atlas Station. To collect packets, hover over the yellow circle surrounding the data packet and press . A detailed location guide can be found HERE
Digital Exorcist

15
Successfully shut down the rogue VI in Project Overlord
(6)
This achievement can be completed on any difficulty, but be wary of switching the difficulty if you are going for the Insanity achievement. The rogue VI can be found at the end of Atlas Station and you will be fighting it alone so be sure you equip weapons with a lot of ammo and can take out several enemies at one time.

Keep in mind the Geth that spawn during the final battle will disappear each time all the green orbs are destroyed so focus on the destroying the green orbs and keep your distance from the Geth whenever possible.

Once you defeat the rogue VI choose whatever dialog you wish and the achievement should pop up at the Mission Overview.

There are 5 achievements with a total of 200 points

Detail Orientated

40
Use all information terminals in the Shadow Broker’s stronghold
(6)
After you've completed the DLC, you'll be in the Shadow Broker's stronghold. After a cutscene, you'll be in a room, able to access several terminals containing information on your squadmates, side missions you can undertake, and even video feeds to certain people and places in the galaxy. There are eight different terminals that you must view for the achievement, and they are as follows.

Dossiers - When you enter the room, on the left
Investment Opportunities - When you enter the room, on the right
Delivery Pickup - Walk across the room, it's in the middle next to the spoiler-free person.
Advanced Training - Turn left from Delivery Pickup
Armor Locker - Take the short stairs up from Advanced Training
Video Archive - From the Armor Locker you'll see a door to your left. Go through that door to another room, it's to the left on a small platform. There's also a music datapad in the room next to another spoiler-free person, but it's not counted as a terminal.
Upgrades - Exit that room and turn left.
Survey Information - Take the short stairs down from the Upgrades and it's on the left next to a round table.

Huge thanks to ananasnaama from TrueAchievements for the full list!
Most Dangerous Game

35
Defeat the Shadow Broker’s Assassin
(7)
This achievement is story related, so you can't miss it. After a chase through Illium, you end up fighting Vasir, an Asari spectre. She is quite tough, and moves around quite quickly. At several points during the fight, she will leave, and you'll have to deal with various drones and enemies. Once she comes back, just repeat what you did before. Before the battle even begins, make sure that you take the time and invest all of Liara's points into her skills, especially if you are a higher level. Her biotics will make taking care of Vasir much easier. When she has been defeated, the achievement will pop.
Heart of Darkness

50
Confront the Shadow Broker
(4)
This achievement is story related, so you can't miss it. After going through the Shadow Broker's stronghold, you'll come face to face with the Shadow Broker himself. The achievement will unlock once you enter the room where the Shadow Broker is located.
The Hard Way

50
Complete the Shadow Broker Mission pack on Hardcore or Insanity
(22)
Switch the difficulty to Hardcore, or Insanity if you want a challenge, BEFORE heading to Illium. If you've already completed the game on Insanity, you'll find little trouble here. Otherwise, use the tips mentioned for the "Insanity" achievement. Some tricky spots include the boss fight with Vasir and the standoff outside the Shadow Broker's stronghold. The achievement will pop once you have defeated the Shadow Broker.
Catching Up

25
Reminisce with Liara on the Normandy
(8)
Once you have completed the DLC, you can talk to Liara in the Shadow Broker's stronghold. When you end the conversation, she will ask you if she can go onto the Normandy with you. Accept this offer, and then play out the following conversation as you see fit. Once the conversation is over, the achievement will pop.

There are 3 achievements with a total of 100 points

The Ultimate Sacrifice

50
Complete the Arrival DLC pack
(47)
Story-based and unmissable.

The two main parts of this DLC are listed in guide for in the other two achievements, but for those of us who love to collect Asturgis has provided us with a very handy collectibles guide.
Last Stand

25
Survive all five waves in the battle for Object Rho
(46)
While story-based, this achievement is missable.

This may be the most challenging achievement out of the three of them, but if you turn your difficulty down, come here with a strong upgraded character or follow this little guide I decided to use as it worked well for a low level soldier with considerably moderate weapons.

As soon as I gained control of Shepard I made a move to the left and hide behind the "L" shaped console there. This spot worked well for me for a couple of reasons:
- Enemies never came from my right up the stairs I took.
- I was able to keep them all in front of me scanning and watching for potential targets that would rush.
- Although you are unable to stay in cover if you move from the front to the right (if we are looking at it from behind) snapping back into cover for this is easy.
I tried numerous other methods listed in other guides and found that my character was just too weak and too outgunned to be able to stand any chance. Just to be sure it wasn't a fluke run I loaded an old save and ran my same technique in the "L" shaped console on the left and again nobody came from the stairs I took and the only things that rushed me were the flamethrower guards and the MECH in the last wave.
Just a quick Wave Breakdown (note that upon killing a certain percentage of the previous wave the next will spawn):
- Wave 1: Regular soldiers with regular weapons
- Wave 2: Regular soldiers with 2 flamethrower guards. Both flamethrower enemies will rush you so make sure to keep them at bay.
- Wave 3: Regular soldiers with 1 flamethrower guard and 1 Vanguard The flamethrower will rush you and if using the technique listed above the vanguard will generally stay back directly in front of you over by the stairs on the far side of the room making him an easy kill.
- Wave 4: Regular soldiers with 1 Engineer and 1 Flamethrower guard. Remember the flamethrower will charge, and this engineer will rotate between cover behind the pillar directly in front of you and the wall to the far left never rushing.
- Wave 5: Mech time. I stuck it out in the spot I talked about previously and as soon as I could see the Mech coming through the door I went into reflex mode and used the collector beam to take him down. It took 2 times in reflex mode to push over the Mech, and he got as far as the stairs in the middle leading up to my cover.
Just remember if the battle is too tough, or you find yourself unable to use any of the listed guides to beat this--turn down the difficulty to Casual and really hammer away from a spot that has good cover.
Covert Action

25
Rescue Dr. Amanda Kenson without attracting hostile attention
(49)
While story-based, this achievement is missable

This achievement is best to do completely separate from collecting everything in sight as there are a couple of collectibles that you will be unable to get and keep your cover simultaneously. With a little bit of careful planning and a slight dousing of stealth this shouldn't be a problem. Let's tackle it. (Note if you don't want to read through my walkthrough at the end will be a fairly solid video walkthrough accomplishing the same thing.)

Starting it it drops us off outside of the prison in front of a door. Walk over to the side of the door and cut the power. After opening the door hang a right and you will see the controls for a bridge. If you turn directly around and proceed through the broken bars and to your left you will find 400 Iridium next to a dead varen. The top one cannot work without the one below so backtrack a few steps and look to your left at a ramp heading down. There is a varen down here who is unavoidable and inconsequential. The killing of varen do not count toward the attraction of hostile attention. Once you activate the lower controls head back up and once again try to activate the bridge, this time extending it.

Once across follow the path up the steps to an area with pipes, gas lines and lasers. As soon as you shut down the lasers take a couple steps back and look to your left for the oncoming varen you just released. Dispatch the varen and continue on catching quick dialog to your left by the horizontal lasers and the locked door. Move on until you run into an area with gas pipes and gas valves that can be activated. Each break in the path has a gas valve that can be activated to open up another/addition to your exploratory area. If you are looking to collect items and keep this runthrough as your main then continue to read on. If not continue back when the font changes back to normal. There is an area blocked by the gas. In order to access it you need to turn the valve in front and to the right of the wall of flames, and the first valve on the left as you progress farther. Inside this room you will find credits, a personal log, and an ammo upgrade for your heavy weapons. To get back on track for your objectives just activate the valves to once again open your path. Make your way upstairs and pop a quick save at the door before going outside. It's time to get our stealth on.

Upon exiting the building you will come down stairs and see two guards to your left. They both have their backs turned and are discussing important matters so this is our time to strike. Down a small alley to the right is a power code that we will cut thus neutralizing the lasers that are blocking our route. Come back a little bit and get into cover at the tail lights of the truck. Mount that then make a quick right and mount the balcony. Upon opening the door quickly to your right is a locker with credits in it. Make sure not to go left and on top of that not to open the door to the left! Upon continuing right you will come to an impasse. Left or right? If you go left it will lead you to a room that is in need of exploring and looting--you will get the following: 400 Iridium. Again make sure not to open the door in this back-room you just explored and to trace your steps back to that impasse. I suggest saving here real quick because once we fall down there is no turning back.

After dropping down make your way up the stairs, through the door and to the room with two guards facing away and plenty of collectibles inside. If you go for the items in this room you will be caught thus failing the objective and achievement. Instead make a save right at the door if you would like to come back and collect the items later, or just do a whole other save where you blast every prison guard away-- the choice is your's. After moving past the open door you will see a guard patrolling and actually walking away. We will actually want to follow him and the door he goes through. Be sure not to go to your right or else you will be spotted by our lovely guards at the window. Once you get in this area you are by yourself and free to calm your nerves and take a deep breath. From this point we are going to activate the crane controls and here's how:
- Middle Crane Button
- Left Crane Button
- Right Crane Button
- Right Crane Button.
This sequence will open up a medi-gel upgrade and 1200 iridium. After you grab or skip this use the vehicle lift to open up a passage way down. Activate the vehicle lift again to open up a PDA and a Med Kit under the elevator. You will continue a bit to your right and then find a door on your left. Go through it and find a security log to listen to, a locker to give you credits and an off switch for those lasers. Stay close to the wall on your right, the guard on your left will be looking right at you, your heart will drop..... but he does not see you. Alas we prevail. Continue down the hallway, hang a left and open the door. You will get your sneaky achievement after the cut scene.