Downloadable Content Guides

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This page contains guides for Mass Effect's downloadable content.

Contents 1 Bring Down the Sky 1.1 Drop Zone and First Fusion Torch 1.2 Blasting Caps and Second Fusion Torch 1.3 Third Fusion Torch and Charn 1.4 Main Facility and Balak 2 Pinnacle Station 2.1 Arrival 2.2 The Simulator 2.3 Hunt 2.4 Survival 2.5 Capture 2.6 Time Trial 2.7 Ahern's Challenge 2.8 Shepard's Apartment

[edit] Bring Down the Sky

Bring Down the Sky was the first downloadable content package released for Mass Effect. It takes place in the Asgard system.

When you first approach Asteroid X57, the SSV Normandy's computer alerts you that X57 is on course to hit the planet Terra Nova within four hours. As the Mako is dropped, you will hear a woman's voice sending a secret message, asking you to shut down the fusion torches propelling the asteroid, before she signs off.

[edit] Drop Zone and First Fusion Torch

You will land close to the first fusion torch, which is clearly visible over the rise. There is also an engineer's shack close behind you. If you investigate the shack first, you'll find a technician's kit with an omni-tool inside, and a dead engineer, Mendel. Investigating his body will give you the assignment X57: Missing Engineers; there is also a computer inside the shack giving the location of another engineer.

Continue toward the fusion torch to receive another message from the unknown woman. As you approach the torch, turrets will emerge from the ground: one high on the cliff to the right, three around the fusion torch, and one far to the left of the fusion torch. Unlike turrets encountered in other assignments, these only emerge from the ground when you get close to them, making their rockets much more difficult to dodge. You can also drive straight past them and enter the fusion torch station.

Inside, you'll encounter batarian troopers with a pack of varren. The varren will lunge at you and can be dangerous in melee, so use Neural Shock or a shotgun to drop them, or Throw to keep them back. Once you have cleared them out, proceed through the door on the second floor. You'll find the controls to shut down the fusion torch station. Once it's shut down, you'll be contacted again by the unknown woman, Kate Bowman. She says batarian extremists have attacked the asteroid, but has to stop talking before she's discovered.

As you leave the fusion torch station, you'll be shot (non-fatally) by a nervous Simon Atwell. He will then give you as much information as you ask for about the asteroid and Kate, and you can discuss the batarian attack with him. Simon explains the next torch station is surrounded by live blasting caps -- giving you the X57: Avoid the Blasting Caps assignment -- and that three of his engineers are missing, which will give you the Missing Engineers assignment if you don't already have it. Simon also says the batarian leader is named Balak, but he doesn't understand why the batarians are doing this.

[edit] Blasting Caps and Second Fusion Torch

Once you leave the first fusion torch, get into the Mako and head north between the two mountainous ridges. Before you do this though, you can head up onto a nearby mountain that has a point of interest. There is a transmission tower that is broken but can be fixed with a short mini game or omni-gel. It gives you the location of three survey stations, one you may have already been to when you landed. Going to each of these stations helps to complete X57: Missing Engineers.

If not, head north and you will soon see the second fusion torch, as well as a ring of lights surrounding the nearby area, marking out the danger zone. When you get near to this, you will hear a message saying that there are blasting caps, and caution is advised. The area is also surrounded by turrets. Once the turrets have been dispatched (one to the left behind the hill, two near the fusion torch building, and one a way off to the right), leave the Mako, and head out on foot.

This doesn't mean you can't still set off the blasting caps, however. A meter will appear in the bottom left of your HUD indicating how far away from the explosive devices. A noise will also indicate that you are getting close. Close to the fusion torch is a group of batarians, including two Rocket Troopers. It's possible to Throw them into the blasting caps, but this is tricky. Once they are dealt with, you can shut off the blasting caps from a console just outside the front door.

Inside, you will be confronted by about a dozen batarians with four rocket drones. You can head up onto the raised platform (which has cover) to give you an advantage in disposing of the various enemies. The drones are being overseen by a batarian engineer who can use Sabotage on you. The drones will leave the upper platform, make a circuit round the room and fire at you, before returning to the upper platform to recharge. AI Hacking will make them help you against the batarians. When the room is clear, proceed to the second floor, up the ramp on the far left-hand-side of the room and go through the door at the top to shut down the fusion torch.

You will then get another message over the radio from Kate Bowman, saying that the batarians know someone's shutting down the torches and, to make things worse, intend to blow up the main facility. Before she can finish, the batarian leader Balak pulls her away. He then uses Kate's brother Aaron as leverage by holding a gun to his head, then demands to know who's shutting down the fusion torches. She refuses to say, and Balak pulls the trigger. He then orders his second in command, Charn, to search for whoever is shutting them down.

[edit] Third Fusion Torch and Charn

After you leave the second fusion torch, walk back through the disabled blasting caps and get into the Mako. Drive north-west, over the mountain range until you see the last fusion torch. Destroy the turrets outside, or blitz past them and enter the fusion torch building. There will be about a dozen batarians inside, including shock troopers who use biotics. When you have killed them all, go through the door on the second floor and shut down the last fusion torch.

When you are done shutting down the fusion torch, head back downstairs to find that instead of a message on the radio after you turn the fusion torch off, you receive a visit from Charn. Unlike his boss, he feels that hijacking an asteroid and crashing it into a planet isn't the right way to send anyone a message. You can talk to him and choose whether or not you kill him or Charm or Intimidate him into giving up and leaving. Either way you end up with a pass to X57's main facility where Balak is located. If you kill Charn, you have to search his body to get the key, so do this before you leave.

[edit] Main Facility and Balak

The main facility of X57 is in the mountain north-east of the third fusion torch so climb into the Mako. When you arrive, destroy both the normal stationary turrets and the mobile turrets on the tracks above, or blitz past them and enter the facility. Head into the building and grab some grenades and medi-gel from the stations near the desk before you enter the main room. The enemies in the main room include batarian troopers, shock troopers, engineers and defense drones. You can use either the upstairs or the downstairs, the alcoves on the second level and the medical bay building, to take cover and to eliminate all your enemies.

When all enemies are defeated, Balak will show himself. He will tell you about the troubles his people have faced and blame them all on humanity's influence. If you are a War Hero, he has a particular grudge against you after the Skyllian Blitz. Answer as you wish, and he will also tell you that there are hostages locked away in a room with an explosive that he's prepared to detonate, unless you offer him safe passage out of the building and off the asteroid.

You are now faced with a choice: let Balak go, and risk him causing havoc in the future but save the hostages; or attack him knowing you will sacrifice the hostages. If you choose to kill him, you will have to fight through Balak, his batarian bodyguards, two varren and a couple of defense drones. When he's defeated Balak, he threatens that humanity will pay for what it has done to the batarians and you can choose whether or not you leave him for the Alliance military or you can kill him yourself.

Although, if you decide to let him go to save the hostages, you still have to fight. Balak left behind three charges, located around the room and you may have seen them while you were fighting when you entered the building. These charges will explode in three minutes if you do not disarm them yourself. To make it harder, there are defense drones around the room. The first bomb is located in the curved lower level, the second in the upper level of the medical bay and the third is hidden in an alcove on the second level, opposite to the medical bay.

After the battle, you will meet Simon Atwell again, who will either be saddened by Balak's escape if you saved the hostages, or Katie's death if you killed Balak. If you went to all the survey stations before you entered the main facility, you can also tell him of the dead scientists at each one. However, he will be grateful for your actions in saving the asteroid and Terra Nova, and offer you a reward. You can choose from either quarian armor, light, medium or heavy human armor or, if your Charm or Intimidate is high enough (4 is sufficient), his omni-tool. All that you can do now is leave, free the hostages if you saved them and have a talk with Kate Bowman, or go back to investigate the survey stations if you haven't already done so.

[edit] Pinnacle Station

Pinnacle Station was the second downloadable content package released for Mass Effect. It takes place in the Phoenix system in the Argos Rho cluster. Once downloaded, it will appear on the Galaxy navigation map of any save game where you have access to the Normandy. However, you must have achieved Spectre status to access Pinnacle Station.

Pinnacle Station is a concealed asteroid-based space station, originally constructed as a command center by the turians to be used during the Krogan Rebellions. It is now a military training center for high-special operations teams employed by the Council. It includes a combat simulator that gives you training in a variety of different atmospheres but only if you are invited.

[edit] Arrival

Once you've boarded the station, walk down the corridor and have a short talk with a turian named Guard Captain Vidinos. After this, enter the command room. In here, you can speak to Admiral Ahern about the station. Head over to the control chair where you will find a salarian named Tech Officer Ochren sitting. He will tell you that there are four training modes with two landscapes each: Hunt, Survival, Capture, and Time Trial. Once you beat the eight introduction scenarios, one additional landscape will open in each category for a total number of twelve possible scenarios.

[edit] The Simulator

You can't die in the simulator. This is handy, as if you change your upgrades or ammo, the change won't be lost if you 'die'. Also, enemies react differently. Organic vs Inorganic distinctions are recognized, and the targets will respond appropriately to your ammo choice. Most can be instantly killed with an aggressive biotic attack if the force is strong enough (high enough skill + good biotic amp). You will need to do this to complete the missions. The time is tight enough that you will NOT be able to shoot your way through it. Use biotic attacks to accelerate kills as much as possible. After you have won one of the simulations, you will get the New Sheriff in Town achievement and when you exit the simulator, you will find Vidinos arguing with a human named Lieutenant Bryant about his records having been broken. Vidinos is threatening to put Bryant in prison for cheating. You can offer to help by proving Bryant did not cheat by beating the records yourself. You must beat all eight of Vidinos' records to help Bryant.

[edit] Hunt

You start with a small amount of time on the clock. When the clock runs out, game over. Kill as many enemies as you can before it does. Each kill will add some bonus time to the clock, so kill as fast as you can. In the Volcanic landscape (difficult) , do not allow the enemies to lure you up the ramp onto the catwalk. Stay down near the bunkers and kill them at long range with biotic attacks.

[edit] Survival

The object of Survival is to stay alive as long as possible. You will be grossly outnumbered and you will die, it is simply a matter of how long you can survive. Try to time biotic attacks so that they impact multiple enemies. Although you may be tempted to find good cover and hold your ground, the simulator generates enemies based on your position. You will last longer by finding some cover, holding it for a while, and then sprinting to another location so that all the enemies do not have the opportunity to descend on you at once.

[edit] Capture

Capture the four flag points and hold each for the designated time, in the shortest time possible. Keep your eye on the clock and get moving as soon as the flag point is captured.

[edit] Time Trial

Kill a number of enemies as fast as you can. This makes the most use of the instant kill biotic attack, especially at long range.

[edit] Ahern's Challenge

Once you have beaten all twelve scenarios, Ahern will also speak with you about your performance. (If you won all the challenges, you will receive the Best of the Best achievement). He will tell you that there is one more experimental scenario that he has been working on. If you challenge it, he will tell you that 'the real thing is a lot tougher'. You can tell him to turn the safety off, and make the damage real. You will have the opportunity to make a wager; your life for his retirement property.

The scenario opens with you and about six turians. Kill them, and the scene will remain empty until you make your way to the vehicle at the center of the room and retrieve the data file. Immediately sprint to cover. Success has been achieved by sprinting back to the door to the small room where you began on the west side. The door will be closed, but adequate cover is provided by railings, boxes and the fact that the platform is raised. This scenario is difficult but should be completed relatively easily in your first attempt if your are properly prepared.

Once you have completed the scenario, you will get the Undisputed achievement. Also, speak to Admiral Ahern. Don't let him leave without reminding him of your wager.

[edit] Shepard's Apartment

Leaving the station, you can speak to the human who will thank you for your help. A new planet, Intai'sei, will be available in the Argos Rho cluster, not far from the station. Once docked there you can explore your new home. Accessing the computer will show an email from a contact in a nearby fleet who offers to send you equipment in exchange for credits. You can order equipment from three different ships, each costing more credits. The gear that shows up is random, as it is in the crates and lockers in the game. Gear obtained from the most expensive ship is of the highest quality such as the Savant X biotic amp.