Powers in Mass Effect 2 are a set of abilities that can be improved as you progress in the game. These Powers can be used to attack enemies or to defend you and your squad. As you gain experience, you acquire Squad Points that you can spend to improve aspects of your character. The Powers available to you and your squad are determined by the Class selected in Character Creation.
At the beginning of the game, you can choose between six different Classes: Soldier, Engineer, Adept, Infiltrator, Sentinel and Vanguard. All Classes feature the Unity Power which allows you to use medi-gels for healing purposes. Furthermore, each Class features a Unique Power that is not available for the rest of the Classes.
Except for Unity Power, all other powers can be leveled up to 4 ranks for a total cost of 10 squad points. Regardless of the upgradeable power, each level rank requires the same points as the rank:
- Power Rank 1: Requires 1 Squad Point
- Power Rank 2: Requires 2 Squad Points
- Power Rank 3: Requires 3 Squad Points
- Power Rank 4: Requires 4 Squad Points
Once a Power is upgraded to Rank 4, players need to choose between two final evolutions of that Power. Once you have chosen an evolution, you can not change it back.
Level Cap
Commander Shepard can level up to level 60. To level up you need to amass a determined amount of Experience Points, and once you do level up, you earn Talent Points.
Talent Points Leveling Progression:
Command Shepard (Total: 51 points)
- Levels 1-20: 2 points per level
- Levels 21-30: 1 point per level
- An extra point is acquired when a Bonus Power is unlocked.
Ammo Powers
Ammo Powers allow players to use different kind of ammunition. In Mass Effect 2 players do not gather elemental ammunition, but you can use Ammo Powers to load your Weapons with special Ammo that can change the type of damage dealt to Fire or Freeze.
Passive Class Powers
Each Class features unique Powers that other Classes cannot obtain. There are active and passive class powers. Active Powers can be used in combat to attack Enemies or to defend your team. On the other hand, passive powers cannot be used in combat, but they can positively affect the character's stats and can also affect your Paragon and Renegade points score. While a Class can feature more than one active class power, all Classes have only one passive class power.
Like all other Powers, Class Powers can be upgraded up to 4 ranks, and at the top tier, players must choose a final upgrade that will affect how characters' stats are changed.
Loyalty Powers
There are a total of 14 Loyalty Powers that can be acquired by successfully completing the Loyalty Missions. Once you have finished a Loyalty Mission youi will earn the Loyalty Power.
Furthermore, Loyalty Powers will be available as Bonus Powers in case you decide to replay Mass Effect 2. After creating a new character or using an imported one, you will see a new step in the Character Creation that will allow you to choose one of the Loyalty Powers you may have unlocked during your previous playthroughs.
Mass Effect 2 Powers
Assigning points to Powers lets you improve your combat, tech, and biotic capabilities. You and your squad can upgrade Powers in the same way
As you gain experience, your current level reflects your advancement. Whenever you gain enough experience to advance to a new level, you are granted Squad Points that you can spend to purchase higher ranks or additional Powers.
You and your squad can advance levels by accumulating XP, which you gain by overcoming Enemies, using certain skills, and completing Missions. There is a single pool of XP for your entire squad. All squad actions feed into it, and all squad members level up at the same time, including those back on the Normandy and not part of the active squad. Level-Up Benefits
Combat Powers
Ammo Powers
Tech Powers
Biotic Powers
Passive Class Powers
Loyalty Powers
All Mass Effect 2 Powers
Name |
Type |
Effect |
Available to |
---|---|---|---|
|
Combat Powers | Slows time and accelerates your reflexes, giving you time to line up the perfect shot |
Soldier |
|
Tech Powers | Turns synthetic enemies like Mechs and Geth against their own allies | Engineer Infiltrator |
|
Ammo Powers | Allows using Piercing Ammo and increases Weapon Damage. | Garrus Vakarian Commander Shepard |
|
Passive Powers | Increases Morinth Health and Weapon Damage, while reducing her Power Recharge Time | Morinth |
|
Passive Powers | Improves Samara's Health and Weapon Damage, while reducing her Power Recharge Time | Samara |
|
Passive Powers | Improves Liara T'Soni's Health, Weapon Damage while reducing her Power Recharge Time | Liara T'Soni |
|
Passive Powers | Increases your Health and Weapon Damage while improving your Power Recharge Time and Paragon and Renegade score | Vanguard |
|
Biotic Powers | Creates an energy field that protects the user from harm | Jacob Tyler Commander Shepard |
|
Passive Powers | Increases your Health and Weapon Damage while improves your Paragon and Renegade score | Adept |
|
Passive Powers | Improves the Health and Weapon Damage of Miranda Lawson and her squadmates | Miranda Lawson |
|
Passive Powers | Improves Jacob Taylor's Health and Weapon Damage | Jacob Taylor |
|
Biotic Powers | Using a damaging shockwave, ram into an enemy with incredible force | Vanguard |
|
Ammo Powers | Freezes enemies, allowing you to shatter them with gunfire or biotic | Infiltrator Soldier Vanguard |
|
Tech Powers | Snap-Freezes your targets | Engineer Sentinel |
|
Tech Powers | Command your very own battle robot | Engineer |
|
Passive Powers | Increases your Health and Weapon Damage while improves your Storm Speed and Paragon and Renegade scores. | Soldier |
|
Combat Powers | A massive blast that propels enemies with bone-crushing force | Soldier |
|
Passive Powers | Increases your health while improves your Power recharge time and Paragon and Renegade scores | Sentinel |
|
Ammo Powers | Rips through shields and shreds synthetic targets. Overload properties potentially overheat enemy weapons | Infiltrator Soldier |
|
Passive Powers | Improves Thane Krios's Health and Weapon Damage | Thane Krios |
|
Biotic Powers | Turns organic enemies into your allies | Morinth Commander Shepard |
|
Tech Powers | Harms shields and removes power from enemies barriers and transfer it to the user | Tali'Zorah vas Neema Commander Shepard |
|
Combat Powers | Can be used to throw a grenade and temporarily disorient and incapacitate enemies, while dealing low damage. | Kasumi Goto Commander Shepard |
|
Combat Powers | Boosts the user's Armor | Grunt Commander Shepard |
|
Passive Powers | Increases Legion's Health and Weapon Damage, while reducing its Power Recharge Time | Legion |
|
Tech Powers | Improves the user's Shields | Legion Commander Shepard |
|
Ammo Powers | Burns through armor, sets enemies on fire, and damages health. | Soldier Vanguard |
|
Combat Powers | Throws a grenade that explodes on impact and spread shards to all direction dealing fire damage. Effective against Armor protection. | Zaeed Massani Commander Shepard |
|
Tech Powers | Exploding flame damages the health and armor of anyone nearby | Engineer Infiltrator |
|
Passive Powers | Improves Grunt's Health, Weapon Damage, and Health Regeneration | Grunt |
|
Passive Powers | Increases Kasumi Goto's Health and Weapon Damage, while reducing her Power Recharge Time. | Kasumi Goto |
|
Passive Powers | Improves Zaeed Massani's Health and Weapon Damage | Zaeed Massani |
|
Tech Powers | Neutralizes organic enemies for a shortly period of time | Mordin Solus Commander Shepard |
|
Passive Powers | Increases your Health and Weapon Damage while improves your Power Recharge, Sniper Time Slowdown, and Paragon and Renegade Score. | Infiltrator |
|
Tech Powers | Massive energy blasts shields and synthetic enemies. | Engineer Sentinel |
|
Biotic Powers | Levitate enemies, rendering them helpless while they drift toward you | Adept Vanguard |
|
Passive Powers | Increases Tali'Zorah vas Neema's Health, Weapon Damage, and Power Duration | Tali'Zorah vas Neema |
|
Biotic Powers | damages enemies' nervous and synthetic system to prevent healing. Besides restores health and grants a Health Bonus if used against organic enemies. Reave deals double damage to armor and barriers | Samara Commander Shepard |
|
Passive Powers | Improves Mordin Solus' Health, Weapon Damage, and Shields. | Mordin Solus |
|
Ammo Powers | Inflicts heavy damage to organic enemies and those without Shields or Barriers. Shredder Ammo grants the highest Weapon Damage Bonus | Thane Krios Commander Shepard |
|
Biotic Powers | Biotic shockwaves topple enemies in your path | Adept Vanguard |
|
Biotic Powers | A dark energy sphere dangles your enemies helplessly, leaving them wide open to attack. | Adept |
|
Biotic Powers | Lifts enemies and slams them to the ground dealing damage. | Miranda Lawson Commander Shepard |
|
Biotic Powers | Immobilizes an enemy, but it becomes immune to any damage during the effect | Liara T'Soni Commander Shepard |
|
Passive Powers | Increases Jack's Health and Weapon Damage, while also reducing her Power Recharge Time. | Jack |
|
Tech Powers | Temporarily turns you invisible to enemies | Infiltrator |
|
Tech Powers | Energy charged armor boosts your shields and detonates a damaging energy wave when destroyed | Sentinel |
|
Passive Powers | Increases your Health and Weapon Damage while improves your Paragon and Renegade scores and Research Project Cost | Engineer |
|
Biotic Powers | Hurls enemies through the air using a powerful biotic field | Adept Sentinel |
|
Passive Powers | Improves Garrus Vakarian's Health, Weapon Damage, and Power Damage. | Garrus Vakarian |
|
Healing | Allows using Medi-Gels to heal and revive squadmembers. Recharge Time: 3.00 seconds |
All Classes |
|
Biotic Powers | Rips enemies apart at the molecular level and stops health regeneration. Effect against armor and biotic barriers | Adept Sentinel |
|
Ammo Powers | Greatly increases damage dealt to barriers, armor, and health when penetrating Biotic Barriers. When an enemy is affected by Biotic Powers, Warp Ammo deals double damage. | Jack Commander Shepard |