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Mass Effect 2

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 cover
Developers
BioWare
Publishers
Electronic Arts
Engines
Unreal Engine 3
Release dates
Windows January 26, 2010
Reception
Metacritic 94
IGDB 96
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, DLC, Subscription gaming service
Microtransactions Unlock, Currency[1]
Modes Singleplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Third-person
Controls Direct control
Genres ARPG, Shooter
Art styles Realistic
Themes LGBTQ, Sci-fi, Space
Series Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2 on HowLongToBeat
Mass Effect 2 on IGDB
Mass Effect 2 guide on StrategyWiki
Mass Effect 2 on MobyGames
Mass Effect 2 on Wikipedia
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2008
Mass Effect 2 2010
Mass Effect 3 2012
Mass Effect: Andromeda 2017
Mass Effect Legendary Edition 2021

Mass Effect 2 is a singleplayer third-person ARPG and shooter game in the Mass Effect series.

General information

Steam Community Discussions
Steam Community Discussions (retired)

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
CD key
[2]
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store
Origin
Digital Deluxe Edition. Included exclusively with Xbox Game Pass for PC as part of its version of EA Play.
Windows
Origin
Origin
Deluxe Edition also available, included with EA Play.
Windows
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Origin
Includes all DLC.
Included with EA Play (Steam).
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg (unavailable)
Origin
Also available in the Mass Effect Trilogy.
Windows
Games for Windows Marketplace (unavailable)
Icon overlay.png
[3]
Windows
Green Man Gaming (unavailable)
Origin
Windows
Humble Store (unavailable)
Origin
Also available in the Mass Effect Trilogy.
Windows
Steam (unavailable)
Icon overlay.png
Deluxe Edition also available.
Icon overlay.png
Windows
A demo is available from Steam.
Every version that deploys through/with Origin will overwrite other installations[Note 1] of the game.[4]

Monetization

All of the DLC is now available in a bundle on Origin.
Purchase just binds the DLC licenses to the EA account, which must have logged in in-game at least once to authorize their loading.
The Origin and the new Steam versions will automatically download the DLC files, while the original Steam release and retail can use separate installers. Direct links are provided in the table below for convenience. The documentary, soundtrack, and artbook can be downloaded for free from this EA page.
All DLC is free as of July 13, 2022.[5] DLC-Bundle is free as of August 15, 2022.
Type Notes
DLC The DLC includes story missions and items.
One-time game purchase The game requires an upfront purchase to access.
Subscription gaming service Available via EA Play.

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Aegis Pack
Windows
Alternate Appearance Pack 1
Windows
Alternate Appearance Pack 2
Windows
Arrival
Windows
Blood Dragon Armor Requires Dragon Age: Origins Deluxe or Ultimate Edition to be registered on same account
Windows
Cerberus Arc Projector Requires Cerberus Network
Windows
Cerberus Network
Windows
Cerberus Weapon and Armor Requires Cerberus Network
Windows
Collectors' Weapon and Armor Included in the retail Collectors' Edition, and the Digital Deluxe Edition
Windows
Equalizer Pack
Windows
Firepower Pack
Windows
Firewalker Pack Requires Cerberus Network
Windows
Genesis
Windows
Incisor Rifle Included in Digital Deluxe, and the Aegis Pack
Windows
Inferno Armor Included in some pre-orders, and the Equalizer Pack
Windows
Kasumi - Stolen Memory
Windows
Lair of the Shadow Broker
Windows
Normandy Crash Site Requires Cerberus Network
Windows
Recon Hood Dr Pepper bonus promotional item, now free on Origin
Windows
Overlord
Windows
Sentry Interface Dr Pepper bonus promotional item, now free on Origin
Windows
Terminus Weapon and Armor Included in Gamestop or Play.com pre-orders, now free on Origin.
Windows
Umbra Visor Dr Pepper bonus promotional item, now free on Origin
Windows
Zaeed - The Price of Revenge Requires Cerberus Network
Windows

Essential improvements

Adjust all video settings

The in-game graphics options are missing half of the actual settings, which are thus erratically left to the first run auto-detection to decide.[Note 2]
The Steam and retail versions can also comfortably access the tool from the ME2 launcher.
Change settings in the Configuration Utility
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\Binaries\.
  2. Run MassEffect2Config.exe.
  3. Set the desired video settings.
  4. Save changes and close.

Skip intro videos

Use Quick Startup mod to also skip the title screen
Delete or rename files
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\BioGame\Movies\.
  2. Delete or rename BWLogo.bik and ME_EAsig_720p_v2_raw.bik.
Install Disable Startup Videos

Shorter loading screens

The game waits for the loading screen animation to play completely at least once before leading to the gameplay
Some loading screens might be part of the player experience (e.g. making sense of one's position on the Citadel, or special mission-specific transitions)
Replace .bik clips with shorter ones[7]
Modify the .bik clips to run at 2x/4x speed (30/60fps)[8]

Patches

Patch 1.03 is a cumulative update. The Origin/Steam versions are already patched.

Project Variety

A major bug fix and overhaul mod. Works best with Early Recruitment.

Game data

In-game general settings.
In-game general settings.
DLC files are saved in <path-to-game>\BioGame\DLC; an explanation of the folder names and which DLC they represent can be found here.
Game can lose saves when the %USERPROFILE%\Documents path has been customized[9][10]

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\BIOGame\Config\
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Profile\Player1.prf[Note 3]
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2362420/pfx/[Note 4]
Many other settings can be adjusted inside Coalesced.ini.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Save\
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Profile\Player1.prf[Note 3]
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2362420/pfx/[Note 4]
For the folders used for importing saves see Mass Effect.

Import Mass Effect saves

Importing saves can be done through MassEffect2Config.exe
The save importer may not work. In this case, move the Mass Effect saves into an ME1 folder inside the ME2 saves folder.[12]

Importing Xbox 360 Mass Effect 2 saves

Use Modio[13][14]
  1. Configure a USB device as a memory device on the 360
  2. Download Modio.[citation needed]
  3. Move the save file to the USB using the Xbox 360.
  4. Move the USB to the PC.
  5. Open the save with Modio.
  6. Upload the save here and download the processed file.
  7. Move the downloaded save to the appropriate folder.

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Origin
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Xbox Cloud

Video

External video settings, see above to access.
External video settings, see above to access.
In-game video settings.
In-game video settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
Vert- See Widescreen resolution.
Multi-monitor
See Widescreen resolution.
Ultra-widescreen
Use Flawless Widescreen and Mass Effect 2 Ultrawide.
4K Ultra HD
Vert- See Widescreen resolution.
Field of view (FOV)
Default is 75°. Use Flawless Widescreen or see Field of view (FOV).
Windowed
Since Windows Vista, if the game window looses focus during the loading screens (and sometimes[citation needed] even if it doesn't) application hang detection[15] will activate. Except on Windows 7, this can in turn cause the whole viewport/animation to stop.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Can be set to x16 in MassEffect2Config.exe.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
Enabled by default; see Vertical sync (Vsync).
60 FPS
Cutscenes are capped at 30FPS.
120+ FPS
See High frame rate.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Widescreen resolution

Use Flawless Widescreen
Allows changing FOV
Doesn't work with Origin version properly[16]
Use ThirteenAG's Mass Effect Trilogy FOV Fix
  1. Download the archive from here.
  2. Download and extract the archive to the game directory, where the exe is located (Binaries or Binaries\Win32)

Notes

Automatically corrects in-game FOV (Hor+)
Works with Origin version.
Works with Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 3
16:9 only[citation needed]

Field of view (FOV)

This method involves Coalesced.ini file.
Modify field of view[17][citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Backup then open Coalesced.ini.
  3. Add the following line under the [SFXGame.SFXGameModeDefault] section:
    Bindings=( Name="Period", Command="set SFXGame.SFXCameraMode FOV 100" )
  4. Edit the key name and FOV value to desired values.
  5. Save changes.

Notes

Can be used in conjunction with Flawless Widescreen providing that "FOV Limiting" is disabled.

Vertical sync (Vsync)

Disable Vsync[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open GamerSettings.ini.
  3. Add UseVsync=False line under the [SystemSettings] section
  4. Save changes

High frame rate

Arrange frame rate smoothing[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open GamerSettings.ini.
  3. Add one of the following lines under the [SystemSettings] section:
    SmoothFrameRate=False to completely disable the FPS cap
    MaxSmoothedFrameRate=XX to raise the FPS cap (where XX is the threshold)
  4. Save changes

Notes

You also need to disable Vsync for this to work (see Vertical sync (Vsync)).

Input

In-game general control settings.
In-game general control settings.
In-game key map settings.
In-game key map settings.

Mouse acceleration

Disable Mouse acceleration[18][19]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open GamerSettings.ini.
  3. Add the following lines:
    [Engine.PlayerInput]
    bEnableMouseSmoothing=false
    MouseSensitivity=0.15
    [SFXGame.BioPlayerInput]
    bUseMouseDampening=false
    [SFXGame.BioSFHandler_PCConversation]
    AccumulationDivisor=600.0f
  4. Save changes
This may not work with the Origin or Steam versions. If this is the case, make these changes in Coalesced.ini (see Editing Coalesced.ini).

Mouse sensitivity

Fix uneven and/or excessive mouse sensitivity
  1. Disable the Origin in-game overlay. The overlay (on Origin versions at least) is the cause of uneven mouse input and not mouse acceleration. Disabling fixes this.

If the mouse sensitivity is still too high, modify the variable in Coalesced.ini

  1. Locate the Coalesced.ini file inside <path-to-game>\BioGame\Config\PC\Cooked
  2. Make a backup copy of the file
  3. Open the file with a text editor that can handle UNIX-format files (Notepad++ is recommended)
  4. Search for and locate MouseSensitivity
  5. Change the value from 1.0 to 0.2 or another desired value.
  6. Save the file.

Notes

Do not modify anything else in the Coalesced.ini otherwise ME2 will fail to start.[citation needed] If that happens, simply restore the backup copy and start again.

Controller support

This mod brings full XInput controller support to the game with haptic feedback support. This mod is currently complete (see official thread).
Instructions[20]

Use the ME2Controller mod.

For DualShock prompts use PlayStation Icons

Simultaneous mouse and joystick support

Enable joystick move to be used with mouse[21]
  • Go to file location <path-to-game>\BioGame\Config\PC\Cooked
  • Open the Coalesced.ini file with a text editor.
  • Under [WinDrv.WindowsClient], change the value for AllowJoystickInput from 0 to 1.
  • Under [SFXGame.SFXGameModeBase], add the following lines:
Bindings=(Name="XboxTypeS_LeftX",Command="Axis aStrafe Speed=1.0 DeadZone=0.3")
Bindings=(Name="XboxTypeS_LeftY",Command="Axis aBaseY Speed=1.0 DeadZone=0.3")
Bindings=(Name="XboxTypeS_RightX",Command="Axis aTurn Speed=0.2 DeadZone=0.3")
Bindings=(Name="XboxTypeS_RightY",Command="Axis aLookup Speed=0.2 DeadZone=0.3")
  • Download the ME2 Coalesced Fixer.
  • Drag it to the Coalesced.ini location and run the executable so that the game runs after the edits.

Audio

In-game audio settings.
In-game audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Music, sound effects and dialogue
Surround sound
5.0[22] (better HRTF can be achieved with DSOAL library[23])
Subtitles
Closed captions
Found under Gameplay settings in-game.
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language codes to be used in manual selection are highlighted in the notes.
The later DLCs[Note 5] are not available for Eastern European locales,[24] see here for an install workaround.
Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
INT. A British English mod exists.
Czech
CZE. Fan translation for DLCs, download.
French
FRA
German
DEU
Hungarian
HUN. Fan Patch for DLCs, available here.
Italian
ITA
Polish
POL. DLC translations can be found here, here and here. DLCs Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival didn't get a dub due to technical difficulties.[25]
Brazilian Portuguese
Translation.
Russian
RUS. Available here. A slightly improved translation is available.
Spanish
ESN
Turkish
A Turkish fan translation is available here.

Changing language

Steam version can simply adjust this setting from the game proprieties
Instructions
  1. Make sure the alternative language is installed
  2. Go to <path-to-game>\Mass Effect 2\data.
  3. Open sku.ini with a text editor
  4. Set TextLanguage to one of the language codes above

Notes

VOLanguage only seems to work with the Polish retail build[26][27]
This is also going to be the dubbing language for the next fix

Independent text and voiceover

Unlike the previous game, subtitles are stored in the same file of the UI and other strings (so they can't be separated from normal text)
Replace the global text files[28][citation needed]
Only the English localization is going to stick around when another one is installed (if even). With others, backups of the pertinent files from the YYY version will be needed
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\BioGame\CookedPC.
  2. Copy BIOGame_YYY.tlk and BioGame_Update_YYY.tlk
  3. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  4. Create the BIOGame\Published\CookedPC directory
  5. Paste the aforementioned files, and rename their suffix from YYY to XXX.

Notes

XXX is the language code for dubbing
YYY is the language code for everything else

VR support

3D modes State GG3D Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision
For better support see Helix Mod: Mass Effect 2
TriDef 3D
iZ3D
vorpX
G3D
Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list.
Devices
3RD Space Gaming Vest
Novint Falcon

Issues unresolved

EA Online password form doesn't accept special characters

Includes ", *, /, :, <, >, ?, \ and |
Change your EA Online Account password to only alphanumeric characters[29]
Length limits for both the e-mail address (100) and the password (16) also exist.[30]

Cerberus Network autologin failure

Certain server-side changes at some point during the years presumably broke autologin

Crash on Prometheus Station Exterior (Overlord DLC)

Avoid selecting certain squadmates (Legion in particular) for the mission[31]

Issues fixed

Installation interrupted

Install the game from a shared drive from another computer[citation needed]
  1. Insert Disc 1 and share it through Windows.
  2. When the installer asks for the second drive, stop sharing the first disc, replace it with the second and start sharing it.
Fix the corrupted folder path in Windows registry[32]
  1. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\BioWare\Mass Effect 2.
  2. Find the Path variable and edit it.
  3. Add a backslash (\) to the end of the path string and hit OK.
  4. The game should now launch from Origin.

Physx Error on Startup

Install Nvidia Physx System Software

"The application has failed to start because ... configuration is incorrect" error

The redist that the Origin edition comes with is actually older than the version required
Install the Visual C++ 2005 SP1 redistributable

"Unable to authorize the listed DLC" error

Get around the DLC integrity checks
  1. Download Binkw32 proxy DLL.
  2. Extract me2_binkw32.zip to <path-to-game>\Binaries.

Notes

Optionally, disable automatic login through in-game settings, to avoid error "Communication with the Mass Effect 2 server was interrupted or has timed out".
If after installing the new binkw32.dll, the game fails to start, giving an error like "binkw32.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error", try the GCC compiled version instead: https://github.com/Erik-JS/masseffect-binkw32/files/705674/binkw32-me2_gcc_alt.zip

Crash at the end of Kasumi's loyalty mission

Use Kasumi Crash Fix[33]
  1. Navigate to <path-to-game>\Binaries>
  2. Download ME2's binkw32 proxy DLL and extract it there
  3. Create a new folder named asi (i.e. <path-to-game>\Binaries\asi)
  4. Download the fix and extract it there
Launch the game with the -nomoviestartup parameter[34]
Game has to be restarted without this argument once past this section, to avoid missing out videos later
Apply Kasumi DLC Crash Fix with ME3Tweaks Mod Manager's ASI Mod Manager in the Mod Management Tab

Dark lighting in cutscenes

Make sure the number of cinematic lights is set to the highest setting[35]
Set the proper brightness in-game, once having checked display calibration is right[36][37]
Adjust filmic response shader[38]
  1. Open <path-to-game>\Engine\Shaders\UberPostProcessBlendPixelShader.usf with a text editor.
  2. Find float3 x = max(0,InLinearColour-0.004); on line 45
  3. Replace with float3 x = max(0,InLinearColour);
Alternatively, rather than deleted, the darkening factor could be tweaked to other ⩽0.001 values[39][40]

Clipping into walls/objects

This method involves Coalesced.ini file.
Add the option to noclip out of the object[citation needed]
  1. Under [SFXGame.SFXGameModeDefault] add:
Bindings=( Name="Add", Command="Ghost | OnRelease Walk")

Notes

Holding the Numpad + key in-game will enable noclip until the key is released.
Alternatively, if the console is enabled, hit Tab , type ghost and hit Enter. Then, when noclip is no longer needed, do the same and type walk.

Game freeze on Illium

The freeze happens while walking through the ground-level corridor that connects to the other side of the map under Liara's office, which may cause a black screen and CTD.
In most cases the problem is caused by incompatibility with the video or audio drivers of the user's computer.[citation needed]
Null ill-fated embedded video[41]
  1. Download Legendary Explorer.
  2. Run it and select the Package Editor tool.
  3. Open <path-to-game>\BioGame\DLC\DLC_EXP_Part01\CookedPC\BioD_TwrHub_504LiaraDLC_LOC_int.pcc (or the matching DEU, FRA, ITA versions of the file if using one of these localizations).
  4. Browse the tree view to the Video_Feron1 object, inside the BioApl_Dec_DataPadLiara package.
  5. On the right side, move to the Binary Interpreter tab (and press the big Parse binary button at the center if needed).
  6. Find the BIKi string in the hex view (widen the central panel if ASCII characters can't be seen).
  7. After identifying the hex values that correspond to it, overwrite the four bytes (eight digits) afterwards with zeros.
  8. Click Save Hex Changes and then Save the package.

Crash during vehicle chase on Illium

In most cases the problem is caused by incompatibility with the video or audio drivers of the user's computer.
The crash happens at the end of the taxi chase with Liara on Illium during the cutscene, where the game freezes completely showing either a frozen image or a black screen while the music continues.
Use config tool to change from fullscreen mode to windowed borderless
Run in Windows 7 compatibility mode
Launch the game with the -nomoviestartup parameter
Uninstall and re-install all game files and DLCs (or use Origin's Repair feature)
Issue may still persist after all of these have been done.

Crash when entering the galaxy map

Re-enable audio[42]
  1. Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\BIOGame\Config\GamerSettings.ini
  2. Delete the DisableAudio line.
  3. Save the file.

No sound even though it's On in the Configuration Utility

Make sure to disable any kind of OEM audio tool or enhancement[43][44]
Run the game in windowed or borderless window mode[45][citation needed]

Conrad Verner claims player has pointed gun at him

To prevent this bug use ME1 Recalibrated in Mass Effect and Project Variety here
Fix save file variable[46][47]
  1. Download ME2 Gibbed modified Save Editor (or Trilogy Save Editor).
  2. Run it and open your actual savegame.
  3. Go to Plot tab and then to ME1 Imported plot table.
  4. Go to Flags sub-tab and untick [Conrad] (3) Intimidated Conrad (Renegade).
  5. Save changes

Notes

This only works if the player has not spoken with the asari bar owner in Illium yet.

Importing ME1 character still launches the interactive story

This happens if the Genesis DLC is installed (it can be un-checked during download on Origin)
Can invalidate the ME1 character's decisions in place of new ones
Remove the DLC[48]
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\BioGame\DLC.
  2. Remove the DLC_DHME1 folder.

Heavy geometry flicker and other artifacts

Disable any kind of forced AA
Use post-processing methods or downsampling alternatively

When moving the camera with the mouse the game starts stuttering/having performance problems

This is likely an issue with the mouse polling rate on systems with Windows 10 installed
Lower mouse polling rate to 500Hz or lower[citation needed]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtY_3sAJJnE

General stuttering or frame drops

Disable the Origin in-game overlay[49]
Disable ASUS Gamer OSD[50]

Selection circles on characters and interactable objects do not appear

Lens flare can be disabled actually for good with a mod[51]
Make sure "LensFlares" is set to "true"[52]
  1. Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\BIOGame\Config\GamerSettings.ini
  2. Add or change the line LensFlares= and set it to true.
  3. Save the file and exit.

Textures become black as you approach them

You most likely had A Lot of Textures (ALOT) applied to the game in the past. Apply it again or use one of the fixes below.
Launch the game through ME3Tweaks Mod Manager
Set the Texture LODs to Vanilla with LOD Switcher in ALOTInstaller's Settings
Delete Configuration Files
  1. Go to %USERPROFILE%\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\BIOGame
  2. Delete the Config folder.
  3. Launch the game.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9.0c
Shader Model support 3
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Physics PhysX Comes bundled with 2.8.0.7, but the system version is always forced.
Audio Wwise Despite this, the game still ships with (inert) OpenAL dlls.
Interface Scaleform
Cutscenes Bink Video 1.9e


Unable to save any more games

Patch game files[53]
  1. Download Mass Effect 2 PCC Patcher (mirror)
  2. Extract the program to <path-to-game>\Binaries and run it.
  3. Provide the path for the following packages and load them:
    Engine.pcc: <path-to-game>\BioGame\CookedPC\Engine.pcc
    SFXGame.pcc: <path-to-game>\BioGame\CookedPC\SFXGame.pcc
  4. Go to Gameplay tab and tick Increase max saves count
  5. Save packages

Editing Coalesced.ini

Some of the fixes for this game require the modification of this file, but editing it in the normal way will cause the game to crash.
Editing Coalesced.ini[citation needed]
  1. Locate the Coalesced.ini inside <path-to-game>\BioGame\Config\PC\Cooked.
  2. Open it with a text editor that can handle UNIX-format files (Notepad++ is recommended)
  3. Make the changes and save
  4. Download ME2IniFixer (mirror) and extract it to <path-to-game>\BioGame\Config\PC\Cooked.
  5. Run it from there.

Notes

Do not use the default Windows Notepad (at least until Windows 10 1809). They will permanently corrupt the ini file.

Split the all-purpose Use key functions

Install Intuitive Controls or Separate Keybindings

Increase shadow resolution

Increase shadow resolution[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open GamerSettings.ini.
  3. Add under [SystemSettings]:
    MinShadowResolution=256
    MaxShadowResolution=4096
  4. Save changes

Disable Post-Processing Effects

Some of the post-processing effects can be disabled in the game's GamerSettings.ini file. These effects include light bloom, and motion blur.
Disabling Depth of Field/Light Bloom/Motion Blur[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open GamerSettings.ini.
  3. Under [SystemSettings] add one or more of the following lines:
    DepthOfField=False
    Bloom=False
    MotionBlur=False
  4. Save changes
A longer list of options that can be added and altered under [SystemSettings] can be found here.

Mods

Same-Gender Romances for ME2 allows Tali and Thane to be romanced by both male and female Shepard, utilizing unused dialogue in the game files. It also fixes issues with imported same-gender Ashley and Kaidan romances and allows and restores other same-gender content whenever possible.
HUD Icon Fixes - ME2 DLC Weapons fixes a vanilla bug that incorrectly positions HUD weapon icons from Mass Effect 2 DLC.
A Lot of Textures is a re-texture community project that brings extra details for the game, replacing around 1200 textures with high-resolution variants.
A Lot Of Videos is a video upscaling community project that brings extra quality to the games pre-rendered cutscenes, replacing every video file with high-resolution variant.
MEUITM2 updates textures & alternate character appearances, + more visual goodies for ME2. Works and is best used with ALOT. Must be installed ONLY after installing ALOT.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) XP
Processor (CPU) Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz
System memory (RAM) 1 GB (XP)
2 GB (Vista, 7)
Hard disk drive (HDD) 15 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon X1600 Pro
Nvidia GeForce 6800
256 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9.0c compatible
Shader model 3 support
AMD video cards below minimum system requirements: ATI Radeon HD 3200, and HD 4350.
Nvidia video cards below minimum system requirements: Nvidia GeForce 7300, 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, and 9300.

Notes

  1. The Touchup.dat Origin instructions file that is run at install and verification times, will check for previous installations through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Bioware\ME2
  2. Even in the best case scenario, that still leaves the game sneakily short of the highest quality setting for anisotropic filtering. In the worst (depending on the GPU vendor or reported amount of dedicated memory) this spells demotion to the lowest AppCompat[6] bucket, which lacks spherical harmonics and most of the fundamental character cinematic lights.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Stores achievements, bonus unlocks and cross-campaign stats, as well as gameplay, sound and online account settings.[11]
  4. 4.0 4.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/2362420/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (2362420) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.
  5. Genesis, Lair of the Shadow Broker, Alternate Appearance Pack 2 and Arrival

References

  1. BioWare Points - last accessed on 27 April 2022
  2. Mass Effect 2 DRM and PC requirements Announced - Mass Effect Community (retrieved)
  3. Welcome to Games for Windows Marketplace - last accessed on 19 August 2022
  4. Origin is malware. But we all knew that, didn't we? - Multiplayer - The BioWare Forum - last accessed on 2016-8-17
  5. PC Gamer - EA kills off BioWare Points, making old Mass Effect and Dragon Age DLC free - last accessed on 2022-07-14
  6. UDN - Three - AppCompat
  7. ME2 PC Shorter Loading Screens Mod : masseffect - Reddit - last accessed on May 2023
  8. 4x Faster Loading Screens at 60fps - last accessed on 2018-04-25
  9. load menu shows no saves nor careers (WORKAROUND in 4th post) - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  10. Possible fix for moved Documents/Users folders, and profile/saving weirdness - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  11. Verified by User:Mirh on 2023-02-18
    See the entire SFXProfileSettings class in SFXGame.pcc.
  12. How To Import ME1 Saves For ME2 - tehPARADOX (retrieved) - last accessed on May 2023
  13. How to mod ME2 for the Xbox 360 - The BioWare Forum - last accessed on 2016-8-17
  14. ME2 Save converter, ME1 decisions editor (without using NG+) - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  15. See Preventing Hangs in Windows Applications, but note this also happens when DWM is disabled.
  16. Verified by User:Blackbird on 2018-09-20
    Conversation FOV is affected which is undesired behavior https://i.imgur.com/CDju26j.png
  17. How to actually fix FOV in Mass Effect · Eugene Homyakov - last accessed on 2016-8-17
  18. ME2: How do i fix mouse acceleration? [Temp Fix!] - The BioWare Forum
  19. Fix / Tweak Guide to PC Issues (updated 1-27-10 - last accessed on 2016-8-17
  20. ME2 Controller Support (Power Wheel) • me3explorer.freeforums.org - last accessed on 9 June 2023
  21. https://masseffect.fandom.com/wiki/PC_Tweaks_(Mass_Effect_2)
  22. PC Gaming Surround Sound Round-up - last accessed on May 2023
  23. Mass Effect 2 compatible with DSOAL (OpenAL Soft HRTF audio) despite using Wwise API - YouTube - last accessed on May 2023
  24. New DLC Announced: Lair of the Shadowbroker - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  25. dubbingpedia - last accessed on 2023-04-11
  26. Dubbing i wersje językowe • BioWorld (retrieved)
  27. ME2 on Steam: set subtitles to a different language than audio : masseffect - Reddit - last accessed on May 2023
  28. Mass Effect 2 [Temat ogólny] - polish:Elite:board (retrieved)
  29. Verified by User:Mirh on 2022-07-26
    Function StripBadPWCharacters in class SFXOnlineSubsystem of SFXOnlineFoundation.pcc ditches any special character.
  30. Verified by User:Mirh on 2022-07-28
    Default values for the maximum length variables of the corresponding functions in class SFXSFHandler_EANetworking of SFXGame.pcc.
  31. Overlord Crash at Prometheus Station - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  32. Mass Effect 2 won't start - EA Answers HQ - last accessed on May 2023
  33. Mass Effect 2 Kasumi Crash Fix - Federico Dossena - last accessed on May 2023
  34. Kasumi Loyalty End of Mission Crash - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  35. Poor lighting in mass effect 2 - Fextralife - last accessed on May 2023
  36. Brightness settings in mass effect 2 - The BioWare Forum - last accessed on May 2023
  37. Brightness Setting - GameFAQs - last accessed on May 2023
  38. Shadows way too dark/black, intended?(screenshot) **SOLVED** - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  39. To BioWare graphics designers - a few suggestions (bloom/shadows) - Fextralife - last accessed on May 2023
  40. Mass Effect 2 - Maybe... La Confrérie des Rôlistes Grincheux !
  41. Not an issue, just a suggestion for the next step · Issue #1 · CookiePLMonster/SilentPatchME - GitHub - last accessed on 9 June 2023
  42. Galaxy Map For Mass Effect 2 crash after loading *Solved!* - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  43. Solved: No Sound in Origin Games - Answer HQ - last accessed on May 2023
  44. Mass Effect 2 No sound and cutscenes playing at double speed : masseffect - Reddit - last accessed on May 2023
  45. Solved: Re: Mass effect 2 and 3 no sound - Answer HQ - last accessed on May 2023
  46. Conrad Verner - Mass Effect Wiki - last accessed on May 2023
  47. *FIX INCLUDED* Conrad Verner Paragon style - Kirrahe mail? - The BioWare Forum - last accessed on 2016-8-17
  48. How to disable Genesis? :: Mass Effect 2 General Discussions - last accessed on 2016-8-15
  49. Mass effect 2 lag on a high end pc? : masseffect - Reddit - last accessed on May 2023
  50. Mass Effect 2 Stuttering during gameplay... please advise! - The BioWare Forum (retrieved)
  51. The Right Way to Hide Lens Flares in ME2 : masseffect - Reddit - last accessed on May 2023
  52. Solved: Re: Mass Effect 3: Bug - Can't Interact with any object in the environment, (i.e - Answer HQ - last accessed on May 2023
  53. ME2 (PC) 50 Save limit & Shared power cooldown NUKED!!!!!!! - The BioWare Forum - last accessed on 2016-8-17