To access this mission you must have first completed the Attack on the Citadel mission. Hackett will send you a message entitled Citadel: Shore Leave . Unless you have Overload, you will definitely need Energy Drain for this mission as most of the enemies have shields.

Dominate makes a good alternative, if only to get you through the tricky first mission. Soldiers and Infiltrators are at a great disadvantage during this first section so should be looking to create opportunities to set up and detonate tech bursts with Disruptor ammo and Energy Drain etc.

Apartment¶

Go to the Citadel and select the Apartment when docking. You will arrive at Anderson’s apartment and be told that you can use it for recreation. Get acquainted with the place. There are various messages from Anderson’s biography scattered around the house that flesh out his backstory and his opinion on things.

To continue, go to the private terminal past the bar downstairs and read the message from Joker. He asks that you meet him at the sushi place so head for the exit. You will be treated to the sights and sounds of the Silversun Strip.

This place is filled with all sorts of fun activities like a casino, an arcade and even a combat simulator. However, you don’t get to explore the place just yet. Instead, it’s time to meet Joker for that dinner. Walk round the bar to the back left corner and speak to Joker.

Ambush¶

These lovely people are a mercenary group known as CAT-6. They are trying to kill you…well, who isn’t? You find yourself in the precarious position of being without any armour, proper weapons and very little cover.

You need to get to Brooks who is injured. This part can be a veritable nightmare on Insanity as an Infiltrator or Soldier as the Mercs see through cloak and you have very little in the way of powers to compensate.

The easiest thing to do is strap on Disruptor rounds, strip their shields and aim a shot at their craniums. The Suppressor does critical damage when used for headshots. The game tries to make you do it quietly but if playing on the higher difficulties, it is almost impossible to kill them fast enough so they don’t alert the others.

If you’re a biotic use Energy Drain and unleash your most powerful abilities on them, while moving from cover to cover. You can either kill them all or kill enough to get a clear run to Brooks. All you have to do is initiate the conversation so get to Brooks as soon as you can.

The reason this mission is hard becomes clear after the cutscene as you restart with only one bar of health. This makes it imperative that you keep your shield up at all times, especially if you’re a Soldier or Infiltrator.

You need to find a way out of here so go outside and jump the gap then drop to the ledge beneath you. Go down the ladder and jump the next gap. Climb down the next ladder where Shepard will notice some Skycars on the other side.

That is where you need to get to so climb down the next ladder and up the ledge into the building. Climb the ladder in front of you and turn the corner. Jump across the roofs towards another ladder at the far end. This is where it gets interesting.

Market Place Battle¶

This section has been designed with stealth in mind. There are three Mercs here, each patrolling a different route. Go down the ladder and take cover behind the stall. The aim is to pick off the Mercs before they can call for backup. Be quick because if they get close enough, they will alert the others.

You have a few options here. Firstly, you can pick them off one by one with a few well-placed shots to the head. Secondly, you can use shield-stripping powers and tech bursts to kill them but this alerts the others to your presence. Finally, if you’re an Infiltrator you can cloak and zigzag your way through them all until you arrive at a door at the far end.

If playing on lower difficulties, the easiest method is to pick them off one by one. However if playing on Insanity, it is almost guaranteed you cannot kill them fast enough so strip their shields and fire off tech bursts or biotic explosions. Sabotage any drones if you can as this will buy you some time to regain cover or kill them.

There will be more Mercs further along. They also have Snipers so watch out. Choose whatever method you wish to dispose of them but before moving on, run into the room and pick up the 2250 Credits and Pistol Power Magnifier I.

Turn left and pick up 1500 Credits from another stall then carry on forward. Go into the building on the left for another 2250 Credits . Shepard will bypass the door but this triggers an alarm so be prepared for a fight when you reach the other side.

You can either fight them from the doorway or move round and take cover at the back of the walkway against the neon sign. Mercs will come from both sides, throwing out drones, cluster grenades and just generally being a nuisance. Standing here offers you a great view of the walkway though.

Once again, Infiltrators can run all the way to the end, through a door and can then turn around and dispatch enemies from behind. If you are another class, use Energy Drain and take headshots, watching for drones and moving from cover to cover.

As long as you prevent the Mercs from flanking you, you should come through this part relatively unscathed. Run into the first building on the right and pick up 1500 Credits . The next building along also has 1500 Credits to acquire. The final building has an Assault Rifle Ultralight Materials in it.

When you get about halfway down the walkway, more troops will assail you so get in cover again and pick them off. When they’re down, grab the 1500 Credits from the terminal and go through the door.

Skycar Lot¶

Upon arrival, take the Sniper Rifle Ultralight Materials near the door you came through. Advance through the room until you see a door off to the side. Pick up 2250 Credits from the terminal and approach the door for a fun little cutscene.

You can now make your way outside to the extraction zone. Another cutscene will play introducing an old friend (providing he’s still alive in the save you have.) He will throw you the Geth Spitfire . It’s now time to kick some ass.

First thing’s first, level Wrex up. If Wrex is dead you will have James as your squad member. Either way, spec them out, focusing on Wrex’s defensive capabilities. The guy is a walking tank so should be used to get up close and personal with his shotgun and his skull.

Maximise his shields and melee ability as he loves to roam around, headbutting people in the face. Meanwhile, you can focus on destroying the other Mercs while you wait for Joker to arrive. Throw out any and all powers you have, spam Wrex’s Lift grenades and basically let loose.

This fight is more fun than difficult. It’s best to skirt around the extraction zone so when Joker finally arrives it is a short dash to safety. The Mercs will keep coming continuously anyway. The fight will end in another cutscene and you will fly away to the apartment.