

Players get three chances to match the code before they are locked out of the computer or datapad.

On PC, this means players must use the WASD keys, not the mouse, to toggle between blocks of code and press Space when they find the matching one. As code scrolls up the screen, they will need to move the cursor to different blocks of code using the same controls they use to move Commander Shepard in-game. At the top of the interface, players will see the piece of code they need to find and match. In this mini-game, when the player presses Start Hack, blocks of code generate on the screen. To hack into computers and datapads, players will have three chances to match lines of colorful code, but the rules for this mini-game are not immediately clear. If players fail at any point in the mini-game, they will no longer be able to access the credits or other loot unless they reload a previous save. In Mass Effect 2, safes, computers, and datapads come with separate mini-games to complete. Credits will be used at various vendors to purchase new gear for themselves and their team. In the first Mass Effect game, players could choose to use Omni-Gel to unlock safes and hack computers, or they could play a quick, Frogger-style mini-game to decrypt and unlock these items. Mass Effect 2 takes place in the distant future, and players once again take the role of Shepard, a human Commanding officer in the Alliance military. During exploration, players can find credits via wall safes, medical stations, and various pieces of technology. As players travel around the different planets across the galaxy in Mass Effect 2, they will come across wall safes, computers, and datapads containing loot and credits.
