Leviathan: R2Detour

Last time, we had to find an alternate route to Garneau. Let's see where that took us.

That's okay, we do our usual thing and get to the door to go to the next area.

Or that happens.

So this mechanic is 100% stolen from multiplayer: Shepard activates the drone and follows it around the map. (I think they draw power from omnitools?) Should Shepard go outside of its range for any reason, the drone stops moving. The name of the game is getting the drone to the console on the other side of the field so that we can get that door open.

Yeah okay so this part blows chunks as a vanguard.

Vanguards work by being extremely mobile. You can't cage a vanguard, man.

The only thing I can figure out is to leave the drone zone, take care of shit in the usual way, and rush back.

The side effect is, of course, that your squadmates will bitch at you until you tear your hair out.

And of course, we must end as such:

I'm not even kidding, this is the second hardest area of the game.

So anyway, look carefully as you go to the door, because if you're sharp you can see on the ground:

I don't know if it's a glitch or it's actually in the game, but yeah, there's an omnitool just, like, laying out. I guess this is one for those nerds that like to fight over how omnitools are constructed.

We walk in on this idyllic scene:

I paint plenty of explosions for MSPixel. I think about that a lot.

Either way, Garneau is dead --

oh

(It's 2186!)

Huh, I guess the TGES workers and "Garneau" were indoctr --

Wait, hold the phone. Leviathan can make artifacts AND indoctrinate people? ... is it a reaper too?

Leviathan: I Don't Think That's Dr. Garneau Either!

The guys at the mineralworks?

They are so into tungsten.

As you go deeper within, you get to learn more about tungsten.

... There is, however, such a thing as oversharing.

Thankfully, we'll eventually find Garneau!

commander shepard master interrogater

"Hey, Bean, what did you say about this being the Halloween episode of Mass Effect?"

So apparently Space University just, like, gives out degrees?

(In the game, Shepard gives Liara the biggest sass look, it's wonderful.)

It's time to run after Garneau! ... except my run broke somehow, so I leisurely strolled after him. I had no idea how to draw Shepard leisurely strolling.

Dr. Garneau will cut the power, which somehow means Shepard has to use a ladder instead of the doors. Maybe the doors run on electricity? ... Maybe the doors run of mass effects?

Nothing runs on mass effects. The doors run on horse asses.

This part doesn't divide as evenly as I want it to, so you'll have to wait until next time for the stunning conclusion.

SATURDAY POST: Extra Life!

The Extra Life marathon is today! It's a 24 hour video game marathon to raise money for children's hospitals in the United States.

I actually can't participate this year. (I've hurt my back, and I'm at the point now where sitting still and playing video games for 24 hours would make it worse, not better.) But, I'm still going to gladly shill for some Extra Lifers! Go check out their Extra Life pages. Some (most) of them are streaming on Twitch today, too, if you need something to watch or some noise while you clean the house.

I'm very partial to the team Goons Hate Cancer, being a Something Awful Forum Goon my entire adult life. Go check them out first!

Here's a list of Extra Lifers for you to peruse and donate too. Remember, the money goes to sick kids!

sighnoceros, playing for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation

Danimo, playing for Texas Children's Hospital

Jandipoo, playing for Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children

codespace, playing for Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and UF Shands Children's Hospital

Miker525, playing for Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare Foundation

Arrrthritis, playing for Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

Studio, playing for Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland

DeliciousBees, playing for Seattle Children's Hospital Research Foundation

BloodWulfe, playing for Seattle Children's Hospital Research Foundation

Interstellar Owl, playing for Children's Specialized Hospital of NJ

Stealthed Zombie, playing for North Shore-LIJ Cohen Children's Medical Center

jabro, playing for CHOC Children's

Pez, playing for Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center

Ernie., playing for Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Snakeman, playing for All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL

Give Pat a Job, playing for Maria Fareri Children's Hospital

Fried Watermelon, playing for Children's Hospital of Winnipeg

klapman, playing for Gillete Children's Specialty Healthcare

Pleads, playing for Children's Health Foundation

Cosmonut, playing for North Shore-LIJ Cohen Children's Medical Center

Novasol, playing for Children's Hospital at Erlanger

Brocktoon, playing for Children's Specialized Hospital of NJ

Tesh, playing for Kentucky Children's Hospital

AtrociousToaster, playing for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation

SuccinctAndPunchy, playing for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation

Sgoast, playing for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Section 9, playing for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Smileyfax, playing for Beaumont Children's Hospital

moonsour, playing for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

LionYeti, playing for Children's Hospital Colorado

Revitalized, playing for Children's Hospital of Los Angeles

may contain peanuts, playing for Boston Children's Hospital

Mage_Boy, playing for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation

Toasta, playing for The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center

IceOrb, playing for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Leviathan: Tungsten

Yeah, so, that's going on up in Bryson's lab.

Bryson has a galaxy map in his lab. There's a mini game where you search through Bryson's apartment for Space Google "search filters". EDI can apply them to the map to help Shepard to figure out where to go next.

Uh, so, our final result is a tiny little asteroid mining colony, TGS Mineralworks. Let's go there now.

Shepard's never been in a horror DLC before now, I guess.

So get surprised, TGS is fucking lined in reaper troops. Remember, Bryson said that reaper troops were following Leviathan researchers wherever they went, so probably they followed Garneau here.

The TGS folk are ... welp.

... Fuckin'a.

Okay, so, um, maybe ten feet away, there's a repair console that Shepard can activate. It'll drop a drone we can use to fix the elevator.

... yeah, that's just like the multiplayer drone.

If you're not familiar, you have to follow the little guy close or else he stops. I guess maybe he's powered by omnitools? Remember his name, we'll be screaming it later.

With access to the mines, we're free to wander around and get lost for thirty damn minutes. This area is huge, and the layout is super random. It feels like Mass Effect 1, except that no one gives you a damn map.

You might come across a medical console.

Huh. Okay. Bookmark it.

As you go along in the mines, you'll find a space iPad with an unsent message from Garneau to Bryson. It's basically, "This place is way messed, if you need to come get me, have my access code."

Shep and pals find a huge computer, so Liara hacks its gibson to get everyone in.

Those fucked up creepy guys lied to us!

Back to the medical area!

We'll go inside next time.