"Mass Effect 2" - The Weapons Trivia Quiz

Answer: M-8 Avenger

The Avenger was the first assault rifle available in the game. It had normal accuracy and ammo, but was still quite weak. It was the classic weapon seen in promotional material and in many cutscenes, even when characters were not equipped with it during the loadout.

It had the same profile as the Lancer, the default assault rifle from "Mass Effect," but with a darker paint job.

Answer: M-3 Predator

This is the first weapon used by players in the game, being picked up during the opening Lazarus Station level. It's quite a weak pistol, but the rest of its stats are good. It was frequently seen in promotional material for the game, and in cutscenes, even when a character was not equipped with it.

Answer: M-97 Viper

In the first "Mass Effect" game, each weapon class had two models that were just recoloured to make all the different weapons. In "Mass Effect 2", each model was a specific weapon. The Viper used the second sniper rifle model from "Mass Effect". In "Mass Effect 2", the Viper could fire 12 shots before needing to cycle the thermal clip.

When it showed up again in "Mass Effect 3", it was only six shots.

Answer: M-920 Cain

The Cain was given the nickname "mini nuke launcher" because of the effect it had on target (it even has a radiation warning symbol on it), but according to the in-game description, the destructive power comes from the sheer speed of its projectile (similar to a railgun).

While the description claims the projectile is accelerated to 5000 m/s, the Cain's projectile is one of the slowest in the game. It has a noticeable ballistic arc, which can make it very hard to use against fast-moving enemies.

Answer: M-27 Scimitar

Both the starting M-23 Katana and the M-27 Scimitar were semi-automatic shotguns. The Scimitar had a wider spread and lower dwell time (minimum time between shots), making it better for close-range quick damage.

In the previous game, characters would pump their shotguns after each shot, even though the action did not make sense according to the "Mass Effect" lore.

Answer: M-300 Claymore

The Claymore was only available to Vanguards and Soldiers (classes that started with shotgun training). It used an entire thermal clip with just one shot, making it function the most like a conventional shotgun (if conventional shotguns ejected glowing shells).

It had the highest damage per shot in the game (excluding heavy weapons) when all eight pellets hit their target. A research upgrade could make this weapon available to Grunt.

Answer: M-9 Tempest

The two submachine guns in the base game were technically burst-fire weapons. The M-4 Shuriken was more a machine pistol with a three-round burst. The Tempest fired in five-round bursts, but there was no delay between them, making it look like it was a standard automatic weapon. Similar to the Scimitar shotgun, the Tempest had a high rate of fire and a large weapon spread, making it best for ultra-short range fights.

Answer: M-15 Vindicator

Each weapon type in "Mass Effect" had two models that were recoloured to create all the different weapons. The Vindicator in "Mass Effect 2" reused the second assault rifle model, and differentiated itself from the Avenger by having higher damage and accuracy, and by using a three-round burst instead of being fully automatic.

The three-round burst was invented in real life to be a replacement for fully automatic weapons to prevent trigger-happy soldiers from spending their ammunition too fast. This theory did not hold up in practice, and most modern service rifles no longer have a burst fire option.

Answer: M-6 Carnifex

The Carnifex was more powerful and accurate than the Predator, but with only half the magazine size, lower total ammo, and a longer dwell time (time between shots). If players follow the in-game recommendations to recruit Mordin first, then it's the first weapon to be picked up in the game (after the basic ones in the prologue missions). Most players consider the Carnifex to be better than the Predator in every situation, and it's available to every player class.

Answer: M-98 Widow

There were two single-shot (or maybe "bolt-action") sniper rifles in "Mass Effect 2." The first was the starting sniper rifle, the M-92 Mantis, which used the basic sniper rifle model from "Mass Effect". The other was the wholly new Widow, which was only available to Soldiers and Infiltrators on the Collector Cruiser. It had the strongest single projectile (excluding heavy weapons) in the game. A research upgrade could make this weapon available to Legion.

In "Mass Effect 3", the Widow would return, but be available to everyone. A new "Black Widow" would be introduced, which had mildly reduced damage, but with a three-round clip instead of one.