Mass Effect 3 Walkthrough Part 15: Grissom Academy: Investigation Part 2

Proceed to the end of the hallway and enter the next room. Another group of Cerberus soldiers will await you here. As you enter the room, you will find that Cerberus has already taken the upper levels of the atrium, and that you must fend them off from a lower position. A group of Combat Engineers will jump to the ground and will begin to set up turrets. If you are playing a Biotics-based class, or have a Biotic at your disposal, use Warp, Singularity, or Stasis to interrupt their offensive and take them out, ideally before they can set up any turrets. If they have, use a heavy weapon such as a Sniper Rifle to destroy the turrets quickly, before they can become a nuisance.

Take cover by the grass and dig in for a long fight. Take out the Cerberus soldiers on the ramps and stairs, but keep an eye out for more Combat Engineers, who will periodically run in and try to set up more turrets. As you down the first wave of enemies, more will begin to file in through the doors on either side of the arena. Stick to the grass and do not attempt to meet the Cerberus soldiers where they spawn from the doors. There will be numerous waves coming up, and trying to stem the flow where it starts is a surefire way to get yourself surrounded. Keep fending them off from the grass and more will keep spawning. Have your squad advance to positions on the opposite side of the grassy area, so that they can kill the enemies coming from one door while you focus on those spawning from the other. This battle will be long, but not terribly challenging as long as you manage to prioritize the Combat Engineers above all other enemies.

After you have finally captured the area, head down the corridor in the direction you were going before to advance to the next area. You will find more enemy soldiers here, attempting to smash through a Biotic Barrier that one of the students has created. Look to the right and examine the computer to collect some credits before engaging the soldiers. Run up behind them and kill one before the others even realize you are there. Use charged melee attack or, if you are a Vanguard, a Shotgun and Biotics to kill the enemies before speaking to the students.

They will be wary of your help even after witnessing you kill their attackers. They will say that Cerberus soldiers told them help was coming to lure them out, and that they do not trust that you will actually help them. You can either use Paragon or Renegade techniques for dealing with the frightened students. If you played the Mass Effect 2 DLC “Project Overlord,” and you chose to spare the affected David Archer at its conclusion, you will find him here along with the students. He will open a door for you, which will contain several helpful but ultimately unnecessary items. Otherwise, do not worry; simply move onwards down the hall.

Along the way, examine the computers to find the Biotic Amp Schematics, which you will need for the quest Biotic Amp Interfaces. Head into the next room and jump over the barricade. Examine the red couch to find the Serrice Council Chestplate. Head into the next room to sneak up behind a Combat Engineer. Kill him quickly, or he will jump into the mech. Now you can climb into the mech yourself. Head up the stairs, getting accustomed to the mech’s lumbering controls along the way. A climactic battle awaits you in the next room.

You will have three methods of attack while using the Altas mech. First, you can fire a machine gun that will down foes fairly quickly. Second, you will have missiles that will affect a large area and kill most enemies instantly. Finally, you will have a melee attack that can smash many enemies beneath you in one blow. The machine gun is the only weapon that can be fired while you move, however, so keep that in mind while you fight. You will again have to protect the students during this battle, and their health will be represented by an onscreen meter. The closer the soldiers get, the more damage they will be capable of doing to the barrier.

After you take out the first few waves of footsoldiers, an enemy Atlas mech will emerge from the stairs to aid the enemies. Your mech may be dead already at this point. If so, take cover and command your squad-mates to do the same. Focus their fire on the mech while you aim for the visor. Use a similar method to the last several Atlas battles to take it down. If you still have your mech, feel free to stay in place and unload with your machine gun and rockets. It should not be too difficult for you to kill the enemy Atlas mech with your own, as its armor will be weaker than yours.

The students will begin to run for freedom after you have eliminated all of the enemies. Leave your mech if it is still living and run to the stairs where the enemy Atlas mech emerged from. Here you will find the SMG Magazine Upgrade lying on a series of chairs to the right. Collect it and follow the students to safety. Cerberus soldiers will begin to follow you. If Jack is alive, she will fend them off, giving the students enough time to board the dropship safely. Otherwise, they will kill one of the students that you have been protecting. The rest of the students will be escorted safely back to the Normandy. Along the way, you will get to decide where to send the students. You can either send them to battle the Reapers, a harsh but perhaps necessary choice, or find a behind the scenes role for them in the war, aiding with your efforts while not putting them in harm’s way.