The ME Bug List thread

There was a thread on the old BSN forum titled "Known bugs in Mass Effect Trilogy" started by Vazgen. Here are the contents of his post, compiled by BSNers. I've included the original links where I could. I had to remove some links that were no longer valid, or if they linked to another thread on the old BSN. I've tried to keep the original formatting as much as possible.

Mass Effect 3 Single Player:
> Omega DLC, Aria's speech. Aria gets teleported during the cutscene which ruins the impact of perhaps one of the most powerful scenes in the DLC. Video.
> Extended Cut ending with Leviathan DLC. Asking the Catalyst to explain the Crucible options does not result in video preview of the effect. Shepard is instead seen jerking his/her neck. Video (present for all three options but the most noticeable during Control at 2:41)
> Ladder bugs. Sometimes Shepard gets stuck on a ladder. In the vanilla game it happened to me during Arrae: Ex-Cerberus Scientists mission (descending the ladder to collect weapon mod) and Geth Dreadnought mission (descending to the gun corridor). In DLCs there is one in From Ashes (when you get back to open the pod and have to climb over the building. The last ladder). All of these fix themselves, Shepard is stuck for some time and then falls down. Video.
> Getting stuck in the cockpit. There is a point between EDI and Joker where Shepard gets stuck with no way of getting out, forcing you to reload the last save. Video.
> Predator pistol not getting extra levels when starting New Game Plus. The most you can upgrade it to is level 7. No example.
> Kai Leng still being alive after being stabbed. Video.
> Getting trapped by salarians during shopping. Video.
> No weapons in Tuchanka: Bomb cutscene. Video.
> Crazy neck twists. Happens to Samantha during non-cinematic conversations if you stand a little behind her. Also happens to Liara. Video.
> Cooldowns after reload. Some squadmates get forced cooldowns after reloading the game. Notably EDI and Kaidan. Video.
> During Aria: Eclipse quest If you quick-save and then leave the game after talking to Sayn, the the necessary conversation with C-Sec will not trigger and renders this mission and Aria's tri-mission arc unable to complete. A suggested workaround is that after talking to Sayn, head to the elevator immediately. > The conversation with Bailey triggers once you pass through the scanner. 
> Missing texture when destroying the Rannoch Reaper on PC. Visible when the Destroyer gets blown up by the Quarian fleet. Video.
> There is a bug with Shepard's spoken lines during Priority: Earth if Steve Cortez was convinced to go to the Citadel. When his shuttle is shot down, the line for romancing Steve plays, which results in male Shepard's STEEEVE! scream and silent line from Femshep. Video 1.
> When chasing Dr. Eva Core on Mars you can see the interior of the Kodiak shuttle just before climbing the final ladder. Image.
> The propulsion of Turian fighter engines on Menae is disconnected from the fighter itself. Image.
> Minor (but annoying) issue. Omni-tool clipping. Omni-tool clips through all the custom male gauntlet options. The least noticeable is Rosenkov Materials but it also clips near the elbow. Video.
> Pointed out by DaftArbiter: Citadel DLC - When Shepard encounters the highest-relationship squadmate at the Skycar dealership, when they dispose of the CAT6 troops, they may charge from behind cover wielding and shooting an invisible gun (with no projectiles). Video.
> Pointed out by K2LU533: Invisible rock on Rannoch. Video.
> Pointed out by SilJeff: Falling through floors at Citadel Embassies. Video.
> Pointed out by SilJeff: Broken glass from the window which is not shattered prior to Citadel Coup. Video.
> Pointed out by Han Shot First: Ashley's Marksman power is bugged. She keeps trying to activate it to no avail. Video.
> Pointed out by shepskisaac: most (all?) of the Citadel side-quests that involve clicking terminals will get broken if you leave the Citadel mid-way through the quests. Upon returning, the terminals don't work anymore and it's impossible to finish these side-quests. No example.
> Pointed out by Kabooooom: Omega DLC - Sometimes Talon symbols in the elevator fail to load. Video.
> Pointed out by impingu1984: Hall of Mirrors Graphical Glitch with Garrus on top of the presidium and shooting bottles, maybe in Femshep Romance only? Video.
> Pointed out by MrFob: Miranda's and Jack's slides do not trigger during the destroy epilogues unless you romanced them. 
> Pointed out by GalacticWolf5: MaleShep and Kaidan romance scene is bugged. Their eyes keep moving around, their mouths don't move when they speak and move when they don't speak. 
> Pointed out by Natashina: During Aria: Blue Suns mission, walking away while Kannik is speaking prevents the War Assets update. 
> Pointed out by Twilight_Princess: The bed-eating data-pad glitch in the Garrus romance. Video.
> Pointed out by George89: In the Italian version of the game, in the first minutes of the game, many lines of dialogues overlap. Video.


Mass Effect 2:
> Pointed out by shepskisaac: Overlord DLC crashes if Legion is one of the squadmates.
> Pointed out by Han Shot First: Miranda's outfit switches to the default black and white outfit during the romance scene. Video.
> Pointed out by L. Han: Walking right next to walls or other objects can sometimes randomly lift you up and get you stuck. Video.
> Pointed out by ZipZap2000: Collector base ambush after collectors climb on top of cover to shoot at you they can sometimes hover above ground. Video.
> Shepard getting stuck facing the same direction. Video. Workaround: pause and then unpause the game.
> Pointed out by katamuro: There is a graphical glitch during the skycar cutscene in Garrus's loyalty mission. Video.
> Pointed out by RedCaesar97: Enemies will not always be lifted off the ground by biotics such as Pull or Slam. No example.
> Pointed out by RedCaesar97: Various charge bugs where the charging animation plays but Shepard does not charge, and the cooldown still starts. This can also sometimes lead to your shields not recharging. No example.
> Pointed out by RedCaesar97: Game will sometimes make you float up into the air when backing up next to cover. NOTE: I believe I read that this is a common known bug with Unreal Engine and may not be fixable. No example.
> Pointed out by impingu1984: Illium Corridor of Crash to Desktop (PC Only). Reference.
> Pointed out by impingu1984: Crash to Desktop after mission Summary screen on Kasumi Stolen Memory (Pc Only, I think). Reference.
> Pointed out by impingu1984: Graphical glitch with Tarek on Garrus recruitment mission if you have Zaeed in your party. Video.
> Pointed out by impingu1984: Kasumi's clothing texture randomly replaced with Carnifex texture. Reference | Pic.
> Pointed out by MrFob: TIM's face glitches through the level architecture (visible at 0:23). Video.
> Pointed out by MegaIllusiveMan: If you use your power and enter the Hammerhead before the power Cooldown is complete, the two semi-circles (that represent the Power Cooldown system) will appear on screen and stay there until you exit the vehicle. Image.
> Pointed out by Natashina: Sometimes the DLC will not authenticate for ME2, even after a clean reinstall and getting the downloadable content from the BioWare site instead of Origin's DLC list. (PC only.)
> Pointed out by Para-Cord43: Disappearing characters in cutscenes. Video.
> Pointed out by Para-Cord43: Shepard's hand goes through Tali's arm during bed resting. Video.
> Pointed out by Natashina: Z-fighting issues during and after meet-up with Anderson. Also appears on Tuchanka during Wrex meet-up and Suicide Mission during proto-Reaper reveal and revival: Screenshot Album. Also present in Mass Effect 1: Video.
> Pointed out by SilJeff: Conrad Verner accusing Shepard of pointing a gun to his face if Paragon option was taken in ME1. Video.


Mass Effect 1:
> Pointed out by shepskisaac: Garrus's face texture is of very low quality. Image.
> Pointed out by L. Han: Eden Prime. If you spam powers and switch weapons right after you jump off the railcar, Shepard will run around shooting like a cowboy, shooting from the hip. No example.
> Pointed out by SimonTheFrog: On PC, the UI sometimes glitches when entering elevators, so that it can't be closed anymore. This is then a dead-end situation for the player. No example.
> Pointed out by RedCaesar97: Pinnacle Station DLC: At the terminal in your new home (after completing Ahern's mission), the Geth Pulse Rifle you can get is not the same Geth Pulse Rifle you can get in the main game. The model is the Avenger/Lancer model and you can equip mods on it. The real Geth Pulse Rifle you get in the main game has its own model (carried forward into ME2 and ME3) but does not allow you to equip mods on it. No example.
> Pointed out by RedCaesar97: Enemies can sometimes get stuck in walls or on top of ceilings. This is typically seen on side missions and can be fixed by exiting and then re-entering, which will reset the enemies' positions. No example.
> Pointed out by RedCaesar97: During Benezia fight, if knocked down and then a Benezia casting cutscene starts, you will remain on the ground. Sometimes you turn into stretchy man/woman. No example.
> Pointed out by KrrKs: Noveria/Peak 15. Textures aren't loaded/lit on certain ATI cards. The cause seems to be shader related. Video.
> Pointed out by KrrKs: UNC: Listening Post Alpha // Planet Nepmos, Erebus system, Styx Theta cluster. Frame-rate drops to unplayable levels after leaving the rachni infested mines. Also affects the main menu. Referenced on the wiki page for Nepmos.
> Pointed out by Heimerdinger: Cerberus UNC mission: admiral Kahoku's body will dissapear if you enter the buildings in the wrong order or if you interact with a certain terminal. This makes the mission impossible to complete. Loading an earlier save is required. Wiki page on UNC: Cerberus makes note of that.
> Pointed out by Han Shot First: One of the lines to reject a romance with Liara was bugged. There were two lines, one a polite no thanks and the other rude. I can't recall which, but one of the two was bugged and would actually lock in a romance. 
> Pointed out by Natashina: If you leave the Normandy in the Citadel and zone back in quickly (like to level up squad mates,) the squad screen will have your face and your squad mate's overlapping. Plus, I was unable to move afterward and had to reload my quick save. No example.
> Pointed out by Han Shot First: The results of the UNC: Besieged Base don't flag properly. Even if you don't lose a single hostage, the news story you hear on the Citadel elevators afterwards describes it as a massacre. Then in Mass Effect 2 there is a news story stating that Sirta Foundation never recovered from the attack and is likely to close by the end of that fiscal year. Wiki Page.


I tried to keep the original formatting as much as possible.

Another one I just thought of:

Mass Effect 2: Ish's quest in Mass Effect 2 will not left in an open state in the journal if you use the Charm option on him.

ME2 (Xbox 360 on disc and installed from the disc onto the hard drive): There is a well known sound glitch during Samara's loyalty mission where the sound cuts out for an extended period of time. I have noted that the duration of this sound issue has been getting slightly longer with each playthrough. I am also experiencing random periods of sound interruption during other missions... even during combat where shooting sounds may just disappear altogether for a period of time.

ME3 - Tuchanka: Turian Platoon (PS3, not sure if it happens on other platforms too, but I believe it does)
When taking down the first two Harvesters, and possibly also the third, it can happen that the turian platoon is not there, and no cutscene starts upon approaching. This cannot be fixed with a reload unfortunately and the mission has to be restarted from the beginning.

ME2:

I can't call this a bug per say, but it's a tricky spot. When you're doing the Estvenacio ship quest (the one where you have to walk across the griders,) there is a spot at the top of ramp you need to climb over. You can't just run up and do it. You need to crouch, face Shepard to where s/he is facing left, then climb over. I found this out after spending 5 minutes trying to figure out exactly where to climb over.

ME2, known bug:

Same quest. It's terribly easy to get stuck and float up into the air while on that ship. If you're on the PC, the fly command will get you over to where you need to go. You can't turn when you use that command, so make sure you're facing in the correct direction. If you're on console, then your only option is to restart the mission. Hate that.

ME2, PS3, minor bug:

When I exited my game this morning, I was on the 3rd floor of the Normandy in the elevator. I was getting ready to activate Legion. When I fired it back up earlier, I was right in front of Legion instead of at the elevator. I reloaded the autosave and it worked just fine. I activated him and then I couldn't talk to anyone else on that floor. I fixed it by going back up to the cabin (fishies need fed) and then coming back down.

I don't think that's a bug. That destroyer has a white health bar (immunity) and perma-shields because he's part of the tutorial. When you encounter him, there should be a message on the screen telling you to use Kaidan's throw. The game is insistent that you do this so you can learn how to cast squad powers. Once you disable tutorials he'll behave like a regular destroyer on every playthrough.

Bonus easy trivia question: Name the other enemy in the game with a persistent white health bar and perma-shields for a portion of a fight!

That wouldn't surprise me. The Xbox 360 uses a "Simon Says" minigame for hacking, right? Do you get unlimited re-tries at the door where you find Dr. Warren and Manuel? I know at one point you only got one shot, but I don't know if that was a PC-port change or a change that came out via patch. I really wish I could play the game on all its platforms; it makes me nervous to edit the Wiki when I've only got the PC to test things.

What difficulty level are you playing on?  I don't think this is really a bug.

On the Xbox 360, the tutorial involving that geth destroyer is about throwing grenades.  He is a little tougher than the rest and will generally charge towards Shepard.  Using a grenade on him right away in accordance with the tutorial should bring him down quickly.

However, if you're on Insanity difficulty and just fire at him with your weapon, he will trigger his Immunity ability given the opporunity (denoted by his bar turning white rather than being red).  This may also happen in hardcore mode (but I'm not really sure since I don't play hardcore... just generally skip over it to insanity).  This is a frustrating thing about insanity difficulty in ME1 in that enemies can trigger their immunity repeatedly and this can make any of them into bullet-sponges.  It can be particularly frustrating if this occurs before you acquire decent guns since the early game guns will overheat and you can't really get a lengthy enough duration of fire on the tougher enemies to bring them down quickly enough.  You can do other things though to try to take them down more quickly (before they can spam their immunity).  E.g. using grenades, using warp, sabotage, and neural shock to make them more vulnerable, using lift or singularity to take them off the ground, and using chemical or incendiary rounds.  In the case of this geth destroyer, there is also a toxic exploding canister near where he is first standing that you can fire upon to "poison" him that will also prevent him from starting to spam his immunity.

I've seen it many times during the side missions in the early parts of the game.  I once engaged a single mook on Ontarom for about 15 minutes.  I had HE rounds in my sniper rifle (which meant it overheated after every shot) and with it, I just couldn't whittle his bar down fast enough to prevent him from continually re-engaging his immunity.  Finally got back in the mako and blasted him several times with it (and it took a surprising amount of fire to get him to go down).  I admit, I've not seen it in the tutorial, but I do follow the tutorial direcitons and throw a grenade on that guy right off the bat.  If you cease fire briefly on a enemy, they will usually start triggering their immunity.  If you can maintain constant fire on them and/or keep them off their feet, they can't do that to you.  (It's one reason why I like a shotgun... the firepower alone can knock them down and keep them off their feet until dead.)

I've put it off before onto the side missions not being scaled the same as the main ones (i.e. the tutorial should be scaled a bit easier than the rest of the game)... so maybe that it can happen in the tutorial is a bug.  I'll go back into an old save and run a few tests on that destroyer... see if I can get him to start triggering his immunity.

BTW, in going through the tutorial right now - the throw tutorial involves the husks at the camp, not the geth on the platform.  I can confirm that the door still only gives one chance to decrypt it, then the player has to resort to omni-gel.

I think there may be a different if you're doing Insanity with a new character or an NG+.  Just ran through the tutorial with a new character on Insanity and could not get the Destroyer to initiate immunity.  The most any of the troopers would do is initiate a shield.  However, I also noted that the two rocket drones I normally see just prior to that section using an NG+ game did not spawn.  Red - are you playing using NG+ or new characters?

Interesting! So many differences between PC and Xbox.

1. On the PC, the tutorial recommends grenades with the first husk, not throw. (Though it's a little bugged here, that husk can remain at seemingly nil health for several seconds before finally dying, even if you used a grenade to topple him earlier.)

2. On the PC, the geth don't use immunity, even on insanity. When shot they'll poke briefly at their omni-tool (for shield boost?). That first destroyer's immunity and perma-shields are special for the tutorial.

More things I've discovered: (1) While the destroyer is immune, so is Kaidan. Kaidan doesn't get a white health bar; the game holds his health at 1 to keep him from dying. (2) The tutorial is patient, you get almost 2 minutes to figure out that you're having no effect on the destroyer before it'll give up. In my practice recording it was 1 minute, 44 seconds from the first time you hear its growl to its health bar turning red. (3) Even after giving up, the game will reward you if you throw it by instantly killing it, even on insanity. (4) For biotic Shepards, the tutorial still asks you to use Kaidan's throw, but if you use your own throw instead, the destroyer will readily die.

For fun I tried sending "immune" Kaidan to the other end of the train to deal with the geth down there, but sadly those 104 seconds weren't long enough for him to do much. Mostly he shot at the immune destroyer as he headed down there.

Wow... that is HUGELY different from the Xbox.  Wonder why the differences?

Honestly, I'll have to pay closer attention as to whether or not it's only organic enemies that I'm encountering with the spamming immunity issue... frustrates the heck out of me when they seem to get locked into that.