Mass Effect Andromeda guide: what to do about the Mind of Voeld AI in Uncovering the Past

Mass Effect Andromeda offers visitors to Voeld a heck of a decision to make.

Voeld is an icy planet you'll visit during Mass Effect Andromeda's critical mission path, but if you explore a little further you'll discover a stack of side quests that almost make up for the rubbish weather.

One of the best is Uncovering the Past. It presents you with one of the few decision points that feel especially meaningful - and even get jotted down in your codex, which makes us think this one might come back to bite us in DLC. Unlike most of the choices in Mass Effect Andromeda, what you do on Voeld matters a little bit, as it shapes what happens in the game's final mission sequence. Let's talk through it.

You can't start this quest until you finish the priority op Remove the Heart on Voeld, which unlocks it automatically. After collecting the Uncovering the Past quest, head to the indicated waypoint, which should be free from shields thanks to your efforts to liberate Voeld during Remove the Heart. Watch out for the turrets as you murder the Kett between you and the entrance to the ice cave.

Make your way from heat lamp to heat lamp - Voeld is fun, isn't it? - as you fight your way into the cave. Unlock the three cages as you go, freeing the Angaran prisoners. Make sure you explore this area thoroughly as there are chests in side rooms - and because you need to kill every Kett to proceed.

Speaking to the prisoners reveals the caves hold some deep dark secret of Voeld. They'll explain you can blow the door up with explosives. (Before you do, head down the tunnel leading directly away from the waypoint and scan the room for an ancient artifact; this will help you finish a side quest and maybe do some extra romancing.)

Approach the indicated door and scan it, so that the objective changes to "clear the blast zone"; you then just need to run away and get into the indicated until the door blows up. Return to the now open doorway to penetrate the mysterious ruins beneath the surface of Voeld.

Voeld key decisions

Down in the ruins you find an AI called The Mind of Voeld which is in a very bad mood. No matter how the dialogue plays out, you end up with a choice:

• Kill the Mind of Voeld. The Angaran prisoners are saved.
• Preserve the Mind of Voeld. The Angaran prisoners are killed.

If you choose to preserve the Mind of Voeld, it asks you to keep it, opening up a second choice:

• Keep the Mind of Voeld, which has no known consequences.
• Give the Mind of Voeld to the Angara, who will then provide additional support during the game's final mission.

To be honest, the difference between these outcomes is really slim; you definitely don't need the Angaran's extra help during the final mission. Go with your gut on this one, as with everything in Mass Effect Andromeda. If there are any wrong choices, we didn't find them.

There doesn't seem to be anything else to do in this huge area unfortunately, so trek back through the ruins and caves to the Tempest when you're ready. We really hope this area and choice turn up in add-on content.