If players fail at any point in the mini-game, they will no longer be able to access the credits or other loot unless they reload a previous save. In Mass Effect 2, safes, computers, and datapads come with separate mini-games to complete.

Credits will be used at various vendors to purchase new gear for themselves and their team. In the first Mass Effect game, players could choose to use Omni-Gel to unlock safes and hack computers, or they could play a quick, Frogger-style mini-game to decrypt and unlock these items. Mass Effect 2 takes place in the distant future, and players once again take the role of Shepard, a human Commanding officer in the Alliance military. During exploration, players can find credits via wall safes, medical stations, and various pieces of technology.

As players travel around the different planets across the galaxy in Mass Effect 2, they will come across wall safes, computers, and datapads containing loot and credits.