Mass Effect for a first-timer

[Extasii]

Alright, here's the thing. I have been on the fence about whether or not I should get Mass Effect, and whether or not I should start with the first one or jump straight into ME2.

I want mature, clean, concise answers as to why or why not I should or shouldn't get this game. No, I won't consider DLC until I actually play the games either.

So, Escapist. You get to decide the fate of one of your own. Enjoy

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

You can get the platinum hits version which comes with DLC for 20$. Yes, play it first. There are a ton of nods to 1 in 2 that you will miss. Also, the default Shepard in two made questionable decisions.

 

[Bostur]

I'd say if you are heavily into story elements you should play ME1 first to get the story in the right context.

If you like exploration and RPG elements in a tactical shooter ME1 is probably the better choice.

If you like shooters with just a touch of RPG flavour, ME2 is probably the perfect game and you'd find yourself bogged down in the micromanagement and poor AI in ME1.


ME1 strong points:
Large explorable world.
Quest type elements.
Slight sandboxy gameplay
Story is more elaborate.
More focus on team management, general RPG concepts.

ME1 weak points:
Graphics a bit outdated.
UI is cumbersome in some aspects, especially in terms of managing loot.
The AI of enemies sometimes feels very unrealistic.


ME2 Strong points:
Tastier graphics.
Combat is more fluid and enjoyable.
Acting is better.

ME2 Weak points:
Smaller areas with less room for exploration.
Story is less elaborate, but that makes room for stronger characters.
Managing stats and gear is very shallow.


So in short, ME1 has more depth while ME2 provides a smoother experience. They are both very good games in my opinion.

 

[Scorched_Cascade]

It'd be like opening a book halfway through.

Sure they would reference what happened a few chapters earlier but you wouldn't have the connection with the characters that the first game in the series/first few chapters are normally about.

It'd be like becoming someone else for a few hours and all you have to go on is the cliff notes version of how they acted in the past and who their friends were.

Not to mention that due to the save file importer most of what you do in ME1 has an effect on stuff in ME2 and later ME3.

 

[johnzaku]

I'd say if you are heavily into story elements you should play ME1 first to get the story in the right context.
So in short, ME1 has more depth while ME2 provides a smoother experience. They are both very good games in my opinion.

I was writing all this stuff down, then refreshed my page, so I decided not to double post haha.

I agree with this guy

 

[RatRace123]

I'd say get the first one, despite the fact that Mass Effect 2 can hold up as a stand alone title, there are a bunch of references to the first game that you miss if you haven't played it.
The second game also doesn't bother "explaining" the world to you, it just sorta throws you in to it, assuming you know what's what and how things work. Sure you have the codex entries, but in the first game you really get a better sense of "this is what goes on in this universe and this is why that hapens".

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Carrying over a data does a LOT for ME2.

So, I'd start with 1.

If you find the RPG elements annoying, be happy to know they are mostly removed from ME2 in exchange for a tighter narrative focus and more action-oriented combat. And you could play ME1 as a Soldier, switch it to easy. And blow through the story without a single challenge, to have a data for ME2.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Get the first one but just blast through it on Easy difficulty, that way you get the amazing storyline but fly through the dull, clunky combat.

As for ME2, get it, love it... enjoy every perfect minute (except the planet scanning, you won't like that)

 

[The Almighty Grigard]

Mass Effect 1 saves carry over to the second game.

Now there won't be much of a difference in ME2 but here's the thing.

All your choices from ME1 and ME2 will carry over into ME3. Now that right there is huge since some things you decide in ME1 will have massive effect (pun not intended) on the story in ME3. Most likely anyway.

Get ME1 first. Just do it!

 

[Ascarus]

I'd say if you are heavily into story elements you should play ME1 first to get the story in the right context.

If you like exploration and RPG elements in a tactical shooter ME1 is probably the better choice.

If you like shooters with just a touch of RPG flavour, ME2 is probably the perfect game and you'd find yourself bogged down in the micromanagement and poor AI in ME1.


ME1 strong points:
Large explorable world.
Quest type elements.
Slight sandboxy gameplay
Story is more elaborate.
More focus on team management, general RPG concepts.

ME1 weak points:
Graphics a bit outdated.
UI is cumbersome in some aspects, especially in terms of managing loot.
The AI of enemies sometimes feels very unrealistic.


ME2 Strong points:
Tastier graphics.
Combat is more fluid and enjoyable.
Acting is better.

ME2 Weak points:
Smaller areas with less room for exploration.
Story is less elaborate, but that makes room for stronger characters.
Managing stats and gear is very shallow.


So in short, ME1 has more depth while ME2 provides a smoother experience. They are both very good games in my opinion.

i'd say this is a good summation.

 

[Zaik]

Unless you're getting the PS3 version, there's no real reason to not get the first.

The PS3 version obviously doesn't have the first one, and it allows you to make various important decisions from the first fairly quickly before the actual game.

If you just jump into the second one you end up in a world where an indecisive hero more or less let everything go to shit in the first one. Without spoiling anything, a lot of the time you were given two or three options as to how to approach one of those obvious critical plot points, and the default ME2 shepard always took the middle ground indecisive approach to everything rather than having any real opinion of his own.

 

[literallyanythingelse]

I actually found ME1 to be alot better than the second in terms of story, and the combat isn't terrible. I would definitely play the first one, as to the second... I guess ME3 will have a good story, so its probably worth the second to keep the whole thing cohesive.

 

[Weaver]

Play the first, the second will make more sense.

 

[Extasii]

Well, I believe I've been convinced
Mass Effect 1 is probably going to be in my Xbox this coming Friday!
After that, I'll see about ME2.
Thanks to everyone for being totally awesome and mature!

 

[RivFader86]

Do you want it on 360 or PC? I played ME1 on 360 first and it was great...the pc port however was not (mushy textures and the controlls felt akward (dunno why but they did to me) ME2 however was great on PC

EDIT: Just remembered ME2 pissed me off a little on PC aswell....long ass load times...jeeees...read it's an engine problem with multicore processors...changed affinity to 1 core but didn't help much


EDIT: But considering you (unlike me) would play through the story for the first time it will make up for all the little problems....so yeah play ME1 first

 

[Irridium]

Play the first first. It sets up the galaxy, explains the various aliens, and sets the stage for everything.

Oh, seems you got your answer. Alright then.

 

[Yojoo]

It would be comparable to playing BG2 before the original Baldur's Gate. Sure, the game's got some fine-tuning and is arguably a better product, but there's a truly epic story at hand that video games simply don't have these days, and starting in the middle of it is a loss.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Play Mass Effect 1 first, obviously.

There's so much enjoyment to be had in ME2 that is not present there if you didn't play the first one.

Yeah, sure, I almost dropped ME1 because I hated the combat so much, but it made me appreciate ME2 more.

And you could play ME1 as a Soldier, switch it to easy. And blow through the story without a single challenge, to have a data for ME2.

Oh, crap.

Maybe I should've tried a different class than that?

Dammit.