Poll: Mass Effect vs. Mass Effect 2

[Koroviev]

Allow me to start off by saying that I played Mass Effect 2 first. At the start of my initial run-through, I wasn't too impressed. However, as I kept playing, the game became more interesting and I ended up really enjoying it. Nevertheless, the conversations remained skippable and the enemy never felt so much threatening as it did annoying. I mean, bugs? Insects? Really?

Yesterday I finally started playing the first installment, having had it sitting on the shelf for more than a month. I approached it with low expectations, having heard that its successor more or less blew it out of the water. I mean, people still recommended it, but that recommendation was tentative. So anyway, I dove in.

The first thing that struck me about Mass Effect were the cut scenes. It was the first time in a long time that I actually cared, that the characters actually felt real and worthy of my attention. The next thing was the villain. First and foremost, he actually feels evil, and moreover, has a motive underlying his actions. In other words, he feels like a real villain, not some contrived excuse to be a space marine once again. Finally, the Geth really seem like plausible enemies, but then, that could just be my AI fetish shining alongside my disdain for bugs as enemies.

In short, Mass Effect has thus far defied my expectations, and may even surpass my liking for Mass Effect 2.

So...

Which game do you prefer, if either? And of course, why?

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Mass Effect 2. While some may lament the loss of a great many bits of the game, I'm quite pleased I no longer have to drive about hellscape planets in that awful tank and no longer need to sort through hundreds of guns and suits of armor every time I finish a segment.

 

[Koroviev]

ME2 by far. I played both, but ME2 perfected and evolved. It is and propably will remain as my favorite game on the 360.

Not holding your breath for ME3? XD

 

[Koroviev]

Mass Effect 2. While some may lament the loss of a great many bits of the game, I'm quite pleased I no longer have to drive about hellscape planets in that awful tank and no longer need to sort through hundreds of guns and suits of armor every time I finish a segment.

I actually haven't made it to a vehicle section yet. That is something I admittedly dread <__<

 

[The Bucket]

Im going to say Mass Effect 1 (as someone who kinda enjoyed the Mako). Sure ME2 cut out the BS micromanagement and added a more varied cast, but I think the main storying line in 1 was far better (by virtue of having a proper antagonist) while very little of note happened in the second (the curse of the 2nd part of a trilogy I suppose)

 

[Koroviev]

Going with ME2 on this.

The combat, graphics, characters and story were all superior. And I thought that this was going to be the point where the series fails.

While I won't argue that the graphics of the first are better than those of the second, I still find them to be very impressive. I mean, I really wasn't expecting much, given my exposure to the second game released some three years after the first. And yet, the graphics look really good.

 

[Koroviev]

ME2 by far. I played both, but ME2 perfected and evolved. It is and propably will remain as my favorite game on the 360.

Not holding your breath for ME3? XD

Well, its like saying Black Ops will be the best CoD when it isnt even released. Though ME3 will be so epic.

Oh, I wasn't saying that ME3 will be the best, I was just wondering if it isn't too early to make that prediction.

 

[Summerstorm]

I would say: Mass Effect

In the second they just made a few unnessecary changes (ammo, cover mechanic to pronounced, boring mineral grinding). And the story in the first was somehow more involving. I still remember the scene near the end when Joker drops the Mako nearly on Saren's head with you inside. Overall cool.

Sure the first game was still far from perfect... but i prefer it to the second one.

 

[Koroviev]

Im going to say Mass Effect 1 (as someone who kinda enjoyed the Mako). Sure ME2 cut out the BS micromanagement and added a more varied cast, but I think the main storying line in 1 was far better (by virtue of having a proper antagonist) while very little of note happened in the second (the curse of the 2nd part of a trilogy I suppose)

The second one actually lost me on the story. The first one is very engaging, but the second didn't really warm up until the end, once you had finally finished collecting all of the crew members.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

For me, ME1 wins out in the story department and the area design/layout department. Simply put, I felt that ME2 was just a long series of corridors that I blasted my way through (the Quarian world with the sun being an exception) with a few pre-defined social hubs added in. Simply put, ME2 didn't manage to convince me that the locations were real in the same way that ME1 did.

But when it comes to characters and combat, ME2 wins flat out. So which is better? I am going to say ME1 but only by a narrow marigin.

 

[Koroviev]

I would say: Mass Effect

In the second they just made a few unnessecary changes (ammo, cover mechanic to pronounced, boring mineral grinding). And the story in the first was somehow more involving. I still remember the scene near the end when Joker drops the Mako nearly on Saren's head with you inside. Overall cool.

Sure the first game was still far from perfect... but i prefer it to the second one.

Oh yeah, the ammo thing was strange at first. I had forgotten about the fact that there is no ammo in the ME, so you can imagine my surprise when I realized that my sniper rifle had infinite "ammo." Made my day :>

Though I think I'd argue that the cover mechanic leaves something to be desired in the ME. If Shepherd's armor was made of velcro in the second, then his/her armor is butter in the first.

 

[Snotnarok]

Mass Effect was a fantastic start to the series with some great gameplay and some bits of incompleteness (the barren planets) and Mass Effect 2 is the darker more refined game.

They're both amazing games but ME2 really does take you into the nitty gritty of the universe. ONLY PLAY IT AFTER BEATING THE FIRST THOUGH. I can't insist that enough because of just how well your character is carried over.

 

[Imbechile]

I passed them both for the first time a few days ago and for me Mass effect 1 is better.
Resource mining was so damn BOOOOOOOOOOORING, and ME2 is piss-poor easy.
I still find ME2 great but ME1 is better IMO.

 

[Koroviev]

For me, ME1 wins out in the story department and the area design/layout department. Simply put, I felt that ME2 was just a long series of corridors that I blasted my way through (the Quarian world with the sun being an exception) with a few pre-defined social hubs added in. Simply put, ME2 didn't manage to convince me that the locations were real in the same way that ME1 did.

But when it comes to characters and combat, ME2 wins flat out. So which is better? I am going to say ME1 but only by a narrow marigin.

I really liked Ilium in the second game. As a matter of fact, I loved it. But for some strange reason, the Citadel feels more alive in the first.

And the chest-high walls were hilarious in ME2. See chest-high walls? Better duck behind them, because there's going to be a fight!

Yeah, I'm not too far into the game, but the characters are less interesting in ME, though they do feel more alive. Still, I miss Jack and Samara.

 

[icyneesan]

Mass Effect 1 had such a boring and dull start for me. I had to force myself to play it all the way through when the 2nd one came out.

The 2nd one was much more interesting to me, combat felt better, and they got rid of the crappy inventory. Though I didnt like that bullets were now skills, it still felt way more enjoyable and fun then the first one. The bugs werent as scary as the geth. and the final boss fight was more cooler in my opinion. Also the game runned at a smoother frame rate for me then the first

 

[Koroviev]

Mass Effect was a fantastic start to the series with some great gameplay and some bits of incompleteness (the barren planets) and Mass Effect 2 is the darker more refined game.

They're both amazing games but ME2 really does take you into the nitty gritty of the universe. ONLY PLAY IT AFTER BEATING THE FIRST THOUGH. I can't insist that enough because of just how well your character is carried over.

Yeah, I'm realizing that now XD

 

[Woodsey]

Mass Effect 2.

It may be "less" of an RPG, but it's one hell of a game and experience - so what does the genre matter if that's the case?

 

[GuerrillaClock]

ME2. Far superior game to play, the original was vastly overrated in my opinion. The Clunky, shallow combat that was the main part of the game did not make up for the moral choice system, which even then was hardly anything special. ME2 at least fixed the combat and inventory, and streamlined it all into a much nicer experience. You could say ME2 was the game ME1 should have been.

 

[Koroviev]

I loved them both. I tend to care about the characters in games that are close to me (as in the main character), and found the characters in both games very...I don't know if relatable or plausible are he right words, but I'll use 'em here. [mentally insert name of ME1 villain here] was an EPIC villain and the one in ME2 did seem to be a bit more...Flood-y. No real motive, just doin' shit for the sake of doin' shit. The Geth are VERY plausible enemy, and it's nice to find out a bit more about them in ME2.

ME1:
+Deep character customization, but not so deep you drown.
+Believable characters and excellent voice acting (with the exception of male Shepard).
+More well written than many things out there today.
+Fun combat, perfectly blending third-person cover based shooting and RPG elements.
+Great stat and inventory system (PC version)
+IT'S A BIG STUPID JELLY!

-Male Shepard's voice actor made me want to cut my ears off.
-Stat allocation is confusing at first.

ME2:
+More amazing character customization.
+More great voice acting, characters, and writing.
+Combat is more visceral, like moving from Gears of War 1 to Gears of War 2.
+Simplified stats and inventory system.

-Male Shepard has the SAME FUCKING VOICE ACTOR!
-Main villain is pretty shitty.
-Simplified stats and inventory system.
-You performed Gilbert & Sullivan?

Both are great, both are more than worth the money and time you invest in them. Play through the first one twice (or more!), same with the second. You will not be disappointed.

I was male Shepherd in the second, but I decided to change things up in the first and play as female Shepherd. I've discovered that it's much easier to create a character when you actually find them attractive. I was pretty indifferent to male Shepherd, just making him different for the sake of it.

I like the female voice actor, and the male one didn't bother me. He just didn't stand out.

 

[Koroviev]

Mass Effect 1 had such a boring and dull start for me. I had to force myself to play it all the way through when the 2nd one came out.

The 2nd one was much more interesting to me, combat felt better, and they got rid of the crappy inventory. Though I didnt like that bullets were now skills, it still felt way more enjoyable and fun then the first one. The bugs werent as scary as the geth. and the final boss fight was more cooler in my opinion. Also the game runned at a smoother frame rate for me then the first

Haha, I played as a soldier in ME2 and I almost always used fire-laced bullets B]