Poll: Should I even bother with Mass Effect?

[remnant_phoenix]

I've loved Bioware's other work, such as Dragon Age Origins, and I've really wanted to get into more sci-fi as opposed to fantasy.

Conversely, I heard that Mass Effect 1 is arduous to play. And, well, Mass Effect 3's ending...that's a litany of topics in and of itself.

On the one hand, I'm largely unspoiled, including 3's ending, and the idea of an epic, multi-game, sci-fi Shooter/RPG sounds pretty sweet.

On the other hand, I hate the thought of having to trudge through 1 before getting to the good gameplay of 2 and then get to the end of 3 and be disappointed with the conclusion.

Third option: I've considered just playing Mass Effect 2 on its own. I'm a PS3 owner, so I can get the PS3 version with the interactive comic of 1 plus all the DLC (And it's CHEAP! As in $5 cheap.) Can I just enjoy 2 as its own thing and forget about 1 and 3?

I welcome all manner of gaming advice on this.

 

[synobal]

Play all 3, they are all good each for different reasons. You can say what ever you want about the ending of mass effect 3, but I think people are largely wrong about the game. The entire game was an "ending" to the trilogy and to say that the very last 5 minutes invalidates the other two and all of mass effect 3 up to that point is stupid. That is like saying starwars is rubbish because the prequels are no good so you shouldn't even watch the original starwars because why bother.

As someone who loved the original ending and saw it from a mile away I whole heartedly suggest the trilogy with out reservation.

 

[Auberon]

1 is somewhat clumsy and lacks variety, but it has proper PC interface (based on 2, and I recall that 3 didn't change much.)

Right now I'm playing 2, and so far it seems to limit doable missions mostly to squad mates and their loyalties, unless you plan ahead knowing the triggers for major storyline ones.

 

[skywolfblue]

I'd just say skip ME1 and go straight to ME2 and 3. The combat is abysmal, the main planets look nice, but the side-missions look butt-ugly, there's tons of graphical glitching going on, I found the story wasn't exactly it's strongest in the first either.

I started with ME2 without having played ME1 or even the comic, and I found the story to be understandable.

I would say play ME3, even if you don't like the ending, the rest of the game is good. And as long as you download the free Extended Cut the ending is nowhere near as bad as everyone is complaining about.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

Absolutely! Of course you should, and yes play all 3 and might I add once you get your stats up I found the combat in ME1 to be really enjoyable.

 

[Oroboros]

Complaints about ME 1's combat system are mostly hyperbole. Personally I find ME 1's combat to be vastly better. I like the heat management rather than the ammo system of 2+3, the upgrades for guns and armor allow for a much greater degree of playstyle customization. Ammo types not being class specific, abilities not having universal cooldowns, the gunplay not being as married to the concept of cover shooting, etc.

There's quite a noticeable shift in gameplay and themes between 1 and 2. If you are going to get into the series, I'd say either play ME 1 and skip the other two, or Skip the first game and play II+III.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

You already know that there's a controversy surrounding the ending so the worst has passed. Go ahead, play all three games. People love Mass Effect perhaps more than it's healthy for them. Myself included. And there's a reason for that love. That's why the controversy surrounding it was so huge.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Yup play all three, they're fantastic and you don't really get the full experience if you skip any of them.

 

[Gameguy20100]

Play all three.

It is without a doubt the best trilogy I have ever played.

skipping is not the best idea

 

[WeepingAngels]

Mass Effect 1 is my favorite (on PC). I just love the Mako and they took it out in 2, I haven't played 3 yet. Mass Effect 1 also gives you infinite ammo, your weapons heat up instead. I really don't care for collecting clips but it's not a deal breaker.

Mass Effect 2 replaced the Mako with something called Planet Scanning, it was a horrible replacement. The upgrade system in 2 was different too, I never really paid much attention to it but in the first game upgrades were items that you collect and apply to your weapons.

 

[Mekanicum]

Just play through all three, you'll thank yourself for it when you see the decisions you make in the first game pay off in the second and third. Also don't worry too much about the ending for number three, most of the hate is angry hyperbole and if you're anything like me you'll probably have trouble understanding what the fuss was all about.

That said, the first Mass Effect can be REALLY frustrating at times (I'm looking at you, Mako)so get ready for that. Don't be ashamed to rush through it the first time around.

 

[LetalisK]

I've loved Bioware's other work, such as Dragon Age Origins, and I've really wanted to get into more sci-fi as opposed to fantasy.

Conversely, I heard that Mass Effect 1 is arduous to play.

But less arduous than Dragon Age Origins, so you should be fine. Play all three. I predict that you're going to be in the camp that prefers ME1 over the others.

 

[Mikejames]

Play the first one's combat on easy mode if you want to get through it quicker, and make sure you have the extended cut downloaded for ME3, but I recommend playing the whole series.

A lot of the appeal was seeing character's conflicts and relationships develop over the course of all three games.

 

[Raikas]

Play all three.

The first one is a little clunky, yes - but it has the strongest world-building, and you miss out on some later character options if you skip it. It's my least favourite of the series to play, but my favourite in terms of getting that feeling of exploration. Also, a fair bit of the character interactions in the later games will be significantly less powerful if you skip the first game.

And the ending of the third one is weak, but I felt like the other 95% of the game was brilliant - other people are less enamoured of it that I am, but most people will agree that at the very least, the first third of the game has some killer character pieces.

 

[Clowndoe]

The thing is, the Mass Effect trilogy goes on sale for 20$ on Origin and GamersGate all the time. At $6.66 each, you can't really fail. Let's say you hated one of them, then you can say you bought two for 10$ and got the third free.

 

[MysticSlayer]

On the one hand, I'm largely unspoiled, including 3's ending, and the idea of an epic, multi-game, sci-fi Shooter/RPG sounds pretty sweet.

The thing about the Mass Effect games is that none of them are truly bad. Sure, the first game's gameplay is about as horrible as a passing game can get, but its writing is still some of the best I saw during the 7th generation. The third game's ending was...not perfect, but most of the game was still fantastic, and even the hate around the ending was overblown.

Overall, I would say to play all of them. The first game might be a hassle to play through, but if you set the difficulty lower it shouldn't be too bad. Just appreciate the writing and you should be good. The second game is obviously great, and for the third game, just be prepared for some changes in the conversations and also brace yourself for a less-than-perfect ending. Still, I think missing out on the 100+ hours of enjoyment the franchise offers all because of some poor gameplay in the first and an ending that received far more hate than it deserved is ridiculous. All of them are great in their own right. You just shouldn't go in expecting things you shouldn't.

 

[Kingjackl]

Play them all, it's a pretty good series. The individual games have their flaws, but it's a case of the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts.

 

[King of Asgaard]

Play all 3 in order, it'll make your Shepard feel all the more special.
Not only that, but there's plot elements that you'll miss out on should you skip ahead (the interactive comic is rather mediocre in that respect, I feel), and youtube-ing the stuff you missed just doesn't feel as good.