Mass Effect 1 before 2

Should I even play mass effect 1 before playing 2 or can I bypass and just do the 2nd one?

Please explain your opinion as to why.

Mass Effect 1 actually has a far better main storyline than the 2nd game. I love both games but without the story of the first game Mass Effect 2 would have been pretty uninteresting in a lot of ways.

A lot of people, especially PC Gamers, believe that Mass Effect 2 is horribly overrated and the first game is actually better. Whilst I think both games are good, the first game IMO despite not being quite as polished and having as interesting side quests etc was probably the better game becauase the story/plot was a lot better than the sequel.

Not forgetting you can also export your ME1 play frew to ME2 and also into ME3. Which i heard can alter the story in some parts. Just playing ME1 now and around 27 hours into it. (PC)

Ive played abit of ME2 and i think the galaxy map been improved loads as on ME1 it doesnt give you the percentage on what systems you been and completed but in ME2 it does and thats a big help.

I don't think Mass Effect 1 is a very good game when compared to the second. You should play the first game anyway just to have a consistent save file.

From an RP standpoint definitely play 1 first. I won't spoil anything but basically you get a huge paragon/renegade boost if you import a saved file from ME1 over to 2 - a boost you will most definitely need if you want to overcome the gimped p/r system in the second game. With it you won't even notice the gimped system is there - without it they basically throw you to the wolves.

Or I suppose you could just import someone elses save if you really want to skip ahead to the 2nd game.

And imo the story's just as good in the 2nd as in the first. It just doesn't follow the same format - which apparently makes a few people on the internets incredibly opinionated for some reason.

A lot of people, especially PC Gamers, believe that Mass Effect 2 is horribly overrated and the first game is actually better.

iamrob7

Mass Efect 2 PC user score 9.3

Mass Effect PC user score 8.9

I don't believe that at all. I honestly haven't even seen all the hate for Mass Effect 2 until much recently.

[QUOTE="iamrob7"]

A lot of people, especially PC Gamers, believe that Mass Effect 2 is horribly overrated and the first game is actually better.

JangoWuzHere

Mass Efect 2 PC user score 9.3

Mass Effect PC user score 8.9

I don't believe that at all. I honestly haven't even seen all the hate for Mass Effect 2 until much recently.

well i played part 2 first and when i tried to play part one i did not like so i recommend only play part 2

I love ME1 but it is not as polished as ME2. Bioware in ME1 used a lot of the prefab structures in design (you need to attack a rebel base, that has the exact same layout as the pirate base, the mad scientist base and the rogue Geth base) so there is a bit or repetative design. But to me it is a MUST because it gives you the history of the Mass Effect Galaxy and has a great story.

[QUOTE="iamrob7"]

A lot of people, especially PC Gamers, believe that Mass Effect 2 is horribly overrated and the first game is actually better.

JangoWuzHere

Mass Efect 2 PC user score 9.3

Mass Effect PC user score 8.9

I don't believe that at all. I honestly haven't even seen all the hate for Mass Effect 2 until much recently.

It's not "hate", like I said I love both games, most people do. It's important to remember that the hype and response to Mass Effect 2 was heavily influenced by the excitement and anticipation the first game created. Mass Effect 2 did improve on the first in a number of ways, but undoubtedly it was inferior storywise and went downhill in a number of others.

http://uk.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28806607/mass-effect-1-was-a-greatly-overrated-game.?tag=topics%3Btitle

This thread is a good example, a response to someone saying ME1 is overrated where the vast majority of people say it is the other way round. People don't hate Mass Effect 2, they actually like it...they simply don't like what it lost from the first game.

ME1 - More flaws, more things to complain about but ultimately more scope/exploration and a far superior main storyline.

ME2 - More polished/linear, no real outstanding flaws just complaints of what more it could have had in relation to the first game.

As for the differing user scores, as has already been said a lot of those were about the complaints from the first game and a lot of the boosted scores for the second are down to the hype and excitement of continuing the first games story. I also think the major thing is that the first game had more flaws and was more rough around the edges, people generally complain more about what a game tries to do and fails doing as opposed to what a game didn't even attempt to do.

From what I've seen on these forums and others, generally speaking, console gamers generally value ME2's streamlined features more than PC Gamers. I think because of the shooting being more cover dependant and the game in general being far more polished/improved sidequests/characters etc.

If you start a game in ME 2 without ME 1, the game will give you a bunch of Renegade choices which you may not like. Even if you plan on going Renegade there are important things you wont get control of.

But if you play ME 1 first, you get to experience a great game, make all the decisions you want to make, actually understand who various characters are, and you get a nice bonus of money, experience, minerals, and paragon/renegade in the first mission.

Mass Effect 2 will have more meaning to you if you play Mass Effect 1 first since you can import your save.

Just play the first one and then skip the second, if you want to keep up on the story just watch the cutscenes of 2.

1 was a great game trying to do something, 2 is just a horrible game that's a bad RPG and a bad action game

you should definitely play them in order

I loved both games. They're both great in their own way. They really don't play all that much differently. I do believe the story in the first game was better, though. They should be played in order, as intended. Here's looking forward to an epic finale in ME3!

I don't see any good reason to bypass a good game. Mass Effect is a good game.

I strongly recommend it, but you dont have to.

I think its better if you do, though, more enjoyable and thorough experience.

Absolutely no reason not to play Mass Effect. Personally I like it better than the second game, which while very polished didn't quite grab me as the first. If you enjoy space opera at all you definitely shouldn't skip ME.

Thanks to all of your responses and I will play 1 before 2.