Should I play Mass Effect 1 before Mass Effect 2?

[blckgrffn]

Not just on Metacritic, but on virtually every user score aggregate. And the DRM is only applies to user reviews for the PC version, not the 360 version.

OK.

Let's pretend that the scores definitely read that way. What does a higher score translate to? Something that appeals more widely or something that is more "pure" but puts off more casual gamers? What is the point of discussing that? My Grandma might like ME2 better. Good to know...

Next, why should any score aggregate site be any more valid than Metacritic? (Which is what Red Storm is debating...)

The thread is supposed to be about whether or not to play ME1 before ME2, right?

We say yes!

 

[Jules]

I liked ME2 more then ME1. If you are already playing ME2 just stick with it and finish it and check out ME1 after.

 

[Zenoth]

It wouldn't matter much.

There's barely anything connected between ME1 and ME2 anyway, seriously. If you play ME2 and then play ME1 you might have the feeling that play a "prequel", but not much. If you play ME1 before ME2 you'll wonder what ME2 is all about, but you'll appreciate the combat more than ME1, that's for sure. In my book they are completely different games, I'm getting tired to even bother trying to connect both games myself, I abandoned trying to do that long ago, just consider both different (because they truly are, one is about telling a story, the other is about blowing things up more efficiently, and doing it faster).

 

[Jjoshua2]

First ME is one of my all time favorite games, so play it. Besides after seeing ME2, ME1 won't be as fun, since the graphics aren't as good and you will know some of the plot already. ME1 is still has plenty fine graphics with max AA and AS in control panel

 

[zinfamous]

Again, I'm pretty sure the majority of gamers do in fact think the second one is better. Your "no question" is just your opinion.

ME2 is half-finished. I think it is an awesome game on its own, but pales in comparison to ME1.

 

[zinfamous]

That the aggregate of other people's opinions is that ME2 was the better game is a fact, not an opinion. Unless somehow the numbers I see when I go to Metacritic or any website that allows user scores is somehow a figment of my imagination.

oh, it must be true then that Transformers is a better movie than Godfather or Godfather 2.

interesting system of verification you have there....

:hmm:

 

[Red Hawk]

It wouldn't matter much.

There's barely anything connected between ME1 and ME2 anyway, seriously. If you play ME2 and then play ME1 you might have the feeling that play a "prequel", but not much. If you play ME1 before ME2 you'll wonder what ME2 is all about, but you'll appreciate the combat more than ME1, that's for sure. In my book they are completely different games, I'm getting tired to even bother trying to connect both games myself, I abandoned trying to do that long ago, just consider both different (because they truly are, one is about telling a story, the other is about blowing things up more efficiently, and doing it faster).

Seriously? Without playing ME1 first, the player would be clueless going into Mass Effect 2. Just take the dialogue between Miranda and the Illusive Man at the very beginning.

Spoiler

Miranda: "Shepard did everything right, more than we could have hoped for."

Player who never played ME1: Who's Shepard?

Miranda: "Saving the Citadel, even saving the Council. Humanity has the gratitude of the entire galaxy, and still it's not enough."

ME1-less player: "What's the Citadel and Council, and what were they saved from? Why's this important to the entire galaxy?"

TIM: "Our sacrifices have earned the Council's gratitude, but Shepard remains our best hope."

Player: Ok. Who's Shepard?

Miranda: "But they're sending him to fight geth. Geth! We both know they're not the real threat. The Reapers are still out there."

The Illusive Man: "And it's up to us to stop them."

Player: What're the geth? Reapers? And who are you guys anyways?

Miranda: "The Council will never trust Cerberus, even after all humanity has accomplished. But Shepard, they'll follow him. He's a hero, a bloody icon, but he's just one man. If we lose Shepard, humanity might well follow."

TIM: "Then make sure we don't lose him."

ME1-less player: WHO THE HELL IS SHEPARD??!!

Meanwhile a player who played ME1 would be like: Yeah, that's me -- ok, I'm still chasing after geth. Wait, what? Why is CERBERUS of all people talking about me?!

oh, it must be true then that Transformers is a better movie than Godfather or Godfather 2.

interesting system of verification you have there....

:hmm:

Way to misunderstand what I was saying. Judging by the Rotten Tomatoes aggregate (which has its problems too, mind you) and the awards The Godfather won and the distinct lack of awards for Transformers 2, no, Transformers is not the better movie. It just made more money in the box office.

 

[JTsyo]

^ that's some major ME1 spoilers and considering this is a thread on if the OP should play ME1, I think you should tag it.

First time I played through ME1,

Spoiler

I saved the council

but then I went back to see what the other path was and then didn't finish the game but I guess a save file still got updated because when i started ME2

Spoiler

I wasn't welcome on the Citadel

 

[Imported]

I only have the PS3 version of ME2.. but is there no interactive comic to fill inthe backstory? I never played ME1 but the comic helped quite a bit in understanding some things.

 

[JTsyo]

I only have the PS3 version of ME2.. but is there no interactive comic to fill inthe backstory? I never played ME1 but the comic helped quite a bit in understanding some things.

Comic was for PS3 since there is no ME1 for PS3. Think it's limited to PC/Xbox. This way the PS3 folks could get the backstory and make the choices that would carry over.

 

[s44]

Comic was for PS3 since there is no ME1 for PS3.

Or, more specifically, since Microsoft (the publisher) won't allow ME1 for PS3.

It's sort of funny how deep the haters are digging in just to avoid admitting the obvious fact that ME2 was not just more popular but better-received than ME1 -- by every segment of the gamer population. They might all be wrong and you might be right. But if you can't deal with the fact that you're well in the minority, that's not a great sign...

 

[Red Storm]

Or, more specifically, since Microsoft (the publisher) won't allow ME1 for PS3.

It's sort of funny how deep the haters are digging in just to avoid admitting the obvious fact that ME2 was not just more popular but better-received than ME1 -- by every segment of the gamer population. They might all be wrong and you might be right. But if you can't deal with the fact that you're well in the minority, that's not a great sign...

Who are these haters? People who don't agree with you or the "majority" (the same group that says twilight and the social network are among the greatest movies of all time?). They're both good games, but ME1 was better (IMHO for those who can't tell this is an opinionated forum post in a discussion about the two games ).

If you wanted Mass Effect to be more of a shooter and easier to manage on a console, then I could see why the 2nd would seem better. But even then, the story and setting were better in the 1st game, and I personally enjoyed the gameplay more in the 1st than 2nd.

 

[zerocool84]

I'm about 6 hours into ME2 and I'm sure if you haven't played or at least read through the storyline of the first one, you'd be confused as to what, where, when, and why. All someone needs to do is read through the Wiki for the story and I'm sure they'd be fine.

 

[zerocool84]

GAHHH

Mass Effect 2 has taken over my life just like the first one did. I played the first one last year and I couldn't wait to get home from work to play it and this one is doing it to me too. I didn't feel this way about Dragon Age 1. I didn't even finish it because I got bored of it but I'm definitely as hooked as I was playing the first one.

 

[pwnagesarus]

I agree that ME1 > ME2 when it came to the RPG aspects. In ME1, I preferred to avoid combat and just experience the story. However, ME2 was more fast paced and had better combat, but it didn't allow for much exploring. It was done well enough to where I can forgive ME2's shortcomings.

If ME1 was one side of the spectrum and ME2 was the other, I'm hoping ME3 is somewhere closer to the middle.

 

[blckgrffn]

I agree that ME1 > ME2 when it came to the RPG aspects. In ME1, I preferred to avoid combat and just experience the story. However, ME2 was more fast paced and had better combat, but it didn't allow for much exploring. It was done well enough to where I can forgive ME2's shortcomings.

If ME1 was one side of the spectrum and ME2 was the other, I'm hoping ME3 is somewhere closer to the middle.

Agreed.

And now angry over how lame the ending of ME2 was... Really, that's it? Feels like the game should have been about eight hours long for how much really happened.

How the crap they are going to smoothly integrate the story of the next one, given what kind of losses you could take and still complete the game is probably going to be disappointing as well.

At least I got the hilarious (and momentarily alarming) "a lot of good people died today" speech before anything of the sort happened. lol. If that is the kind of stuff they do in ME3 (just ignoring your party status) to trim down the story iterations it will be a sad day. They really did it to themselves though, by having so many sidekicks. Heck, I don't even have the DLC ones, and I am not sure if I am even going to invest the time in any of the DLC. Just not that impressed.

 

[Aristotelian]

I just wanted to chime in again.

I played ME2 before ME1 and it was one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I've had in a long while.

I got ME1 on Steam and have been playing it through - it's just as compulsive (story wise), but there seem to be a lot of extra things for me to do. I prefer the scanning/automatic pickup style in ME1 (on random planets), but the areas in ME2 felt more gripping to me (Omega, for instance).

Regarding combat: my party members seem ultra delicate in ME1. Immunity makes my character somewhat invincible (I charge in and essentially wreck things, hoping to get focus fired while my team mates use bio attacks and what not). Combat felt more balanced in ME2 - that my teammates were a bit stronger, and I was weaker (almost always having to use cover, for example).

It's one of those scenarios where I wish that I had played all 3 after ME3 came out, as I'm nearing the end of ME1 and am definitely jonesing for more. I'll probably do a new game+ of ME1 where I perfect everything, import that to ME2 and hopefully do a perfect run there (I couldn't get Jack's loyalty before the end of ME2).

Renegade/Paragon decisions seem a bit unbalanced - there are times where I think a Paragon choice would certainly be to do X to Y, but it turns out to be a Renegade resultant.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the series. I built a new PC recently and am looking for 'the best games of the past 2-3 years' or so, and ME1 and 2 are definitely up there it seems.

 

[blckgrffn]

I just wanted to chime in again.

I played ME2 before ME1 and it was one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I've had in a long while.

I got ME1 on Steam and have been playing it through - it's just as compulsive (story wise), but there seem to be a lot of extra things for me to do. I prefer the scanning/automatic pickup style in ME1 (on random planets), but the areas in ME2 felt more gripping to me (Omega, for instance).

Regarding combat: my party members seem ultra delicate in ME1. Immunity makes my character somewhat invincible (I charge in and essentially wreck things, hoping to get focus fired while my team mates use bio attacks and what not). Combat felt more balanced in ME2 - that my teammates were a bit stronger, and I was weaker (almost always having to use cover, for example).

It's one of those scenarios where I wish that I had played all 3 after ME3 came out, as I'm nearing the end of ME1 and am definitely jonesing for more. I'll probably do a new game+ of ME1 where I perfect everything, import that to ME2 and hopefully do a perfect run there (I couldn't get Jack's loyalty before the end of ME2).

Renegade/Paragon decisions seem a bit unbalanced - there are times where I think a Paragon choice would certainly be to do X to Y, but it turns out to be a Renegade resultant.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the series. I built a new PC recently and am looking for 'the best games of the past 2-3 years' or so, and ME1 and 2 are definitely up there it seems.

Playing as a Infiltrator, I was pretty fragile in ME1. I died frequently in the beginning as I somehow decided to the that "Sky is Falling" DLC right away, not knowing it was the DLC and the rocket turrets could one shot me... and Urdnot Wrex was my tank