Is ME2 necessary to play this?

Is it safe to skip ME2?

I just finished ME1 and I started ME2. It might seem stupid, but not being able to recruit Kaidan, Liara and Wrex just killed most of my motivation to play this. I don't like any of the new people.

Reading the synopsis makes it seem like it's not that important to the story.

Is ME2 vital in order to play ME3? Would I be missing much?

Play ME2 and skip 3.

Really the best part of the trilogy is the journey through all the games and the story you "created" along the way. I couldn't fathom playing 1 and 3, let alone just 1 and 2. Finish 2 and you get your wishes eventually.

I'm kind of speechless. You have to go through two, otherwise you'd be missing out. And you seem to judge it far too early.

This is crazy. ME2 is alot better than ME3.

Don't skip two. it'd be a massive disservice to your experience.

I'm of two minds on this point. As far as advancing the main "Reapers Are Coming" storyline, ME2 does very little. It's sort of an extended side quest.

However! The game hugely advances the two major subplots of the series, the Geth-Quarian Conflict and the Genophage. Also, it introduces a bunch of new characters, and further develops bit players from ME1, like Cerberus.

So... I would say if you're interested in the ME universe at all, I would play ME2. It fills in the universe quite a lot.

If you are going to skip a Mass Effect then I would say skip ME1...though I wouldn't even really recommend that, honestly. Mass Effect 3, in my opinion, is incredibly pointless to play if you haven't played at least two. Can you still play it? Absolutely, I would just make the argument that every single thing that happens in that game is nonsense to you and wasted.

Saying Mass Effect 2 isn't that important based on a synopsis proves you shouldn't judge a game based on a synopsis >< Sorry, Mass Effect 2 is just my game of the generation behind Dark Souls.

The gameplay is great I won't deny that.
But my backlog is more than enough for me at the moment and I can't stand any of the new characters.
Is it really THAT good?

Fuck yes it's necessary. It's the Empire Strikes Back of the whole franchise.

Yeah, its the best in the series and you need it to understand the story

Considering the first and second one are the best of the trilogy, yeah.

ME2 is a heck of a lot better than 3, and yes, absolutely it's necessary, especially if you want to import your save.

Mass Effect 3's main arc is what I hoped 2 would cover. Honestly, the main story in 2 feels kind of secondary. It's more about characters and such (well, Cerberus stuff would be worth going through before 3).

But I'm one of the few that think 3 is the best game in the trilogy. And easily top 5 for the generation.

At the moment, the main storyline is really all I care about.
I'm interested in the universe but not that much to play the entire game.

I guess I'll just give it a few more hours and make another decision.

How so?
The only thing I know about ME3 is that everyone hates the ending.

A common sentiment I hear in response to this is, ME2 is a very character-focused game, which is where Bioware's writing talent lies. The vast majority of the game is spent getting to know your crew, not fighting the Big Bad. Some of them have personal stories that are very affecting.

If that sounds repulsive to you, then ME2 may not be for you. But in that case, I'd advise abandoning the series altogether because I would not under any circumstances recommend jumping into ME3 cold, even with my statement about ME2's main plot.

Well, as I said I'm not really that far into the game.
The only people I have in my squad is Miranda and Jacob. I'm hoping my mind will change once I meet more people.

I'll force myself to play a few hours,
If I can't change my mind I'll just play ME3 and then go back to this game.

@leych: Well, good news! As in every modern Bioware game, your first two party members are the most boring ones.

Without giving spoilers, the reasons I don't like the third game as much as the first two are as followed:

1. It's very dark. Given what is going on, it's understandable, but it really contrasts the more optimistic views of the first and second game.

2. The villains are really dumb. It's even worse if you played the second game, because they REALLY should know better. Plus, there is one guy who tries to act cool and awesome, but just comes across as really lame. It doesn't help that this villain gets no development at all, it's just 'Here's a bad guy that will impede your progress', and he has no characteristics other than he's evil.

3. The final mission is NOWHERE near as amazing as the final mission of the second game. if there's one reason to play the second game, it's to do the suicide mission. Without any hyperbole, I honestly think it's one of the best video game moments this generation. I expected the third game's final mission to be similar to it, but on a larger scale. Unfortunately, all the final mission in the third game amounts to is a glorified horde mode. I was very disappointed with it.

4. Yes, the ending is really bad. How do you end such a heavily character driven story? How about by not focusing on the characters at all? It's also such a weak ending, considering all the choices lead to the SAME DAMN THING. I haven't played the extended cut (because the ending kills any drive I have to play the game whenever i think about it), but from what I saw on Youtube, they at least made the endings a bit different. Still, given how many choices that the player made throughout the series, I don't think it was unreasonable to expect at least a few extremely different endings.

Other than those things, the third game isn't bad, it's just disappointing.

Onto the topic of ME2, there are 12 squadmates in the game, so if you're only an hour or two in, and only have Miranda and Jacob, stick around, because you'll undoubtedly run into a few you like. However, like others said, ME2 really doesn't advance the story that far, and there are several plot points that seem very significant in the second game that are nowhere to be seen in the third game, which is very annoying. I also don't think it's possible to get the best outcome to some certain choices in ME3 if you didn't play ME2, so if you want the golden ending to some arcs in part 3, it's best to play the second game.

Mass Effect 2 is HEAVILY character driven, and some of the character missions and loyalty missions are absolutely fantastic. Furthermore, while Liara, Kaiden, and Wrex aren't party members in 2, they still appear, and you can actually get Liara as a temporary squad member if you get some of the DLC for the game (Lair of the Shadow Broker, by the way, is by far the best DLC for a game I've played).

I hope this helped!

The environments in ME2 are pretty good; I remember it being dark and atmospheric. You visit some interesting places and meet new characters. Generally, I felt that the universe still retained a sense of wonder and mystery, albeit at diminished rate.

3 was disappointing way before the ending. It's obsessed with wrapping things up and refuses to be a fun adventure. It limits your choices. There are virtually no sidequests beyond giving people random items and horde mode from the multiplayer. ME 2 exemplifies the series strongest points, the characters, the relationships and the side content. The main Mass Effect storyline is kind of the least interesting thing about it.

@csl316 said:

Certainly ME3 a better game than 2 but the journey in ME2 and even ME1 to an extent felt extremely rewarding. All those characterizations and building relationships towards some characters in the first two games for me pay off in 3. Everything happening in the first two games is to build up towards ME3 and setting up for those events. That's why it feels like the main story in 2 feels secondary and doesn't necessarily go anywhere.

Don't get me wrong though, ME2 is essential in my opinion, as the ME series is about the journey not destination (as cliched as that is). If you skip ME2, like @encephalon says I would just abandon the series altogether as it's not worth it at all to miss out decisions and on the journey. Might as well find someone who LPs like you might have played the game.

Mass Effect 2 is probably one of the best games of the generation, I'd say it's foolish to skip it for a game that most everyone feels is inferior. Keep in mind no one is saying 3 is a bad game, but 2 is a classic.

I agree with what The_Ruiner said. The story in ME3 felt quite mechanical and "by the numbers". It was essentially about wrapping up all the storylines from the entire series.

ME3 freaking SUCKS. Everything cool is in ME2, and then ME3 is a big fat long fart sound.

I just want to say: There are a fucking ton of optional side missions that you can only get the "best result" by playing ME2 and saving everyone possible, and two large main plot points as well.

I enjoyed the hell out of 3 purely because of all the wrapping up / callbacks from the first two. I still hate global power cooldowns with a firey passion though; worst goddamn design choice. I miss being able to juggle armies as an Adept.

I don't really have strong feelings about the ending either way, but the game leading up to it is pretty great, but again - mostly in part due to all the stuff I did in the previous two.

I would say absolutely. It's the best Mass Effect and I think some of the characters there are even better than the original.

Play Mass Effect 2

Why wouldnt you play Mass Effect 2? It's the best one

Nope, but it makes the experience of 3 that much better since your attachment to the characters will be greater.

In terms of the main story line, yeah ME2 can be skipped, but in terms of subplots, no it cannot. But try and play up until you find out who archangel is. Also, the ME2 dlc is really good.

Why are you so eager to play 3? Not like Wrex and Liara are in it all that much. And Mass Effect 3 is kinda bad...

I'd highly recommend playing 2 before 3. Also, I don't think Mass Effect 3 is as bad as people really make it out to be. If you're interested in it, don't let others deter you from doing so. Just make sure to have all the campaign Dlc, since it's provides further exposition that should have arguably already been in the game.

Which new characters don't you like? If you do their loyalty missions they might grow on you since you learn more about them. Jacob and Jack's missions was really good and I didn't really like those two characters until I finished their loyalty missions.

Also...Mordin is a champ.

You claim in an earlier post to "hate all the new characters", but here admit you've only even met Jacob and Miranda? As a rule, the human characters in the Mass Effect series are the most boring and uninteresting. Once you meet characters like Thane and Mordin and are reunited with Tali and Garrus, you'll wonder how you could ever consider skipping the game.

skip it, because you feel like it, it's just a game

what made you ask on here anyway? do you enjoy the sound of murlocs gurgling on their own gargle?

Play Mass Effect 2. But don't go into it thinking that it will continue the storyline of the first game. Otherwise you will be bitterly disappointed (just like I was).

Think of Mass Effect 2 as a completely stand-alone. It is all about the character interactions and the little touches. Most of the main story arc is filler.

I'd say give it a chance. Not only does the story circle back to characters you like in ME1, but it's pretty cool by itself, so if you like the universe at all it's worth keeping with it. And some of the fan faves from 2 have a lot to do on 3, so if you skip it a bunch of stuff will make less sense.

But, assuming this isn't just trollbait, it's an interesting feeling. It's weird how ME3 existing changes the perception of ME2. After Mass Effect you want more of those guys, and because they take a backseat in 2 but not so much in 3, feeling you could just skip ahead and circle back to them being playable again is a viable option. Huh. At the time ME2 came out they didn't have to worry about people getting impatient, so that game got to pace itself in how much fan service it dumped in early.

Don't be put off by Jacob and Miranda; you pick up a lot of squad members in ME2 and those two are far from being the most interesting ones.

I'd never recommend skipping ME2, but if you do I definitely wouldn't bother with ME3. Most of the highpoints of ME3 will be ruined if you aren't invested in the characters you meet during ME2.

If you don't like Mass Effect 2 and haven't even finished it, don't even bother with 3. You're setting yourself up for a disappointment.

I love both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. The ending wasn't great (it's a lot better after they fixed it, at least I think so) but like Brad said in the bombcasts, I found the highs to be higher than in ME2. However this game and those highs only really work if you played all of the other ME games and know the characters. If you're not having fun with the second game don't bother starting the third one.

all this hate for 3 is way beyond unfounded at this point, it's ridiculous. the ending sucks, and they messed up the character import thingy, but that is all that's wrong with that game.

In a way I'd say ME2 is necessary to enjoy the franchise

Heh. I kinda spoiled who he is in my quest to find out who was recruitable from ME1.

I guess I forgot to add the "so far" bit. I hate the ones that I've met so far. The only character I like is because of Joker because y'know, ME1.

The main reason for me wanting to skip this is because I want to advance the main story line, but no this isn't trollbait.

For some reason this thread is making me angry.....calm down.....breath.

If you didn't like the second game in the series, why in the name of god would you skip to the next one? What makes you think it will be any better? You don't advance the story by missing out a huge chunk of it to get to the end faster. If you are reading a book and really like the first chapter do you just skip to the end?

Its a great game. 3 is by a distance the worst of the series, its as if they had forgotten everything which made the game great by that point. If you don't like ME2 just give up on the whole thing.

@leych: If you don't like ME2 then just stop now cause honestly the series just progresses in that same direction. ME3 is even more action oriented, has less likable characters to recruit and the story takes a hit for the worse as well. It's a competent game, and still fun in it's own way - but if you were a huge fan of the way ME1 played, as in a more hardcore RPG than an action shooter, then I'm sad to say that part of Mass Effect has died in favor of mass appeal. If you're not enjoying yourself now, then I don't think there is anything coming up to make you 180 into awesome-town, in which case you might as well not torture yourself.

@leych: Not sure why anyone would even ask this but yes you should at least play ME2 before ME3. You can probably save money buying the whole trilogy(even if you don't play ME1), it's down to $40 on Amazon.

If you intend to play on PC, and are patient enough to sit through all of ME1, i'd say buy that and just use cheats so you can enjoy the story without being bogged down by the boring gameplay. ME1 isn't that long if you just mainline the story.

The best parts of ME3 are the character bits. Those character bits make little sense outside what happens to the characters in ME2.

Man, I just got to say that other than the ending it thought that ME3 was better than two in every way. The combat and movement was better, the leveling system that people disliked in two was improved on, and the relationships you built with Garrus, Liara, Wrex, Joker (err, except for that one weird robot thing), Morden, etch were all really emotionally affecting.

I wouldn't say ME3 forgot everything that made the game great, but it definitely felt more rushed. Things weren't fleshed out in the same way as the previous 2.

The stuff with Miranda may be sort of confusing, she kind of pops up out of nowhere with no explanation as I recall, other than the the story is fairly straight forwards and not very dependant on the first two games, actually there is a pretty huge moment in the middle of the game that wouldn't be very meaningful if you hadn't played 2, and it was probably the best moment in the game.

You should play 2, 1 is the best game in the series and has a great ending so I can see why the start of 2 is off putting, 2 is still a great game for the most part, 3 is complete garbage story wise compared to either 1 or 2, if you are playing for the story don't bother with 3.