Hello people,

As you can tell by the title of this thread, I am wondering if I would SERIOUSLY be missing out if I skipped ME1 in favor of ME2 on the ps3? I know about the movie that is supposed to recap the events of 1. Obviously playing every game in a series is best but my Xbox crapped out on me long ago and playing on the pc is not an option. I've never really had any interest in this series, but my interest is rising (mostly because of diving into the bombcast backlog). Is it worth it? I've heard nothing but praise for this game for a while. I appreciate your input. Thanks.

I did, I made by fine, the game does a good job of recapping on past events.

When someone says they're going to make a movie of a big name video game, don't hold your breath for it to actually get done. The Mass Effect film may have more chance than others of getting released, but even if it does, it's going to present a dramatically shortened version of the events of ME1, may not be out for a while, and of course can't include the player choice mechanics which are a big part of Mass Effect's appeal.

Mass Effect 1 has gotten a lot of praise but it's not a perfect game, and many people believe 2 improved on a lot of its problems. A lot of people don't like the game's inventory management, load times can be a pain, none of the Mass Effect games have flawless combat and there are other problems, but that being said I'd definitely recommend trying to play the series from start to end. ME2 makes it easy to just jump in and get a pretty good sense of what's going on, but like any series which places heavy emphasis on story, following it all the way along is going to be more rewarding, and with Mass Effect specifically I think there's a great deal of value in seeing your choices from one game impact future games.

Ahhhhhhhhh I would play 1 first. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it really helps to have the background on characters before going in...though Bioware preached that you don't need to play ME1 first. Your choice :)

@Hizang said:

I did, I made by fine, the game does a good job of recapping on past events.

@SAC:

I went straight to ME2 because the PS3 is my only console. I greatly enjoyed ME2 and the comic that recaps the events of ME1 gives you a good impression on what happened. You could still watch important cutcenes of ME1 on YouTube, which is what I did before getting ME2, by the way :)

As huge fan of the series, this is a question I often struggle to answer. On the one hand, I think the story beats in Mass Effect 1 are not just vital, they're very enjoyable. Unfortunately, Mass Effect 1, especially in hindsight, plays horrifically. Mass Effect 2 and 3 are simply far more fun to actually play, moment to moment, in my opinion (not sure who would argue that though, honestly).

The stuff that carries over from game to game isn't inconsequential either. I played ME 1 on PC, but played ME 2-3 on Xbox 360, and it's extremely jarring to see a person, for instance, whom you may have chosen to let die in the first game, totally show up in the next game. It's not a completely inconsequential aspect of the game. It depends on what kind of person you are, but it definitely bothered me more than I thought it would. (Let's just say I really didn't like Ashley)

I would say, if you can muster it, try to knock out ME1. Even if it means mostly main lining it, if for no other reason than to see the major plot points and make the major decisions yours. Obviously, you should also stick to the same platform, for that reason.

It really just boils down to how much those things matter to you. At absolute minimum, I'd look over a ME1 story wiki or something. I imagine a lot of the things in ME 2 and 3 would either have far less impact, or just flat out not make sense if you don't play ME1.

It's just really hard to say. I'd say give ME1 a try, and if the combat doesn't bother you, just finish it. It's possible ME1 wont seem so bad until you play ME2. Personally, I just can't judge ME1 with out thinking about ME2. I'm never not going to remember how poorly ME1 plays compared to 2 and 3. It may not bother you though, so give it a try. Crappy combat and inventory aside, ME1 still has a fantastic story. It does far more to flesh out the universe than either ME2 and ME3.

Basically, I can't imagine enjoying the series as much as I did if I never played ME1, but obviously, I have no way of knowing that definitively.

The games are better if you play all of them. No way around that, since they are designed to incorporate your choices in the next one. No problem starting with 2, but you will be missing one of the primary draws of the series, and if there was any way of getting to play them consecutively, I'd do it.

Contrary to what the others said, I skipped the first Mass Effect and felt like I was missing out on cooler stuff the whole time I played 2. Not that I would recommend you play 1, because my admittedly small amount of experience with that entry was awful.

Mass Effect 1 is the best one, so yeah I would recommend it.

Story aside, play ME1 first just because it's really hard to deal with its gameplay after playing ME2.

@Twinsun said:

Mass Effect 1 is the best one, so yeah I would recommend it.

Yeah i'm in the same boat. Sounds stupid to say that ME1 is better than ME2, but thats how i see it. Sure it has some clunky game design, but i still played that game a lot more times through than i did ME2.

If you must play it do so on PC where the framerate won't make the gameplay more tedious than it already is. I'd recommend ME2 over ME1 by a mile and the dialogue + the codex will fill in what you need to know from the first game. Download a save file if you want the full connected experience but it's not worth your time to trudge through such a comparatively rough game.

ME1 is actually the best Mass Effect, you shouldn't miss out on it. Just play it at a shitty resolution on your laptop if you have to. 

I'm sure the games fill you in well enough, but it was designed as a story and the events are obviously going to be a lot more meaningful if you've experienced them all. I wouldn't recommend anyone starts the LoTR trilogy with the Two Towers and I wouldn't recommend anyone starts Mass Effect with ME2.

Generally a good idea to play all of them. But if there's no way you can play Mass Effect then I guess you should watch a playthrough of it on Youtube? There might be some that cut out the gameplay and just show you the most vital parts of the game (like the main story and conversations).

I think you should play all of them in sequence for maximum benefit. Also I think ME1 is the best of the bunch even though ME2 improved on some parts.

Hm. I think I might be able to snag an Xbox copy and borrow a friends system, although I will not be playing the other 2 on Xbox. At least I can get a good feel for the universe and try my best to emulate my choices at the beginning of ME2. I think I'll be aight, even if i gotta go thought some inconveniences to experience this series. Crazy I have had zero interest in this series seein how I loved the KOTOR games. Thanks for your input.

I can't even imagine play ME1 without having played it before. I love that game but I still think it's unimaginably clunky.

Do whatever you need to do to play ME2 it's definitely one of the best games this generation.

Mass Effect 1 is the best experience from the three games, I fondly think back at ME1 but not so much the other two.
The other two are better technically and gameplay wise but ME1 is one of the best games ever in my opinion.
 
Its worth it to get into the universe better alone.

Yes. ME1 has the best story and completely sets up everything to come. Although 2 and 3 were fine, they can't hold a candle to 1 for me.

@Gamer_152 said:

When someone says they're going to make a movie of a big name video game, don't hold your breath for it to actually get done. The Mass Effect film may have more chance than others of getting released, but even if it does, it's going to present a dramatically shortened version of the events of ME1, may not be out for a while, and of course can't include the player choice mechanics which are a big part of Mass Effect's appeal.

That's not what he said.

It doesn't play as well as the others but it has some really cool story beats, and it probably has the most solid villain of the three and the story has less of an epic, one man saving the galaxy feel, which is cool, and I sorely missed from 3.. Also if you don't play 1 you miss out on Kirrahee, one of the best characters in the series (In my opinion anyways)..

I think you will be fine just playing ME2, that is what I done. Hard to go back to 1 because of all the problems with it that were fixed or removed in ME2

First off, ME1 is fantastic and has the best story telling in the series. Also, you have choices to make that import into ME2. So yes, play it first. ME2 is a smoother, more polished play by far and very entertaining, but the way the trilogy ties together via your choices is not to be missed if possible imo.

You can catch up on the story, but really if you're going through the Mass Effect games with your -own- shepard, it's worth starting from the beginning.

@joshthebear said:

Yes. ME1 has the best story and completely sets up everything to come. Although 2 and 3 were fine, they can't hold a candle to 1 for me.

Yeah, the jankyness of ME1 is part of the fun.

ME1 doesn't play great, but everything else about it is awesome. The story, especially. The last 3 hours are one of my most memorable end games this generation.

ME1 is better than the other two, so you should play it.

The first one is the best one in the series so you should play it.

@NTM said:

@Gamer_152 said:

When someone says they're going to make a movie of a big name video game, don't hold your breath for it to actually get done. The Mass Effect film may have more chance than others of getting released, but even if it does, it's going to present a dramatically shortened version of the events of ME1, may not be out for a while, and of course can't include the player choice mechanics which are a big part of Mass Effect's appeal.

That's not what he said.

I don't follow, what didn't he say?

@SAC: Go for it Mass Effect 1 kind of sucks game play wise but does have great writing, and Mass Effect 2 is more stand alone anyways. Also I think the PS3 version of ME 2 comes with a recap of the first game.

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

Mass Effect 1 is the best experience from the three games, I fondly think back at ME1 but not so much the other two. The other two are better technically and gameplay wise but ME1 is one of the best games ever in my opinion. Its worth it to get into the universe better alone.

Thuis

Personally, it's the best one for playing Infiltrator (sniper) class because of the huge draw distance and scale which didn't return in the sequels. Driving the Mako up a mountain as far as I could to find a good vantage point for sniping were my most memorable times in the series. Also, combat could go down at any moment in ME1, vs the sequels where there are separate, designated combat areas. However, it falls victim to repetitive floor layouts, enemy AI running back and forth like headless chickens, and an inventory that will get full of useless items halfway through.

@Gamer_152: When I read your comment, it's as if you assumed he was talking about a film adaption of the game, but he was talking about the little short comic movie that's at the beginning of the PS3 version of ME2, where you select the most important choices from the first one, like should you let Ashley or Kaiden die, or killing off Wrex. Was I wrong? If so, sorry then. It just seemed to me you thought he was talking about a Hollywood Mass Effect film, when he wasn't talking about that at all.

Play it on casual difficulty if at all, if you feel like stopping because of the gameplay just skip it & get the Genesis DLC for ME2.

EDIT: Also the most important thing to know as a first-time player is that Jennifer Hale is a much better VA than Mark Meer. Female Shepard for life.

There are other reasons I can't stand to play Mass Effect 1 after playing 2 and 3 but they're irrelevant to a first-time player. There are some good story beats and twists if you don't know much about the series, other than that it's pretty average. To call the mechanics "dated" would be a monumental understatement.

Thanks again for the input, dudes. I have arranged to borrow a friend's 360 and I purchased a very cheap new copy. I'm excited. I tend to like older games so I think I won't get too hung up on "dated" mechanics. Plus, I'm playing it for the story, so I will be playing it on a fairly casual difficulty.

@NTM said:

@Gamer_152: When I read your comment, it's as if you assumed he was talking about a film adaption of the game, but he was talking about the little short comic movie that's at the beginning of the PS3 version of ME2, where you select the most important choices from the first one, like should you let Ashley or Kaiden die, or killing off Wrex. Was I wrong? If so, sorry then. It just seemed to me you thought he was talking about a Hollywood Mass Effect film, when he wasn't talking about that at all.

I see what you mean. There is a Hollywood film adaptation of the game in the works and that was what I was talking about, but looking back he probably did mean the mini-film at the start of the PS3 version. Still, even that can only do so much to replace the experience of actually playing through the story yourself. Thanks for pointing that out.

A world without Wrex is a world that I don't want to live in. Go play ME1!!

@ShaggE said:

Story aside, play ME1 first just because it's really hard to deal with its gameplay after playing ME2.

This... If you do play ME1, make sure you play it before ME2. After playing ME2 and 3, going back to ME1... Well, you just wont be able to. You'll hate it.

I adore ME1, and even I haven't been able to muster another play through since ME2 came out.