Is Mass Effect 1 worth playing?

[zoloz]

So I just beat Mass Effect 2 for the first time the other day (amazing game) and I am wondering if it is worth getting ME1. I have watched some videos of it on youtube and the combat looks bad compared to the second game. Just wondering if the game as a whole is as good as ME2.

[Deleted]

The story makes up for it. Have played through both many times myself The combat system might not be as good as in the second, but it is totally worth it, imo.

[mystik]

pretty sure there was already a thread on this recently and it's pretty stupid to play 2 first, you don't get the whole story and to make your own decisions that impact the sequels. the combat isn't much different, some even like it better. it's a bit more rpg-like and no covering or ammo.

[Deleted]

Ohhhyesss!!!

[Zorial]

I found Mass Effect 1 to be much more enjoyable than 2.

[DarkKnight90]

If you do decide to play it, play it on the PC, not the 360.

Playing it on PC is a fairly similar experience to playing Mass Effect 2 on PC/360 - they overhauled the UI system and combat and made it much more friendly than the original 360 version.

As someone who has played both, the 360 version literally made me feel dizzy - I don't know why, but having to switch so often between the weapon screen and the combat, breaking stuff into bio-gel etc ... yeah. I played it once so my decisions would carry over to ME2, but I won't be playing it again, whereas I've played through ME2 3 times now.

[rayvio]

definitely. Mass Effect 1 is in many ways superior to the sequel, although overall they're about even. and it'll really help to fully understand the storyline to play both. not to mention that importing a ME1 save into ME2 adds a lot to the experience, there's a lot of quests, conversations and such that won't show up at all without an import

[Madcaptn]

I loved both games, should definitely try the 1st one too.

[JustintimeSS]

absolutely

[Duncanîdaho]

pretty sure there was already a thread on this recently and it's pretty stupid to play 2 first, you don't get the whole story and to make your own decisions that impact the sequels. the combat isn't much different, some even like it better. it's a bit more rpg-like and no covering or ammo.

Actually the cover system is still there. Rather then pressing the "A" button like in ME2, you push down the left analog stick and move it twoards the cover you want to be up against.

I beat ME1 back when it first came out a couple years ago and just beat ME2 for the first time like a month ago. I spent the last couple weeks going back and playing ME1 again to make a renegade shepard from the start, and the game to me is just as fun as ME2 still.

Although the gameplay isnt as steamlined and polished like in the second one, everything thats in the second game, is in the first. They actually took stuff out for the second game because they thought it was way too much. In ME1 you and your squad memebers have way more abilites at your disposal, and you get to customize your types of weapon ammo, armor and other things. No thermal clips like in ME2, instead you have limitless ammo, but your guns can overheat if you go crazy with them and you'll be stuck a few seconds without a weapon. You get grenades (yay!) and the story as a whole is better, not to say the story in ME2 wasnt good, but ME1 just feels way more epic story wise, especially the ending.

Honestly the thing you will notice the most is the graphics. I didnt even realise how much they improved between 1 and 2, until i went back and played the first one again. ME 1's graphics arent bad or anything, they just improved them dramatically for the second one.

[Doogen]

ME1 is great, although playing them in order is much cooler as you get to migrate your character and his decisions to the sequel.. but I loved them both, I'd say get it.

[Teroseth]

Mass Effect 1 had a more...I don't know...ethereal feel to it, a more innocent feel to it I suppose, than number 2. It was the start of the adventure, and yes there was tension, but it was still an adventure. Mass Effect 2 was grittier, more mature, The Dark Knight to number 1 Batman Begins....both are good as each other, just in different ways. It's definitely worth playing number 1 at least once to see how the story progresses from the very beginning...I know theres that "interactive comic" thing for ME2 that highlights the key events of ME1, but it's too lacking in detail to be be really be considered.

[Deleted]

Combat is worse in ME1, but HELL YES. Game is still fantastic.

[Spurmwhale]

its WAY more repetitive IMO, and limited. i got real bored of ME1 after so long where you were doing the same thing over and over on each planet with much less variety.

i thought ME2 was amazing, one of the better sequels i've ever played since they seemed to have addressed a lot of the repetition issues of ME1 a lot better.

IMO its going to feel a lot more dumbed down unless you're playing it for cut scenes and story.

[mickybrighteyes]

Better story in ME1, more RPG stuff in ME1... and dare I say... better guns (personal modifications made it feel like that). Wanna argue? Take a gander at my personal mass accelerator cannon as I launch you into low orbit.

[Duncanîdaho]

Better story in ME1, more RPG stuff in ME1... and dare I say... better guns (personal modifications made it feel like that). Wanna argue? Take a gander at my personal mass accelerator cannon as I launch you into low orbit.

Hahaha thats what i loved the most about that game to. My custom "elephant gun" sniper rifle. Loaded it with high caliber barrels and explosive rounds for extra dmg, but made it overheat more often. The overheating every shot wasnt an issue though cause most things found themselves headless after one shot anyway.

[Collegeguy]

Much better main plot and story in ME1 but the combat can get boring since its years old. Me2 was all about loyalty missions with a main plot and villains not even close to me1 but it did have better dialogue and cinematic scenes.

[Dembai]

Definitely get the first one - import that Shepard into ME2 and play it again. It's a much more rich experience when you're making all the major decisions on the fly.

My only thing that I didn't like about ME vs ME2 is that in ME you are really doing the "Sith vs Jedi" thing with Renegade vs. Paragon. It's really a balance between Chaotic Evil and Lawful good, which really isn't fun to build your character around (and "humanist vs Alienist" - which sucks, because you really can't be a "Alienist Renegade", or a "Humanist Paragon"). In ME2 the decisions you make are really more about "trying to do the right thing/being polite" vs "not giving a damn/being a badass" - it's much more subtle and rich.

To demonstrate the difference: You might run into a situation where someone is breaking the law and you've caught them in the act.

in ME1:

Paragon: "I AM REPORTING YOU TO THE AUTHORITIES!"
Neutral: "That's not very smart of you."
Renegade: Shoot them.

In ME2

Paragon: "So...caught you with your pants down here, didn't I? Want to clean up your act?"
Neutral: "You're not very good at this, are you?"
Renegade: "I won't tell anyone if you give me half."

In ME1 most renegade choices are about killing everyone you come across. This can obliterate characters that have meaning later on. In ME2 most renegade choice you make generally fluctuate between simply being sarcastic and defiant, and even being authoritative at times. Being a hard ass or a bad ass.

I didn't mind the action in either, though it's different between the two. I like that I can literally kill everything in the game with one gun I never reload (you let it cool down, instead). It's such a mercy - though I dislike that everything gets really bogged down with gun and gear modifications.

[Deleted]

Simply put, yes.

You will notice a few annoyances that ME2 corrected, but you're missing a lot by skipping over it altogether.

[Keller]

I found 1 to be boring. Also, elevators.