I'm the weird guy who actually preferred ME1 combat, and you'd be missing a huge part of the story.
I love the high-pace combat of ME2, but I've found it hard to get around replaying it, even with all the DLCs. The first is more interesting in every other aspect.
I can't imagine just playing the second and skipping the first, because so much of the interest of the sequels is in getting to continue the storyline that is set up so nicely in ME1.
I should add that one big area where the first is definitely NOT more interesting than the second is the side missions - I don't think you don't lose much if you skip most of those in ME1.
And of course ME2 is a superior video game, no question about it.
that trailer damn near had me squealing like a 12 year old Beiber fan. to say this is my all-time most anticipated game is an understatement, i love how Bioware seems to be going for broke with ME3. the epicness scale will be off the chart
I can think of one string of ME1 side missions that would be good to see before ME2.
Spoiler!
Cerberus missions
Maybe. I didn't get much out of those to tell the truth. Also the side missions having to do with some of the other party members are meaningful I suppose.
ME3 looks good. Not a surprise that some of it takes place on Earth. Funny that Shepard is the reason the Reapers focus on humans in the first place. That's a pretty nice guilt trip.
that trailer damn near had me squealing like a 12 year old Beiber fan. to say this is my all-time most anticipated game is an understatement, i love how Bioware seems to be going for broke with ME3. the epicness scale will be off the chart
Exactly my reaction. I was squealing so much like a 12 year old girl I think I saw Pedobear in my window.
I should add that one big area where the first is definitely NOT more interesting than the second is the side missions - I don't think you don't lose much if you skip most of those in ME1.
And of course ME2 is a superior video game, no question about it.
For me its just a matter of saving some time. I don't have as much time to game as I used to, but still want to play some of the best games when I get the chance. I was thinking of just reading up on the plot of ME1 online somewhere and then jumping into ME2 since its the better game experience. I know its not the same, but still, if all you really need to know is the main plot, it might be good enough.
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I'm the weird guy who actually preferred ME1 combat, and you'd be missing a huge part of the story.
I'm with you actually. Thought the combat was better in the first rendition. Being a biotic in both I appreciate the lower cooldowns but it seems like all I ever do at this point is spam warp every chance I get with the odd singularity if people are bunched up.
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Mass Effect 1 is one of the greatest video games. I think 2 is the better game, but the first had so much more depth (in my opinion) and it was almost funner.
I liked how every enemy gave experience, I liked the looting, I liked the higher level cap, I liked proper story missions rather than companion missions, there were way more side-missions.
The second one was a great game and like I said it is the better of the two, but they completely gutted it compared to ME1 to appeal to the mass "shooter" audience and for me that lowered the game from a 10/10 to a 9/10.
I really hope they do a hybrid of ME1 and 2. Go back to proper RPG elements, looting (with a better inventory system, look at Dragon Age, their in-game menu for characters is amazing), experience for enemies, WAY more guns (back to the looting point).
Oh, and the new way to use Biotic is effing stupid. I hate how I can only use 1 power at a time then have to wait to reload to use another, I want to use 6 at a time dammit, and I want more than 4 abilities.
Completely gutted almost everything that made ME1 so great.
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For me its just a matter of saving some time. I don't have as much time to game as I used to, but still want to play some of the best games when I get the chance. I was thinking of just reading up on the plot of ME1 online somewhere and then jumping into ME2 since its the better game experience. I know its not the same, but still, if all you really need to know is the main plot, it might be good enough.
My opinion would still be that you lose too much. It's not just the plot. The world is pretty carefully developed and there are some great characters in it. Reading isn't a good substitute for all that. But everyone has their own perspective and mine is colored by the fact that ME1 was an amazing experience when it came out and I can't even put myself in the position of beginning the second without the background provided by the first.
That's my opinion. What's good enough is up to you to decide, of course. No doubt you'll like ME2 either way. You won't have trouble following the story of ME2, but you won't have any personal feel for the people and the places and the politics and the technology and the recent history either.
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I really hope they do a hybrid of ME1 and 2. Go back to proper RPG elements, looting (with a better inventory system, look at Dragon Age, their in-game menu for characters is amazing), experience for enemies, WAY more guns (back to the looting point).
[...]
I haven't heard anything, but I think there's a real chance that in some ways they'll go back a step or two towards a more ME1 way of doing some things. After the first they were pretty serious about addressing what were seen as its weaknesses - the Mako exploration, the combat, the side missions - and while they may have gone too far in some cases, it showed that they give these things some honest critical thought.
I didn't miss the looting as such, there's enough of it in every other RPG, but it's true that the game got a little too streamlined. Some of the liveliness of the world was lost and some of that is no doubt due to not having the regular RPG item system. The world feels smaller and quieter somehow, and the way ME2 gives rewards takes you out of the game world and into the world of shooters.
Great to hear Shadowbroker was a good DLC. Maybe I'll get to that at Christmas. I couldn't believe the way Bioware blueballed (pun intended) us Liara-romancers - they handled that quite clumsily.
Last edited by Henry Fool; 12-12-2010 at 02:57 AM.
I must be in the minority - ME2 is easily the better game and story. I found ME1's inventory and "RPG" elements contrite and awkward - removing them simply freed ME2 for better gameplay. The only thing I don't like about ME2 is the lack of variety in weapons - would have been nice to see more then 2-3 weapons for each slot.
Haven't research it yet, but what happens (spoiler for those who haven't finished ME2):
Spoiler!
If you continue with a game where Shepard dies? Is there a new "leader" character? Should be interesting to see how they handle this.
Well it is super hard for Shepherd to actually die at the end, you need to do no loyalty missions and fail at a bunch of other things for him to die. If you DO die though they have said you'll start out with a new character. Although I bet 99.9999% of people didn't die.
As for ME1 and 2, I think most are in agreement the second was by far the better game. I complain about it, but they are mostly minor things that hopefully Bioware addresses.
What I want from ME3:
- Back to level 60
- More weapons, sorry but 3 per class is just not enough
- More abilities, I liked having 8-10 from ME1, go back to the ME1 style leveling system, which brings me to
- Experience from individual enemies and missions, after each mission only (like ME2) was stupid
- Be able to use more than 1 ability at a time, like ME1
- Better story missions, ME2 was good but the story in ME1 was superior and the missions were funner (Noveria, Feros > Getting companions)
- Flying missions, Halo: Reach proved that you could make badass flying missions in a shooter game, I want more!
ME 2 just seemed 'smaller' than ME 1. Sure, the individual levels were bigger. But as a result you could go less places. Look at the Citadel for example.
Oh and I had no idea that
Spoiler!
Sherpard even could die
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ME 2 just seemed 'smaller' than ME 1. Sure, the individual levels were bigger. But as a result you could go less places. Look at the Citadel for example.
ME 2 just seemed 'smaller' than ME 1. Sure, the individual levels were bigger. But as a result you could go less places. Look at the Citadel for example.
Oh and I had no idea that
Spoiler!
Sherpard even could die
Spoiler!
Not really a proper spoiler as Bioware told that from the start when they marketed the game.
Check out the ending where everyone dies, with only Joker left. Both a little funny and kind of cool. I doubt you can play him in ME3 though. Perhaps the fellow in the new teaser is the alternate.
Something that bugged me about ME2 was that I couldn't go to the Citadel (well do anything there anyway, outside Thane's loyalty mission). I really liked the Citadel in ME1. They sort of replaced it with that one "club" planet.
ME3 looks good. Not a surprise that some of it takes place on Earth. Funny that Shepard is the reason the Reapers focus on humans in the first place. That's a pretty nice guilt trip.
It's not like he spat in their faces for no reason. He pissed them off by saving Earth, possibly more than once.
As for ME1 and 2, I think most are in agreement the second was by far the better game. I complain about it, but they are mostly minor things that hopefully Bioware addresses.
What I want from ME3:
- Back to level 60
- More weapons, sorry but 3 per class is just not enough
- More abilities, I liked having 8-10 from ME1, go back to the ME1 style leveling system, which brings me to
- Experience from individual enemies and missions, after each mission only (like ME2) was stupid
- Be able to use more than 1 ability at a time, like ME1
- Better story missions, ME2 was good but the story in ME1 was superior and the missions were funner (Noveria, Feros > Getting companions)
- Flying missions, Halo: Reach proved that you could make badass flying missions in a shooter game, I want more!
Pretty much my thoughts:
- Hated ammo conservation. Your abilities are infinite, (Shepard's) ammo isn't, and the higher levels your enemies can absorb A LOT of bullets.
- Companions are extremely limited. 4 abilities, including ammo mods.
- Companions are extremely stupid. Low on shields... I know, I"ll pop up and expose myself to fire anyways! Usually to keep them alive I just positioned them behind me, and had enemies focus fire on me. That they did not need line of sight to use their abilities made this easy.
- Global cooldowns and damage types took most of the strategy out of ability use. Most characters only had one useful ability at any given time, ammo is limited so you just spam it. Plus, many abilities did a lot more damaging then disabling, further encouraging spamming.
- Very much missed armor variety as well as weapon variety (to a lesser extent), as well as armor and weapon mod items.
- Cover-heal system sucks... for the most part (there are some exceptions) there is little urgency to kill your opponents before they kill you - they won't.
- Tougher enemies are almost always dealt with by finding some type of cover that you can run around in circles. Terrain almost completely replaces abilities for damage avoidance.
I did like that they streamlined inventory control (constantly fighting the inventory cap was a PITA), but they took it way too far.
BTW, the "story missions" in ME2 were the "interrupt missions". Those are the ones you should be comparing to Feros, Noveria etc.
As for ME1 and 2, I think most are in agreement the second was by far the better game. I complain about it, but they are mostly minor things that hopefully Bioware addresses.
What I want from ME3:
- Back to level 60
- More weapons, sorry but 3 per class is just not enough
- More abilities, I liked having 8-10 from ME1, go back to the ME1 style leveling system, which brings me to
- Experience from individual enemies and missions, after each mission only (like ME2) was stupid
- Be able to use more than 1 ability at a time, like ME1
- Better story missions, ME2 was good but the story in ME1 was superior and the missions were funner (Noveria, Feros > Getting companions)
- Flying missions, Halo: Reach proved that you could make badass flying missions in a shooter game, I want more!
what i'm hoping they do is since most people will be importing a ME2 character, have you start out at level 30 with all of your skills already and then you can level up to 60 in ME3 with a bunch more abilities. it would help keep continuity without having to reboot Shepherd again
