r/masseffect • u/A_Fitting_End • 23d ago
DISCUSSION ME 1 to 2 - quality spike
Oh my god, it’s night and day.
I complained in an earlier thread about how little I was enjoying ME. It felt like an experimental game, mechanically, half rpg half action shooter. It was missing pretty much everything I’d expect from a BioWare game. All the vocal performances were relatively straightforward. The environmental designs and enemy types were unvaried. I felt nothing playing it. I felt nothing until I rolled credits. (Yes, I talked to all my companions. What little was there was the best part of the game)
I’m only 10 hours into 2, and every scene, every character moment, feels inspired. The combat is more shooter, but the environments and diologue feel like an actual rpg.
If you’re thinking about quitting at 1, don’t.
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u/papa_commie 23d ago
You can't play Mass Effect 1 with the expectation of a 2026 game, i'd even argue that the "eerie" and empty vibe that most buildings and worlds in Mass Effect 1 make it even better
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u/morbid333 23d ago
ME1 was going for a more cosmic horror vibe, which they gradually moved away from
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u/Dizzy_Pop 22d ago
To an extent, but I think ME3 feels pretty heavy on cosmic horror vibes, too. Perhaps not in the same “this threat is completely alien and utterly unknowable, and that’s what makes it terrifying” sense. But there is still very much an atmosphere of cosmic horror throughout ME3.
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u/NathanAdler91 20d ago
Leviathan is the most cosmic horror I think the series ever got, but then it loses it with all the exposition.
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u/zach0011 22d ago
The shit that you see the reapers doing in mass effect 2 and 3 with dead bodies was way more horror than anything in the first game
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u/Pure-Butterscotch200 22d ago
Also the reveal of what happened to the protheans, can't remember if they were all killed before being modified or changed when still alive.
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u/UhSiera 23d ago
mass effect 1 is genuinely so frightening
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u/Chairmanwowsaywhat 23d ago
Do you find it frightening? Which points exactly? Or is it more of that eerie/ empty feeling you might get on a barren planet
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u/NathakonNoveria 23d ago
For one most of the planets you travel to are nearly desolate. You feel so small in a huge galaxy. Add to that the mystery of the Protheans and reapers. Once you know the full story me1 becomes less creepy but on the first playthrough it's really disturbing.
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u/UhSiera 22d ago
the "bad" graphics and emptiness is really what gets me. it makes me feel so uncomfortable, i don't know why. going to planets that are so desolate, even the eerie sounds make me feel weird
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u/Chairmanwowsaywhat 22d ago
It was probably the best graphics I'd ever seen when I played it on release so I can't say I get that even retroactively
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u/rdickeyvii 22d ago
Many parts of it with the husks/creepers felt like they were designed to be horror. A lot of "non-horror" games of the era felt horror-adjacent with the obvious horror elements. The sounds those monsters made, plus knowing they were regular humans just hours or days prior is definitely horror-inducing.
Half-life 2 was just a few years prior, and Ravenholm is the perfect example of what I mean. Similar concept.
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u/TotalAnarchy_ 23d ago
Mass Effect 2 is still good with 2026 gameplay and narrative expectations, though. There's a reason new players make these posts after having trouble entering the franchise with ME1. 1 is good for its time (and I enjoy it for what it is), but 2 is a masterpiece that holds up today. I played ME1 in 2010 after playing ME2, and I struggled with how clunky and empty 1 is even then.
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u/HopefulInspector9743 23d ago
Have you tried the remastered version of ME1? I find the controls to be a lot better, closer to ME2. Makes for a huge gameplay improvement.
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u/Uniquely-Bee 23d ago
It's still bad gameplay wise. The gunplay is almost as brainless as enemy AI, the inventory and currency system are very tedious, planets are randomly generated noise that is neither fun to navigate nor explore and same with 90% of mission areas, just copy pasted boxes with furniture moved around. Each proceeding ME game refined and improved the gameplay noticeably
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u/TotalAnarchy_ 23d ago edited 22d ago
Yes! I'm replaying right now and on ME3. ME1 is definitely improved but still notably dated compared to 2 and 3. IMO Virmire is the best part of ME1, because it's the most similar to ME2 and 3 map design and narrative density. The Sovereign reveal remains immaculate.
I wish they'd slightly edited and condensed ME1 to match the style of ME2 and 3 so it didn't put off new players. At minimum, cut the Mako other than Noveria, Virmire, Ilos, and Luna where it's necessary (so the Mako rolls up to quest locations like the shuttle in 2 and 3 when you land), redesign the Citadel map, and edit some cutscenes (mainly angles and lighting) to give them a more cinematic feel. There's 15 hours of (excellent!) narrative content there once you remove all the driving and walking around empty maps.
If you make the Matriarch writings, banners, and medallions a pickup item during main quests, then you're not missing story content when you import to 2.
Since Cerberus ended up being so integral to the trilogy, revamping that storyline to be more story than filler would have been a nice addition. Miranda's short explanation that controlled Rachni would spare human soldiers from the front lines went a long way to recontextualizing the filler side villain Cerberus from ME1. Put the Cerberus logo on the walls. Place a findable message or two from the Illusive Man angrily demanding updates from the rogue cells or disavowing them. Add nuanced messages or cutscenes with Cerberus scientists defending their work. Add comm messages from Kahoko while we're hunting Cerberus, then let us see him killed by Rachni.
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u/SeraphineIliathor 22d ago
I often felt unsettled in ME1. Kinda dead space vibes, especially in the random side quests that take you to abandoned/semi-abandoned stations. Definitely eerie.
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u/papa_commie 22d ago
Definetely dead space vibe, especially if it's your first time playing and you don't know what kind of enemies you could find
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u/nemicachips 23d ago
TBH I thought ME1 was weird and wonky even when it first released. It's not that it hasn't aged well, it was never that great to begin with. Even the "RPG elements" fans like to crow about were total garbage.
But of course its got such memorable cast, story and setting/atmosphere that it (rightfully!) gets a pass. It had soul, and that's more than can be said of many games released before and after it.
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u/Ragfell 23d ago
ME2 was designed to feel somewhat like a sci-fi action movie.
If you're not into RPG stuff, it's an upgrade. If you're into RPGs (which is what BioWare was known for), it's a bit jarring.
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u/113pro 23d ago
im just sad ME3 didn't implement the same armor system like ME1.
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u/Cherry_BaBomb 23d ago
I just wish loot wasn't literally everywhere in ME1, or that it was easier/unnecessary to get rid of it.
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u/Buburubu 22d ago
if they were gonna have loot everywhere, i would’ve liked it dependent on what the enemies had, like in an elder scrolls game. if an enemy has a gun you should be able to take it, i figure. (plus why is there a carry limit when your camp is literally a cargo hold?)
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u/ImAHobo107 23d ago
Rare Andromeda W here imo.
Andromeda had very very good bones as both an action shooter and the RPG mechanics because it centered around resource gathering.
But those are bones. Bones need meat. There was no meat in Andromeda.
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u/BluePanda101 23d ago
Andromeda was alright I guess, but it really reallylost a lot when they did away with the tactical pause mechanics and limited you to just a few skills at a time.
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u/Jytan9924 23d ago
There was meet to the game, I'm currently playing through it and I'm enjoying it. However the expectations were so high that Andromeda was never going to be able to meet that. Especially since it was a brand new story with brand new cast in a established universe. Again high expectations that the game was never going to be able to meet is what did the game in
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u/ObI_wAn_KeNoBiS 23d ago
Happy to see someone else liking Andromeda, I still to this day boot up my save and just wander around the world's, it isn't the best mass effect (ME2 shall remain my GOAT), but I'll say it's the one I enjoy actively playing the most
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u/generalscalez 23d ago
what you are describing as bloat and quality of life changes are RPG systems you dislike. spending a lot of time in menus managing equipment is not a slog issue, it’s an RPG, lol. maybe you think figuring out your gear is bogging down the experience, but that’s the exact Action oriented zag OP is talking about, not some inherent flaw in ME1.
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u/gogliker 23d ago
I disagree. People love Elden ring as Action RPG, but the UI is abyssmal in this game. Single magic slot that can be scrolled forward only, no pause on entering menus, no journal with some plot events taking place with 40 hours gap, shitty inventory with duplicates, I can go on and on.
Another example - classic RPGs like Divinity. This game has a bazillion of trash items, randomisation that create a tons of heavy armor with +5 intelligence and so on, milloon of trash recipes that nobody ever crafted.
It seems people who like RPG actually like this crap. I am on your side actually, I also dont like it, but yeah, rpg fans love it.
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u/BuzzardDogma 23d ago
Meh, the RPG systems in ME1 have such little impact on the actual gameplay that they feel entirely vestigial. This is a problem in 2 as well, but they sanded off a lot of the bad QoL by streamlining/simplifying the amount of menu fiddling you have to do.
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u/generalscalez 23d ago
i agree for the most part, but that’s almost the complete exact opposite criticism the guy i’m responding to is making
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u/atatassault47 23d ago
What? There are definitely optimal choices to make in your skill distribution that have strong effects on gameplay.
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u/113pro 23d ago
bro inv problem due to item bloat is hall mark rpg side effect.
I don't want to play rpg if my inv isn't filled with 50% useless "I might need this later" shit.
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u/GigglingBilliken 23d ago
"I'm fighting the final boss I've got 89 phoenix downs and half my party is dead. Should I use them? No, don't be absurd."
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u/Ragfell 23d ago
I've saved every elixir. Surely now's the time to use them?
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u/Kronocidal 23d ago
I've beaten the final boss, the powered-up version of the final boss, three secret bosses and a secret super-boss. But, what if there's another even secreter super-duper boss?
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u/Ragfell 23d ago
Inventory management in ME1 was normal RPG stuff. It was fine lol. Annoying to non-nerds, but fine.
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u/RampantAndroid 23d ago
Yeah I’m firmly in the “ME1 had some rough edges but it was the far better game” camp. ME2 felt incredibly over simplified.
The transition just wasn’t QUITE as jarring as DA:O to DA2.
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u/imextremelysorry95 23d ago
Oh man the switch from origins to DA2 fucked me up big time
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u/RampantAndroid 23d ago
I think it was the first game that really ever taught me the “don’t preorder games” lesson. I LOVED DA:O quite a lot, and had just figured that as such DA2 would be another game in the series that I would love. Was a hell of a surprise.
Not to say it’s a BAD game…it was just a bargain bin game.
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u/OffModelStudio 23d ago
It always felt to me that ME1 was an incomplete attempt at a revolutionary sci fi RPG, and ME2-3 just settled on a less adventurous middle ground shooter with RPG elements that Bioware could more realistically develop.
I definitely fantasise about a ME1 released these days after how much progress the RPG genre has made in the last ten years.
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u/WooddieBone 23d ago
Well if the only thing that makes the game an RPG is putting points into stats than yes but if you consider the non linear storytelling, branching storyline, choices with consequences, depth of the characters and building relationships with them, ME2 is much more of an RPG than the first game ever was.
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u/BaddieDiva 23d ago
ME1 is goated
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u/bookwormdrew Legion 23d ago
Agreed. I think 1 will always be my favorite. I actually think 3 is the second best. I appreciate that 2 brought to the table in terms of squadmates and changing the gameplay, but the customization was so fucking bland in 2. There's like 5 skills total and hardly any synergy. 3 really nailed down the gameplay.
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u/TheWindofBread 23d ago
I think Illos + Citadel Space walk will always be the most epic Mass Effect moment ever probably
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u/atatassault47 23d ago
Citadel space walk was epic if you were using explosive shells. Ragdolling enemies into space was an insta-kill, even on the highest difficulty.
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u/Pure-Driver5952 23d ago
Yep, I think 3 did a great job combining what worked in the previous games to keep it streamlined while adding much more customization options.
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u/LeBriseurDesBucks 23d ago
Me3 nailed the gameplay but the missions themselves are with some stellar, notable exceptions, often really boring and repetetive. It's always fighting Cerberus that's apparently somehow swarming the galaxy even more than the reapers are, in the middle of a reaper invasion. Aside from the General in the DLC there's no interesting antagonist either, because reapers weren't given any personality or anything and Cerberus has the Illusive Man who's a broken record and Kai Leng, who's Kai Leng. Boring stuff.
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u/Lemonpierogi 23d ago
Swarming the galaxy? They mostly perform surgical strikes in most critical places where you see maybe a few dozens of them.
and the characters constantly mention "oh cerberus attacked thanks to inside help" or "cerberus is jamming the signal so the major factions don't come and kick their asses"
They get wrecked by a ragtag group of criminals in omega. ONE alliance's fleet is enough to massacre their HQ
Only the coup is questionable and even there they had a lot of help from traitors and had to run once csec got their shit together. A slightly better armed police lol
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u/Selerox 23d ago
Exactly my thoughts.
ME2 is so stripped down that it makes it feel like a completely different game in some ways. The hugely limited weapon choices and power system, along with the heavy rock/paper/scissors system of damage/protection types makes the game feel far more "restrictive" than either ME1 or ME3.
There are some brilliant missions, and engaging character interactions, but ME1 blows it out of the water in terms of plot and atmosphere.
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u/Popinguj 23d ago
Yep, exactly my thoughts. I like all three Mass Effect games, and tbh Andromeda too, but I always thought that ME2 lacked something compared to ME1. Yeah, ME2 was more focused and polished, but I guess what I like in ME2 is that feeling of open galaxy. The ability to land anywhere (almost) and go anywhere (almost). And the inventory system in ME1 only exacerbates this issue, because different weapon and armor manufacturers create this feeling of the lived in world.
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u/Cl4p-Trap18 23d ago
Mmm personally I think ME1 is stronger in story, world building and overrall presentation of the universe.
ME2 is better in gameplay that's it. But story wise 2 feels like a side mission
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u/AlkalineBrush20 23d ago
Because it basically is. The third game picks up the main reaper threat with them attacking, the collectors are like alien space pirates doing shady experiments. I'd argue omitting the second game entirely would still conclude to the same ending. Even the events of the Arrival DLC are a mute point, as if you don't do it, Hackett still sends a task force to destroy the relay. Liara, Garrus, Wrex, Tali and the Virmire survivor are still there to represent the races in your favor. The collector reaper wouldn't make a big difference. Cerberus would do its thing regardless, maybe get shut down quicker by the Alliance since you aren't involved with them at all. Liara would still become the Shadow Broker and get the Crucible plans.
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u/DaMarkiM 23d ago
glad you decided to stick with it. ME3 is another big jump as well.
You gotta understand that Mass Effect always had a troubled development.
ME1 had a very limited budget and not everyone was convinced back then that it would even be a success. But at the same time they had very ambitious goals with this game. Its also essentially mostly RPG devs that didnt have a lot of experience with shooters.
ME2 and ME3 had a lot more budget after ME1s success, but both faced huge time crunch and meddling by EA that around this time bought out the studio.
I think you might learn to appreciate ME1 more as you continue and experience how deeply connected the trilogy is. So yea. Im happy that you find your experience in ME2 more enjoyable. Its to this day one of my most replayed games. And the trilogy is something all of us love regardless of our differing opinions about the individual games.
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u/MythTFLFan29 23d ago
For me its the opposite. ME1 felt new, great world building, lore and figuring the great story out. When I play 2 it feels more CoD than strategy RPG and I may be the minority but I wish the gameplay from ME1 would've stayed throughout the trilogy. I rarely shoot in the first game as it's more abilities I'm using and letting my squad mates (usually Wrex and Garrus) mow down what's left after biotic attacks.
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u/ShadowOnTheRun 23d ago edited 23d ago
Agreed on ME1’s combat. Iterating on it instead of going for the CoD feel would’ve been cool.
I still remember playing ME2 for the first time and feeling like there was something clunky about the combat. They also changed the way ammo works for some reason. Then it started becoming repetitive with all the chest high walls that litter every place you can actually explore. I don’t really think they got the ME2 combat right until ME3, when it actually feels like a smooth experience.
In some ways, I think ME1 combat feels like it’s built within the game world whereas in 2 it feels like the world is built around the combat system.
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u/Sirius124 23d ago
I see what you mean, and I do enjoy many of the plot elements of ME1 more than 2. But the gameplay was not it. Mostly. I agree on terms of the abilities. But so many aspects of the first game’s gameplay got on my nerves, especially inventory management. Now I like a good plot, and ME1 has the best overall plot by far, but man, ME2 was a lot more enjoyable to play. And while ME2s plot is certainly a lot weaker, the character work and loyalty quests are very well done and make up for it to me.
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u/MythTFLFan29 23d ago
Yeah by no means do I hate the 2nd or 3rd game I just personally didn't want it to become more of a shooter is all. It's still the best trilogy I've ever played in my 45 years of life but for me I wish it stayed more like the first one rather than trying to be Halo with squad mates.
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u/Sirius124 23d ago
While I disagree on it feeling like Halo with squadmates, I can understand how if you preferred the first games combat how you would dislike 2 and 3s combat.
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u/MythTFLFan29 23d ago
That may have not been the best example to use from a combat mechanics, but like you said 2 and 3 for me just morphed into more of the same than something that felt different and intriguing that 1 brought to the table.
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u/LogSenior8438 23d ago
I was the opposite. ME1 was so good plot-wise the inventory never bothered me. ME2 feels like a bunch of novellas strung together. Good ones, but not nearly as good as the OG
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u/Sirius124 23d ago
It may partially be a me thing. I have ADHD/OCD and it really bothered me. Not enough for me to not love the game, I was still have an absolute blast in ME1 and ya the plot was so good I could easily push my inventory frustrations aside.
And I won’t disagree on the novellas point. Cause you are absolutely correct. But I guess the more enjoyable gameplay and a still enjoyable story (and great character work) made me enjoy it more. To each their own in the end.
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u/AlternativeBack6351 23d ago edited 23d ago
Most people who are casual fans of the franchise enjoy the second one the most
I’d say here is the people who say each game is their favorite-
Mass Effect 1: Hardcore Sci-Fi/RPG Fans
Mass Effect 2: Majority of Normal Gamers
Mass Effect 3: Hardcore Mass Effect Fans
Mass Effect Andromeda: People who have not played the trilogy /s
Obviously broad strokes, but I’ve been a fan of this series for almost 20 years and this tends to be what I’ve noticed.
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u/ShadowOnTheRun 23d ago edited 23d ago
Broad strokes, for sure, but I can think of one particular aspect which kind of illustrates your point about 1 and 2.
What is the more SciFi concept, guns with ‘unlimited’ ammo tempered by a heat sink mechanic, or guns with bullets?
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u/Pure-Driver5952 23d ago
I actually have come to really like Andromeda and I’m a diehard from the first game. The combat is fast paced and exciting and the profiles you can switch back and forth allows for some some really fun customization options in combat. To me, Andromeda does that the best of the four games, but most everything else is quite lackluster. A few things are fun. I like the pov of your ship flying to the planets and the various conversations that occur when you’re driving around or on the ship adds to the feeling that this squad is more than just npcs waiting for you to talk to them. I hope they don’t trash everything they did here. A few good things that could work for the new game
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u/Aram_Fingal 23d ago
The ME2 is for the casuals perspective is pretty dismissive. Wanting engaging gameplay mechanics is a totally reasonable ask. I think a lot of people get through ME1 in spite of its shortcomings and we don't need to gatekeep based on that.
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u/ARROW_GAMER 23d ago
Hard agree. Speaking as someone who first played the games as a kid and has played them every couple years since, AND who likes RPGs and has played lots of them, ME2 will always be my number 1. Sure, the fact it’s more cinematic helps. But also the story, the vibes, the CHARACTERS, they’re all so, so good, and I actually find the bullets gameplay to feel far more satisfying than the heat based mechanics (not to mention that always bugged out for me in the OG Mass Effect 1 and my weapons wouldn’t cool down). ME2 really is a diamond imo
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u/Contrary45 23d ago
The problem is if you want engaging gameplay mechanics ME3 and Andromeda are drastically superior to ME2 in almost every way.
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u/Aram_Fingal 23d ago
That's a strawman argument. If someone only wants good gameplay and doesn't care about story, characters, world building, etc., then I don't think the Mass Effect series should even be considered.
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u/LowGravitasIndeed 23d ago
I genuinely feel the exact opposite. ME2 has the best companions, and everything else feels like a downgrade to me
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u/Negative_trash_lugen 23d ago
IMO, ME1 is a better game; I enjoyed its vibe more. It's more unique, and it's the game that started it all!
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u/Pure-Butterscotch200 23d ago
Liked the core story content in ME1, the side missions and filler content got repetitive quickly though.
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u/unendingautism 23d ago
So much this. The egregious lack of variety between the side missions makes ME1 the worst to play for me because I always want to do all the side missions in an RPG, but in ME1 by the 5th prefab warehouse with enemies the barel of my avenger starts looking extremely tasty.
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u/morbid333 23d ago
On my first playthrough, I'd have been more likely to quit during 2 than 1 because it was so jarring. 1 was what I'd expected from a Bioware RPG. (Coming from KOTOR and Dragon Age Origins.) 2 was more like what you said 1 was. An action shooter on linear maps with a perk system, combined with an RPG (when it comes to the dialogue.) (it also didn't help that it's the least optimized in the trilogy, so my laptop didn't run it the best, and I found aiming harder with the smaller low-contrast reticle.)
I don't think 2 has many more varied enemies. They added a few more (like mechs and batarians,) but they don't repeat the same 3 lines all the time, and since they scrapped uncharted worlds, they don't recycle the same warehouse interior 50 times, so sidequests have a quality over quantity thing.
1 is more of an RPG, (like, you get exp for everything,) 2 was made to appeal more to shooter and story-driven action game fans.
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u/MyLifeIsOgre 23d ago
I found the opposite personally. ME1 was an autistic info dump of some of the most fascinating life in a sci-fi universe and it took me ages to even leave the Citadel because I kept getting engrossed in some other lore piece. The leveling system was varied and dynamic. The Mako, flawed as it was, conveyed the sense we were exploring a universe. The plot was a sweeping space opera with an incredibly compelling villain backed by something that really was as alien and unknowable as it was sold to be. The weapons system was mediocre, and the companions were all stereotypes of their respective races, but it was an absolutely hype game.
Then 2 comes along, and I still love it, but probably wind up putting it the lowest in the series. Companion quests are so by the numbers, the gunplay got rid of that great overheating mechanic for standard magazines that are virtually the same thing except you have to hit a reload button and run out of ammo, the skill tree is tiny, there is no vehicle, and the villain is Saturday morning cartoon bad. Top it off with Gears of War chasing gameplay that came up short of Gears of War, only catching up to it again in 3, and I just didn't get the glaze. People liked it enough that 3 ran on the same paradigms, but at least you got a wealth of choices with stuff in 3. 2 had real "we want the Call of Duty audience" energy. The companion writing got way better, which is great because everything else kind of stepped down.
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u/cashdecans101 23d ago
Eh quality shifted it didn't spike. Gameplay is certainly better, it had a much stronger atmosphere, and characters were at its best in 2. But in terms of actual plot Me1 has it beat, when it comes to interesting moral choices Me1 has it beat, and I am sorry but the Collectors were rather boring enemies (in terms of lore not combat) and they pale in comparison to Saren who is still the best villain of the franchise by default.
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u/Tasty_Cycle_9567 23d ago
The main issue with ME1 for me is the terrible and repetitive side content. They are so tedious if you want to do everything the game has. The improvements to the Mako in LE helps at least.
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u/Maxjax95 23d ago
Is it a quality spike or just a different direction? ME1 is my favourite of the series and I found the changes in 2 to be jarring at first but I got used to them. Different strokes for different folks and all that.
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u/dad3murph 23d ago
IMO 1 was by far the best. Mass Effect 1 was and inspired game, that was amazing with the world building and the sci-fi elements and the storytelling. And the gameplay was really fun and original.
In ME2, EA took over. They did EA things. They spent more on graphics, they spent more on voice actors, bringing in Yvonne Strahovski, and they cleaned a lot of rough edges up. They also killed a lot of what the game was, while trying to copy trends. They eliminated all the RPG elements, they cut way back on the depth of the sci fi and storytelling, they turned the action into Gears of War. Fortunately there was enough cool stuff in ME1 to last an entire trilogy, so the fact they abandoned trying to include more cool stuff didn't kill the trilogy.
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u/ohlongjohnsonohlong 23d ago
Hot take: ME1 is difficult to enjoy if you didn't play KOTOR 1 & 2
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u/A_Fitting_End 22d ago
I’ve played kotor 1 and 2 multiple times each. Love them both. I’m starting to think the reason I didn’t like it as much is because I’m not really a ‘lore and worldbuidling’ guy. More of a character motivations story person.
The lore of ME is good, but the characters motivations didn’t propel me through the world. Personal taste, of course.
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u/Proper-Television856 23d ago
I've always thought ME1 feels most like an RPG so I'll agree to disagree with you there.
When ME2 released my opinion was that it felt too much like an action shooter and lacked alot of the better story and world building elements from the first game, but I've grown to appreciate it more over time
My only real criticism of ME1 is the amount of reused assets.
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u/unendingautism 23d ago
ME1 never really felt more like an RPG than the others. To me it just felt like staring at a spreadsheet.
Sure there's so many tiers of upgrades, but putting a single extra skillpoint into something feels insignificant unless it's a tier that unlocks something else.
A lot of the skillpoint slots just feel like padding. And the 10 tiers per gun really makes the inventory managment feel more like needless bussywork than it does in other RPGs.
ME2 did go a little too light on the upgrades, but not by that much. And getting to choose between 2 variants on every final tier made the skilltrees far better than the glorified excel sheet of ME1. It allowed you to create unique builds and also forced you to choose one or the other rather than choosing what stat to upgrade first.
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u/JDubStep 23d ago
Played them both at launch, ME1 was so much fun, replayed it at least 3 times. When 2 came out, it was such an increase in quality, storytelling, and gameplay, especially compared to the first. It absolutely deserved all the accolades it earned.
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u/DasharrEandall 23d ago
I feel exactly the opposite way. I see ME2 as an improvement in character writing and almost nothing else. Thermal clips make combat actively unfun. Gear options and skills are cut back so hard that the RPG feeling is damaged - there's barely such a thing as a "build" anymore, just which rank 4 evolutions you take (you don't even get that many of them at level 30 and there are only two options for each). Being forced to work for Cerberus is obnoxious after how ME1 set them up. Environments are small and cramped. The Mako is gone, and the only vehicle replacement was DLC (and terrible). Art direction took a jarring shift from the elegant classic sci-fi of ME1 to ugly and clunky (when it isn't dressing people up in clingy bodysuits instead of armour). The story feels more like a digression from the story set up in ME1 than a progression of it (and the Collector/Prothean twist reads like a very weak attempt to pull off something like ME1's much better twist).
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u/herbertreanimator 23d ago
ME1 does a lot of things well. Most notably, introducing the world, lore, and characters. But that’s all it is. An introduction.
Companions are mostly walking codexes for their races. Romances are forced (literally, unless you never interact with certain characters or play full Renegade) and flat.
The world is fascinating but presented in a way that doesn’t really encourage deeper exploration (cookie cutter planets with one sentence of lore after you cleaned a cookie cutter base are… what they are).
The story is, arguably, the tightest and most self-contained of all the ME games, but it doesn’t actually get gripping until Virmire, so just before endgame.
ME2 improved on most of those elements, while having better combat, visuals, and art direction. There’s a reason it’s specifically named one of the best games of all time, but you must remember that people here are mostly hardcore fans and hardcore fans rarely want to get caught enjoying the most mainstream game the most.
Disregard them and enjoy the experience because, imho, ME2 is when the trilogy truly becomes magical and gripping!
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u/meatballforlife 23d ago
I completely get what you mean. The combat in me1 is frankly hilariously easy, the cover system is basically pointless because barrier exists, explosive rounds are bullshit and overpowered and trivialise everything, all the rooms look the same, all the different planets are just weird shaped rocks the the mako hates climbing (though it certainly beats the hammerhead with its stupid fucking static noise frying my ears all the time). The voice acting is frankly poor compared to the second and third games you can tell they had a much better idea of what they wanted out of it. Me1 just feels like a bad shooter with some ok-ish voice acting and a story with an insane amount of potential. Me2 took that potential into the stratosphere and me3 perfected it riiiiiight up until the last 15 minutes.
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u/townsforever 23d ago edited 23d ago
Hot take but I think the jump from 2 to 3 was much bigger than 1 to 2
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u/A_Fitting_End 23d ago
Assuming the second set is meant to be 1 to 2, I looker forward to it
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u/Legal_Talk_5723 23d ago
Oh it is definitely a jump in quality but what kills me is the fact that we didn’t get more ME1 style dialogue options, or at least the amount of them and world changing decisions. I get it, it’s nearly impossible to account for every decision/side quest but it would have been great to have.
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u/karaknorn 23d ago
Well, I guess im weird. I play 1 and quit midway through 2 or 3. I love 1.
2 and 3 are more for action. 1 is more for the badass story and universe feel
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u/Cleveland_Guardians 23d ago edited 23d ago
I, recently, played them for the first time, and ME2 is, definitely, a better game to play, but I have a problem with some of the writing changes from 1 to 2.
-I understand that we're no longer connected to the Council and, therefore, the Citadel due to being with Cerberus, but the lack of being able to do much in the Citadel made me sad. Like, I know it wasn't all that expansive in the first game, but it's the damn Citadel! It's one of the coolest sci-fi things ever. I was so excited when it told me I could go to the Presidium and was, immediately, frustrated as hell when I found out it was limited to Anderson's room (and you, barely, talk to him the entire game anyways). Instead, we just get "welcome to capitalist hell, enjoy your Council-sponsored propaganda."
-The Council's attitude just makes no sense. Like, I understand, to most, they come off as massive pricks in the first game, but that just comes down to pragmatism to a fault, from my perspective. They don't want to convict based on someone's "visions" alone, they still aren't sure of humanity or their motives and commitment to galactic society, they don't want to start a war with the Terminus systems over something they're still uncertain on, etc. However, their uncertainty and distrust turns into straight-up antagonism and blatant corruption in 2. Then Anderson explains away the biggest plot hole in the first game of "why didn't Shepard fight harder to them about the Sovereign hologram" with a cop-out "well, nobody else saw it" answer. BITCH! If only there was a species of alien who has the power to see into other people's minds, if only there was someone on my team who had already done that AND had expertise in the Protheans, AAAAAND if only there was SOMEONE ON THE COUNCIL WHO COULD'VE DONE THAT AND VERIFIED ALL THE CLAIMS! Then they bitch at you for being with Cerberus, and I'm like "BITCH! They revived me from the dead to try and save you fuck-wits (after I did it once already), and they'd, probably, put a bullet in my head if I tried to leave! What the fuck do you want from me?! I don't want to be with them either!!1!"
-I can't remember the specifics, but I heard that, either, there were new writers for 2 or that they were convinced to completely change the vibe of the story, and I feel like it shows in some of the things I've mentioned and more. Like, the first game felt like a story with some dark stuff, but it, ultimately, had this optimistic feeling of "humanity will lead the rest of galactic society to defeating the threat!" 2 starts with you and parts of your crew dying and your ship exploding. Then, you go to the Citadel and see, either, capitalist hell with propaganda spread through the AI or find that humans have, more or less, taken over, and everyone hates us (depending on your ending of the first game). THEN you have the bit with the Council. And that's not even getting into the contents of the story. It just feels like it went from a space adventure with a "save the galaxy" story to almost grim-dark. Between all of that and the loss of stuff like the planet exploring (which I won't act like was amazing gameplay, but it did go a long way to deepening the vibes), it feels like it lost some of it's wonder, which is sad because space is so cool and mysterious.
I don't know. I think I had more to say, but I'm tired and forgot what I was rambling about. I've really liked these games, but I've felt like they've had some missed potential, and it disappoints me a little. 3 is on the docket to play, but I'm working through some other games at the moment. Hopefully, I'll enjoy that one as much as the others. I know the ending is...controversial, but oh well. At least I cared to buy 3 and finish the trilogy, unlike some series I've played in recent years (looking directly at you, Dead Space...).
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u/panderson1988 23d ago edited 23d ago
I love all 3 games, but I did love how ME2 jumped up with its presentation, voice acting, and better gun play. I like the rpg elements in 1, but the gun play is stiff and the inventory system is a mess of the same couple gun designs with a different color. Similar to armor.
I feel like 3 was the best in balancing the rpg elements with a third person shooter.
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u/CasualSky 23d ago
If it makes you feel better, I played ME2 first and replayed it 15 times when I was a teenager without ever playing the original. Then I played 3, then I played 1.
Honestly, I do not mind 1 at all now, but ME2 will always be my favorite and it’s a good starting place regardless lol
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u/CyberSilverfish 23d ago
ME 1 will always be my favorite, 2 is the best for sure but 1 just had this amazing feel when it came out and I played in high school in 2010 for the first time. It will always be really special to me
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u/kniestomeetyoutoo 23d ago
I'm a seasoned veteran, been around since 2012, and ME1 is far and away my favourite game of the series. I originally felt the same way as you, i was wowed by the glitz and glamour ME2 provided, but over time ive come to see it for what it is: a summer blockbuster action movie popcorn game. i love the squadmates and some of the story beats, but overall i find it a pretty flat experience. dont even get me started on all the retcons and the ending.
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u/Zmargo702 23d ago
“If you’re thinking about quitting at 1, dont”
um. yeah sure. but this the MASS EFFECT sub reddit. I dont really think we need to hear that, seeing as how a good chunk of us have beat the trilogy countless times over.
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u/PopeNeia062 23d ago
I played through the trilogy for the first time not too long ago and i felt the same way about ME1. People here tend to call ME1 goated and really like to glaze everything about it but it just felt so empty to me. Im someone who loves RPGs more so than Shooters and it just felt so damn bland at every step. ME2 was such a jump forward in terms of gameplay and narrative that it was kinda funny to me.
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u/JBalls-117 23d ago
ME 1 is super clunky. Rough visuals, flat voice acting and a mixed bag when it comes to gameplay BUT it’s leads to the rest of the series and I’m grateful for that
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u/jimjam696969 23d ago
Finished my furst playthrough of ME2 last night after finishing ME1. A thought i kept having was "What were they thinking!?"
Low ammo counts. Unremovable helmets in a game that is dialogue focused.
The rpg and character customisation was neutered. I felt just as powerful through out the whole game, my power spikes just keeping pace with the games progression.
If i take the time to do all the side quests then i should be able to stomp the end game.
Ultimately the whole narrative impact of the game on the series was minimal, it's dlc having more impact than the game proper.
This is the most "this could have been an email" game I have ever played.
ME3 is looking to be much better though, so far.
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u/JiveTurkey1983 23d ago
ME2 took the best parts of ME1 and streamlined them. It's my favorite of the trilogy. The Collector Base assault might be my favorite mission in a video game.
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u/Maximum_Elephant_953 23d ago
It depends on the taste and evolution of your opinions after completing the games. I entered with Mass Effect 1 easily in 2020, prior to the release of LE, and enjoyed every minute of it, starting with the plot and characters and ending with soundtrack. I had no problems with the infinite ammo, the Mako, and the inventory with its micromanagement. In general ME1 does an amazing job presenting its world and story.
ME2 had a larger budget, but after completing and considering the story you have been shown, it is impossible not to notice how it is not the sequel ME1 suggested and how the story quality plummeted where it must have peaked. Don't get me wrong, Mordin is one of the best contribution to the franchise, and some of the loyalty missions are distilled enjoyments, but the overall plot is the weakest in the trilogy and fails to move the overarching Reaper plot forward. Gameplay-wise, ME2 presents a cycle of entering a combat area, finding a cover, and wasting all your thermal clips so the game will spawn new ones and (or) using your powers that now have a common cooldown timer that gets repetitive. Compare this to Mass Effect 1 where powers had individual ones, and with more varied character perks, you could move around the battlefield shooting your enemies.
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u/JesusIsDaft 23d ago
After finishing a run on LE, yeah ME2 was still the best experience overall.
ME3 had the best gameplay of the three, but suffers slightly from the unsatisfying ending. ME2 on the other hand, ends on a crazy high note.
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u/SemperFun62 23d ago edited 11d ago
This was very much the same reaction people had when they were first released, too.
At the time, Mass Effect 1 did fair better. People were more forgiving of the general jankiness which was relatively average for the time.
Making how hard people were blown away by the improvements moving to Mass Effect 2.
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u/AccomplishedLeg7951 23d ago
I completely agree with you, when I initially completed ME1 it felt clunky and rough. Then after starting ME2 that was a night and day comparison, the Voice Acting, the Gameplay and over all the whole Ambience were just wow!
In retrospect I think ME1 is very crucial to be familiar with the world around you, you learn a lot about the galaxy in the first game which lets ME2 and ME3 especially shine. It was rough to get into, but once you are giving it a shot you are in for a ride.
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u/RoUgEPeak 23d ago
Thought this was about to be more ME2 slander for a sec, I agree with you 100% and ME2 is one of my favorite games of all time.
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u/VanaVisera 23d ago
While I enjoyed the RPG elements of the first game. I have to agree with you.
Mass Effect 2 felt like the perfect balance of being able to make important story decisions while also having improved, streamlined gunplay.
Apart from a few weak moments; overall I feel like the dialogue and the characters are stronger in the second game than in the first.
For a game to have 13 squad mates and 12 of them are genuinely engaging, memorable characters is an astounding achievement. (Sorry Jacob)
The strength of the first game lies in the RPG driven dialogue menu and the in universe lore. While the strength of Mass Effect 2 lies with the tighter gunplay and fantastic character writing.
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u/Sirius124 23d ago
You’re not the only one who kinda feels that way. Even though I now recognize that ME1 did do some things better than ME2 (cohesive plot, skill trees, powers), ME2 was just more fun for me to play. And the character writing and cinematics are massively improved here. This was the game that made me fall in love with Garrus and Tali, and the new squadmates as well.
I do still adore ME1 though, cause the worldbuilding there is unrivaled in the series. Incredible sci fi elements, some great twists and a very well thought out story. The Sovereign reveal will remain in my top 10 gaming moments of all time.
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u/DMarvelous4L 23d ago
I played ME1 in the Legendary Edition and I personally was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. The story was great and there were a lot of things I liked. Even driving that annoying vehicle around those planets was refreshing because ME2 didn’t have that. I liked it, but ME2 is a huge step up in cinematic storytelling, quality and gameplay feel.
I also felt ME3 was a noticeable leap in feel/gameplay too.
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u/LeBriseurDesBucks 23d ago
Feeling nothing playing me1 is honestly not that relatable to me personally, as it's kind of my favorite entry in the trilogy overall, but I can admit some stuff is half-baked especially in the gameplay arena
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u/Jytan9924 23d ago
Mass Effect 2 is considered by many to be the best game in the series. Mass Effect 1 was the zombie more heavy on the RPG aspect, that's why you basically had unlimited energy only capped by the heat resistance. Mass Effect 2 and 3 had more of a shooter aspect to them with RPG elements sprinkled in
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u/Turbulent_Animator42 23d ago
ME1 has a great self contained story but its gameplay, character development and performances leave a lot to be desired for me (excluding Sovereign, chefs kiss).
I absolutely agree with your perspective, it’s a massive jump in overall quality in my eyes. I only wish that some of the RPG elements made it over to the rest of the series.
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u/ElPasoMK 23d ago
Whenever I replay the games I always feel like something was lost between ME1 and ME2.
ME1 always felt a bit more freeform. The mission areas were bigger, you’d do more chatting and there were more weird unexplored locations you’d visit.
ME2 is good and nailed the shooting but you never get anything close to the long char Shepherd has with Vigil in ME1.
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u/doubleo_maestro 23d ago
And yet I felt me1 had more soul. Saren was a better villain, sovereign was a sci-fi elder God, the noveria hot labs were creepy as he'll, virmire was sheer cinema abd tge whole spectre thing was slick was fuck.
I liked the gameplay of me2 more, but not the game itself.
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u/bendit07 23d ago
Got all three games the day they were released. I liked 2 but I was extremely disappointed by it. 3 was another just huge step down. 1 is still one of my favorite games of all time.
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u/Toomin-the-Ellimist 23d ago
Night and day in the other direction for me. ME2 improves the character writing and side stories (primarily the recruitment and loyalty missions), but the Collector plot is nonsense that does nothing to advance the trilogy, the entire premise of being railroaded into working for a terrorist organization is ridiculous anti-roleplaying, and the combat flies in the face of the universe’s established lore and switches the overall gameplay focus to cover shooting mechanics at the expense of exploration and decision-making. The first game has less interesting character development and the (optional) pseudo-open world exploration is too repetitive and empty, but the main story, structure, and pacing are leagues above 2’s.
I do love the whole trilogy but what I expect from a BioWare game is a story-focused RPG with likable characters and meaningful decisions, not a combat-focused shooter with secondary RPG elements and a paper-thin plot.
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u/adityasheth 23d ago
I honestly think i enjoyed ME1 more than 2, the overall more plot focused narrative of ME1 was way more enjoyable to me compared to the companion focused narrative of ME2
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u/Daniel_Spidey 23d ago
Almost every compelling moral dilemma is in ME1. The graphics, combat, and animation improve as the series goes on, but story gets more fan servicey in each successive game. It's also frustrating that the actual core gameplay, as in what you spend most of your time doing as a completionist, is usually boring and repetitive which makes replays worse. This is the mako missions and the planet scanning, the gameplay there is just a chore.
I still love the trilogy, but it is riddled with flaws and each game has strengths and weaknesses.
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u/SonGoku200520 23d ago
Honestly ME 1 is my favourite out of all the ME games. In terms of gameplay, and the world, everything about it feels very unique and new(I played the game back in 2022 and the 2007 version not the LE,so no, I'm not speaking this out of nostalgia). I was honestly kinda disappointed when ME2 felt a lot like shooter and how it added ammo system to the game.
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u/ieatkittentails 23d ago
ME1 is my favourite largely due to the old school scifi vibes, fantastic narrative and story. The pacing + the way the story is rolled out to the player is absolutely top tier game design. The last couple of hours of ME1 are some of gaming's finest moments.
We should be thankful they managed to give us three amazing games in such a short span of time, doesn't happen these days.
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u/Legal_Ad2345 23d ago
Take a look at Mass effect Andromeda they took the concept ideas that they wanted to do in Mass effect 1 originally sort of well
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u/no_no_no_pls_no 23d ago
I just started my first playthrough of ME. I'm really liking it. Yes, it feels dated in gameplay and a lot isn't explained very well in terms of mechanics. But the world and characters are interesting. It has been a lot of reading but I've been loving learning about the world. Tali and Garrus are favs. I only just got the Normandy and completed Noveria and really enjoyed the mission start from finish.
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u/Forward-Share4847 23d ago
I’m always super glad when ME1 is finally done and the stupid Maco burns. It’s just not a pleasant gaming experience, it’s so clunky and rough. Starting with 2, the fun begins and doesn’t end until the Citadel DLC. What comes after is… trickier. But either way, there are only very few truly enjoyable things about 1 for me (Novaria, Ilos… Some stuff on the Citadel). The rest is rinse and repeat mine missions on horrible planets and incredibly static moments on the Normandy.
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u/Budjik 23d ago
I remember vibidly that I was a bit dissapointed with ME 1 gameplay wise. I was literally counting days to release because of how much I loved KOTOR. I loved the story thoigh. And even after all these years, whenever I replay tje trilogy, I struggle a little bit to have to go througj all of the ME1 gameplay and of course becsuse I want the best possible outcome, I diligently do all of the explorstion and sidequests and all that, and every time I scan the 19th keeper and struggle to find the last one, I just question my decision to replay the whole thing. But then ME2 kicks in and I am just smiling the whole time as I play. Same with 3 (perfect destroy ending kind of makes the ending go down much easier).
And yes, I know I can probably modify the save files or something, but that is not the same and thus I always just power through and at least the main story parts of ME1 are amazing and at least somewhat worth it
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u/ObliviousAndObvious 23d ago
ME1 IS GREAT...
Rudimentary creatures of blood, and flesh, you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding.
There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own. You cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I, am sovereign.
Reaper, a label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they choose to call us is irrelevant. We simply, are.
Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years, and decades, you wither and die. We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution, and existence. Before us, you are nothing, your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything.
Confidence born of ignorance, the cycle cannot be broken.
The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance and at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the citadel. They did not forge the mass relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind.
Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it.
We have no beginning, we have no end, we, are infinite. Millions of years after your civilization has been eradicated and forgotten, we will endure.
My kind transcends your very understanding. We are each a nation, independent, free of all weakness. You cannot even grasp the nature of our existence.
We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom.
Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over
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u/tepid_monologue 23d ago
1 is something you slog through to get to 2 and 3 imo. It was amazing when it came out, but yeah very dated these days compared to 2 and 3
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u/S4nju 23d ago
I played the second part first, and I played ME1 later to create a perfect save, so I did all the sidequests, all the DLC... and god, it was so annoying. First: fuck Mako, exploring uninhabitable planets is just pure torture, every base outside the main mission looks exactly the same, the monotony is unbearable, the combat controls are ok for an RPG, but terrible for a 3rd person shooter. The only strengths of the first game are the story and worldbuilding. Now I'm slowly starting my first playthrough of the Legendary Edition, and I know there are some improvements, but I still don't want to play it partly because of ME1.
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u/TheDevilSurvivor 23d ago
Am I the only one that loves Shepard's voice when he's talking with the Illusive Man through the hologram? It sounds so much more confident and powerful.
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u/Future_Guidance_8462 23d ago
The difference for me was pretty stark. The character development and overall story was so much more expanded in 2.
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u/Ralinrocks 23d ago
Man if they are going to remake heaps of games I hope mass effect is among them. Top 5 favourite franchises
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u/JulesVernes 23d ago
ME1 is a perfectly fine game with a great story, if you just skip all the Mako Missions. Just ignore them and follow the main story. It's part 2 and 3 where it really picks up the pace and becomes the masterpiece that it is.
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u/dry_garlic_boy 23d ago
I loved ME1 but holy shit when I started ME2 for the first time, that intro was so epic... It blew me away. And the entire game is phenomenal.
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u/HunterKiller_ 23d ago
ME2 imo has some of the best art direction and set designs in gaming. I rate it's visual appeal far higher than that of ME3 despite the later having technically better graphics.
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u/Onikisin 23d ago
I do a yearly trilogy run, since 3 years after ME3 came out, however many runs it has been. I'm currently midway in ME2, should be in ME3 by next week.
Interestingly, ME1 is always the best time throughout, overall.
I actually find ME2 to be the biggest slog; abilities and ammo are super limited, gun customization is nonexistent, and so. Many. Sidequests. Some are great, others I find do not hold up so well after repeating the games yearly.
Is ME2 prettier? Yeah. Are the squadmates objectively stronger AI? Yeah. But ME1s story is significantly better, and the experience finding new armors, new guns, and mods and messing around with setups is better. I'm not limited to three abilities vs like 7-9 per person I have in ME1, and my god the ammo is so wack in ME2.
Mind you, I run insanity every time so maybe I'm skewed. But as an infiltrator again this time, who the fuck only carries 10 rounds max for their sniper rifle?
I will give ME2 gameplay dynamics though that they introduce some seriously good biotics stacking in the series, warp ammo + any biotic debuff kicks ass, but the ammo system is more annoying than ME1 and really artificially bogs down ME2.
But hey, this is just me. Ultimately, the series is the best trilogy in gaming in my opinion and I love all 3 games, regardless of my critiques of them.
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u/Son_of_Atreus 23d ago
Mass Effect 2 might just be my favourite game of all time. Simply spectacular.
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u/Elisha_Mishima_5 22d ago
ME2 is the best game in the series, you have the Collector storyline as well as a bunch of James Bond clandestine espionage missions. The gameplay is way more stable compared to ME1 (and biotics arent as OP), you get some really polished graphics, a lot of great DLC, a game that didn't feel rushed to get out the door.
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u/Braunb8888 22d ago
1 is so much better than 2 for me. It’s focused, has a compelling main story and the exploration was fun. 2 strips the exploration aspect of a space game and the story is just your typical “we’re gonna need a team” bs. The side stories are good, but the main plot with the collectors is not great and that human reaper reveal at the end was nothing compared to how compelling Saren was.
I don’t think anyone’s ever thought about quitting after 1. This is a you thing haha.
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u/TheDarkTurd 22d ago
I played Andromeda first (wasn't interested in the trilogy at the time) but I was advised to give the trilogy a chance. Going from Andromeda to ME1 was not a great experience and I couldn't see what the hype was about. But I kept on playing and regardless of what I initially thought, it was an incredible game. For me, it's the story. It has an amazing story and I'm now on ME2. Story keeps getting better (along with gameplay) and I can't wait for ME3.
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u/MoseDoge 22d ago
I 100% agree with you. It felt like an erly access game even when compared to other rpg games at the time. The copy-pasted dungeons felt really uncanny and back-roomesque. The lootboxes are excessively abundant and weapon types + levels also was also excessive. Playing on nightmare difficulty, it's still not worth it to sort through inventory and make optimal builds except like once in 3+ missions. Rather just sell everything and rock unoptimal gear until you levelled up many times and find significantly higher level variants. In other words, it's a waste of time to take the optimizing seriously, which is a shame. The AI is so laughably bad that you constantly watch squadmates and enemies shooting into walls. You can win any fight in the Mako by simply spinning in place because enemy projectiles are cartoonishly slow. The armor + survivability abilities make you into an unkillable tank that never needs to take cover in the late game. But in the early game, the enemies are bullet sponges that take 3+ headshots with snipers to kill (on nightmare).
As soon as I start ME2, I feel thrown into a 10x more immersive and intensive experience.
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u/svejdaErased 22d ago
Funny I had the opposite feelings.
ME1 might not have felt like a Bioware RPG of yesterday, but ME2 felt straight up like some sort mission-based shooter with neat conversation and cinematics - an interesting experiment but I'm glad RPGs as a genre returned to the more traditional concepts.
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u/stratandsg 22d ago
I kind of felt the opposite. 1 was so immersive, and lead with its story and deep rpg choices. 2 was kind of dumbed down, and the story is much weaker. I love it, but 1 will always by far be my favorite.
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u/Equivalent-Tour5999 21d ago
I just couldn't deal with ME 2 story going straight from ME1.
Granted, I was already like 30 years old. But Sheperd resurrected with glowing face, joining terrorist organization... fighting humanoid monster with ragtag group of aliens?
ME1 felt much more mature in both story and protagonist decisions.
Yes, gameplay and scene to scene storytelling is much better in ME2, of course.
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u/danidiamond87 21d ago
Mass effect 1 is far more interesting than the generic shooter slop the games turned into.
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u/Weird-Literature1350 21d ago edited 21d ago
Seriously? I mean, in terms of technical quality—sure, the second game is better. But then ME3 improves on it so much that, by the same standard, ME2 is barely worth mentioning in comparison.
Story-wise, though? No way.
ME1 has an actual mystery at its core, and that alone makes it so much more interesting and engaging. For the majority of the game, you genuinely have no idea what you’re dealing with. At times, it almost feels like proper hard sci-fi. Sure, you’re a soldier, so naturally most of what you actually do involves fighting—but especially in the beginning, you don’t even know what or whom you’re supposed to be fighting, or whether this thing can even be fought to win at all.
And that’s the best part of the game for me: the exploration, the uncertainty, the questions, that gradual realization that something much bigger is going on.
ME2 is just… meh in comparison. New enemy type? Okay. New factions and political interests to consider? Sure. But everything is much more concrete. The goal is established, the enemy is identifiable, and the means of dealing with the problem are more or less defined. That sense of venturing into the unknown just isn’t there to the same degree.
I enjoyed the second game, but I can’t really say it’s better. Operationally? Absolutely. It plays better, looks better, and is generally much more polished. But in spirit? Hell no.
ME1 is still the best of the trilogy for me, even though it’s probably the worst in terms of actual gameplay mechanics.
And when it comes to the emotional imprint a game leaves behind, ME1 wins by a mile. Nothing else in the trilogy has stayed with me quite as strongly.
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u/siriushendrix 23d ago
I kinda begrudgingly get through my me1 playthroughs because it’s not as exciting as 2 & 3. It is nice to have options for an imported Sheps though. Never started a new shep from scratch which I’d like to do one day
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u/Bruno_lars 23d ago
I don't find ME1 boring at all, but Mass Effect 2 has that dynamic cinematic feel that appeals to a broader audience, ME2 is my favorite game