Poll: Mass Effect Import

[Knight537]

Now that Mass Effect 3 is out I am definitely planning on buying it. I have played through Mass Effect 2 and was going to import my character to Mass Effect 3. However I heard that the game is much more in depth if you played through both of the other games as well. So I want to know do you think that I should get Mass Effect 1 and play through the series the entire way through? By the way money is not a problem and I would not mind playing through Mass Effect 2 a second time.

 

[StBishop]

Play a proper play through (all three).

It's the only way to play.

 

[dessertmonkeyjk]

It's inevitable that a trilogy pack will come out with a nice launcher and automatic import attached given the nature of the games.

Until then, you should so you have all the details fresh in mind... unless you feel cheap and want to grab a save online and use that.

 

[Zen Toombs]

You can definitely play the third game without having played the first. However, by playing all they way through, it seems to me that you will feel a lot more involved in the story. There will likely be many more personal moments, and the game as a whole will likely feel more satisfying.

 

[80Maxwell08]

I would say yes because when it defaults to whatever the choices are for not importing they are usually BS with just going neutral but the problem with that ends up with plot npcs that died way beforehand and huge points that get glossed over but have a huge impact.

 

[The Pinray]

I would recommend playing all three in sequence, but it's not completely necessary as some would have you believe. Mass Effect 3 is pretty good as a standalone title. It does a passable job of keeping you in the know without dumping a fuckton of text on you, although it does do that if you wish to read it.

Playing all three does add a whole load of context and depth to the final game, though. So it's up to you.

 

[isometry]

In terms of importing a save, I was disappointed with the import from ME 1 to ME 2. The things that felt like major decisions in ME 1 only led to one or two lines of dialogue in ME 2. Also the possible romance partners are different so carrying one relationship through both games can't work.

It's true that you will get a deeper feel for the ME universe by playing the first game. The second game is at a faster pace with less exposition about the galaxy itself and all the races. The downside of the first game is that the gameplay and mission design are not as refined.

You might also consider getting the "genesis" DLC for ME 2. It lets you watch a 15 minute summary of ME 1 and make 5 key decisions. For $5 it's kind of a rip off, but on the other hand it can be a cheap and easy way to satisfy that desire for completeness without having to play through all of ME 1.

 

[McNoobin]

I say definitely play through all three in sequence. My older brother and I are actually doing that right now. The only downside (if you can call it one) is that the controls on the first game is different and what-not... nah it's actually not a downside. Playing them in order, then finally starting the third one, I'm not sure quite how to describe it, but it feels like a much more fulfilling feeling!

Verdict: Buy ME1, then play all three in sequential order like others have said. It will certainly make the most out of your gaming experience.

 

[80Maxwell08]

In terms of importing a save, I was disappointed with the import from ME 1 to ME 2. The things that felt like major decisions in ME 1 only led to one or two lines of dialogue in ME 2. Also the possible romance partners are different so carrying one relationship through both games can't work.

It's true that you will get a deeper feel for the ME universe by playing the first game. The second game is at a faster pace with less exposition about the galaxy itself and all the races. The downside of the first game is that the gameplay and mission design are not as refined.

You might also consider getting the "genesis" DLC for ME 2. It lets you watch a 15 minute summary of ME 1 and make 5 key decisions. For $5 it's kind of a rip off, but on the other hand it can be a cheap and easy way to satisfy that desire for completeness without having to play through all of ME 1.

No he shouldn't buy that. I got the PS3 version when it came out to see what it was like. That stupid comic at the beginning explains nothing. Nothing of value is said about the characters, it skips over an entire planet and you will have no investment in anything once it's over. Totally worthless.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Just play all three, no stop, stop arguing there is no but, SHUT UP!

The game is fricken awesome and you'll lose much of the experience that makes it so great by not playing the first two. Trust me. This isn't oh you gotta play Metal Gear Solid in order to enjoy it fully. This is your game is carried over and the decisions you make change the experience of the last game.