Is the beginning always worth it?

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by Coachscorner00 on November 30, 2012 at 03:09 PM

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Often I like to wait to play a new game in a series until I have played the older ones. Last year my best friend bought me Mass Effect 3 as a gift. It came in a cool N7 collectors edition, even though I still don't know what N7 stands for. He told me Mass Effect is this great gaming franchise and I needed to try it out. I told him I would when I was done with other games on my list. However, I have this issue with video games, because I didn't play a lot of non-sports games when I was younger, there are 100's of titles out there that I know nothing about. This game fell into that category. It sounds like a cool game. From what I have been told, you are some sort of space Cop and you have other cultures working with you and you fly around fighting bad guys.

IF you are a die hard fan, please know that I am not trying to offend you. I am just putting it down in my voice and giving it a very genrel description because I haven't played it and am trying to make a point, Stay with me.

So I went a head and bought Mass Effect (One) and put it in the heap of games to play. I was going to try it out but other games came up. Skyrim had just been released and well that took a lot of time. It was still Madden season for me (from August till about February) and then NBA 2K12 came out and that runs me from March or so till the summer where NCAA 13 and Madden 13 were about to come out. So I put it off, for a long, long time. Well today on my lunch break I read the beginning of a blog talking about Mass Effect 3 being one of the games of the year. Game of the year!! That is huge in my mind and I still haven't played it. I have a few students who talk about it and I have tried to show interest and have listened to them talk about it and told them that I plan on playing the game at some point in the next few months. (I also told them I made the same promise last year and look where it got me)

The game sounds interesting to me but other games just kept jumping to the front runners spot and I just didn't get around to playing it.

That takes us to my decision. Do I need to play Mass Effect (one) to fully understand the story in Mass Effect 3 or can I simply skip to the newest edition and begin. I am trying to go through this in my head, there are so many games that I am currently trying to play because my college friends, high school friends, family, and GIO community tell me are worth trying but there are just so many games to get through. It seems every day I add another game to the list on my Iphone of games I need to play/research. Either a blog, one of my student's comments, or browsing at game libraries has added almost 150 games to my list. If I wasn't typing this up on my Ipad 2 I would post it on here. (Still not computer savvy enough to figure that out and I wanted to get this up before practice tonight)

From this thought we go back to my main point, do we HAVE to start from the beginning. If I am being honest, my answer is yes. Borderlands 2 wouldn't have been as much fun for me had it not been for the original. Returning to Frystone was huge for me and it made the game even better. There is no way I would recommend someone jumping into Assassins Creed 3 with out playing all of the series. You miss way to much info and the back story is part of what makes it great, at least in my opinion.

So I ask you, where should my story begin. Mass Effect or Mass Effect 3?

Play Hard!!!!

While there are a number of sequels outright designed to not need the original to understand them, with the Mass Effect series I have to recommend starting at the beginning. I'm not sure if you're friend mentioned it, but make sure you play them all on the same system because one of the distinguishing features of the ME series is that you can import your save game from the previous one into the next and your prior choices will actually shape events in the game. Jumping in mid series results in some hackneyed intros getting your input on big choices, then it just makes assumptions about the little ones, resulting in a lot of supporting characters knowing you without you knowing them. Also worth noting is that if you're the kind of person that doesn't mind taking in a story out of order, it's still worth playing the ME games in order for the gameplay evolution. 1 is VERY hard to go back to for a lot of gamers because the mechanics were cleaned up so much in 2; it's still a great first game, but the devs puts the experience to good use and learned. (Honestly, I think they hit the nail on the head with 2 and I actually disliked how the 3rd played in comparison, but to each their own.) Last thing I wanted to note cause I can tell you're a busy man, the Mass Effect games are NOT short. Admittedly I'm a completionist that goes after every side quest (why wouldn't you when they're so well written?), but the first game took me almost 40 hours to finish. The second around 45 (with DLC). The third around 50. Also, the story based DLC for the games is fantastic, but short: I tend to just wait for half off sales. Also be careful of buying used: online passes, bonus content, all that jazz. I'd also be interested to see that massive list you've got going. Might be worth getting input on which games are awesome vs. awful.

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by Noobtubin8er Friday, November 30, 2012 at 03:43 PM

Defginately find a way to start at the beginning. Honestly, I would skip the first, but do not skip the second. There is an option to obtain a digital comic of sorts through PSN or Live that does a quick breakdown of the story and allows you to make the key decisions from the first Mass Effect and have those carry into part 2. Play through 2 and then play through 3. If you skip both, you are going to miss a lot of the point of 3. But, the gameplay of the first is rough around the edges by today's standards, so the digital comic is most helpful.
by Marco Polo Friday, November 30, 2012 at 03:49 PM

I think you should always start from the beginning when playing a series as epic as Mass Effect. With games like Metal Gear or GTA, it wouldn't really matter because the stories are always evolving and you can jump in at any time. But in my opinion, if you started out with ME3, you will probably really spoil the suspense of various key moments in ME1 and ME2 for yourself.
by kye uzamaki Friday, November 30, 2012 at 03:51 PM

Mass Effect is one of those series you have to play in chronological order. It will make more sense, and you have time to affect events and grow attached to your crew.
by Marz Friday, November 30, 2012 at 04:21 PM

As a PS3 player who started with ME2, start with the original. I love the series, but there was just something lacking in ME2 without the build-up from one. The interactive comic was great, but did not compare to how I felt seeing my decisions reflected in 3, or the attachment I had grown to the characters.
by x-XMantisX-x Friday, November 30, 2012 at 05:50 PM

You bring up an interesting point. I think this varies for different series though. For example, you don't need to play Borderlands before Borderlands 2, even if it is beneficial. However, for games like Metal Gear Solid or Assassin's Creed, the games are best played to understand the story fully, because the story isn't really summarized in each game.

In the case of Mass Effect, I would say go for the first game. If you don't like it just move on to Mass Effect 2 or 3, because those games tend to play a bit better than the first game. From a story standpoint, it is beneficial to play the first game, but it is not critical.
by ace13 Friday, November 30, 2012 at 08:34 PM

Interesting point Coach. If it helps, know that you're not alone with your backlog. I have a list of games I want to buy, so I just make my way through the ones I have and really enjoy them before I get a new one.

As for Mass Effect, I haven't played it yet, but I want to get the trilogy. I've heard it isn't bad if you skip the first, but if I have the option of starting at the beginning, I'd personally like to.
by jacktheirish Friday, November 30, 2012 at 09:59 PM

Make time for the beginning seriously. You would ruin the whole thing by not playing 1 or 2. Yes 1 is a little rough,but turn the difficulty down and breeze through the combat cause the story is amazing. Its also how you will define Shepard as a character and how you feel he or she should be. Starting at 2 or 3 would rob you of that. 3 is more of a long roller coaster ride of events that have been building up throught the series it just would not make sense to be deciding the fates of species if you have no idea who they are.
by Hist Friday, November 30, 2012 at 11:00 PM

I'm with pretty much everybody else. I would certainly try the first one, though if you find it frustrating and annoying, don't go away from the whole series.

Instead, try the second one. If that doesn't get you, then the third one won't either.
by Theora Craft Saturday, December 01, 2012 at 09:15 AM

While there are a number of sequels outright designed to not need the original to understand them, with the Mass Effect series I have to recommend starting at the beginning. I'm not sure if you're friend mentioned it, but make sure you play them all on the same system because one of the distinguishing features of the ME series is that you can import your save game from the previous one into the next and your prior choices will actually shape events in the game. Jumping in mid series results in some hackneyed intros getting your input on big choices, then it just makes assumptions about the little ones, resulting in a lot of supporting characters knowing you without you knowing them. Also worth noting is that if you're the kind of person that doesn't mind taking in a story out of order, it's still worth playing the ME games in order for the gameplay evolution. 1 is VERY hard to go back to for a lot of gamers because the mechanics were cleaned up so much in 2; it's still a great first game, but the devs puts the experience to good use and learned. (Honestly, I think they hit the nail on the head with 2 and I actually disliked how the 3rd played in comparison, but to each their own.) Last thing I wanted to note cause I can tell you're a busy man, the Mass Effect games are NOT short. Admittedly I'm a completionist that goes after every side quest (why wouldn't you when they're so well written?), but the first game took me almost 40 hours to finish. The second around 45 (with DLC). The third around 50. Also, the story based DLC for the games is fantastic, but short: I tend to just wait for half off sales. Also be careful of buying used: online passes, bonus content, all that jazz. I'd also be interested to see that massive list you've got going. Might be worth getting input on which games are awesome vs. awful.
by Trenchmace Saturday, December 01, 2012 at 11:45 AM

I think you should play ME1 and 2 first. Then you can carry over your progress and character.

GameInformer

Is the beginning always worth it?