I am looking for something to deal with that sci fi itch that needs scratching and, having not played the games yet was wondering if anyone had anything to say about Mass Effect 1 & 2 concerning their relative value and such. Don't really care about spoilers either.

Worth the buy? Hell, it's worth selling your firstborn child for. Sure, it has a few flaws (ME1's absolute glut of loot you'll hardly have any use for, ME2's occasionally-awkward camera and cover system, and the occasional bit of console-port-itis in the UI of both), but I'll be damned if it's not the best sci-fi action-RPG to date.

Both are worth getting. Pretty good games and fairly cheap these days.

These are both 3rd person cover shooters with a twist. Mass effect 1 is fun because the story is sweeping, very space opera, and sets the world quite well. The graphics are a little dated but they still effectively convey the story/action going on. Inventory gets a bit cluttered, but it's just guns, armor, and wetware.

Mass effect 2 has faster-paced combat, significantly better graphics, but it feels more cramped. Inventory gets totally revised and is practically non-existent now. Still quite the space opera, still worth getting.

One of the most awesome things to me was how choices made earlier in the game (or, in fact, made in ME1, when playing ME2) carry over. For a video game RPG, there's a tremendous feeling of actions having consequences, and feeling of choices mattering. It's great stuff.

Good to know the reviews (pro and fan) did not lie. Probably gonna pick up 1 and then 2 so I can get the full experience, I'm already a fan of Bioware of course but sometimes looking at the producers just doesn't give you enough info.

Fantastic series. Get them. Play them. Expect to lose several dozen hours of your life.

I have to agree with the consensus. Hey, let us know who you romanced.

Dangit, even just reading this thread makes me want to start up a new character. Curse you, Dumpshock!

I tend to unlock all such options, Crash, in Alpha Protocol I did it on each playthrough.

Then let us know who you romance first.