# Should I play games in order?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-play-games-in-order/528790>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [February 12, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-play-games-in-order/528790 "2010-02-12T23:17:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-play-games-in-order/528790/1 "2010-02-12T23:17:09Z")

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I recently got myself a new graphics card in order to expand my choice of games to play. Two I want to try are Mass Effect and Left 4 Dead (spurred somewhat by the threads here, incidentally). However, each has a sequal. Should I play in order, or doesn’t it matter? I know the storyline would be richer if I play ME1 first, but is the same true of L4D? Should I get my skills up to par in 1 before trying L4D2?

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**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-play-games-in-order/528790/2 "2010-02-12T23:28:31Z")

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Mass Effect? Absolutely. It’s not simply about the storyline either; your save game from ME1 determines portions of ME2.

L4D? I’d recommend it just because the first one was a good game and after playing an improved sequel it’s hard to go back to the previous one. Of course if you really want to jump into L4D2 then you won’t be losing anything.

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-play-games-in-order/528790/3 "2010-02-12T23:32:20Z")

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I played Half Life _after_ completing all commercially available HL2 incarnations.

It’s interesting in a ‘prequel’ kind of way to see the characters you met in one game being introduced in another.

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**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-play-games-in-order/528790/4 "2010-02-12T23:35:47Z")

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Good to know. L4D2 looks pretty expensive now, though I will get Mass Effect. Thanks!