LogFAQs > #965999344

2 was particularly bad for having a slow start to the battle system. 1 also started a little slowly, with the drip feed of new arts to use and relatively limited strategic options Shulk/Reyn/Fiora offers as a party composition, but it works well as an introduction, gives you plenty of opportunity to learn the Break>Topple>Daze system and play with Chain Attacks, then when the Mechon attack happens and the stakes are raised dramatically you actually have to put all of that to use just to stand a chance and feeling weak is thematically appropriate. 2 takes much, much longer to build up the battle system's complexity, including a considerable amount of time where feeling weak and clunky isn't thematically appropriate and multiple stages where enemies become health sponges that take forever to get through unless you start using the mechanics that were just introduced.

It eventually gets there and I thoroughly enjoyed both games, but 1 is definitely my favourite of the franchise.