Mass Effect 2 allows the player to import their characters from any completed Mass Effect playthrough. This means that all decisions made by the player in Mass Effect will carry over into Mass Effect 2 and have the potential to impact the story. Decisions confirmed to have an impact on the game include:

    * The decision to save either Kaidan or Ashley.[5]
    * Whether or not the player kills Wrex on Virmire.[6]
    * Whether or not the player decides to save the Citadel Council at the end of Mass Effect.[7]
    * The players choice of love interest.[8]
    * Whether the player spares or destroys the Rachni Queen at Peak 15.[9]
    * The players treatment of Conrad Verner.[10]
    * Whether or not the player completed the UNC: Asari Diplomacy sidequest.
    * Whether the player chose to allow the Alliance to conduct experiments on Nirali Bhatias body.[11]

Due to massive gameplay redesign, your level will not transfer over to Mass Effect 2 and you will start out with basic abilities.[12][13][14] However, the game will acknowledge if you were a level 60 character and if you were a Renegade or Paragon and adapt it in ways that map across to the new system.[15] Also, the physical appearance and class of imported characters can be changed at the start of the game, if desired.[16][17]

If a player has no Mass Effect save files, Mass Effect 2 will start with an introduction sequence which, in combination with interactive decisions made by the player, introduces new players to the storyline and establishes a “canon” backstory.[18]

There are certain restrictions to transferring save files. Concerning the Xbox 360 version, the main restriction is that the gamer profile, career and related saves must be located on the original device it was first created on. Also, one must use the same profile in which save data from Mass Effect was saved. Specifically for the PC version, players will use the Mass Effect Configuration Tool to select the .MassEffectSave files they wish to import.[19]

Chris Priestly - community coordinator at the Mass Effect Forums - initially said there was a limit of 11 end-of-game saves that could be imported into Mass Effect 2 (i.e. if a player completes the first game 12 times, only completions #1-11 can be imported). However, in a later post he corrected himself and stated that it was no longer the case. [20]