Is Mass Effect 1 a better game than Mass Effect 2?

Mass Effect 1 is like an ambient album whereas Mass Effect 2 is a techno album

Sup Yas Forumstards, I need your help. Should I play Mass effect 1 first? I'm at that point where I don't know what to play, I'm also a lazy fuck and strarting new games is tedious to me. Should I give it a try or does it take a bit to get into it?

It doesn't try to be Gears of War so no, it's more a poor man's kotor that hurls a bunch of shooting mechanics and stats at the screen and sees what sticks

Those empty planets in Mass Effect 1 with occasional weather conditions and alien wildlife were awesome, even if not in the inteded ways. I also enjoyed how you could use space magic on environment, not just against enemies like in Mass Effect 2.

Nope

.. Except ME2 DID improve the Make
..... in DLC

yeah it is.

I liked the small text blurbs that would pop up upon investigating objects, some hinting at past explorers or cosmic horrors lurking around
Added some neat mood and flavor to the game, even if it was usually lazily done

Many more strategic options. Not only for your character, but also for the other party members. More abilities, more customizable things, abilities have more impact, they have indepent timers, you have grenades, you can customize your equipment a lot more (even if a bit of it is redudant as some options are frequently just better verions of older ones, I will admit), you can actually properly customize the equipment of your companions, that just isn't viable in ME2, the heat system instead of the bullet system in ME2, and so on.
Also, your general strategy for something in ME1 will very frequently be different from "jump from cover to cover".

ME2 combat is pretty much a worse version of gears of war with some very poor RPG-like elements added to it, some that frequently don't even make sense.

You get import bonuses. Not much but can get benefits like starting 2 at level 3, more credits and resources at the start. Oh and the whole fuller experience thing.