You can make an electric sound like an acoustic but starting out on an acoustic has it's advantages. The strings may require more strength to hold and bend but this is something that will be useful, building strength in your hands and fingers. Also the strings tend to be spaced a tad wider on acoustics, or atleast in my experiance. This is helpful when learning chords, it might be more frustrating learning them with strings that are closer together. Also an acoustic, even a cheap model, can be alot of fun to cary around camping or where ever, no need for an amp. The acoustic will always get use even when you have a killer electric to jam with, its just so much simpler to pick it up when you get inpired and need to hear some notes you've running through your head. And lastly it's a much cheaper investment. If you decide guitar is not your thing, you have something that didn't set you back too much.

I'm no expert by any means but when people ask, I always advise buying an acoustic first. If you love it, your going to buy more guitars anyway. So yea if you buy an acoustic first and dig it, you will buy an electric. But even if you start with an electric and dig it, you will eventually buy an acoustic. It's just the law of nature haha.