There were aspects of all three games that I liked, but for me the story is the most important thing, so ME1 takes the top spot. ME2 takes the bottom spot, because the story was SO DUMB. I mean, working for Cerberus? Really, Cerberus? Did I not just spend an entire game finding out how despicable Cerberus is? And now I'm working for them? REALLY? Yep, Shepard derps along with the Illusive Man for an entire game, and doesn't deviate from what the Illusive Man puts in front of him until the very end. In Mass Effect 3, we discover that the whole "stop the Collectors" thing was pretty much a glorified sidequest, and the Dirty Dozen we spent an entire game recruiting turn out to be very replaceable cogs in a very inevitable series of events. Oh, you thought keeping Garrus alive would make a difference? How about no. Miranda, the ex-Cerberus scientist? Nope, her death doesn't affect the course of events in any significant way. Letting Jacob die spares FemShep a rude awakening if she romances him, but other than that, his survival means virtually nothing. Same goes for Jack, Grunt, Samara, Thane, etc. Oh, well, if you're emotionally invested in the whole quarian/geth thing, you might want to make sure Tali survives, and doesn't get exiled, but Legion? If he dies or is given to Cerberus, you talk to Legion instead. Was that a typo? NO, IT WASN'T. Yeah, the differences are that cosmetic. But ME3 was still better than ME2 in that we got an emotional payoff to the Mordin storyline, the Legion storyline, the Wrex storyline, and a few others. Not Shepard's, but what are you gonna do? At least you don't finish up the game taking potshots at a giant Terminator. As quasi-existential and laughably illogical as the ending of ME3 is, it's still better than the absurd endgame of ME2, which was every bit as pointless as the ending to ME3. Stop the Collectors! So the Reapers can send Banshees, Brutes, Ravagers, Marauders, Cannibals and good ol' Husks at you instead. Oooookaaaaay...