The middle one is usually best isn't it?

It's sort of how DA2 went. It didn't directly connect to the first game but set us up for the 3rd.

Yeah, the suicide mission is my favourite mission in the ME Trilogy. 

I love ME2, favourite in the franchise. Best squad, best missions, intriguing enemy. The Suicide Mission is one of the best climaxes in gaming history, IMO.

My only real quarrel with the game was how challenging it was to make a good-looking Femshep, which self-resolves in Mass Effect 3. Seriously, here's my character in ME2:
d.pr/i/15ULt
And then here she is in 3, with nothing more than a hair change:
d.pr/i/PftQ

My biggest issue with the game, for me, is the number of squadmates. Why use 12 when 8 can get the job done? The majority of my playthroughs I only recruit 8.

Well because the characters are the best part of the game

My question is why I need some of them in particular. Why hire an assassin and a thief?

I don't mind that. It's something she actually contributes. She knows a guy who knows a guy or something. The bigger question is why the brand new ship is so inadequate lol.

Mass Effect 2 actually overall is easily my least favorite and in my opinion the worst of the Shepard Trilogy.

The choice on Virmire meant the most the first time, and the time I specifically went for the "Soldier Ally" and "Sentinel Ally" achievement during the same playthrough. (It can be done.)

After ME2, the choice became cheapened a bit, since I knew neither character would play much of a role in the sequel. I simply sidelined the character predestined to die. I at least felt a bit sorry for the one who died in a given game. (I usually rotated, Kaidan -> Ash -> Kaidan -> etc...)

It got worse after ME3. Kaidan was now a combat badass, and still had his same great personality. Ash, meanwhile, was no longer the crewmate we'd once known. Her look and personality were altered, and not for the better. She also featured bugged files and a bugged power, and was mildly redundant with James and Garrus in the part.

There was no longer any decision to be made on Virmire. Ash always dies a hero now, which means I barely use her. It's metagaming, but I barely used her previously. She does nothing Wrex can't do while also bringing some biotics to the table, along with his unique voice, look and charm.

While Virmire is still the best two hours in gaming, the choice has lost most of its pop for me.

To me, my favourite is ME1 because I am boring and like world building. I just wish ME2 had an actual plot (without Cerberus in it) and world-build-y, non-linear missions like Noveria.

Also, A New Hope is better.

Agreed. The story falls apart pretty quickly. The whole mood of the game feels very different from ME1, almost like an entirely different series.


I still find myself liking ME2 though. Gameplay-wise it's the most fun to me. It's just not the sequel I wanted.
Spara

Nah, ME2 is a good game but failed as the middle, i.e. the bridge, and it was what really caused most of ME3 problems. I love the gameplay, loved the characters and most missions but it was Recruit Your Party: The Game. The main plot was just nonsense, when it should've been preparing the ground for ME3.