First time through: If I were going on a mission to kill the guy who had stolen baby Wrex's bottle, then I took Wrex. It wasn't required, but seemed like the right thing to do.

One thing I never knew until I read it in a forum is that you could actually avoid recruiting altogether. That character will still end up joining you in Mass Effect 2 but I like the notion that the story branches in such a way that you could potentially meet for the first time ever in the sequel.

It's touches like that which were sorely lacking in the third game. Sure, certain characters could randomly die but since they kept changing the supporting character rosters that "choose your own adventure" vibe was gradually diminished.

I'd like to know what happened with 3. I'm not someone for whom the first 2 games have been ruined, but I have no interest in playing any future Mass Effect games.

I thought everyone here loved 3 to bits when it was a new, much-hyped release? I felt like the lone voice of dissent at the time.

3 has the most cinematic feel of the series and actually starts with a literal bang. But early on it feels as if it's just pulling you where it wants you to go (and indeed it is). However, my love of the series made me ignore that and assume the first few "levels" were to aclimate newer gamers to the franchise. Unfortunately, as the game progresses, you realize all your choices amount to nothing. This is made worse when you decide to replay the game to see how things might've played out differently only to find that major scenarios occur regardless of your choices in the previous games. Also, although you can upgrade your weapons and armor, it's mostly window dressing by the third game so that stings as well.

I still play ME3 from time to time but I keep longing for the wonder and exploration of the first game.

Over in the Bioware forums, some folk were asking for a trilogy remake that made it all one big game in line with the third game. I'd rather have the sound design of the third, the best graphical elements of both sequels, a streamlined inventory (at least in terms of how things are presented) but with the level of depth and customization of the first game. And most of all, I'd like it all to have numerous endings that are actually affected by your previous decisions rather than a tacked on multiple choice segment at the end that occurs regardless of how you played the game previously.

Well I finally got the final member of my party last night. But I still find myself using the same two characters when going on missions (Wrex and Garrus) since they are already leveled up so much. I'm also regretting the class I chose at the beginning since the pistol doesn't seem to have the same effect as the assault rifles my squad is using.

I had to make some tough decisions during the last mission, so I think I'm pretty close to the end. Can't wait to go back and read through the thread to see what others did. Also didn't realize how much "charm" had to do with the game. Good to know when I start the second one. Also, Ashley and I had some fun last night

Glad to see someone else likes Ashley. Welcome to the minority.

Well I'm not going to stick anything in that blue chick. I have no idea where she's been!

I just found Liara to be annoying. She felt like the Mass Effect equivalent of Lana Lang from Smallville. That ME3 practically rams her down your throat added insult to injury.

At first, I disliked Ashley due to her anti-alien stance (especially cosnidering that humans were the actual aliens) but grew to like her the more I got to know her. Sadly, I feel the writers ruined her character in the third game. It's as if they forgot how to even write her properly.

Liar! Ashley wasn't in the third game!

Not in your playthrough!

It's just a shame I couldn't be rid of that blue **** you love so much.

EDIT: Wow. I had no clue we could no longer say ****. Damn you Solid Snake!

Liara was a nice distraction, but Kaiden

My Shepard had sex with a blue alien in the first game, a genetically modified female in the second game, and some dude in the third game. He "explored the galaxy," if you will.

Kaiden was my bro but I put the ho first.

My Shepard banged a space bigot, a sexy homidicidal inmate, made out with the inmate in front of her high school students, and then shacked up with the space bigot again.

I almost nailed the girl in the plastic bubble but she came across as a little girl just before I "sealed the deal" and I couldn't drown out the sound of intergalactic police sirens in my head so I didn't make entry.

ME3 was the only game in the series I didn't replay a 2nd or 3rd time. I feel like I should do so before getting rid of my 360.

And Kaiden sucks.

Yes he did!

But he made you wait until ME3.

Okay, I'm busted. I totally banged Liara.

Finished up the story and the DLC today. I really enjoyed it and can't really believe I waited so long to play it. Kinda sucks you can't go back and clean up the side missions after you finish. I actually had to load up an old save just to go back and do the DLC. Oh well, I think I'm going to play another game and once I finish start up Mass Effect 2.

I loved the first game, but 2 improves on it in just about every way.

Except maybe scanning planets.

Disagree that 2 improved on it very much at all. If you liked the RPG elements and exploration of the first one, 2 might disappoint you with its lack of openness and move in the generic action shooter direction.

It's still a very good action shooter, though.

I heard the PS3 trilogy edition is better...visually. Confirm/deny?. I STILL haven't played them aside from like the first 30 mins or whatever of 1. Which fucking overwhelmed me with all the stuff it was throwing at me. I couldn't stop talking to some of those people. So many things I wanted to know. Then I get on that planet and I just quit it.

What does the PS3 version have that the 360 may lack or differ?

False. The PC versions look best, despite claims that ME2 on PS3 uses the ME3 engine (not that ME2 and ME3 looked all that different to begin with). I think the only thing new the PS3 versions brought to the table were the interactive comics in case you didn't want to play them in order. But I think they are now downloadable for the 360 as well. I do know they were added as DLC for the PC versions as well.

I forgot this was PC too. Soooooo between 360 and PS3? Isn't the DLC free on PS3? I remember something like that.