To help me understand the survey results, I included text boxes in which takers could tell me why they voted the way they did, or just leave general comments. Here are some of the best.
On why Mass Effect 1 is the best...
"They're all so close but the first one really nailed the excitement, mystery and wonder of the Mass Effect universe. There were also a ton of ways to solve each problem. Also the ending made you feel like a badass. I can't count the number of times I accidentally started another playthrough because of it."
"Best writing! Best music! Some of my favorite worlds to explore on random missions. I even have great affection for the Mako, as dumb a vehicle as it is."
"It was more RPG than it was a shooter. I don't mind that the series refined the gameplay, that's a great thing, but the dilution of the RPG elements, exploration and the gradual lack of choice makes the third installment less special and more of your everyday third person shooter."
"It has the best RPG 'feel' out of all three, with all the exploration, discovering a whole new universe, gear diversity... I feel like there were more things to discover, more people to talk to, and your choices had more of a weight to them than the other two. Also, elevator conversations. How can you not like those?"
"The story was far more contained and avoided the typical cliche of the universe ending bad guy out to destroy the universe. Of course, this was seen later in the form of the reapers in Mass Effect 2 and 3. More importantly, the game felt more like sci-fi and less like a typical action video game. Guns didn't need reloading, grenades hovered along a straight trajectory, remote hacking. It's like combat really had flung into the future. In later sequels, particularly the engineer, powers became dull, sniper rifles couldn't see so far, classes and weapon choices were more strict."
"Just about everything in Mass Effect one is better then the rest of the series. They did an amazing job of introducing an entirely new universe, with a clear story that you could follow and with a satisfying ending that left you wanting more, but not left hanging. The Reapers are never more threatening than they are in the first game, there is just so much you don't know about them. It left you thinking, if it takes the combined forces of the races at the Citadel to defeat just one, how do stand a chance against the full force of the Reapers? There were actual meaningful and difficult choices (Ashley or whining Kaiden, Wrex, the Rachni, etc). The combat was the most tactical of the three and less shooter which I appreciated. The harder difficulties forced you to use your squadmates and skills. It actually felt like you were exploring a galaxy because of the Mako missions (though they could have make the terrain a little easier to traverse). Top to bottom Mass Effect was an amazing game that left me so excited for what's next."
On why Mass Effect 2 is the best...
"It took the interesting Universe they'd set up in the first game, kept up the writing and tightened up the gameplay so it was actually, y'kno, fun to play."
"This is so damn close. Mass Effect 3 has the better gameplay by far. Rolling, better combat environments, the works. It also has the Citadel DLC, which is my favorite DLC I've ever experienced. But Mass Effect 2's characters and their individual stories will live with me forever. It established Mass Effect as my all-time favorite game series. And I fell in love with Garrus! And Tali! Though mostly Garrus."
"Cast was more developed and interesting. Loyalty missions offered more insight into team members' lives and also the workings of the galaxy. Stakes in the overall plot were much greater. Morality system, while still fairly basic, had introduced more complexities and shades of gray. Combat was simpler but more refined. Suicide run final mission was unbelievably intense, yet so satisfying to get through it without losing a single squad member."
"Mass Effect 2 offers the peanut butter & jelly of video-games. Also, I don't know how you can't think it is the best whASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL."
"It has a better combat system than ME1, the best squad of all the games, an incredible story, and the suicide mission is the single greatest game end I've ever played."
"It's a sprawling adventure that finally gets away from the old Bioware 'Star Map' structure. I'm a massive sucker for stories based around putting together a team of flawed geniuses to pull off one big mission. It also has a wonderful sense of light and shade; without the looming threat that dragged ME3 into some fairly grim territory, I felt free to enjoy and explore the character relationships which are BioWare's strongest suit."
On why Mass Effect 3 is the best...
"It gave me a lot of feelings."
"It plays the best of the three. I enjoyed the way the story wrapped up (pre and post extended cut). The story was the culmination of the journey that happened over the course of three games and concluded the story of my Shepard. Also the multiplayer was tons of fun."
"Perfect build up, much more intense than the previous titles and keeps the plot moving at a great pace, never a dull moment."
"Because Female Shepard actually got some face and a trailer and cover. The previous games acted as if she didn't exist."
"Every moment felt as though it could be the endgame—it was fast moving and non-stop action, but well paced, as you could still pause to check in with all your companions and see how things were doing. Everything genuinely felt like it really mattered and a lot of threads from the previous two games—particularly ME2—were tied up, but not necessarily with a tidy little bow or in a way that felt forced. Finally, the emotional roller coaster it puts you on is hard to forget."
"The multiplayer and forming several lasting and close friendships with great people."
"While the ending was a massive disappointment, the rest of the game is all around amazingly well done with special note being given to the Tuchanka and Rannoch missions which left a strong impression with their character focus and difficult decisions."
"It's the most emotional. It hurts me, but I love it the most; the character development, the feeling of despair and stress you get because the war is going down fast and you need to act on it... Plus the combat is so much fun."
Anything else you want to say about Mass Effect?
"It's the best. Despite all the ending controversy, it's still my favorite series of all time. My first tattoo will come from this universe (Garrus's face tattoo, on my arm). These characters are my second family. I've laughed, cried and partied with them. More than any novel, movie, television show, they touched my heart. All my thanks to BioWare for such an incredible epic."
"How am I supposed to have a favorite character in a story with so damn many amazing characters? I went with Joker because he was the funniest, but I can think of good reasons to love Garrus, Tali, Wrex, Kaidan, Ashley, Liara, Jack, Legion, even Zaeed, hell, even the Illusive Man and his yoomans. IT'S SO HARD."
"I'm commander Shepard and this is my favourite survey on the citadel."
"I wish romances were non-exclusive, there's no possible universe in which Jack is 100% straight, and I need to start a roller derby team called Ass Effect."
"I still vividly remember beating ME1 for the first time. I knew the ending was coming and played until 6 am to finish it. Then M4 Part 2 starts playing as the credits roll and sent chills down my spine. It just felt way bigger than a simple video game."
"I refuse to vote Paragon or Renegade. #Renegon4LifeBitch!"
"It was the most important video game I ever played. It helped me through a difficult time in my life, introduced me to people both fictional (in the game) and real (other BioWare/Mass Effect Fans) that changed my life and made me a better more self aware person. I am a better person for having played it, a better person for having met so many fans."
