I've finished a second playthrough of Mass Effect 3. That should show that I have gotten over the ending enough that I could play it again, and (thank goodness) this time I wasn't completely crushed by the ending. Maybe because I made sure to get the "BEST" ending (Shepard may have lived?!) and my romance from ME1 (Ashley) took me back even after I boned genetically-perfect Miranda in ME2 (too bad Miranda died this time). Anyway, I have 2 problems that I'd like to address, and one of them requires some input from the community.

Minor point to start - the soundtrack is AWESOME. Like, wow. Really epic music, very well done. Period.

After completing a second playthrough, and reading explanations from various sources (Rock Paper Shotgun has a few excellent articles that their various authors have penned regarding the endings, I highly recommend them) I have slowly come around to an understanding of the endings. I'm not a fan of deep convoluted endings to begin with anyway (Matrix, 2001, etc), so throwing an all-knowing Star Child into the mix at the end was a big bummer anyway. However, I accept that BioWare told a story, and while the finale was a letdown, the buildup to the final battle was nothing short of breathtaking. Even on the second playthrough, and even after seeing several different outcomes on YouTube, I was still drawn in on a couple outcomes (Mordin and Thane still tug on my tear ducts; Miranda and Legion were bittersweet as well), and Liara's good-bye was touching, even though I wasn't her love interest (this time). My point is, the journey was just wonderful, but I feel the destination didn't live up to expectations, and that did sour the entire experience a bit.

Be that as it may... filing a complaint with the FTC is WAAAAAAY beyond extreme. In a way, EA and BioWare should use that as a selling point. I want it known that, while I'm disappointed in the ending, and would've liked something different, I'm not insisting on a change. While the Child's Play charity drive is a great way to display your displeasure, I believe that BioWare told a story, and that story had a conclusion. I also want to give a thumbs up to Penny Arcade's comic regarding the brouhaha.

My second problem is one that I'd really like feedback on. I cannot deny that the Mass Effect trilogy was a wonderful use of my time. I am so drawn into the world that I would love to introduce my wife to the series. She plays some games, but she has a fairly short window of introduction. My problem is Mass Effect 1 - I didn't think it was that good, at least gameplay-wise (especially compared to ME2). No matter what EA/BioWare says, I don't think it's fair to introduce someone to the ME universe with ME2, let alone ME3. And while I feel that ME3 was the best GAME of the series, I cannot ignore the story arc that spans the trilogy.

But that's my opinion. Can anyone help me with this choice? Should I force her through ME1, or just try to start her with ME2 and say "good luck"?