And yet the ME2 suicide mission is still the high point of the entire series. Although that's partially because
Spoiler: ME3 Endgame
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Priority: Earth had it's final boss fight cut and the story extended beyond it's end.

Shepard should have died after she opens the Citadel arms, and the ending basically entirely dependent on EMS. Shepard's been walking to her death for two entire games, and the Catalyst's exposition could have been delivered much more engagingly from the Illusive Man. But the game decides to betray all my hard work by giving me a happy ending instead of a satisfying one.