Two of my Favorite Games

1. Mass Effect 3

Combining the tightest 3rd person shooter mechanics with a deep role-playing narrative and amazingly-crafted characters is a recipe for an amazing game in my book.  Stretching that narrative across three games and bringing the consequences for every decision you've made along the way with you makes Mass Effect 3 my favorite game of all time.

2. Halo 3: ODST

When you take a series known for invincible space marines, god-like technology, and alien religious ceremony and scale it back into a noire set over the course of a single night on Earth, some people are bound to be disappointed.  I don't count myself among them.  Making you weaker than previous gains allowed me to feel the rush of fighting the same enemies in a much more difficult light.  The story is dark without being maudlin and has plenty of charm to it (possibly due to the cast consisting of the half the male leads on Firefly).