BioWare have proven time and time again that they are the masters at creatingfun and engaging RPGsthat players can sink hundreds of hours into. Having been the minds behind critically acclaimed franchises likeMass EffectandDragon Age,BioWare has certainly made their own personal mark on the gaming industry, and are often credited for setting out the blueprint for modern RPGs to follow going forward.
Though all of their games are well worth trying out considering how high-quality they each are, as the years have gone by, there have been a select few titles from BioWare’s catalog which have been looked back on more fondly than others. Therefore, it’s time to see which of their games fans consider to be the very best, along with uncovering what exactly makes them so enjoyable to play for hours on end.
Despite being one of the first games they ever developed, BioWare managed to blow everyone away with the release ofNeverwinter Nights, alight MMO-RPGwhich was far ahead of its time. Based on the Forgotten Realms fantasy world seen in Dungeons & Dragons,Neverwinter Nightsgrants players the freedom to explore a gigantic map of Faerûn at their own leisure, seeking out resources and partaking part in epic battles as they go.
The story starts out simple enough, with the player being sent to capture four unique creatures known only as the “Waterdhavian Creatures”, but there’s more than a few twists and turns which keep the story engaging right the way through. Just like its D&D inspiration,Neverwinter Nightsalso features a painstakingly in-depth character creator, and considering 64 players can join a server at one time, it’s always fun to see what sorts of creations everyone has come up with.
While developingJade Empire,BioWare decided to lean more into the action genrewhen constructing its gameplay, while still retaining enough RPG elements to ensure fans of their previous games could still enjoy the experience. In contrast to a lot of BioWares' RPGs which tend to be more strategic and methodical in how they play,Jade Empireplaces a bigger emphasis on quick reflexes and precise timing to catch enemies off guard during battle. Though it can be easy to break the combat system by acquiring specific abilities, it’s still a lot of fun and actually quite challenging thanks to the enemy variety and high skill ceiling.
Outside of combat, players will engage in conversations with NPCs where they will be presented with a range of dialogue choices to pick from. These choices will have a big impact on how characters interact with the protagonist, and it will also change a few of the ending scenes. However, it should be noted that these choices aren’t seen as “Good” or “Bad”, and as a result, it allows players to truly role-play the Spirit Monk character in any way they would like without being forced into one direction or the other.
WhenDragon Age 2was released in 2011, it received harsh reviews from fans and critics, primarily because many felt it was nowhere near the quality of its much beloved predecessor,Dragon Age Origins. Alongside its beautiful world map and stunning visuals,Dragon Age Originshas also received a lot of praise for its characters, and more specifically, the companions that players can recruit along their journey. Whether it’s the rebellious but well-intentioned Morrigan, or the stoic yet troubled warrior known as Sten, each of these characters are very well-written and all feel unique in who they are, and how they play.
The variation in levels and environments alsogoes a long way in immersing players into the experience, along with the larger-than-life enemy types who can require quite a bit of strategy to take down. Though not everyone is a fan of having the black slate silent protagonist, the amount of customization options does still help to make up for this, along with the companions who have more than enough to say during the adventure.
Throughout the history of video games, there have been a select few titles which have helped modernize the RPG genre and make it more accessible to wider audiences, with one of these being BioWare’sMass Effectin 2007. It’s hard to understate just how massiveMass Effectreally was upon its release, with its sci-fi setting, lovable cast of characters, and streamlined gameplay all culminating in one incredible experience that manages to do so many things right.
Though the game uses a third-person camera angle, there’s still a lot of RPG mechanics to play around with, especially when it comes to upgrading companions with certain abilities which can be helpful in combat. Speaking of companions, BioWare went above and beyond when writing the party members for this game, with the likes ofGarrus and Liaragoing on to become fan-favorites for their endless charisma and memorable dialogue. The story of Shepard and his quest to hunt down the devious Saren is also a compelling one which sees players jumping between worlds and making crucial decisions as they go, decisions which will inevitably change the universe in later games.
While the firstMass Effectgame was dedicated to establishing the universe,Mass Effect 2goes all in with its worldbuilding, allowing players to learn about the different species that were introduced in the first game. Because the stakes aren’t quite as high as they were previously,Mass Effect 2gives players more freedom to explore the universe at their leisure, while also bonding with their squadmates, of which there are many to choose from. Though the Collectors are the main enemy of the story, much of the game is made up ofloyalty missionswhich the player can take part in after forming a close enough relationship with a certain companion.
All of this leads up to one of the most epic final stages of any video game, the Suicide Mission. During this nail-biting sequence, the game will take into account everything the player has done throughout the story to determine whether the missions goes off without a hitch, or if a few people die in the process. The game also refined the third-person gameplay seen in the first, and introduces a plethora of new and compelling characters who are all expertly crafted with intriguing backstories and expressive personalities.
Pairing the universe of Star Wars with the writing chops of BioWare already sounds like a match made in heaven, but no one could have expectedKnights of the Old Republicwould end up being as amazing as it was. Set thousands of years before the emergence of the Galactic Empire, the game begins with the player’s original character waking up aboard a Republic ship which is in the middle of being attacked. After barely making it out in one piece, players are then set free to embark on an intergalactic adventure which will see them visit someiconic planets from the movies such as Tatooine, Kashyyyk, and Korriban, along with plenty of brand-new areas to explore.
Knight of the Old Republic’scombat is quite a bit different from what is normally seen in more modern BioWare games, as it uses a D20 system to determine how a fight is going to go. This means that any battle, no matter who it’s against, feels unpredictable and intense, since there’s no guarantee either party will be able to make it out alive. The player’s actions will also have a drastic impact on their characters throughout the game, determining whether they become a heroic Jedi, or a Sith Lord that has become corrupted by darkness.
23 years before Larian’sBaldur’s Gate 3would revolutionize the RPG genre forever, there was another entry in the series that similarly proved to be massively influential for role playing games, this beingBaldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn. BioWare did their best to fix every issue people had with the firstBaldur’s Gate, but what they ended up making was one of themost immersive and technically impressive games ever made. Normally, an RPG will succeed in some areas but then falter in others, but this isn’t really the case withBaldur’s Gate 2, where the story, combat, characters, and level design all feel perfectly balanced.
The game also poses quite a formidable challenge in the form of its intense dungeons, which encourage players to make full use of their class and all the unique attributes that come with it. Many people also argue thatBaldur’s Gate 2features some of BioWare’s best ever character writing, which is certainly saying something given how beloved their characters are in their other games. All in all, BioWare managed to create one of the best RPGs ever made withBaldur’s Gate 2, and it’s good to see the legacy of this series live on in the modern day with brand-new entries.
