Summary
BioWareis one of the most recognized game-developing companies in existence, with dozens of titles published and quite a pool of talented individuals working at its headquarters. Throughout its history, the company has crafted some of the best RPGs ever and even worked with important IPs such asDungeons & DragonsandStar Wars.
Some of the greatest video game franchises ever exist thanks toBioWare, but not all of them were created equal. Some stand out from the crowd for various reasons. For those looking to get lost inBioWare’s best video game franchises, the following collections of games are must-plays.
Neverwinter Nightsis one of the mostintenseDungeons & Dragonsexperiencesavailable, featuring a heartbreaking and tremendously dark story, thousands of enemies to beat, and several realms to save from the forces of evil. The game received dozens of updates and several DLCs in the form of campaigns that added hundreds of hours of gameplay and challenging new enemies.
The franchise is also famous for allowing players to test out theD&D3.0 ruleset, which was quite the rage at that time. The sequel,Neverwinter Nights 2, usedD&D3.5, but to be fair, the first game is a little better, both in terms ofnarrative and character background depth. Still, undoubtedly, this is one ofBioWare’s best franchises, and it is still fairly playable today, allowing for an integrated modding system and hundreds of custom campaigns crafted by a community of enthusiastic DMs.
From the beginning,Mass Effecthas always been quite a flashy IP, and BioWare knew how to make the most out of it withmemorable characters, incredibly deep storytelling, and thrilling world-building that has captivated the minds of millions of fans worldwide. The story narrates the adventures of Captain Shepard and their colorful crew, looking for a way to co-exist amidst a galaxy-wide crisis that threatens to wipe out all sentient species for good.
The games were critically acclaimed (except forMass Effect: Andromeda) for theirrevolutionary take on character relationshipsand deeply intertwined RPG mechanics. With so many points in its favor, it is no surprise that it has become one of the top sci-fi game franchises of all time. Perhaps the best thing aboutMass Effectis that it proposes a scenario where mankind and other species have gathered together and work for a common goal, despite all cultural (and biological) differences, providing players with a promising future to look forward to.
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic(orKOTOR) is another one of BioWare’s greatest hits, created using the piece of the expanded universe written by the legendary Drew Karpyshyn. The game narrates the events prior to the Imperial Period, approximately 4000 years before the Battle of Yavin (BBY), and tells the tale of Revan, a former Jedi who fell to the Dark Side and then redeemed himself (somewhat) by trying to stop Darth Malak in his rise to power.
The sequel follows up the steps of Revan and the Exile, another controversial figure of the Old Republic age, who abandoned the Jedi order under similar terms, and then, upon meeting a mysterious undead woman (Kreia) and reconnecting to the Force, was sent on a quest to stop Darth Sion and Darth Nihilus from finding the Star Forge and unleashing its power upon the Galaxy. The story of the franchise is enthralling and deep, featuring a lot ofmemorable characters and incredible dialog lines. It has become something of a fan favoriteStar Warsgame series, and there are constant rumors about it being turned into a movie, a show, or receiving a remake. And that speaks louder than anything about how deep the fans' love for the franchise is.
Dragon Agewas one of the greatest revelations of the past 15 years, featuring a dark, mature fantasy setting, and some incredibly well-developed characters. The franchise has a wide casting of wholesome, lovable, and believable characters who have sprouted from the imagination of really talented people, like The Gray Warden, Morrigan, Hawke, Varric, Sera, and Cassandra Penthagast (among others). And of course,some of the greatest villains, too, including the mysterious (and dead) Flemeth, the gruesome Corypheus, and Solas, the traitor of the hour.
With the upcoming launch ofDragon Age: The Veilguard, fans are tremendously excited about the sequel ofDragon Age: Inquisitionfinally bringing closure to a decade of mystery about the motivations of its main antagonist and his evil plan to bend the reality of Thedas to his will. So, in other words,Dragon Agemight very well be one of the best fantasy franchises that has ever surfaced from this powerhouse of a game development company.
BioWare developed its magnum opus using a skillful narrative, a great soundtrack, and the ruleset forAD&D2nd Edition, and that was a combination that gave birth to theBaldur’s Gatefranchise. Of course, many players are more accustomed to the modern version ofBGdeveloped by Larian Studios, but back in the day when the franchise first saw the light of day, it went up with a bang. From the incredibly well-narrated main storyline to its final iteration,Throne Of Bhaal,the franchise has given birth to many memorable characters, withMinsc, the Rashemaar Range, and his pet “Miniature Giant Space Hamster” Boo being some the most notorious ones.
Of course, the legend of Baldur’s Gate didn’t end up staying for too long with BioWare, and there werea lot of incredible spin-offsof the series developed by other developers, like theDark Allianceseries delivered to players by Snowblind Studios and Black Isle Studios. And though the success ofBaldur’s Gate 3was considerable, gamers should never forget about the studio that set the foothold for the franchise to grow into the incredible success that it is today.
