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What are your thoughts on Bioware right now?

They're still one of my favourite studios & I can't wait for the big reveal of Dragon Age: Tevinter.

Hopefully lessons were learned after the disaster that was Anthem.
 
Hollow shell of former self that EA is parading around like a Zombie to prove they don't ruin and shut down all studios they Borg. Which of course means they'll be shutting them down sooner or later.
 

Amory

Member
They're only Bioware in name at this point.

I actually thought Andromeda was a decent game and I would've played a sequel or DLC if they'd bothered. But Anthem was a bunch of horseshit and destroyed any remaining respect I had for the brand.

Whatever they put out next, they start from zero as far as their credibility is concerned.
 

Interfectum

Member
They are clearly Bioware in name only at this point. The only reason EA hasn't dropped the name completely is they know some Bioware fanboys still exist that will be their subpar shit sight unseen.
 

kraspkibble

Permabanned.
trash studio.

haven't put out a good game in the last decade. went downhill after Star Wars The Old Republic in 2011.
 

Ascend

Member
Between Baldur's Gate II and Mass Effect 2 they were maybe my favorite developer. I even adored Jade Empire. Then suddenly, I lost all interest in them (some time after the EA deal happened - probably not a coincidence). I played Dragon Age: Origins and hated it. Played the first few minutes of Mass Effect 3, hated that instantly as well. Maybe they were a necessary evolutionary step for video games, obsolete now.
Many people have the sentiment that ME2 was their last good game, but really, ME2 did not fulfill its primary function. ME2 is great as a stand-alone game, but, in actuality, it is a disservice to the trilogy.

Mass Effect was announced to be a trilogy from the beginning. And ME1 was almost the perfect buildup, and its ending was good both as a stand-alone game and as a setup for sequels. Bar the technical in-game issues, it was a perfect setup for the future of the franchise. ME2 does not have these same qualities to continue the franchise.

ME1 ends with "the reapers are coming". That was a good ending as already mentioned. ME2? It also ends with "the reapers are coming", and that, within a trilogy, is simply a failure, because nothing of true value has been gained. The plot didn't progress. Mass Effect 2 should have moved from "the reapers are coming" to "the reapers are here", and ME3 should be primarily about defeating the reapers.

Instead, ME2 does nothing, and ME3 is forced to take care of both the arrival and the defeat. Of course it's going to feel rushed and crammed from the start, because one game has to pick up the slack of two. It's a miracle how good ME3 turned out, considering the mess that ME2 left behind.

I have to admit that I never played Baldur's Gate. I did play Jade Empire, but, Mass Effect was the first BioWare game I played. I did not find Mass Effect to be of lower quality than Jade Empire, so, I assume that BioWare was still good quality back then. I did play Dragon Age Origins as well, and while I initially didn't like it, in hindsight, I think it's better than Mass Effect 1 in some ways.

The decline of BioWare started with ME2, where basic coherency was no longer adhered to. It happens to coincide with the EA takeover, but I'm not sure we can fault EA.
 
It would be tough for me to care less about them these days. The people that made those great games are long gone, and they're just another muddling developer that puts out meh games
 

MiguelItUp

Member
The Mass Effect series (sans Andromeda) and KOTOR I loved a great deal. I never really cared for the rest.

I wish they produced that same level of consistent quality this whole time. Now I don't really know what to make of them. After Anthem I honestly feel pretty bad for them. Andromeda too.

Don't really know what to expect from them from here on out.
 
I love the Mass Effect Trilogy and I love KOTOR. I have already made peace with the fact that I'll never enjoy another game from them again after the Andromeda debacle.

I get my RPG experiences from JRPG's now, because at least it feels like those games were made with the original dream in mind, and not ripped apart by box ticking exercises and other pandering shite.
 
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Barakov

Member
Don't really have a lot of faith in them right now. It started with Dragon Age 2 and then Anthem was the thing that seemed like the thing that was the final nail in the coffin.
 
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