So Jaks and I started discussing this a little bit in another thread, and I figured it warranted further discussion: who here likes/dislikes Bioware? Which of their games are great, and which really turned you off? Are you looking forward to Dragon Age/Mass Effect 2/KOTOR Online? Love it or hate it, Bioware has been a big player in the gaming world for a while now, and whether you find their games consistently good or consistently bad, they’re always consistently idiosyncratic.
To pick up where we left off, I would say that since Baldur’s Gate II, I have thoroughly enjoyed Hordes of the Underdark, Knights of the Old Republic, and Mass Effect. Jade Empire and Sonic Chronicles were all right. Neverwinter Nights and Shadows of Undrentide were incredibly boring, and the NWN modules were very hit-or-miss (although I did love Kingmaker). I also really enjoyed Knights of the Old Republic II, although that was made by Obsidian with a Bioware engine.
Pre-Baldur’s Gate II, I have played Icewind Dale, Heart of Winter, Trials of the Luremaster, Planescape: Torment, and of course, Baldur’s Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast (note: some of these games were made by Black Isle in conjunction with Bioware and/or with the use of a Bioware engine). The only criticisms I can offer for these games are minor nitpicks: bugs, glitches, slight difficulty curve and pacing issues, etc.
As for BGII and Throne of Bhaal, I pretty much agree with everyone else that this was the peak of Bioware games, and while they’ve come close, they haven’t quite matched this pair yet. The games were not only incredibly broad, but incredibly deep as well, with a myriad of gameplay options, a gripping story, and a memorable cast of characters. If Dragon Age taps into the same kind of brilliance, I feel we’ll have another classic on our hands.
Re: Bioware Games
First off, the games I’m about to list are all Bioware games. Games mentioned above that aren’t in this list are only games that use bioware’s engines, they are NOT bioware games. Black Isle Studio’s Planescape: Torment for example, is not a bioware game.
Shattered Steel- Somewhat good
Baldur’s Gate- Awesome
Baldur’s Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast- Very awesome
MDK2- Meh
Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn- Bitchin
Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal- Bitchin
Neverwinter Nights- Awful
Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide- Better but still subpar
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark- Way better, though still not the best game
Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker- Decent stand alone
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic- Glitchy as hell, plot was good but game was unplayable without severe patching
Jade Empire- Terrible gameplay but awesome plot
Mass Effect- Terrible plot and moderate gameplay (Dialog trees were ridiculous)
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood- Sonic died with the Sega systems. The new 3D sonic games are all, and I do mean ALL awful.
Mass Effect Galaxy- Awful
Dragon Age: Origins- No longer have hopes for
Mass Effect 2- Never had hopes for
Star Wars: The Old Republic- Makes sense as an MMO but I’m not a fan of MMO’s
unannounced next generation game- Meh
Mass Effect 3- ME2 isn’t finished and they have ME3 in planning? Lame.
Re: Bioware Games
You’ve lost all your hopes for Dragon Age because of one publicity stunt? I’m not saying it’s necessarily going to be the next BGII, but it’s the closest thing we’ve had in a while.
Re: Bioware Games
No. It was the publicity stunt that broke the camels back, I already have a distaste for bioware as a whole and it takes a lot for them to impress me. Dragon Age was one of the few that did actually seem like it could be worthwhile, and it may yet still be a good game but I’m probably not going to pay money for it.
Re: Bioware Games
Well, tell you what. I’m very psyched about it, and provided that I’m not super-busy the week it comes out, I’ll pick it up on launch day. I’ll be sure to post my impressions here, if it’ll help you judge.