BioWare has a reputation for creating some of the most well-thought out story-driven, choice oriented RPGs of all time.
After all, this is the studio that created favorites like Star Wars Knights of The Old Republic, Jade Empire, and the original trilogy of Mass Effect games.
However, in the gaming world, it’s all about “what have you done for me lately?”
In terms of BioWare as it pertains to its parent company EA, the answer to that question is, “not much.”
BioWare’s two most recent major releases, Mass Effect Andromeda and the multi-player shooter Anthem both proved to be commercial and critical failures.
A lot of that is centered around technical issues with the games, most notably in Mass Effect Andromeda.
Andromeda had a huge mountain to climb right off the bat. It was the follow up to one of the most beloved RPG series of all time in Mass Effect 1-3. Despite fan outrage over what they believed to be a lackluster ending to Mass Effect 3, those original games were still looked upon favorably by the community at large.
With Andromeda, the game clearly needed some more time with developers before it was released. The version that gamers first got their hands on featured an insane number of bugs for a major studio release. Characters were not where they were supposed to be, some were floating in midair, animations weren’t done, and there were a ton of game breaking glitches.
With Anthem, BioWare relied on a bad loot system (a common EA issue), a lack of story (something BioWare fans crave above all else), and EA’s insistence on using Frostbite for a game engine, despite it not being the best option for this title.
While BioWare has seemingly abandoned Mass Effect Andromeda, cancelling any story driven DLC that was originally anticipated, they are still trying to fix Anthem with a massive patch update.
However, BioWare might want to look to the future.
Specifically, it should focus heavily on Dragon Age 4.
Dragon Age Inquisition was BioWare’s last major victory. Gamers are excited about Dragon Age 4, which many believe could arrive for next generation consoles sometime in 2022. With Mass Effect and Anthem seemingly both dead in the water, it might be up to Dragon Age to restore fan faith in BioWare’s ability to tell a story and put out a solid and polished game.
In order to do that, BioWare needs to take its time, focus on the story and gameplay, and not try to incorporate too many Anthem-style multiplayer elements into the game at the cost of the main campaign story.
EA has never been shy about closing down studios. That means the pressure is mounting for Dragon Age 4 to perform well and catapult BioWare back into the good graces of fans both old and new.
