Poll: Are you a Bioware Fan? What Type, and Why?

[Richard Hannay]

I loved Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 and I loved Mass Effect 1 and 2. I tried and failed to get into Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and Dragon Age. I guess Bioware's okay. The fact that their engine went on to have Planescape: Torment built upon it definitely earns them some brownie points in my book.

 

[TundraWolf]

I never played any of the Baldur's Gate games, but I've been a devout BioWare fanboy since 2002, when Neverwinter Nights came out. God, I loved that game. I played the code out of that game!

That was quickly followed up by multiple playthroughs of Knights of the Old Republic, which still ranks so very high on my list of "Favorite Games". I played most of Jade Empire, as well. That was also a pretty awesome game.

Basically, I own multiple copies of every BioWare game since 2002. (I have two copies each of both Mass Effect games, as well as two copies of Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening. No second copy of Dragon Age 2 yet, though.) So yeah: hardcore classic BioWare fanboy.

Love me some hometown representation!

 

[n03s]

With few words;
Im an old Bioware fan, from the days Bioware collaborated with Black Isle to create the best(IMO) and most deep RPG franchise!
The Baldurs Gate series..
After that , with the exception of KOTOR, Bioware went downhill in my eyes..
I still support the company.. I buy their games (DA:O , DA:2 , ME:2)
But the "magic" and immersion i've felt with their old work has disappeared..
Again thats just my opinion.

 

[Chibz]

I hate bioware because all their games "feel" almost exactly the same. They never, EVER push the envelope.

So fuck 'em.

 

[Kevka]

Until very recently, my opinion of Bioware was waning. I never thought they were getting bad, per se, just that after Jade Empire, KotOR, Mass Effect and DA:O they were becoming one-trick-ponies in terms of plot. Didn't stop me from enjoying the games for what they were, though.

Then Mass Effect 2 happened, and I started paying more attention. It wasn't a huge departure from the old plot style (still the "non-linear" style of picking up people from around the galaxy before confronting the great evil) but it was a well-presented, tightly-packaged experience that I think exceeded its predecessor.

Then Dragon Age 2. Dear sweet lord, Dragon Age 2.

Spoiler: I talk about DA2 here, but the topic is really more about my love of Bioware, so ignore this if you don't wanna see me gush about how I love it

Not their best game, I'll give that honor to Neverwinter Nights, but they actually changed up the frame of the plot. They dialed down the scale to make it a much more relatable, human experience. And they're actually taking risks and chances with combat. Who does that in this industry!?

After DA2 I'm very excited to see what Bioware is going to be able to do, though I hope that EA doesn't listen to the people who hate DA2 for the wrong reasons and are clamoring for a "return to form", because taking steps backwards is the stupidest thing that anybody can ask for.

Overall, I'm an old and new fan. I picked "Meh".

 

[Nfritzappa]

I love bioware and always have, I've never played NVN or Baldur's Gate but they look amazing. KotOR holds a dear place in my heart because of my love for star wars, and because to me it is the greatest game ever made. Jade Empire blew my mind . Mass Effect is starting to replace KotOR's spot, we'll see how number 3 goes. I see the ME trilogy as one BIG game, and I think I'm still the only one who does (other than Casey Hudson). Bioware is a brand, and they are so unique on their own, and everyone knows what a bioware game "feels" like, and I think thats awesome. I love how instead of just being one team they have several studios (a fact people seem to forget, the people who made Dragon Age II ARE NOT the same people who made Mass Effect). Edmonton studio is my favorite of theirs.

 

[ManStapler]

I love BioWare just for their brilliant stories in MA / DA games, the games aren't just that good. I though I'll quit MA cause the first time I picked a class I didn't enjoy, and never gotten to the story much, then I started over, and the story just kept pulling me back, then came DA, and it was just amazing.

BioWare gets my vote on story telling.

 

[dyre]

Baldur's Gate 2 was the best game I've ever played. Bioware all the way!

KOTOR was pretty good too.

Their newer games do feel a bit...similar. I love the ME series and the DA series is alright, but I haven't been wowed by their stories since BG2.

Still, I'll always be a Bioware fan

 

[Amondren]

I'm not sure what I would be considered. I loved Jade Empire it really got me into RPG's and I really like Mass Effect and Dragonage. Liked Dragon Age 1 better along with ME1 also.

 

[Zantos]

I must say, after rethinking my strategy for playing Dragon Age Origins I've really enjoyed it over the past couple of days. I now see how in an RPG of that sort choosing the right class is very important. The only problem now is that its made me want to play DA2 but I can't afford it until student loan comes in

 

[Levi93]

The only Bioware game I've enjoyed was Kotor and I find the Mass Effect and Dragon age series a bit boring, although I am going to give baulders gate 2 a try when I get my PC fixed.

 

[varulfic]

I'm a huge fan. I first played Dragon Age and Mass Effect last year, and fell in love with the fleshed out characters and focus on story. I'm in a Bioware phase now - I've started looking into older titles. I'm currently playing Baldurs Gate 2, after that I'm gonna play Kotor and then Jade Empire... hopefully, that will hold me over until Mass Effect 3.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I hate bioware because all their games "feel" almost exactly the same. They never, EVER push the envelope.

So fuck 'em.

I don't know. They seem to really push the envelope on how much dialogue you can stuff into a video game.
I can see the appeal of a more story based rpg but their stories never seem good enough to carry the whole game the way they seem to think it is.

 

[plugav]

Being a fan of cRPGs, it was hard not to become a fan of BioWare at some point. That point, for me, was Knights of the Old Republic (I've played the earlier games, but Torment > Baldur's Gate and NWN somehow never appealed to me), but I actually think the Mass Effect series is their best.

I think it's the storytelling. Somehow, they can make me excited about having to save the world yet again.
And the characters. Their old "you must gather your party before venturing forth" story structure (best observed in Mass Effect 2, where it's 90% of the plot, really) works, because the characters are so well written.

They never, EVER push the envelope.

I'd say they are, more then they are given credit for. Jade Empire and especially Mass Effect 2 made me reconsider my definition of cRPG.

You're right, though, that BioWare games always feel like BioWare games.