Poll: Poll: BioWare or Bethesda?

[Jamous]

I want to say Both.

 

[Skratt]

Bethesda was great, but somewhere along the way they lost the narrative inside a giant sandbox desert of a game. I think there may actually be such a thing as too unfocused, though I'm sure a few would beg to disagree.

BioWare. I've just always felt like the story and writing were much more immersive than Bethseda. I also always thought Bethesda's games lacked a lot of direction, it just sort of set a massive world before you and didn't really tell you where to go.

This is exactly then reason why I vote for Bethesda (in addition to the modding possibilities). I, for one, absolutely love the freedom and lack of direction you guys criticize.
Morrowind will always be one of my favourite games. <3

I do love Oblivion don't get me wrong, I just wish that instead of quest lines broken up by so much other content, that you could settle into an immersible story or two with each of the varying factions - with world altering affects perhaps? Immersion was broken so often, I just starting seeing quests as go here, do X, turn in.

We'll see what happens with TES V, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[FalseMemorySyndrome]

I enjoy playing BioWare games a lot more than Bethesda, but spend a lot more time indulged in a Beth game than I do a Bio.

Bioware games are amazing at drawing you into the character, while Bethesda is more about drawing you into the world and the atmosphere of the game. Pretty much why I play Mass Effect for the story + characters, and Fallout for the enviroment + exploration.

 

[Enverex]

I loved Morrowind and Oblivion (admittedly Oblivion needed some mods to normalise it, specifically levelling enemies...) and I used to think everything Bioware did was magic, but I just lost interest in Dragon Age.

It just felt like I was walking into too many copy-paste enemy battles that felt like they had the frequency and variation of Diablo II mobs while having the difficulty of Baldur's Gate encounters. Just ruined it for me and eventually got tired of playing the game and couldn't complete it. The story pulled me on but it wasn't compelling enough to keep me going the whole way.

 

[Interference]

Much as I love Bethesda, I love Bioware far more. They helped build Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment, a dual feat meaning that were their next game to be Barbie's Magical Horse Stable I'd *still* place them above Bethesda.

 

[loc978]

I can't really say I prefer one over the other at this point. BioWare writes a better story, but (in my opinion) Bethesda designs better game mechanics. Both companies make awesome games with compelling narrative structure.

 

[zxcxczczx]

I have never enjoyed a Bethesda game that much and I love every Bioware game.

Bioware > Bethesda.

 

[FalloutJack]

Here's a surprise answer for ya: Atlus Software!

Heh heh heh heh... Sorry, but I don't really have a preference of either of your poll-choices over the other. So, I took a third option.

 

[Grey_Focks]

Vs threads are a no-no, but your new here, so I shall forgive you. Oh, and I love the games both of them make, but I can't not choose BioWare.

 

[LogicNProportion]

My vote goes to BioWare, the company that I aim to work for after I get out of college.

 

[CCountZero]

Strictly speaking, though, they're Action-RPGs, with greater simmilarities to Borderlands than "real RPGs".

That aside, they still rock. BioWare is still #1 on my list.

(And as a sidenote, the reason they were "de-RPG'd" is *readies FireRes gear* consoles *cough*)

RPG - Role Playing Game. You are playing the role of Commander Shepard, choosing what he should say and how he should act, choosing how his abilities, and how they evolve.
It is not connected to D&D or anything like that. Action-RPG? I haven't ever played an RPG without action. Swords, fireballs, bows, assault rifles - whats the difference? It's just another way to slaughter orcs/trolls/bandits/eclipse mercs.

These genre stereotypes are created by some elitists who still don't understand that world of games had moved on - and so did the genres.

By that rationale, the term "JRPG" shouldn't exist. Yet it does. How odd is that?

RPG is such a wide term that it has multiple sub-genres.
Saying "RPG" could mean anything from Final Fantasy VII to Neverwinter Nights, through Borderlands with a pitstop in Deus Ex and a holiday in Oblivion.

Surely you can see that there's a MASSIVE difference between just those five examples, to such an extent that putting them under the same roof could cause confusion?

 

[Maclennan]

I went with bio ware despite not particularly enjoying Dragon age which I just got not long age the Mass Effect series and KOTOR make up for it. The writings great and the combat is competent with exceptions, thats my one big complaint from dragon age the radial menu just seems to work better with guns where you don't get knocked over or spend the fight with a guy frozen all the bloody time.
I find Bethesda went down hill from Morrowind to Oblivion and has stayed about the same level from there on in and stagnation is never very impressive. They just took to much out and didn't put enough back in. If they had the variety New Vegas has in Fallout 3 without the mountain of bugs that actually would of been reaching for that bar they set for themselves. Another plus side would be to give up on their broken leveling system maybe they could go back to having certain sprites spawn based on area alone instead of level. That is pretty tried and true if a little uninspired.

 

[C117]

BioWare. I've just always felt like the story and writing were much more immersive than Bethseda. I also always thought Bethesda's games lacked a lot of direction, it just sort of set a massive world before you and didn't really tell you where to go.

However, if you could combine Bethesda's gameplay and world style, and BioWare's writing and story development I think it would possibly be the best RPG known to man.

Possibly. Or rather, most certainly so.

 

[bl4ckh4wk64]

I've finished Mass Effect 1 around 6 times now and this still sends shivers down my spine.

For me, it did the first time. Don't get me wrong, I totally like the game, I got it for 360 at release and for PC at release ('cus PC rulez), but I must admit that I was thoroughly disappointed at the "epicness" of the gameplay.

Judgeing from trailers, and the intro movie, you're like "OMG; this is CRAZY AWESOME! Nail my D to a burning building, long as I can play this game while you do it!"

The remaining 99.5% of the game didn't really reflect that feeling, though. In that sense, I feel it failed miserably.

Mass Effect 2 remedies this completely, in part by scaling down the opening scene, which I believe is for the best, really.

Yea, some of the gameplay was bland but what kept me playing was the characterization and the plot. How can you say that battle with the 5th fleet vs Sovereign and the Geth wasn't epic?

 

[Hazzaslagga]

i'm still losing hours on oblivion with 30-40ish mods, though I have enjoyed mass effect 2. true that oblivion itself wasn't great but it's the openess and diversity of it that i love. mass effect was just a good/great game.

 

[sumanoskae]

Bioware VS Bethesda, Quality VS Quantity, Mini-Guns VS Sniper Rifles.

Though I love both, I have to go with Bioware. Even though the Bethesda's worlds are bigger, Bioware's worlds and characters are the one's that stayed with me.

They really could learn from eachother, here's to Skyrim and Mass Effect 3/Dragon Age 2 selling a shit load of copies and buying them both lots of hookers!.

P.S: The Rockstar games come close to fusing the best of both formulas, but they lack Biowares sheer emotional weight, and Bethesda's variety and customization...

 

[sumanoskae]

Bethesda was great, but somewhere along the way they lost the narrative inside a giant sandbox desert of a game. I think there may actually be such a thing as too unfocused, though I'm sure a few would beg to disagree.

BioWare. I've just always felt like the story and writing were much more immersive than Bethseda. I also always thought Bethesda's games lacked a lot of direction, it just sort of set a massive world before you and didn't really tell you where to go.

This is exactly then reason why I vote for Bethesda (in addition to the modding possibilities). I, for one, absolutely love the freedom and lack of direction you guys criticize.
Morrowind will always be one of my favourite games. <3

I do love Oblivion don't get me wrong, I just wish that instead of quest lines broken up by so much other content, that you could settle into an immersible story or two with each of the varying factions - with world altering affects perhaps? Immersion was broken so often, I just starting seeing quests as go here, do X, turn in.

We'll see what happens with TES V, but I won't hold my breath.

I'ts a shame too. I for one think that Bioware's and Bethesda's styles would merge beautifully.

Bioware's open ended, character focused storytelling would allow you to, say, wonder the world with a group of misfit adventurers completing quests, and when they begin to trust you(Or hate you maybe) enough personal stories will be triggered.

Instead of a main quest line, you could be given a goal and challenged to find your own way of completing it

 

[akibawall95]

I am a fan of both but when it comes down to the over all quality of the games it has to go to Bioware.