Is Bioware losing its magic?

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I disagree about point 2 in your list. One of the main reasons why KoTOR was set in the distant past was so that Bioware could have greater freedom in the story. I believe that Nostalgia has gotten the better of you, Bioware story lines (to me at least) are still engaging well written.

Nice post, and Welcome to the Escapist!

def. agree with this, your being nostalgic about this

i love bioware's voice acting, a billion times better than any other game company i have seen, especially compared to crappy fallout 3 or oblivion (love those games, for the open world and gameplay, not for the story or talking at all)

bioware hits it spot on with what they are trying to do in the voice acting, sure your main person didn't have a voice really, but if your that nerved about it then your just being nitpicky

bioware 4ever!

 

[Amnestic]

Cutting down on the "Walls-of-Text" that supposedly represented dialogue was the best thing BioWare did. Maybe it annoys the 5% of people that thought that was the best part.

Haruhi forbid they make an RPG with story and conversation and character interaction.

 

[spikeyjoey]

Haha..this ^^^

and this:

Too much writing OP! Can't concentrate, remember your talking to gamers here who have had their attention spans artificially and prematurely shortened by the pretty flashing lights and sound effects that are today's video games.

It was a very well written argument.. and i think its a sad day when about 4 paragraphs is too much effort to read.. god no wonder games are dumbing down

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

due to e74, i havent completed DA:O, but my only complaint was that i really enjoyed having a voice actor for Shepard in ME so i was disappointed in no voice actor for your character in DA:O. but i understand the why behind there not being one.

thats it, my only complaint, i can honestly i've enjoyed all my experiences with Bioware games. no magic lost for me

 

[BaldursBananaSoap]

Plus the stories of DA:O and ME are the exact same.

Sheperd/Hero joins an elite group of Specters/Grey Wardens to stop the evil Reapers/Darkspawn who threaten to return and destroy everything.

I really liked Dragon Age and Mass Effect though, but Mass Effect's exploration wasn't as good.

 

[saejox]

voice acting. it just takes away your imagination. most of time voice doesnt match tone of the dialog.

close-up face camera. you can not do a just facial animation, ever.

however they still keep trying, it just takes away from immersion.

 

[Worgen]

everyone knows that gaming was only good when it was on a 2d plane and stomping on mushroom guys

 

[TPiddy]

I am 36 hours into my very first playthrough of Dragon Age and I am absolutely engrossed by it. Due to my character and party selection, I've only been able to see much of Wynne, Alistair and Shale's storylines and playful interactions, but they've been fantastic.

The Alistair storyline, especially if you play a female love interest protagonist, is amazing, and his character is very well developed. I'm just about through the Landsmeet, but I've had difficult decisions to make the whole way through, and I'll be able to sink another 40 hours into a completely different character and have a markedly different experience. This is what I love about Bioware and they have not disappointed.

DA: O is GOTY material, even if it is a bit rough around the edges, but the level of detail and vast scope of the game is amazing. Even something like giving characters realistic death blows, in a D & D engine based RPG there's no need for that, but just watching Alistair climb up and Ogre to run his sword through it's eye never gets boring. It's also surprisingly difficult, as the tide in a battle can turn very quickly. I hardly ever get that from a game anymore.

I don't think they've lost their magic, I think you're just being nostalgic. I loved both KOTOR's and every Baldur's Gate I've played, but I still think Mass Effect is their greatest game to date, beating out DA: O because it's simply more polished.

 

[KiKiweaky]

I really liked dragon age origins, game was an addiction for a few days. So no I dont think theyre losing their magic at all.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Nope. They're getting better at storytelling with every game.

With Jade Empire topping the mountain for overall story/gameplay/originality, imo.

 

[magicmonkeybars]

I hated BG1&2 and kotor was just plain annoying getting stopped every so often by a party members who wanted to say something but alway asked if I wanted to talk.
Jade empire mass effect dragon age origins are ten time better games then bg1&2 or kotor are.

 

[veloper]

Little has changed. Bioware always did cheesy stories. They're fun, but not very original or deep.

Because I did not expect to see the level of VTM Bloodlines, I wasn't disappointed with DAO however.
The good thing is, this is their first game since BG2, that has some tactical and strategic depth. I'll go as far and say combat is actually more balanced than the baldur's gate series.

 

[LogicNProportion]

Dragon Age was fun, but wasn't worth a couple replays like the older ones of Bioware, in my opinion.

I had the same problem with Mass Effect, feeling it as soulless. Meh, to me the game was OK. Probably one of the more overrated games of the new gen era.

Preferred the original KotOR over the 2nd.

Baldur's Gate = Masterpiece.

Forgotten Realms = Awesome.

Jade Empire = My favorite of them all!

Keep in mind I got Mass Effect FIRST before any of their older stuff, so nostalgia is not a factor here. Bioware is just getting worse...plus...they DO keep rehashing the same plot over and over and over and over again.

I'm going to ignore ME2, but The Old Republic looks good for a spin.

 

[TheSupremeForce]

Baldur's Gate was positively filled with "filler" quests (and KoToR was largely "filler). It's really a question of "fillers you enjoy personally." The BG saga probably was BioWare's "best" work, but that doesn't mean their stuff since that point isn't excellent. There's always going to be a "best" in anything. It doesn't make the rest garbage.

 

[Saris Kai]

To everyone who keeps ragging on Bioware for rehashing the same basic plot points in their games: Without having the main character being some kind of special elite agent / epic adventurer / child of a god / Jedi knight you run into the "who the fuck are you supposed to be?" problem.

Lets say you and your friends all have some kind of elite special forces training but your just regular civilians and are not working for the powers that be. Lets say some disaster begins to unfold that your skills are perfectly suited to counter and you head out to go do something about it. When you get there you may even solve the problem before the authorities arrive but when they do or they get there first they are going to say "who the fuck are you supposed to be?" and probable have you detained or executed depending on the nature of what you actually did or the nature of the disaster. Now that's all well and good if that's the story you want to tell but if you don't want the main characters be harassed or worse by the powers that be they better work for them.

 

[NickCaligo42]

The big threat in Mass Effect was called "The Reapers." The big threat in Dragon Age was called "The Darkspawn." I think that says enough about their creativity. At least when Todd Macfarlane used stuff like this he somehow found a way to make it look unique.

 

[JimJamJahar]

who'd play KOTOR without ever seeing Star Wars or playing other Star Wars games first?

Uh... Me

KotOR is my favourite game of all time and that is what got me into Star Wars in the first place (and now I guess you could call me a 'super-fan'). Every BioWare game I have played has been amazing and I don't think they are getting worse.

I did not like Fallout 3, as BioWare has set an extremely high benchmark for the story, characters and all round quality of RPGs for me and Fallout 3 was nowhere near. Whenever I play an RPG not produced by Bioware, I always feel that it can't match up to their quality and desire something better. I have not played Dragon Age: Origins yet, but hope that it meets KotOR in terms of quality.

 

[Traun]

To everyone who keeps ragging on Bioware for rehashing the same basic plot points in their games: Without having the main character being some kind of special elite agent / epic adventurer / child of a god / Jedi knight you run into the "who the fuck are you supposed to be?" problem.

Lets say you and your friends all have some kind of elite special forces training but your just regular civilians and are not working for the powers that be. Lets say some disaster begins to unfold that your skills are perfectly suited to counter and you head out to go do something about it. When you get there you may even solve the problem before the authorities arrive but when they do or they get there first they are going to say "who the fuck are you supposed to be?" and probable have you detained or executed depending on the nature of what you actually did or the nature of the disaster. Now that's all well and good if that's the story you want to tell but if you don't want the main characters be harassed or worse by the powers that be they better work for them.

powers that be they better work for them.[/quote]

Why must there be a evil force, great disasters, etc. Why can;t you be just some guy who wants to make a name for himself. Hell, I can name a few examples in DA:O which could follow this example. Set the game in upper half of Thedas(Trividium Imperium, Antiva, Free Marches and Nevvara). Put you character somewhere in the bottom (an antivan assassin who wants to get out of the slum, slave of the Imperium who seeks freedom, mage who is trying to climb the social ladder and become a Magister). You can have a perfectly good story WITHOUT disasters (neither Kull, nor Conan fought the devil).

Bioware games are enjoyable, but I couldn't be the only person who said to himself "I smoked that thing TWICE in Mass Effect" when he saw The Broodmother.