Poll: Which Bioware RPG to start with?

[NerfedFalcon]

Recently, I've been seeing a lot of hype and a lot of threads for Skyrim. While that may not in itself be a bad thing, except possibly for the game (like Duke Nukem Forever, it has huge shoes to fill), it's slightly out of my price range for a publisher and a genre I'm not normally interested in.

Because of that, I've decided maybe Bioware would get me into WRPGs better. I already own Knights of the Old Republic on Steam (my most convenient way of getting games, although I might find more elsewhere), but I'm finding that a little hard to handle, for two reasons: it's a little tough for me (I got stuck on the first battle in the Lower City) and it's about as buggy as your average Bethesda masterpiece (sometimes my character just stands still for a minute, no matter how many keys I mash.)

So, because of that, maybe a different game might convince me not to just play JRPGs (and before you pour scorn, I only have one where the main character's haircut could be described as "spiky".) From what I've checked, there are five Bioware RPGs on Steam, I don't know if I'd be able to find them as cheap or as conveiently elsewhere...

So, yeah. Which one is the best for someone who's not really good with WRPGs? Oh, and I'm fine with number-crunching and all that, so don't just say "Mass Effect because it was clearly given guns and dumbed down to appeal to the Halo crowd and Bioware are assholes for trying to make money while still creating something an RPG fan like me might conceivably like if I put my biases aside and played it, and since you hate RPGs there's plenty of guns to distract you from the numbers, you lowest common denominator".

 

[King of the Sandbox]

Baldur's Gate series.

It's still my favorite and is pretty much ageless.

 

[Space Spoons]

I would recommend either Dragon Age or Mass Effect, the choice being based on whether you lean toward sci-fi or high fantasy. The older Bioware games, while classics in their time, haven't help up all that well in my opinion.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

I would recommend either Dragon Age or Mass Effect, the choice being based on whether you lean toward sci-fi or high fantasy. The older Bioware games, while classics in their time, haven't help up all that well in my opinion.

Just HAD to come along and contradict me, didn't ya? lol

 

[MrTwo]

Dragon Age for me, mainly because of the fact I didn't like Mass Effect. I dunno why, because I like RPGs and I like shooters, but I couldn't stand it. I started on 2, so maybe I missed some stuff, but it just seemed so bland to me and the combat was really boring.

Also, your little rant at the end reminded me of that Zero Punctuation on WoW.

 

[Zen Toombs]

I vote Mass Effect. IMO, it has a very interesting and compelling story.

 

[Undead Dragon King]

Baldur's Gate series.

It's still my favorite and is pretty much ageless.

Normally, I'd agree with you. But in this particular case, the problem with the Baldur's Gate series is that they are very hard games for new WRPG'ers (and many veteran players as well). Still, they deliver the best RPG experience ever delivered, if you can get past the steep difficulty curve.

Personally, I'd go Mass Effect if you're just starting out. It's BioWare's flagship franchise at present, the games are a nice hybrid of RPG's and shooting, and it's true to BioWare form, moreso in the the first installment then its sequel, but by then you will have gotten a nice RPG experience. Plus, you can jump on the Mass Effect 3 hype bandwagon when you're done!

Jade Empire has a fantastic story and good mechanics, but it's definitely among BioWare's more artsy and unique IP's, and some would say that is not a good representation of the studio.

 

[Space Spoons]

I would recommend either Dragon Age or Mass Effect, the choice being based on whether you lean toward sci-fi or high fantasy. The older Bioware games, while classics in their time, haven't help up all that well in my opinion.

Just HAD to come along and contradict me, didn't ya? lol

Well, to be fair, Baldur's Gate might be the one older game that I'd call the exception to the rule. It's aged remarkably well.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

I would recommend either Dragon Age or Mass Effect, the choice being based on whether you lean toward sci-fi or high fantasy. The older Bioware games, while classics in their time, haven't help up all that well in my opinion.

Just HAD to come along and contradict me, didn't ya? lol

Well, to be fair, Baldur's Gate might be the one older game that I'd call the exception to the rule. It's aged remarkably well.

Ah, ok. *phew* For a second there I thought you were another one of those annoying contrarians that seem to troll/flood the boards everyday.

lol

 

[StBishop]

Baldur's Gate series.

It's still my favorite and is pretty much ageless.

This, from GoG.com (Good old Game)

If you must have a current gen game (or don't like isometric view) then I recommend choosing entirely on setting.

If you prefer fantasy, play DA:O (awakening is good add it if you feel like it)

If you prefer space, play ME (I don't like space, and I enjoyed the first one. I'm not finished yet, but what I have played has been great.)

If you prefer oriental settings, Play Jade Empire. (It's actually awesome, and has pretty fun combat and a solid story.)

EDIT: Oh yeah, I don't recommend KotOR. I didn't really like it. It's supposed to be amazing, but I didn't dig it at all. I do like starwars, but KotOR didn't tickle my fancy.

 

[loc978]

I'd jump on the Baldur bandwagon (awesome games. Seriously), but you asked what to start with. For that, I'd recommend Knights of the Old Republic. It uses a dumbed-down D20 system that retains more of its roots than Dragon Age without simply tossing you into (semi)hardcore AD&D 2.0 the way Baldur's Gate does. I never had a problem with Baldur's Gate because I was an AD&D player before I was a video game player... but for most people, KotOR really is a good starting point.

 

[pearcinator]

Mass Effect 1 and then Mass Effect 2 in preparation for Mass Effect 3 which comes out in March next year.

Dragon Age: Origins if you want a more traditional RPG, KOTOR is my favourite RPG but as you said you found it quite tough (the tutorial is quite tough, once you fully understand the combat though it's not that hard) and you said you found a lot of bugs (buy it for Xbox 1 or pirate it?)...There are a few bugs but nothing that annoyed me very much.

Haven't tried Balders Gate, Jade Empire or Dragon Age II yet so I wouldn't know. you could also wait for the Staw Wars MMO (The Old Republic) to come out if you're into MMOs.

 

[Puddleknock]

In all fairness you can't go far wrong whatever you pick. If you have played and enjoyed shooters before hand then Mass Effect is not a bad starting place, the shooting elements are not as strong as a full shooter but I find the series a happy medium between the shooting and RPG.

The only one I'd recommend not starting with is Jade Empire. Its not a bad game but the setting and combat is a little different from standard RPGs. It is probably the weakest of the Bioware collection as well. However, that is not to say the game can't be enjoyed.

Others have mentioned Baldur's Gate, if you want to start there then go with the second one first. Sounds counter intuitive but the first game is very unforgiving while BG2, while still hard, is a little more forgiving given that you start at level 7. Plus BG2 is the best game ever made in my opinion (though my avatar gave that away).

 

[TilMorrow]

I suggest (incoming list):
Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening due to its story and number crunching and the fact by the end of the game your character can become extremely powerful (cause everyone loves being a powerplayer. Okay I kid but my character was rogue was really hard to kill after completing almost all the side quests and finding optional armour and weapons.) There are very interesting parts in the game and the story rarely becomes stale.

Mass Effect due to (SSSSSSPPPPPPPPPPPAAAAACCCCCEEEE) its very interesting story and choice in effecting a galaxy. However, story is mostly the best feature of ME as the combat isn't that compelling and not all the companions are interesting (Kaidan, tsk).

Star Wars: KOTOR. I don't even have to give a reason its that much fun. Even though its old and the game shows it, KOTOR is still a fun game. Why just this summer I played through KOTOR one and then two again on my 360 and found it to be a most enjoyable and nostalgic experience.

...but I'm finding that a little hard to handle, for two reasons: it's a little tough for me (I got stuck on the first battle in the Lower City) and it's about as buggy as your average Bethesda masterpiece (sometimes my character just stands still for a minute, no matter how many keys I mash.)

If you're having trouble with the game I suggest that you should tone down the difficulty a little. The same thing happened to me when I first encountered the Black Vulkars in the Lower City and I found that by toneing down the difficulty I could finally get pass that part and level up a bit before turning it back up. Also, the buggy standing still thing is something I encountered on my Xbox 360 when playing through KOTOR again. I believe there is a mod for PC on the net that updates the graphics and fixes performance issues making the game run smoother.

Oh and my last suggestion? Neverwinter Nights. Fun, Fun, Fun.

[sub][sub][sub]If you can't guess from above, I like Bioware games[/sub][/sub][/sub]

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Dragon Age: Origins if you want a more traditional RPG, KOTOR is my favourite RPG but as you said you found it quite tough (the tutorial is quite tough, once you fully understand the combat though it's not that hard) and you said you found a lot of bugs (buy it for Xbox 1 or pirate it?)...There are a few bugs but nothing that annoyed me very much.

I bought it on Steam during the summer sale, and I was under the impression that Steam patched automatically...And besides, the combat was fine; I just got unavoidably clusterf***ed at one point and said "to hell with that".

 

[Tourette]

I went with Jade Empire as it hasn't got the popularity of the others but is definately one of the best RPG's made. It is a beautiful game and is totally worth a playthrough before it becomes just one of those old games people will say 'ah, I remember that game, never played it though'.
A sequel has always been rumoured but nothing has ever been confirmed, but I will always live in hope that one day it will materialise.

 

[foxlovingfreak]

Jade empire just because it was the first bioware game I played and I loved every seconed of it.

 

[The Madman]

Beyond doubt Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn is Bioware's best piece of work and arguably one of the best rpg ever made, hell, maybe even one of the best games regardless of genre ever made. The Baldur's Gate series overall is just a brilliant experience that has the player starting from humble beginnings struggling for mere survival against even petty foes to by the end ascending to near godhood, becoming one of the most powerful figures in the well established Forgotten Realms settings existence. It's just an amazing rpg experience all around! Between the challenging and interesting battles, the exotic locales, the quirky and memorable companions and the powerful and terrifying enemies it's just a near perfect rpg experience in my mind as well as many others.

The games are also easily available even to this day in both boxed form as well as online despite being over ten years old now. That's some impressive lasting power right there!


Still despite everything I said the Baldur's Gate series isn't terribly friendly to newcomers, especially ones unfamiliar with DnD or basic rpg mechanics. Might be best to hold off on playing that unless you're willing to put up with some initial frustration and take the time to learn everything that needs to be learned for a solid and enjoyable experience.

Nah, go with Mass Effect or Jade Empire, those are by far the most newbie friendly and damned solid experience in their own right as well. Then maybe if you enjoy those consider graduating to Dragon Age: Origins and from there finally yourself ascending upwards to the pinacle of the genre by playing the Baldur's Gate games, themselves a gateway to other similarly legendary pieces like Planescape: Torment, Fallout, Arcanum and the like.

That is if you ever get far in any of the games to begin with. With no disrespect, nine times out of ten when someone makes a topic like this they ultimately go nowhere, either giving up in frustration or simply moving back into their comfort zone with more familiar games and series.

 

[pixiejedi]

I voted Dragon Age Origins and Awakenings. I love all the options but personally it just keeps me coming back to see stuff I didn't before.

KOTOR was great for the time but in all honesty I think I've played KOTOR 2 more often. Its by Obsidian and while the ending is crap without modding restored content and there are a lot of bugs, its story is better and more complex as a whole. KOTOR has the best twist though probably in all the games I've ever seen, if that is your bag.