Every BioWare Game, Ranked

As BioWare approaches its 30th anniversary next February, it’s important to remember that many of its titles are legitimate contenders for being some of the greatest video games of all time. The studio’s first major hit came courtesy of the Dungeons & Dragons license, with the landmark Baldur’s Gate putting BioWare on the map and redefining CRPGs. Following that success, the studio would switch IP from D&D to Star Wars, using many of the lessons learned from Baldur’s Gate and its sequel to develop what many consider to be the greatest Star Wars game of all time with Knights of the Old Republic. Since then, the studio has grown immensely (as well as experienced its fair share of tumult), but the recent release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard sees BioWare making a triumphant return to form. As such, it’s due time that every BioWare game receives a proper ranking.

From licensed games featuring beloved characters and IP to studio-owned creations that would come to define the studio, its place in the industry, and the characteristics and elements of Western RPGs, BioWare’s library is a treasure trove of unmissable titles. Of course, no studio can have a perfect batting average, and BioWare has also developed its fair share of missteps in the nearly three decades it’s been in operation. Particularly, the studio’s transition from being independently owned to an in-house studio for publisher Electronic Arts has resulted in some interesting gameplay experiments. For every one of these that has successfully landed, there are even more that have missed the mark. Still, when BioWare is operating at the peak of its ability, it showcases how it’s still one of the industry’s front-runners in terms of crafting compelling narratives, strong writing and characterization, and gameplay that incorporates player choice in meaningful ways.

18. Anthem

• Release Date — February 22, 2019
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — ARPG, Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 59% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Undoubtedly the worst game to come from such a celebrated studio, the only way to describe Anthem is as a disappointment. The biggest problem Anthem faces is that it doesn’t seem to know what kind of game it is. Is Anthem a single-player RPG or is it a live-service game? Is Anthem‘s focus writing, characters, and worldbuilding or is it the moment-to-moment action gameplay? Ultimately, Anthem fails on a critical level because it lacks the kind of focus and identity that drove BioWare’s previous games, and it now exists as a cautionary tale about what happens when publishers refuse to play to a developer’s strengths. Sure, the Iron Man-style flying and shooting in Anthem is fun, but just about every other system is so half-baked that even the game’s one silver lining wears out its welcome all too quickly.

17. Shattered Steel

• Release Date — September 27, 1996
• Publisher — Interplay
• Genre — Mech Simulation
• Review Aggregate Score — 63% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — PC, Mac

Even the greatest game developers have to start somewhere, and for BioWare that “somewhere” was the studio’s debut game, Shattered Steel. Taking several cues from the hugely popular (at the time) MechWarrior series, Shattered Steel is a competent mech simulation and combat game. And while there’s nothing about Shattered Steel that’s particularly bad, there’s also not much about it that particularly stands out either. One of the main things players loved about MechWarrior, its simulation aspects grounded in reality, are almost completely absent from Shattered Steel. Instead, the game opts for a more accessible and action-oriented approach that ends up making the title feel vapid by comparison. Still, Shattered Steel would sell well enough to help BioWare secure the rights to the Dungeons & Dragons license, so it plays an important role in the studio’s history aside from being its first game.

16. MDK 2

• Release Date — March 31, 2000
• Publisher — Interplay
• Genre — Action, Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Dreamcast, PC, PlayStation 2, Wii

That MDK 2 sits so far down in a list of ranked games is a testament to how strong the BioWare catalog is. BioWare would develop MDK 2 in between its work on Baldur’s Gate II and Neverwinter Nights, taking a break from sprawling RPGs to churn out one of the era’s more enjoyable and frenetic third-person shooters. Interestingly enough, MDK2 would end up being one of the Sega Dreamcast’s greatest entries in the shooter genre, and it’s that console’s version of the title that stands head and shoulders above the rest. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, MDK 2 nails the fundamentals of the third-person shooter genre with some interesting level design, great gunplay, and challenging boss encounters.

15. Dragon Age II

• Release Date — March 8, 2011
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — ARPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

The first high-profile misstep for BioWare following the studio’s meteoric rise to prominence is, without a doubt, the polarizing Dragon Age II. After wowing audiences with the first Dragon Age game, Origins, BioWare would go back to the drawing board for the sequel, quickly developing and releasing a follow-up in just 16 months that abandons many of the CRPG elements players loved in Origins. What we’re left with is a game that is a shell of its predecessor, abandoning the freedom and impact of player choice found in BioWare’s other games for an emphasis on mindless action RPG gameplay. Dragon Age II isn’t an objectively bad game, but it is the weakest game in the Dragon Age series. That the franchise course-corrected back toward Origins-style gameplay with its next entry is proof positive that even BioWare knew it had fumbled the ball with Dragon Age II.

14. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

• Release Date — September 30, 2008
• Publisher — Sega
• Genre — RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 74% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

This might come as a surprise, but BioWare is one of the few non-Sega studios to work on a Sonic game. Releasing in 2008 exclusively for the Nintendo DS, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood can best be described as Sega and BioWare’s take on the highly successful Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario games. Like those titles, many of the classic JRPG elements are on full display in SonicChronicles, such as turn-based battling, leveling up and character progression, and a mix between overworld and dungeon exploration. The direct comparison to Paper Mario though (aside from both games starring console mascots) is Sonic Chronicles‘ timed button presses during combat, with battles incorporating a sort of rhythm game to enhance characters’ attacks and abilities. A Sonic RPG could have been a disaster, but in BioWare’s hands, it’s actually a fairly enjoyable experience.

13. Mass Effect: Andromeda

• Release Date — March 21, 2017
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — ARPG, Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 72% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

As with Dragon Age, BioWare’s sci-fi RPG epic is also subject to one game in particular that feels like a drastic misstep in comparison to the franchise’s otherwise spotless track record. Following an incredible conclusion to one of the greatest RPG sagas of all time, the Mass Effect franchise would take an extended and well-earned hiatus. Everyone anticipated that BioWare would return to the universe at some point (it even admitted to as much), but the reveal of Andromeda as the follow-up to the Mass Effect trilogy was underwhelming. While Andromeda is not a “bad” game by any stretch of the imagination, it does focus on all the wrong elements, placing a greater emphasis on combat and open-world exploration at the expense of a meaningful or interesting story and characters. It fails to live up to the legacy of its predecessors in a way that justifies its existence.

12. Star Wars: The Old Republic

• Release Date — December 20, 2011
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — MMORPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC

After more than a decade spent crafting some of the medium’s best single-player RPG experiences, BioWare (specifically, BioWare Austin) would develop and release the studio’s sole MMORPG with Star Wars: The Old Republic. The Old Republic carries over many of the trademark elements that made the single-player Knights of the Old Republic such a masterpiece, but it does so while expanding that universe into a thriving online community with a dedicated player base who still engage with it to this day. For many Star Wars fans, getting lost in the property’s universe would be tantamount to a dream come true, and The Old Republic makes that dream a reality with its fully realized world and its surprising level of immersion and reverence for the Star Wars IP.

11. Neverwinter Nights

• Release Date — June 18, 2002
• Publisher — Infogrames
• Genre — CRPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC

Like both Baldur’s Gate and its sequel, Neverwinter Nights would see BioWare return to the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons & Dragons to tell yet another compelling RPG story set alongside an impressive adventure. However, the advent of MMORPGs would lead to Neverwinter Nights being a forerunner of sorts with its incorporation of multiplayer, complete with the ability for players to create and host servers capable of inviting up to 64 players. Additionally, advancements in technology meant Neverwinter Nights was BioWare’s first game in the Dungeons & Dragons universe to feature 3D graphics, bringing the Sword Coast to life as never before. Neverwinter Nights would end up being the final game BioWare would work on using the Dungeons & Dragons license, but as one of the studio’s greatest titles, it’s a fitting farewell.

10. Mass Effect 3

• Release Date — March 6, 2012
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — ARPG, Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 93% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360

Across three games and years of build-up, BioWare would finally conclude its sci-fi RPG space opera with the excellent Mass Effect 3. While there are some people who (rightfully) contest the decisions BioWare made in how they chose to end Commander Shepard’s saga, there’s no denying that Mass Effect 3 is a phenomenal game at its core. The major elements of the series (namely, the combat and space exploration) are the most streamlined and refined that the franchise had seen up to that point, making Mass Effect 3 feel like a finely-tuned machine that learned from its predecessors. As a result, no game in the series feels as good to play as Mass Effect 3, even if its RPG elements and honoring of player choice throughout the trilogy leave something to be desired.

9. Dragon Age: Origins

• Release Date — November 3, 2009
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

In between the first Mass Effect and its sequel, BioWare would wow audiences with a return to form of sorts courtesy of the first Dragon Age game. Along with Mass Effect, Dragon Age was another new, original IP from BioWare. But where Mass Effect combined the RPG elements the studio was known for with a very competent third-person shooter, Dragon Age felt like a more contemporary homage to the game that put BioWare on the map in the first place — Baldur’s Gate. Dragon Age: Origins is a dark and complex CRPG that incorporates meaningful choices and player morality in every step of its strong worldbuilding and narrative, and it would prove to be a similarly engaging starting point to a successful franchise much in the same way the first Mass Effect had years earlier.

8. Baldur’s Gate

• Release Date — December 21, 1998
• Publisher — Interplay
• Genre — CRPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC, Mac

The late 1990s were host to several groundbreaking titles that each redefined the core elements of their respective genres. What Half-Life did for first-person shooters, or Super Mario 64 did for 3D platformers, Baldur’s Gate did for RPGs. Few games prior to Baldur’s Gate, if any, had so accurately captured the near limitless possibility and freedom of playing a pen-and-paper game of Dungeons & Dragons with a competent Dungeon Master, and it didn’t take long for word to spread about how incredible and unmissable Baldur’s Gate was. While the sequel is a bigger and better game by nearly every metric, without the original Baldur’s Gate we would have never gotten just about every other incredible title on this list or even Larian Studios’ peerless Baldur’s Gate 3.

7. Jade Empire

• Release Date — April 12, 2005
• Publisher — Microsoft Game Studios
• Genre — ARPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, Xbox

Following the success of Knights of the Old Republic, it’s likely that the last thing anyone expected from BioWare was for the studio to deliver a martial arts RPG steeped in Eastern mythology. Of course, that’s exactly what BioWare did, following up its name-making Xbox game with another console exclusive in the phenomenal Jade Empire. As the first RPG from the studio to feature a fully real-time combat system, Jade Empire is an impressive feat on a technical level, proving that BioWare had the chops to do justice to other genres than RPGs. Almost 20 years later, Jade Empire is still a unique game in BioWare’s catalog and its universe is one that the studio should return to sooner rather than later.

6. Dragon Age: The Veilguard

• Release Date — October 31, 2024
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — ARPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

The latest game from BioWare had a lot riding on it before release. Following the disastrous launch and reception of Anthem, the in-development sequel to Dragon Age: Inquisition (then called Dragon Age: Dreadwolf) would wisely pivot from being a co-op focused live-service game to something more in line with the series’ history as a single-player RPG. That mid-development pivot proved to be a wise move on BioWare’s part, as Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a phenomenal experience on par with Dragon Age: Inquisition and a strong return to form for BioWare. It’s not a perfect game, and there are plenty of fans who feel like it’s a lateral move or step back from Inquisition. For my money, though, Veilguard is a game that’s sure of what it is and what it wants to be, and that identity shines through in its rich RPG systems and addictive combat.

5. Mass Effect

• Release Date — November 20, 2007
• Publisher — Microsoft Game Studios
• Genre — ARPG, Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Like both Baldur’s Gate and Knights of the Old Republic, the first Mass Effect is a now-legendary RPG that belongs in the conversation of the greatest games in the genre. As a standalone experience, Mass Effect carries over much of what players loved about Knights of the Old Republic and transfers it into a wholly original sci-fi setting and universe, complete with a player-created avatar in Commander Shepard. What makes Mass Effect so special, though, is how it sets up a sprawling three-game saga where every choice the player makes has ramifications that don’t become obvious until much later, practically begging for repeat playthroughs to see all the outcomes. That its tight third-person cover-shooter combat is as engaging and enjoyable as the RPG elements and dialogue choices, is just the icing on the cake.

4. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadow of Amn

• Release Date — September 21, 2000
• Publisher — Interplay
• Genre — CRPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 95% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC, Mac

With very few exceptions, the second entry in a celebrated franchise is almost always going to disappoint fans who loved the original. Thankfully, this is a problem that BioWare has historically avoided (with one notable exception), and Baldur’s Gate II is one of the best examples of a sequel to an award-winning game that outshines the original in just about every way. Truthfully, Baldur’s Gate II only fixes what it needs to and leaves the rest intact. Rather than try to reinvent the wheel, BioWare simply made a better version of the original Baldur’s Gate, proving that more of a good thing is never bad. And while the game does sacrifice a little bit of the freedom inherent in Baldur’s Gate for a more curated experience, it features a better story and characters as a result.

3. Dragon Age: Inquisition

• Release Date — November 18, 2014
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — ARPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Though I am finding myself thoroughly enjoying Veilguard, it’s hard to argue against Inquisition being the be-all, end-all Dragon Age game. Everything about Inquisition is better than its predecessors, from its combat that blends the tactical depth of Origins with the real-time action of Dragon Age II to its engaging conflict, interesting villain, and high-stakes plot that creates a ticking clock of tension for players to contend with. Ultimately, many of the important decisions in Inquisition have lasting impacts on the world of Thedas and the Dragon Age universe. Accordingly, Inquisiton feels like the real follow-up to Dragon Age: Origins and a worthy contender for being one of BioWare’s best games.

2. Mass Effect 2

• Release Date — January 26, 2010
• Publisher — Electronic Arts, Microsoft Game Studios
• Genre — ARPG, Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 96% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Before even getting into why Mass Effect 2 is such an important and groundbreaking title, it’s important to disclose that it could very well switch places with the Number 1 game on this list depending on the player or even the day. That said, Mass Effect 2 is the Empire Strikes Back of the Mass Effect saga. The stakes are higher, the game begins and ends with a heartbreaking tragedy, and the conclusion to the game’s narrative leaves things hanging in a way that makes the wait for the third entry almost unbearable. Aside from its important place in the franchise and nailing of all the elements that make a great sequel, though, Mass Effect 2 improves on the original Mass Effect in every way, and it does so while honoring all the player’s choices from the first game in a way few games have before or since.

1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

• Release Date — July 16, 2003
• Publisher — LucasArts, Microsoft Game Studios
• Genre — RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 94% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — Android, iOS, Mac, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of those “once in a generation” games that lays claim to a lot of titles. Not only is KOTOR the best BioWare game, but it also makes a strong case for being the best Star Wars game, the best Xbox game, and even the best RPG. Accordingly, KOTOR is an immersive Star Wars fantasy unlike any other. Creating a unique character and guiding them through an RPG set in one of the greatest fictional universes ever conceived is a recipe for RPG gold, and BioWare hits the ball out of the park with every system, mechanic, and element present in KOTOR. Whether you’ve ever wanted to be a Jedi Knight or a villainous Sith, KOTOR has you covered, and both Star Wars games and RPGs are still playing catch up with its greatness more than 20 years later.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©BioWare logo.