Summary
“Rich Stories, Unforgettable Characters, and Vast Worlds” is the mission statement that Canadian RPG expertsBioWarelive by. Responsible for some of the most notable franchises of the past few decades, the studio offers players the chance to completely immerse themselves in a wide variety of fantastical universes far from the everyday grind.
While they can’t all be hits, there are some extremely strong and almost universally well-regarded titles on offer among the BioWare canon.Here are the top ten most immersive games from the developer, which span the gamut of tabletop-style games for the Twenty-First Century, magical mysteries in faraway lands, andhistorically grounded dramas.
Kicking off with the game that started it all,Baldur’s Gatewas first released to PC in 1998 and changed the landscape of RPGs forever.Dungeons & Dragonsnerds officially entered the digital age with a title which set many of the standards its successors are still trying to live up to today.
Mixing real and paused-time combat, along with a mature story which respected the players' ability to process complex information in the (at the time) more simplistic on-screen format,Baldur’s Gatebrought the immersion of its tabletop ancestors to a whole new level. Top-down third-person RPGs owe a lot to this genre pioneer, and many have never managed to surpass the game’s precocious success.
Inspired by a mixture of Chinese history and myth,Jade Empirewas an Xbox exclusive for a number of years, which may explain why it’s an often-overlooked title in BioWare’s canon. Smaller scale and less fantasy-based than most of their properties, it’s nevertheless an immersive experience which offers players the romance options, narrative choices, and morally gray world building they’ve come to expect from the developer.
While not a perfect product by any means,Jade Empireallowed BioWare to exploredifferent combat systemsand sharpen up its storytelling style. This game is a learning experience for both the studio and the player, and deserves acknowledgment alongside more polished titles.
Tasked with concluding a hugely successful and beloved trilogy of games,Mass Effect 3had the odds stacked against it from the word go. TheMass Effectuniverse contains complex storylines and a wealth of characters which players can become emotionally invested in and, as a result, the finale couldn’t please everyone with its final installment.
Although some players felt like the side quests took away from the anticipation of the final mission with Shepard and co., others found the increased focus on combat an enjoyable change from the previous games in the trilogy.
An underrated gem in the BioWare canon,Neverwinter Nightswas originally released back in 2002. The studio’s first foray into MMOs allowed players to join forces with up to sixty-three other people on the same server. which was huge for the time, and followed a similar tabletop-style approach to its predecessor,Baldur’s Gate.
A wealth of supplemental material allows gamers to extend and customize their experience far beyond the main storyline, and provides a narrative-rich universe for those who favorDungeons & Dragonsas the RPG closest to their heart.
The third title in theDragon Agefranchise masters some of the areas in which its predecessors fumbled. AfterDragon Age 2received a cool response from many fans of the series,Dragon Age:Inquisitionreignited passion for the universe with an epic story which combinedpolitical intriguewith magical tears in reality.
Fresh characters and compellingly nuanced narratives drew back gamers who had all but abandoned the franchise, and many memes have been made about not knowing which part of the game to engage with first. The combat system takes a backseat to storytelling, makingInquisitiona top pick for players who value character above all.
Widely considered one of the most influential Western RPGs of all time,Baldur’s Gate 2picked up where its predecessor left off and built even further on the immersive established world. BioWare developed all aspects of the original game in the sequel, offering players a complex, narratively rich world in which they can create their own character for adventuring.
Concluding the Bhaalspawn quest which began in the first game, players can recreate almost every aspect of apen-and-paper RPGin a digital space. While other titles have evolved the concept more in recent years,Shadows of Amnstill has tons of replay value for imaginative gamers.
Kicking off one of themost popular franchisesof the late 00s and early 10s,Mass Effectfirst introduced players to Reapers, Protheans, Asari, and narrative focal point, Shepard. Throwing gamers neck-deep into a rich and complex universe without overloading them with info-dumps and walls of text, this sci-fi property will appeal to those who favor their fantasy landing closer toStar WarsthanLord of the Rings.
Beloved by fans for its extensive side quests and organic storytelling,Mass Effectoffered players a uniquely rich and intuitive RPG experience without the intricate complexity of titles likeBaldur’s Gate. Although the combat mechanics may feel stiff to some players now, it provided a solid platform for the rest of the franchise to build on.
Seen by many as one of the most influential titles in theStar Warsexpanded universe,Knights of the Old Republictakes the player back to long before the movie canon begins. Set during an ancient age where the Jedi are all but extinct, the player’s character begins with a case of amnesia which lets them build an identity with their choices and actions.
It’s telling that some notoriously pickyStar Warsfans rank this above many of the films in terms of enjoyment, narrative complexity, and bringing something fresh and exciting to what can feel like a bloated franchise. With players able to choose the light, dark, or even gray side of the force,Knights of the Old Republicshows BioWare really flexing their immersive muscles.
Dragon Age: Originsis guaranteed to scratch the itch for players who like their dark fantasy as pitch black as can be. Leaving aside the often-memed, overblown romance scenes, this immersive title ditched BioWare’s morality system and let players live their narrative lives inshades of gray.
The lack of binary good and bad choices allows players to achieve something much closer to a traditional RPG experience, wherebuilding relationships (or not) with various NPCsinfluences the storytelling far more than the perceived moral weight of these actions.Originssaw BioWare break away from theD&Dmold, without losing anything from their engrossing medieval fantasy.
The cream of the BioWare crop isMass Effect 2, shaking off its limitations as the middle title in a trilogy to provide players with the mostimmersive gaming experienceof the bunch. Walking a careful line of balancing storytelling, action-packed fights, and character development, it drew praise for allowing players to import their existing Shepard build from the previousMass Effectinstallment.
The introduction of the human supremacist group Cerberus deepens the sci-fi lore further, as the narrative builds to a thrilling conclusion, which sees the player’s previous choices play out on a grand scale. Mixing technical improvements with emotionally invested storytelling, even players who aren’t interested in the rest of the franchise will find themselves drawn deep intoMass Effect 2’scompelling space drama.
