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Which game made you give up on Bioware?

The game that made me quit Bioware forever was...


  • Total voters
    596

Atomkilla

Arcane
Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Messages
715
DA2 and ME3, in a way.

I'm among the minority that actually liked DA:O, despite it having many flaws - but I never cared much about its sequel once I learned that they removed the "origins" part. Once DA2 was released I was disappointed, but willing to give them another chance, since I figured this was EA pressuring them, short development time etc. Still, bitter taste...

When ME3 was released, that was the end. I was disappointed with ME2, but still wanted to support the series because I thought ME3 would be the best of both ME2 and ME1...
I remember the huge shitstorm that ensued once they cut a Prothean companion out and made him a Day 1 DLC - which was pretty much the move that made me go "fuck it" and spend the cash I saved for the game on something else. Pirated that shit, got disappointed again after finishing it and never looked back at Bioware.

I gave them a glance during MEA tho, which only cemented my decision.
 

Neanderthal

Arcane
Joined
Jul 7, 2015
Messages
3,626
Location
Granbretan
DA:O for me. And not because the game is particularly bad by the standards of its siblings. It's because DA:O confirmed to me beyond any shadow of a doubt that Bioware was committed to developing talking simulators.

An its not even good talking simulators, why settle for dull shit crappy bioware writers churn out when you can play Legacy of Kain games, an listen to some pretty fucking excellent prose? If you're gonna make a game cutscene heavy then at least make em good.
 

AbounI

Colonist
Patron
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
1,050
Bioware Social Network, just retarded, the very beginning of their decline
 

DemonKing

Arcane
Joined
Dec 5, 2003
Messages
5,958
I'm among the minority that actually liked DA:O, despite it having many flaws

Actually the Codex Edgelords named it their Game of the Year in 2009, so you're not alone. I thought it was flawed in parts but overall an enjoyable experience.

I foolishly gave Bio another chance after DA2 but DAI proved they learnt nothing, so I never even considered buying MEA.

In retrospect, the beginning of the end was actually BG2. In many respects that was one of the greatest games of all time but it also sowed the scenes for Bio's eventual destruction as it introduced the dreaded romanceable NPCs. Somewhere along the way Bio decided that this was what would sell more games than focusing on gameply, story etc

:negative:
 
Last edited:

Mr. Salty

Novice
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
8
It’s been a slow decline since the NWN OC. I didn’t mind DAO since I wasn’t expecting anything great. Playing it was like watching some mindless sitcom instead of an Oscar winnning movie, but wasn’t terrible. DA2 was awful in so many ways. The missed opportunity to make it a great game with shortcuts taken in all of the ways that have been mentioned a million times. But i gave DAI a shot and had to call it after that game..could not finish it and won’t buy another.
 

racofer

Thread Incliner
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
25,577
Location
Your ignore list.
On a more serious note, though, it was probably DA2.

I liked DA:O, and I believe it was their last real game. Even though ME1 was released before DA:O, DA:O was in development way before ME1. DA:O still felt like they liked making games, even though it was terribly marketed with that Marilyn Manson song and full of x-treme. Case in point, this piece:



Starting with the ME series, Bioware shifted from making games to making cinematic experiences. ME1 was clunky as shit, mechanics wise, since Bio was still unsure whether they were making a shooter with skillpoints or an RPG. It was neither, but still a cool Sci-fi game. Then with ME2 they finally embraced the popamole, and ME2 was an overall better game since they stopped pretending to make RPGs. The Renegade moments were on par with some of the 80's macho movies (dunno if deliberately or not, probably not since with ME3 they "improved" and failed to deliver), and that added to the game.

However, DA2 marked the real decline since Bio began shitting games on a schedule instead of when they were ready. DA2 had an interesting concept, like someone over there was still trying, as a city adventure is a quite cool concept for an RPG (look at some of the best NWN modules); still, it was absolute shit on all levels due to terrible execution. Later came ME3, also rushed and riddled with terrible design choices and execution. I mean, how did we get this:

5HZoPqe.gif


when ME1 and 2 had better animations? I had never heard of an animation downgrade in games before that.

After these two fiascos Bio kinda returned to taking some more time to finish their games before release, with DA:I and ME:A, but by then all their talented people either left the company, or their brains turned into pudding. I predict EA will off Bio in 1 or 2 more titles at most now.

Before these games it was not like Bio was great at making games though, but at least they tried. Take NWN for example; its OC was shit, but the following expansions improved. Still, it was not the main content which mattered in the case of NWN, but its toolset and the torrent of modules which followed. Some of the best RPGs are still found in NWN modules (ADWR for one).
 

Scroo

Female Quota Staff
Patron
Staff Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Messages
1,865,340
Location
Too far away from the sea
Codex 2014 Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2
I played Dragon Age: Origins and while I liked it at first, after about midway through I was just hoping it ends because it was simply not a good game. I finished it tho, altho there were parts where I was short of ragequitting for good. I gave DA 2 a chance out of curiosity but hated it from the start so... basically DA:O was when I started despising them.
I also really loved Mass Effect 1 and the universe they built, the atmosphere was amazing. Then ME2 came and it was... I dunno, ok at first? But basically it was just a sad caricature of ME1 and while I finished ME1 several times I couldn't beat ME2 more than once because I was just so disgusted halfway through on the second run.

So I dunno really. It's a combination of several games that made me lose all hope in Bioware and by now I just hope EA does what EA does best and shut them down. Maybe, just maybe, something good might happen if some rpg devs are unemployed and try smth new.
 

pippin

Guest
I liked DA:O, and I believe it was their last real game. Even though ME1 was released before DA:O, DA:O was in development way before ME1. DA:O still felt like they liked making games

DAO was made by the pc centric division. ME was made by the console centric division.
Ironically, the DAO console port is really bad, and the ME pc port is just as bad, and bugged, on top of that. To this day the game has a bug where the graphics are stuck to Medium no matter what you do, although you can fix it with console commands.
DAO's port is thought to be bad bc it has a radial menu which makes it very unwieldy to control. The interface in the PC version was actually kinda comfy tbh.
 

Krivol

Magister
Joined
Apr 21, 2012
Messages
1,952
Location
Potatoland aka Prussia
DA:O...

NWN was more like online RPG platform, so I just can't say it's totally broken. Even if OC sucks balls.

KOTOR was... well, I liked it as you really didn't have too much SW RPG games.

JE - I played it after DA:O, I found it quite boring

ME - well... it's shit, but still not the level of DA:O

DA:O - who the fuck wrote this shit?! Really, gameplay sucks, story sucks, world building sucks, exploration sucks, blood on your characters after each fight is ridiculous and listening of stories of your companions is painful.
 

Cyberarmy

Love fool
Patron
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Messages
8,452
Location
Smyrna - Scalanouva
Divinity: Original Sin 2
NWN main campaingn shook my faith a bit at first then DA 2 demo did the trick. I pirated the game to see if it gets better but it didn't. Final nail on them coffin for me.

Edit: Best part is my ex gf bought DA2 PS3 edition for my birthday... (hence the ex)
 

Bumvelcrow

Somewhat interesting
Patron
Dumbfuck
Joined
Nov 17, 2012
Messages
1,867,060
Location
Over the hills and far away
Codex 2013 Codex 2014 Make the Codex Great Again! Strap Yourselves In
I thought DA:2 was decent for 75% off and I managed to complete it. The ME2 plot pissed me off no end but I still managed to have a generally good time and finished it. But despite several attempts I've never managed to get close to completing ME3. I don't know why since it's pretty much the same as ME2, but it just got so repetitive and seemed to be going nowhere of consequence. I didn't have much hope for DA:I but the reviews ensured I didn't even consider buying it and ME:A was just lols for a distance.

I still might buy DA:I when the price gets low enough to justify a couple of hours of moderate entertainment. I can't see myself getting ME:A even if they give it away.
 

moon knight

Matt7895's alt
Joined
Apr 7, 2015
Messages
1,101
Location
Italy
Dragon Age 2. I was a huge fan of Dragon Origins. The systems worked decently, the main quest was interesting even if not very different from the High Fantasy tropes, and the companions were mostly well written, and the camp as HUB contributed to the sense of adventure and
camaraderie. So on Day1 I went to the store and bought a copy of Dragon Age 2 for 59,99€. When I went home, I found a game that...between redesigns (the new Dark Spawn was fucking horrible), shallow combat, repetitives and exagerated enemy encounters, dialogue wheel, shitty level design and a very uninspired art design, I felt betrayed. I knew then that Bioware was done.
 

Falksi

Arcane
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
10,538
Location
Nottingham
Interesting that the Dragon Age series is where the core RPG focus seems to be. Shows how out of touch with their core audience Bioware became.

I'd love to see a Monkey Island style take-piss of Dragon Age 2 & Inquisition like Cyberarmy has posted above. There's an absolute ton of scope to mock Hawke & co.
 

Falksi

Arcane
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
10,538
Location
Nottingham
But DA was always meant to be the "classic" rpg series, while ME was the mainstream experiment.

Exactly. I mean, short term financially it seems to have payed off for them with DA:I sales.

What they, and a lot of companies, don't seem to realize is that the more casual & retarded fanbases are far less loyal, and far more scatty. ME:A's sales have shown how quickly they turn on companies, and how easily swayed they are.

Bioware has spent 20 odd years nurturing a loving wife-like relationship with it's fans, to only kick it out for a bit of young bit of fresh. Sadly, said fresh will likely dispose of it even more quicker than they disposed of their devoted fans.

They traded trust for trend, and now we'll see what that does for them.
 

undecaf

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
3,517
Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2
DA:O was the last game from Bioware I played. Didn't finish it due to losing interest in the grind.
 

pippin

Guest
They traded trust for trend

The root of the average bsntard was there right after bg1's release. The fact that some characters were bound by a certain type of union (marriage, loyalty, ritual, work) instantly made them think about romance and fanfiction. I don't deny it's an interesting mechanic that gives more "meat" to your gameplay and parties, but it enabled... this.
 

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