Edmonton-headquartered game developer BioWare has become synonymous with quality over the years since its inception in 1995, since it swiftly stepped up to the plate with genre-leading PC RPG titles such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. From there, the company made fairly confident strides into console territory with acclaimed titles such as Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic and Mass Effect. A team-up with Pandemic Studios as part of a holding company roll-up in 2005 was followed by that same deal's mastermind, John Riccitiello, helping Electronic Arts to acquire the company in 2008.
Since then, the company is further expanding, have finally announced its Old Republic Star Wars-based MMO in association with LucasArts, based out of the firm's Austin office, and also opening a Montreal satellite office. Its announced, active projects also include Mass Effect 2 and a new fantasy franchise, Dragon Age.
Thus, the original company co-founders and BioWare/EA VPs, Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk sat down with Gamasutra recently to discuss their development studio's fit with the larger organization, their role in the creative process at the studio these days, and how the company drives to evolve the RPG genre.
EA turned down BioWare's pitch to work on a remake of Dragon Age Origins or a remastered Dragon Age Trilogy, according to a new report.
Thats a pity. A remaster Trilogy would sell a lot better than the game they released last year.
Speak for yourself... Some of us are tired of remastered/remakes. Maybe this industry could show a little originality or progress a thought forward. Pass on dragon age remastered. Make a competent dragon age game or fold up shop.
Exactly, while I love the orginal game (origins) they would have censured the hell out of it and replaced it with wokeness.
I would have rather seen a remake of Origins which added onto it with more content than Dragon Age 4
If successful they could have continued on from it ignoring the other DA games.
Lore dump in Veilguard was very good and I enjoyed the game for that.
I would not at all be opposed to more of a 'remake' of the first game, though. Not sure a 'remaster' with better graphics and whatnot would really pull me in if it didn't include more updated controls and gameplay.
Yeah, your right about the lore, and thats the reason I like dragon age in the first place. I think thats why theres such a divide with veilguard. Those that fell in love with dragon age for the rpg mechanics were gravely disappointed.
Honestly I tried getting into dragon age 4 but just couldn’t man and it wasn’t that political BS, annoying yes, but not game killing. It just wasn’t it for me.
I would rather they just remake the original and stay true to the original
It's not a good game. But if a few trans and gay people upset you, then you have some issues with stuff beyond politics.
Didn’t care for it.
Annoying yes, because it’s dragon age.
That whole trans and binary just didnt fit in and felt force.
But like I said it wasn’t game killing. I just found it boring.
Ill always have the argument you only see it if you go looking for it. Im not gay or trans, it was a 2 minute scene you can literally skip and then you dont see any more of it in the game. Didn't bother me at all.
@andy
It really wasn’t 2 min and it was pretty much one characters identity lol.
Like I said it wasn’t game killing.
But to pretend it wasn’t stupid the way they went about it.
Sounded like something from our world would say.
Like wtf, i want fantasy to run away from our world.
I think it’s dumb asf to use real world terminology for real world problems in a game that isn’t set in ours world/altworld
Understandable, it is a very different game in many ways.
@anast
I think it was a good game. Who is actually right here?
It's not a good game. People people liking something is not always a good metric. People like sh%& games, I even like a few sh&% games myself.
Thats the understanding people lack.
People set standards of what is “good”. Interestingly, it is a strange form of confirmation bias, in which people look for evidence to support what they deem “good or bad” about a title. That is why we have so many people that say that starfield does nothing new…when that is literally what it does..something new…for Bethesda at least.
I have had people call me trash before, moments before I obliterate them in whatever it is we are playing. Broaden your awareness, and you will know of what I speak.
I've played the exact same Warden in Dragon Age: Origins for years. In 2025, I will finally make a different one. Maybe.
Tried it before, doesn't work. I tried to to play a Dalish archer but ended up being a Dwarf Noble warrior again, must be a bug
My preferred origin is Dalish Elf Archer that recruits the Templars, Baelen's Dwarves with Golems and Dalish Elves. Took me 3 playthroughs to lock down a "true" file for me. What a game.
How does BioWare's latest stack up against its best offerings?
LOL
DAO pioneered a new era for cinematic rpgs while Vainguard pioneered well shampood hair.
I bought Dragon Age: Origins at launch and I enjoyed it. It didn't pioneer diddly squat. What did it do that Mass Effect hadn't done already?
Depends who you ask. For me it did, and dragon age origins is still to this day my most replayed single player game.
Wow, so sounds like you would put Veilguard up there as an all time favorite? Just curious what you love about it. I'm about 10 hours in and nothing has really grabbed me other than the gorgeous environments and animations
What I liked about dragon age has always been the lore. Origins introduced concepts, but they didn’t really start toying with it until dragon age 2. Veilguard still has the lore and sense of mystery for me, but it also has the combat. I am more of martial arts kind of player. Games like Devil may cry, wo long fallen dyansty sekiro, or fighting games are what Im usually playing if I am not playing an rpg. I usually like role playing a super strong warrior, which this game lets you do, and it lets me concentrate on my specific character. One of the things keeping me from playing Baldurs Gate 3 offline is the fact that I have no choice but to control all of my team members. For me, that takes me out of the role playing experience when I am a gallant knight that has to always use a mage or rogue in combat. It was alot better playing with friends though.
For a game to be “good” for a player, it has to have a hook, and veilguard has several things that hook me in from combat, loot, to lore, and even the characters. Some games just dont have a popular hook that rakes in alot of people, so I always understand if someone doesnt like a specific experience. But when people start saying things are trash, thats when I say it gets borderline disrespectful.
In what way is the combat and build diversity good?
Devil may cry has the style meter that encourages good combat. It also has enemy variety...veilgaurd doesn't. Veilgaurds builds are pretty much non-existent. The itemization is boring due to its extreme linearity.
As far as lore goes...I guess you're fine with them butchering the qunari.
. If people can have fun with souls game combat, they should be okay with the combat in veilguard? Learn to view a games attributes in respect to the entire game instead of viewing everything in isolation. Devil may cry, all you do 98 percent of the time is beat the crap out of stuff….. of course its going to have more enemy variety and deeper combat. Thats the whole game😂
I dont too much care for what they did with the qunari, but Im not going to get caught up on it. Only an empty cup can be filled.
In terms of traditional rpg aspects, origins wins. In terms of scale, presentation, and refined simplicity, Veilguard wins. Its not as simple as game A is better than game B, we have to set parameters
For example: Are there people that think origins is better? Yes, alot of them. Is it though? That is debatable.
Huh?
Okay in terms of story and choices as well as outcomes and character progression and writing...origins does it better.
In terms of combat decisions, diversity in encounters and strategies as well as meaningful power progression and itemization...origins does it better
In terms tone...that's more a preference...I'm not a fan of the change in direction....prefer dark fantasy and gore that origins brought.
I will give you the simplicity and eye candy vistas though the graphics have less to do with the game and more to do with videogames graphic progression. As far as simplicity...yes 100% veilgaurd wins there. The combat is so simple and mundane it is made for the casuals too busy on their phones to care too much about complex systems.
And before you tell me that the writing being bad is my opinion ..first maybe go check what actual writers have to say about it. People go for degrees about this type of thing.
They follow a certain set of rules that is decided upon by the supposedly fallible, as to how things are supposed to be done. Does not make them untouchable because they have a degree. What they say is of interest, but it should not be considered gospel by anyone with awareness of how things work in this existence. I have bested opponents that are considered professional level, and Im not one myself. I have likewise learned from those not considered to be at my level in a specific area. Alot of that is subjective. In terms of character progression, Im seeing more in veilguard. In terms of story, it was simply gather treaties to fight darkspawn. This game is very similar: collect people to help stop the evanuris. Im more invested in this. The evanuris debit, is akin to Madara Uchihas build up and subsequent appearance in Naruto. They have been building towards this for three games. For me, what I am experiencing is hooking me in far more than origins.
And what is meaningful power progression? I never get to make the Sage of Strength true to form in these rpgs because warriors are always so normal, never possessing the herculean strength to role play the way I want. This game is one of the only rpgs I have played where the warrior feels superhuman. Whos to say that causing an earthquake with a stomp is not more meaningful to me than what origins has? Origins is more tactical, but more meaningful? Debatable
When setting these parameters, it is of paramount importance to detach oneself from personal bias, otherwise it will defeat the purpose.
Only for those with tremendously low standards and/or who are trying to push an agenda into gaming.
I'm thinking it's really just the former...that's what I hope anyways.
In no way, shape or form does this game come even remotely close to the nearest galaxy far away from dragon age origins or dragon age 2 for that matter.
I really disliked 2 so I doubt it’s worse than that one but I am haven’t played Veilguard yet so I can’t say until I do
2 is my favourite for 2 reasons. Companions were all incredible...it's where we got varric after all.
And the events after each act actually have meaning. Sure the end state doesn't vary much but the storytelling surrounding each act ending as well as the possible outcomes is magnificent. I won't get into spoilers but loved that about the 2nd. I'm willing to have my mind changed but I've yet to encounter anyone able to tell me specifically what was so horrible and detrimental to the second that you don't also get in something like inquisition.
Inquisition is up there with it for me. I can recall all companions or most from both games and remember them fondly. Same for Kotor. But with inquisition I can't recall a single character outside of solas and the woman templar but only slightly to be honest.
I’d guess it doesn’t top it for me as I really enjoyed the first game but I can’t say for sure without playing both of them
Depends on what you liked about origins. If it was the story and lore buildup, then you will probably be fine. If its the roleplaying aspects, veilguard is probably a hard pass because the rpg aspects seem extremely light, especially compared to dragon age origins. Choices and consequences do exist, but they seem to be small scale so far.
