Every BioWare game ranked from worst to best

We’re looking back at BioWare’s history, to figure out what we can expect from its future

Dragon Age: Origins / BioWare

Many people will tell you that the best days of BioWare are in the past, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t millions of adoring fans for series like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. BioWare was once king of the RPG mountain, and while the studio’s more recent games haven’t shared the same stellar critical acclaim, people are still chomping at the bit for more stories in those universes. Sure, nobody wants another Anthem, but a new Mass Effect? That’s the stuff dreams are made of. 

Today we’re looking back at BioWare’s history, hoping to figure out what we can expect from its future. Some of the games in this list are heralded as the greatest of all time, while others are severe disappointments. This is every BioWare game, ranked from worst to best.

1. Anthem (The Worst BioWare Game)

Anthem / BioWare

Remember Anthem? You’re better off if you don’t. BioWare’s attempt at a live service game frustratingly tore out all of the key things people know and love about BioWare games. Not to mention that at launch the damage calculations outright did not work as intended. Anthem was a mess, and you didn’t miss anything if you didn’t play it.

2. Shattered Steel

Shatterd Steel / BioWare

I’m sure the sci-fi mech game Shattered Steel was pretty impressive at some point, but critics at launch weren’t in love with BioWare’s very first game. It’s a bit slow, a bit barren… a bit like Anthem, but single-player.

3. Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age 2 / BioWare

Dragon Age 2 felt like the first major misstep for a lot of BioWare fans. Sonic Chronicles could be ignored and Jade Empire had some redeemed qualities, but Dragon Age 2 was rough. The game was barely an RPG, and was much more of an action-adventure game. The world had also been severely limited to just the city of Kirkwall. Still, some strong characters made the experience worthwhile.

4. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood / Sega

I love the idea of a turn-based Sonic RPG, but a rushed development schedule left Sonic and friends in the dust. A genuinely fun idea that’s very enjoyable for a short while, but not much longer than that.

5. Mass Effect: Andromeda

Mass Effect: Andromeda / BioWare

Mass Effect: Andromeda tried its best, but its best wasn’t good enough. Taking the space-age RPG into the future, with characters that fans have no connection with, to a part of the universe we’ve barely even heard about, was a big risk. And it didn’t really pay off. 

6. Jade Empire

Jade Empire / BioWare

Jade Empire was the dream project for BioWare’s co-founders, and while it was critically acclaimed on Xbox, its PC port didn’t fare quite so well. It’s another classic story of a troubled development history, and considering all of that, Jade Empire was pretty good.

7. MDK2

MDK2 / BioWare

If you played MDK2 on PS2 you might be surprised at how high on this list it is, but the PC version was highly regarded at the time. It might not be great to play now, but MDK2 was a great entry in a niche but beloved series.

8. Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic / BioWare

BioWare’s big MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic, is actually still running. Yes, this MMO has been active for well over a decade now, it’s just still chugging along with enough active players to justify its existence. I don’t know anyone who plays The Old Republic, but I’m glad they do.

9. Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 / BioWare

Mass Effect 3 is the worst of the trilogy, in my humble opinion. ME3’s multiplayer component was a big focus for the original release, and you can tell – many of the solo missions feel like objectives hamfistedly slapped onto a multiplayer map. It’s underwhelming, and I don’t even need to mention the original finale controversy.

10. Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition / BioWare

Dragon Age: Inquisition felt like a weird third entry. Trilogies are usually expected to wrap up narrative plot beats, but instead, Inquisition leaves the game on a cliffhanger – yes, even if you buy the extended story DLC. It’s not a bad game, but bloated and rough.

11. Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 / BioWare

Mass Effect 2 is considered to be the jewel in BioWare’s crown for a lot of fans. This is where BioWare found its stride when it came to character writing and mission design. It was essentially a cover shooter, sure, but they were all the rage at the time, and Mass Effect 2’s story is bombastic and memorable.

12. Mass Effect

Mass Effect / BioWare

The original Mass Effect is a bit clunky, let’s be fair, but it absolutely nails everything it was going for. It truly feels like the first step in a truly vast and expansive galaxy, and for many players, it was an incredible introduction to BioWare’s RPG gameplay.

13. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic / BioWare

Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best Star Wars games of all time, and still an all-time favorite RPG for many gamers. A true banger, even if you’ve had that final plot twist spoiled for you.

14. Neverwinter Nights

Neverwinter Nights / BioWare

One of BioWare’s acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons licensed games, Neverwinter Nights was a phenomenon and one of the biggest PC games of the era. This is the stuff that made BioWare a household name.

15. Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins / BioWare

The first Dragon Age game was a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate, and it’s a fantastic experience. It’s not a full-on CRPG at this point and is arguably a more casual RPG on console, but the story is intact and includes all the fantastical twists and turns that people play BioWare games for. Plus, the Awakening expansion is one of the best game DLCs ever.

16. Baldur’s Gate

Baldur's Gate / BioWare

A truly revelatory RPG, Baldur’s Gate was forecast to sell zero units in the UK. Instead, the game went on to sell 2.8 million copies by 2015 – and these are truly earth-shattering numbers for a PC game released in 1998. A truly groundbreaking RPG for the era.

17. Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn (The Best BioWare Game)

Baldur’s Gate 2 still stands atop the mountain in terms of RPGs for BioWare. This game cemented BioWare as a top-tier RPG studio, and almost every other game on this list is the result of BG2’s monumental achievement. If you ever wanted to know why the hype for Baldur’s Gate 3 was so huge, you need to play Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn.