BioWare, as a gamer, you must have heard about this BioWare , right? The studio was a pioneer in the gaming industry with its various franchises, such as Mass Effect to Dragon Age. Unfortunately, in the present era, they have fallen from their legacy. You must be wondering how it happened. Well, it all started in 2019 when they decided to launch a game called Anthem.
How Anthem started the beginning of the downfall for BioWare
Anthem, an online action adventure role-playing game, was the most hyped game when it was announced in 2017. However, upon release on 25 January 2019, it was critically panned by gamers and critics, some even calling it the worst game of 2019. This is what some reviews look like of this game :
| Review Source | Rating |
| IGN | 6.5/10 |
| PC Gamer | 55/100 |
| Metacritic | 59/100 |
So you must be wondering what went wrong for the company in this process ?
One of the main reasons is directly can be blamed on Electronic Arts, which is one of the subsidiaries of BioWare. In the mid-2010s, BioWare made it mandatory that the majority of the games would be run by the Frost Engine model. Despite this model being great for shooting games this is definitely not something which is great for an RPG game like Anthem.
The usage of this engine also made the combat one of the main things in the game to be messy and hard to follow, along with also making the menus of this game hard to use. Besides this, another thing which has been pointed out by gamers and critics is that the loot system of the game is described as one of the worst lootbox any game has every provided.
Not only usage of using wrong engine on the game the only thing that led to the flop of Anthem, but also the rush deadline that was placed by EA regarding this game. Ian Saterdalen, the man behind the Anthem Game, has stated on his X account that it was made in 15 months with developers who had to work 90 hours a week.
I learned a lot on this project. We knew it wasn't ready, as this game was literally created in 15 months. Which is unheard of for a game that scope. Anthem 2 would have been great! https://t.co/HHK29rpVbr pic.twitter.com/JJkpUf9DqX
— Ian Saterdalen (@TheRealVekyo) May 28, 2023Many gamers believe that had EA not placed this rush deadline or this poor working conditions on this game surely, Bioware would have produced another masterpiece in this process.
The critical and commercial failure of Anthem made the company not develop any new games for 5 years. However, after 5 years, they have returned with a new game; it certainly looks like this gaming studio didn’t learn their lessons from past mistakes of anthem games.
Dragon Age Veilguard is it is going on the route of Anthem?
The main criticism of Anthem game was the poor combat features. The same criticism also surfaced for the new game Dragon Age Veilguard, as gamers have once again pointed out that the combat features of this game are dull and repetitive. The writing of the game is also criticised as the critics have stated that the story is very uninspired and the characters have been written blandly; the fans also felt that the dialogue of this game is so amateurish. The romance angle of the game is also criticised as it felt like the romance has just shoved unnecessary into the game and doesn’t add anything significant to the plot overall.
In Anthem game, one of the prime criticisms was the aesthetic of the game, which fans found out so uninspiring; similar criticisms are also seen regarding Dragon Age Veilguard game as gamers have stated that the aesthetic is too cartoony and doesn’t match with the brilliant realistic aesthetic which BioWare has offered in the previous Dragon Age games. The game was also criticised due to it ignores the previous events of the Dragon Age franchises, as it felt like more standalone or reboot rather than the continuation of the original series.
However, when it looks like the game could go the route of Anthem, some positive aspects of the game have also surfaced, which were not seen in Anthem by gamers and critics. One of them is that the gameplay is incredibly polished. The visualisation of Veilguard, as found out by gamers is stunning. Besides that, the customisation of the character was also satisfied by the gamers as there were plenty of hairstyles, dresses and facial features that the previous games of BioWare had never delivered.
However, the criticism of Dragon Age: Veilguard is necessary as it is making one of their upcoming games take some serious notes on what not to do.
How Mass Effect 5 will ignore the same mistake as Dragon Age
Mass Effect is perhaps the biggest IP of BioWare.Currently Mass Effect 5 is scheduled to release somewhere between 2028 and 2029. However, already the production team is ensuring that they would not make the same mistakes as the Dragon Age Game. One of the biggest criticisms of the game was that it departed from its traditional aesthetic and made it too cartoony. Michael Gamble, the project director of Mass Effect 5, confirmed that the upcoming game will stick to their original visualisation in this process.
Besides that, another mistake which looks like BioWare or, to be precise, Mass Effect creators will ignore is that it will put a strong emphasis on continuity. Insiders were suggesting that Mass Effect 5 might be the continuation of the original critically acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy and will feature various classic characters from the series, such As Liara T Soni, The Asari and the planet Thessia.
Can BioWare comeback successfully?
Surely, every gamer has this same question in their mind. Since after the Anthem disaster, the studio has suffered a major blowback, which they still couldn’t recover from. This is being seen regarding their Dragon Age Veilguard game. However, the last hope for the studio is Mass Effect 5. It already looks like the game has a bright future. One of the main reasons is that they are ignoring the same mistakes for which Dragon Age was criticized. If by ignoring the mistakes of the Dragon Age game and having a strong combatant and storytelling, Mass Effect 5 can surely provide a huge success and bring BioWare once again to the front map of the gaming industry.
FAQ
What caused BioWare’s decline?
The critical and commercial failure of Anthem in 2019 is considered a major turning point. Critics blamed the use of the wrong engine (Frostbite), rushed development deadlines, and a poor loot system.
How did Anthem’s issues affect the company ?
Dragon Age: Veilguard received criticism for repetitive combat, uninspired story, and a cartoony aesthetic that clashed with the previous Dragon Age games. Some critics felt it ignored the franchise’s lore. Â
What positive aspects did Dragon Age: Veilguard have?
Despite the criticism, some gamers praised the game’s polished gameplay, stunning visuals, and extensive character customization options.
How makers of Mass Effect 5 avoiding Dragon Age’s mistakes?
Mass Effect 5 is confirmed to retain the traditional visual style and prioritize continuity. Rumors suggest it might connect to the original trilogy and feature classic characters. Â
Can the company make a comeback?
The success of Mass Effect 5 hinges on avoiding Dragon Age’s flaws and delivering strong combat and storytelling. If they learns from its mistakes, Mass Effect 5 could be a major comeback.
