BioWare is ostensibly moving ahead with Mass Effect 4, which is good news, especially given recent rumors of the studio being shut down following the disappointing performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. But even though BioWare appears safe for now, its reputation is still nowhere near what it was during Mass Effect‘s heyday, and it might never be, if it continues down its current path.
Mass Effect 3 may have had a controversial ending, but it still sold and reviewed well, and most players look back on it fondly; it certainly didn’t soil the series as a whole. But Mass Effect Andromeda is a different story: a buggy launch and lackluster writing made it a disappointing follow-up to the genre-defining Mass Effect games that preceded it, and there was a strong sense that the “BioWare magic,” present in the likes of Mass Effect 2, KOTOR, and Baldur’s Gate, was missing. Two years later, BioWare stumbled again with Anthem, an early portent of just how disastrous big-budget live-service games could be. While Veilguard certainly hasn’t drawn the same widespread ire as the aforementioned games, it was far from the magic bullet needed to restore BioWare to its former glory, leaving the studio in a tough position going into Mass Effect 4.
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BioWare Might Want To Hand Off Mass Effect to Another Studio
It might seem unthinkable, especially since Mass Effect is perhaps BioWare’s greatest claim to fame, but the studio may no longer be suited to continuing its development. One can only hope that Mass Effect 4 will turn out well, but recent releases haven’t exactly inspired confidence. This may sound harsh, and almost like a punishment for recent sins, but BioWare could actually be better off if given the chance to move away from Mass Effect.
BioWare Isn’t What It Used To Be
Subjectively, BioWare isn’t the same studio it once was: it’s been over a decade since it released a game as well-crafted and well-received as something like Mass Effect 2 or Dragon Age: Origins. But the change in the studio is objective as well, as so many of its former leaders have moved on to different endeavors. This includes Casey Hudson and David Gaider, the game director and lead writer for the Mass Effect trilogy and Dragon Age: Origins, respectively.
There’s simply no way for the new BioWare leaders to live up to the studio’s old legacy, and this has little to do with talent or dedication: they are quite literally different creators with different styles, goals, et cetera. This is a recurring problem in franchises across all mediums, as one entry might launch an IP into great success, causing future releases, led by different people, to attempt to emulate it. This can work sometimes, but it often leads to the latter being a shallow imitation of the former, as has occurred with Andromeda and Veilguard.
New-BioWare Deserves to Strike Out On Its Own
AAA publishers often seem allergic to new ideas: why take a risk with a new IP when a sequel, spin-off, or remake of a popular game comes with a built-in fanbase? But new IP can also make waves—every successful series was once a fresh IP, after all. EA itself is aware of this, as it has recently published the wildly successful It Takes Two and Split Fiction, two new IP that have sold like hotcakes, prized for their originality.
BioWare has suffered from audience expectations, as players are holding it to the standard established by its classic games. This shackles the studio to a bygone legacy that will likely never be recreated, at least not intentionally. Passing off Mass Effect, and even Dragon Age for that matter, to another team could mean better entries in those series, but also better, bolder games from BioWare itself.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
8/10
- Released
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March 1, 2017
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
- Engine
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Frostbite 3