BioWare, the developer most recently behindAnthem,Mass Effect, andDragon Age, has been making games for over twenty years now. While there’s been plenty of buzz recently about apotential remaster of itsMass Effecttrilogy, for instance, there are plenty of other games on the BioWare catalogue that deservemorethan a simple remaster.
The firstMass Effectgame came out in 2007 - that’s over a decade in the past, now. But there are other games, even older than that (and one a little bit newer) that could stand to get a little TLC fromBioWareand its fans. Let’s talk about the BioWare games out there that absolutely deserve the remake treatment.
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Jade Empire (2003)
Jade Empireis unique, even among BioWare games; it was the company’s first original intellectual property (before,BioWare had only made gameswithin theStar WarsandDungeons & Dragonsuniverses). More than that, it was a well-received RPG set in a world based on Chinese mythology, something that’s still pretty rare among games. Players take on the role of the last surviving Spirit Monk, and play through a linear narrative guided by morality-based dialogue and choices.
DespiteJade Empire’s positive reception, it never really got the attention that other BioWare games did. Perhaps because of that, BioWare never followed up on this title, but that really ought to change.Jade Empirewould be a great candidate for a remake: it’s interesting, unique, and has all the elements of a great BioWare RPG.
Baldur’s Gate (1998)
Now let’s talk about old-school BioWare games thatdidget all the attention;Baldur’s Gatewas BioWare’s second-ever title and first foray into RPGs, and it did more than simply get good reviews.Baldur’s Gateand its sequelchanged the RPG genre permanently, laying the foundation for many of today’s top RPGs. Check any “best RPGs of all time” list and eitherBaldur’s Gategame is probably near the top, with good reason.
The thing is,Baldur’s Gateand its sequelhavebeen remastered as recently as 2013, with Beamdog releasingEnhanced Editionversions of both games. But this is a list of games that deserve the remake treatment, not remastering, and the thought oftheBaldur’s Gatenarrativeframed within the graphics and technology of today is certainly a thrilling one.
Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn (2000)
Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amnis the aforementioned sequel toBaldur’s Gate,and pretty much universally considered even better than its predecessor. Therefore, it should be obvious whyBG2is on this list; if the first one deserves a remake, then the second absolutely does, even more so. The idea of aBaldur’s Gate 2: SoAremake is made even more tantalizing when considering therecently-releasedBaldur’s Gate 3. Now there’s really no doubt whether or not a game as old-school asBG2would translate well into the current and next generation of video games;BG3has essentially proven that it would translate beautifully.
Thus the Bhaalspawn saga, aDungeons & Dragons-based epicthat spans two games and one expansion, really ought to get a remake one of these days.
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Neverwinter Nights (2002)
BioWare’s nextDungeons & Dragons-based game after the highly successfulBaldur’s Gateseries wasNeverwinter Nights.This game, too, was remastered in recent years, but a remake could be even more exciting. After all, theNeverwinter Nightstoolset that released alongside the game allowed players to go and create whole playable modules of their own; some of the best included music, voice-over, and more. Imagine the gorgeous modules that today’s players could create ifNeverwinterNightsand its corresponding toolset were given the remake treatment.
That’s not even mentioning the fun of the actualNeverwinter Nightsgame, and its expansions;Shadows of UndrentideandHordes of the Underdark. All of those, translated with current-generation technology, would be a thing of beauty.
Dragon Age: Origins (2009)
Finally, the BioWare game that is likely the highest in demand to get the remake treatment,Dragon Age: Origins.DA:Ois a little more recent than the other games on this list, but there’s no doubt that it’s still officially outdated among today’s available games. Despite that,Originswas highly beloved, and with good reason. It was BioWare’s love letter toBaldur’s Gate, and the last hurrah of what many people consider to be old-school BioWare.
However, given the resurgence of games along thesame lines asDragon Age: Origins(includingBaldur’s Gate 3, which is a pretty decent blueprint of what anOriginsremake could look like, too), it could be time forOriginsitself to get the remake treatment.Dragon Age 4is taking long enough to make and release, and fans of the franchise are getting restless. Not only would a remake ofOriginssimply look amazing, but it’d go a long way to restore fans' love of BioWare after the uncommonly long wait betweenDragon Agegames and its missteps withMass EffectandAnthem.
Long story short, aDragon Age: Originsremake could solve a lot of problems - and it’d also make for a jaw-dropping game, just like the originalOrigins.
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