7 Best BioWare Games You Should Play Before They Are Buried in History

BioWare helped define modern role-playing games through memorable characters and branching narratives, along with companions who feel like more than background characters. The studio has produced several RPGs that deserve to be remembered long after their original releases, and we have ranked 7 of them that you must play before the studio is written off in the history books forever, given the official confirmation of its closure a couple of days ago.

7 Jade Empire

Jade Empire remains one of BioWare’s most unusual projects. Set in a fantasy world inspired by Chinese mythology and martial arts cinema, the game follows a martial arts student whose journey gradually expands into a conflict involving spirits and the fate of the empire.

Unlike the studio’s more conventional party-based RPGs, Jade Empire emphasizes real-time martial arts combat. Players can switch between fighting styles, including weapon-based techniques and supernatural abilities, while their dialogue choices influence relationships and story outcomes.

Its combat can feel dated today, but the setting still stands apart from the crowded fantasy RPG market. The studio never developed a direct sequel, making this a worthwhile game for anyone interested in the studio’s less familiar experiments.

6 Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition expands BioWare’s fantasy universe into a sprawling adventure shaped by supernatural threats and even political alliances. Players lead the Inquisition, an organization tasked with closing dangerous rifts in the sky while navigating a world increasingly affected by chaos.

The companion cast is one of its biggest strengths. Characters such as Dorian, Cassandra, and Varric bring different perspectives to conversations, while personal quests reveal motivations that extend beyond the main conflict.

5 Neverwinter Nights

Before cinematic RPGs became the studio’s signature, Neverwinter Nights demonstrated how a role-playing game could become a platform for player creativity. Built around Dungeons & Dragons rules, it follows a hero investigating a plague threatening the city of Neverwinter.

The campaign delivers classic fantasy adventures, but the game’s larger legacy comes from its Aurora toolset and multiplayer community. Players could create their own adventures and build custom worlds, extending the experience well beyond the original story.

4 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic transported players thousands of years before the Skywalker saga. This allowed BioWare to explore the Jedi, Sith, and the Force without being constrained by the films’ established characters and events.

The game combines party-based combat and a morality system that affects how the protagonist approaches the conflict. Its companions have distinct personalities, and their conversations help make the journey across the galaxy feel personal.

It is especially remembered for its major narrative revelation, which remains one of the defining twists in Star Wars gaming. Even with its dated visuals and turn-based combat structure, its storytelling makes it essential for RPG fans.

3 Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins represents the studio’s fantasy role-playing strengths at their sharpest. Players become a Grey Warden tasked with stopping a Blight, a catastrophic invasion led by darkspawn, but the journey begins differently depending on the character’s chosen origin.

Those opening scenarios give the protagonist a stronger connection to the world’s political and social divisions. Later decisions can determine the fate of kingdoms and companions, while the tactical combat system rewards preparation rather than constant button-mashing.

2 Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 refined BioWare’s science-fiction formula by putting its characters at the center of the adventure. Commander Shepard must recruit a team of specialists for an extremely dangerous mission, with each companion bringing personal conflicts and different abilities to the group.

These recruitment and loyalty quests are the game’s standout feature. Helping a character confront their past can determine whether they survive the final mission, giving seemingly optional conversations genuine consequences. The cinematic presentation and tighter third-person shooting also made combat more accessible than in the original game.

1 Mass Effect

The original Mass Effect takes the top spot because it introduced one of the studio’s most ambitious fictional universes. Set in a future where humanity has joined an established galactic community, the game follows Commander Shepard while investigating a threat that could endanger every known civilization.

Its greatest achievement is the world-building. Alien societies have their own histories, while conversations with squadmates gradually reveal the personal stakes behind the larger conflict. Choices involving dialogue, diplomacy, and major story events also help shape the trilogy that follows.

For all its imperfections, the first Mass Effect established the characters and decision-making framework that made the franchise so influential. That alone makes it the BioWare game every RPG fan should play.

Which BioWare game is your all-time favorite, and do you think it deserves a spot on this list? Let us know in the comments!