BioWare Games With The Best Real-Time Combat, Ranked

BioWare isn’t enjoying the greatest time in the industry right now. The lack of compelling original titles has many fans worried about the developer’s future, especially since they used to have no problems enticing players with their amazing stories and memorable characters.

Despite these issues, there’s no denying that BioWare has developed its fair share of stellar video games that fans can’t get enough of. Almost every game developed by this company features real-time combat, with some being more engaging and cathartic than others.

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8

Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows Of Amn

The Classic D&D Combat Is A Blast To Play

Released

November 15, 2013

ESRB

t

While the original Baldur’s Gate was fun to play in its own right, it wasn’t until the release of the sequel that the full potential of the combat system could be achieved. Magic is more important than ever before, and party members are more durable than before.

This means that players are encouraged to take risks with their party members while also employing the skills and abilities required to get through hard-as-nails encounters. The real-time combat is tactical and engaging as players slowly get stronger and try to stop the compelling villain Jon Irenicus from achieving his diabolical plans.

7

Dragon Age: Origins

Excellent Real-Time With Pause Combat That’s Tactical And Engaging

Systems

Released

November 3, 2009

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content

Even after the many years that have passed since the release of Dragon Age: Origins, fans still love the game’s strategic combat. Players must be careful about the build they’re pursuing as they master an array of powerful abilities to take out the myriad of foes in their way.

Warriors should be on the frontlines to serve as tanks. Rogues should use their stealth capabilities and high DPS to quickly kill foes. Finally, mages should stay at a distance and use an array of elemental attacks to make their enemies squeal. If the real-time combat gets hectic, fans can always pause the gameplay and issue individual commands to make things easier for themselves.

6

Jade Empire

Employ Various Martial Arts Stances Against Various Opponents

Systems

Released

April 12, 2005

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes

Jade Empire is one of the most underrated BioWare games, and more people should check it out. This wuxia RPG is unlike anything else out there, and it’s a shame that BioWare didn’t find this IP promising enough for more sequels.

4:01

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Combat in this title involves a ton of martial arts stances that must be switched out from time to time to target enemy weaknesses. As players acquire more abilities to overwhelm their opponents, Jade Empire becomes a blast to play through as the protagonist becomes a powerful martial artist who can best their master in combat by the end of the game.

5

Mass Effect 3

The Action-Packed Shootouts Are The Best Of The Commander Shepard Trilogy

Released

March 6, 2012

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

While many people weren’t huge fans of Mass Effect 3 for its lackluster ending, the gameplay is a different matter altogether. Fans were impressed by how great it felt to rain hellfire on their enemies, with Shepard using a wealth of unique abilities based on their class to make combat even more exhilarating.

Using Biotic powers to propel Shepard’s body forward and slam against foes never gets tiring, especially if players have a shotgun to punish enemies at a close range. Along with this, players can command their squadmates to pull off special moves of their own in combat, adding a simple layer of strategy to every combat encounter that players can rely on if things get dire.

4

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Real-Time Combat Where Every Class Feels Unique

Systems

Released

November 18, 2014

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language

After the lackluster release of Dragon Age 2, fans wanted the sequel to channel Origins‘ strengths instead of trying to appeal to mainstream audiences. Thankfully, despite the problems Inquisition faced in development, most fans were elated by what was on display in this title.

Along with an epic story, combat in Inquisition felt better than ever and made every class and specialization fun to use. Activating abilities in the middle of a heated encounter could turn the tide of battle in a flash and make combat look more cinematic than ever before.

3

Anthem

The Game Had Its Issues, But The Combat Is Great

Systems

Released

February 22, 2019

ESRB

T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Language, Mild Blood, Use of Tobacco, Violence

Anthem is one of the biggest EA and BioWare failures of all time, trying to dive into the live service genre only to come out with nothing. It’s a shame, since the combat system was engaging enough that the game could have been a success had the other aspects been just as content-rich.

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Combat embraces the verticality enabled by the Javelin exosuits, with players flying all over the environment as they dodge enemy attacks and pepper them with damaging hits. While Anthem was a failed experiment that was eventually forgotten, fans were glad to see that remnants of this action-packed combat system were present in another BioWare title.

2

Mass Effect: Andromeda

The Verticality And Fast-Paced Combat Feels Amazing

Systems

Released

March 1, 2017

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Violence

Fans eagerly anticipating the launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda were left with a bitter taste in their mouths after a botched release full of bugs and other issues. While these were eventually patched, the lack of urgency in the story, coupled with the lackluster writing of each character, turned Andromeda into the worst Mass Effect game by a country mile.

However, players who managed to ignore its faults were pleased by the improvements made to the series’ combat. Players could use jetpacks to fly around combat arenas and decimate enemies in style. These dynamic encounters coupled with some impressive abilities make it clear why combat is one area where Andromeda is a massive upgrade over its predecessors.

1

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Despite Its Issues, Dragon Age Combat Has Never Been Better

Systems

Released

October 31, 2024

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence

People were worried about the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, especially with pre-release trailers forsaking the dark edge that made previous Dragon Age games such a blast to play. Unfortunately, the milquetoast writing meant that players struggled to get invested in a story where things just had to stay upbeat no matter what.

Fans were also worried about the action-oriented approach of combat where they couldn’t control other party members. However, this is an area where BioWare didn’t disappoint. Their modern combat systems have always been action-packed, and the expansive suite of abilities that Rook has access to in The Veilguard turns them into a whirlwind of death at higher levels. Players can zip around the battlefield in high-stakes combat encounters and showing enemies who’s boss.

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