BioWare has had a rough go of it this generation, but fans are still in their corner, rooting for them to recapture their former glory. Hope is on the horizon, as the developer is currently hard at work on a new installment in the Dragon Age franchise.
In the meantime, fans still have three giant mainline entries to replay and enjoy. Should anybody want to switch it up, try out any of the games like Dragon Age listed below. They are far from carbon copies of BioWare’s iconic franchise, but they all hold elements fans should enjoy.
Updated January 25, 2022 by Jason Wojnar: There are well over 100 hours of Dragon Age content spread throughout the existing trilogy. Fans are more than likely running through these several more times before Dragon Age 4 comes out, whenever that will be. If you are losing your patience with the wait for the fourth game in the franchise, check out the updated version of this list to see other games similar to Dragon Age.
19 GreedFall
Before GreedFall, developer Spiders was known for The Technomancer and a couple of Sherlock Holmes games. GreedFall is a whole different beast, borrowing more from BioWare and Obsidian games for its design.
The unique setting borrows from colonial times while also including supernatural monsters and magic. As the protagonist, you have the freedom to side with several factions and make decisions that impact the narrative.
18 Pillars Of Eternity
Before being bought by Microsoft, Obsidian had to find funding in any way possible. For Pillars of Eternity, the developer turned to Kickstarter.
Obsidian reached its goal almost immediately and ended the fundraising project with more than four million dollars. Pillars of Eternity is an RPG in the vein of Balder’s Gate, which will surely please fans of BioWare, particularly its early work.
17 Tyranny
Tyranny is Obsidian’s follow-up to Pillars of Eternity. There is an even more increased emphasis on decision-making.
What you do and say plays a significant role in the plot. It changes the way the world works and how certain characters interact with the protagonist. Tyranny came out in 2016 but unlike its predecessor, you cannot play it on consoles, with it only being available on various PC platforms.
16 Jade Empire
Jade Empire is a lot different than other games on this list. It is a BioWare title from 2005 and was the first RPG from the developer with real-time combat.
Mass Effect would come out two years later and further stray from the traditional RPG gameplay of the developer’s earlier catalog. Though Jade Empire is an action game, the narrative is still important and your actions still influence the story.
15 Wasteland 3
Because we have Divinity: Original Sin later on in the list, it only makes sense to have Wasteland 3 here as well. The setting could not be more different, but in Wasteland 3 you’ll find an equally deep combat system and an even more intricate system of choice and consequence.
The combat is also brutally difficult, true to the franchise’s reputation. There are several difficulty modes for those who are more interested in the story than the challenge. The base game is already beefy, but the developer has also added two DLC packs to extend gameplay time even further.
14 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
This cult classic came out to somewhat middling reviews thanks mostly to its technical issues. Those who were able to look past these found an incredibly deep RPG way ahead of its time.
The type of vampire you create influences the world and the way you have to play. It is finally receiving a sequel, though it is unknown when it will come out since it has been pushed back a few times already.
13 Persona 5
This is probably the most incongruous game on the list considering its aesthetic and setting, but there is a connecting thread between Persona 5 and Dragon Age other than them both being RPGs.
A large hook of Persona is the relationships between characters and building bonds between them. Any fan of BioWare and Dragon Age knows the characters are often more interesting and compelling than the overall plot and conflict.
12 Fallout
Whether you go with the classics from Interplay Entertainment or the first-person RPGs from Bethesda, it is hard to go wrong with Fallout. When it comes to games like Dragon Age, we’d recommend going with the first two entries.
The combat is turn-based and more strategic, and the side quests have more non-linear solutions. Developer Interplay would go on to form InXile Entertainment, which brought back the Wasteland franchise.
11 Fable
Lionhead Studios and the Fable series were infamous back in the day for making promises they could not possibly keep. All the same, the first Fable was a great reason to own an original Xbox, especially for RPG fans.
Long before every game was using a morality system, Fable let you choose whether to do good or bad on quests, and it changed the way the protagonist character developed. It may seem quaint now, but there is still a lot to appreciate. Fans of the series are excited for a new entry in the series from developer Playground Games.
10 Mass Effect Trilogy
This epic space opera from BioWare is too big for just one game. Decisions from prior Mass Effect games carry over into the sequels, with literally thousands of variables making minor changes to the plot. It had a huge impact on the genre and numerous games since then have drawn influence from it.
Some were less than pleased with the trilogy’s finale, but it is difficult to be too sour about it when the journey was so intensely enjoyable. The franchise’s future was in question up until recently when BioWare released the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, a remaster of the classic trilogy. It reminded everyone why Mass Effect is so great in the first place. There is also a new game on the way from BioWare, though a release date is nowhere in sight.
9 Baldur’s Gate
Every RPG owes a debt to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game, but few try to accurately replicate the experience in a video game form. The freedom of choice present in Baldur’s Gate is staggering, it’s almost too much for anybody unprepared for the complex systems.
As BioWare’s second title and first RPG, it established the studio’s reputation for crafting massive, in-depth RPGs where players’ choices make a significant impact on the world. Baldur’s Gate 3 is in development and is shaping up to be a worthy successor if the early access release is any indication.
8 Final Fantasy XII
Most other games in the storied Final Fantasy franchise bear little to no resemblance to Dragon Age. However, Final Fantasy XII’s changes to the traditional turn-based combat took some cues from Western RPGs.
The Gambit system, for example, is similar to the ability to tweak the party’s AI in Dragon Age. Players control one party member at a time while computers take control of the others, though one is free to switch between them at any time during combat. While Final Fantasy 12 came out on the PS2 originally, you can play it on most modern consoles thanks to the Zodiac Age re-release.
7 The Outer Worlds
Obsidian’s recent first-person RPG has more in common with a Bethesda game upon first glance. However, an increased focus on dialog and consequence is more reminiscent of a BioWare title. The Outer Worlds takes it to extremes, making it a point to present options where no solution ever seems correct or satisfactory to all parties involved.
It is also comparatively short, coming in at anywhere between fifteen and thirty hours. However, the amount of outcomes and variables begs for multiple playthroughs. Here’s hoping Obsidian further improves the formula with the sequel currently in development.
6 Neverwinter Nights
Like Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights is based on a Dungeons & Dragons ruleset. Where it evolves on the concept is the inclusion of multiplayer.
The variety of possibilities on the various servers is staggering, including custom D&D campaigns where a player takes the role of a dungeon master. The modding community still keeps the game alive today.
5 Skyrim
Bethesda’s RPGs take a different perspective on the genre while still providing a similar sense of wonder when one takes a look at the massive world and breadth of possibilities at their feet.
Birthed in 1994 with Elder Scrolls: Arena, Tamriel is one of the longest-lasting fantasy worlds in gaming. It’s almost comedic how many times Skyrim has been re-released. Bethesda is currently working on Starfield, slated for a November 11th release in 2022, but has already announced the sixth installment in the Elder Scrolls franchise.
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
One will not find party management in The Witcher 3, as Geralt tends to travel alone, but they will find a deep, rich fantasy world influenced by Slavic lore.
For lovers of the aesthetic, one can literally spend months going down a rabbit hole learning every detail regarding the fleshed-out world. And while the gameplay is not as deep as other RPGs on the list, the writing and performances are almost unmatched.
CD Projekt Red’s reputation has been dragged through the mud since Cyberpunk 2077’s release. The game was clearly not ready when it came out in late 2020. The developer is currently working on fixing that game, though we definitely see The Witcher in the cards somewhere.
3 Divinity: Original Sin 2
If anybody has a friend with a similarly deep love for epic RPGs, call them up and play Divinity: Original Sin 2 together.
Rarely does such a lengthy game allow for friends to tackle the story together locally, so take advantage of this opportunity to share the game’s depth and complexity. While Dragon Age: The Inquisitionfeatures a cooperative mode, it has no bearing on the actual story.
2 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
For anybody who prefers a more grounded RPG experience, look no further than Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Set in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the early 1400’s, the game deals with a real historical conflict and features real historical figures.
No magic, dragons, or mythical beasts to be found here. While it has an incredibly deep stat system and quests with numerous solutions, anybody going into this expansive world should be aware of the bevy of technical issues and bugs present. However, open-world RPG fans are used to this sort of thing.
1 Knights Of The Old Republic
BioWare’s contribution to the Star Wars canon still receives mention as one of the finest games in the genre. All the staples of Western RPGs can be found here: character creation, dialog choices, and a bevy of side quests.
Released in 2003, it also marks one of the first times an RPG of this scale released on consoles. Previously, most games of its ilk came out on PC, while Japanese RPGs tended more towards consoles.
A remake was recently announced as a timed exclusive for PlayStation 5. It is being developed by Aspyr, who has a long history of porting games. If you are interested in the original game, a port was recently released for the Nintendo Switch.
