The closing of game studios and cancelled projects are becoming distressingly common, to the point where I’ve started feeling desensitised. That was until the news about BioWare. It feels somewhat like an overreaction to feel this huge a sense of loss for a game studio, but BioWare truly was one of the greats.

BioWare has always been a master of narratives

I remember the first time I saw an advert on TV for Dragon Age: Origins, and how mind-blown I was. At the time, I hadn’t played anything as brutal or dark as the trailer made it look. I distinctly remember blood contrasting with a white background; it was remarkably striking. I might have conflated it in my mind, because the closest trailer I could find now is the 2009 E3 one. Pretty sure it wasn’t that, but it has the red on white.

Since I was a Sony boy as a child and we didn’t have a good computer, Dragon Age was my first BioWare game, and it was a spectacular starting point. The stories it wove were amazing: the separate origins, how they could come up in the narrative, and the characters. I adore Leliana and Alistair. BioWare was a master at writing: the stories and characters are always top tier.

I really enjoyed the gameplay too. Each class was so fun to play, and the tactics system where you could tell your party how to act and when was brilliant. Then you get the top-down view, which was game-changing. I liked playing a Dalish Elf with stealth, bringing Leliana and Zevran along and organising my sneaky squad to take out enemies with a well-crafted ambush. Seeing most of them fall before the rest could react would never get old.

Mass Effect is the best BioWare series

This was my entry to the world of BioWare, and what a fantastic world it was. The following year, Mass Effect 2 was released, so I decided to give that franchise a whirl. Popping to my local Asda, I grabbed a copy of Mass Effect 1 on sale, got home, and promptly found that the box instead housed a disc emblazoned with the words Mass Effect 2. So, as an honourable human, I returned to Asda and brought an actual copy of Mass Effect 1 on sale. The Dragon Age rogue life rubbed off on me.

I can’t find the words to start with Mass Effect. It is another level. The first time taking on the role of Commander Shepard and watching the chirpy Jenkins almost immediately being mowed down made quite an impression. Even if you were joined by one of the most boring companions in video gaming. Alenko is bland. Reliable, but bland. He’s porridge made with water.

Putting that aside, I was immediately hooked. Being able to tell your companions where to stand was still a novel experience for me in a real-time setting, barring The Settlers and strategy games like that, and any game that puts a sniper in my hands is a great one. I am an Infiltrator for life, and fun fact: I had 100 hours in Mass Effect before I discovered the snipers had a zoom. Pro gamer.

Exploring space with Tali and Garrus was never dull

Fast forward, and you are on the Normandy, then the universe opens up. There was an incredible amount of choice that blew my tiny mind. Exploring the stars, tackling aliens, discovering hidden objects within asteroid belts – it was all amazing. Of course, I did the morality exploits and played the same file four times to experience everything with full Paragon and Renegade.

And throughout all my runthroughs, I had Tali and Garrus permanently by my side, no exceptions. Mass Effect has so many amazing characters, both in how much I like them and their depth. Plus, side note: excellent voice actors. Seth Green and Keith David, off the top of my head.

I do need to mention the music here. The star map music is amazingly otherworldly; it sets the scene for universal travel amazingly. But that wasn’t the top for me. You have rampaged across the universe; you made it to the Mu Relay, pursued Saren, and wound up on the Citadel fighting through hordes as the Alliance battles a Reaper. Hard battles fought, tough choices made, but finally you won. You take a breath, make one final decision, Shepard walks away, and then it starts. M4, Pt 2 by Faunts kicks in over the credits, and it is just indescribable. Credits are boring, but I was mesmerised; the sound of it is incredible. Mass Effect is a perfect journey.

The Mass Effect journey was utterly mind-blowing from the start

Another fun fact: Mass Effect 1 and 2 have the biggest leap in gameplay I have seen. To such an infuriating degree, because after you play 2, it is hard to go back. Yes, you are much more limited in skills, but oh my god, the gameplay is like butter. I am just rolling with the food analogies, apparently.

Mass Effect 1 had the biggest impact on me personally, but 2 and 3 are also incredible. And as I said before, by my side for as much of it as possible were Tali and Garrus. Insanity mode playthrough with a squad of Tech specialists; the Collector ship was horrible. Unless you picked up the Warp Ammo bonus power from Jack, you will be stomped by barrier-protected horrors. The Black Widow really helped, though; my favourite sniper rifle in gaming.

After that, I devoured BioWare’s catalogue. Except Anthem; I am not a masochist. Although I do really enjoy Andromeda. And Mass Effect Infiltrator on mobile was a fantastic portable pal. But go further back, and what do you find? Jade Empire, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, Baldur’s Gate; these are some superb stories. No one does narratives like BioWare, and it helps that their gameplay kicks ass too. And let’s not forget Star Wars: The Old Republic. It has been my number two MMORPG for years, and even though it is with Broadsword now, let’s not forget it all came from here.

Could there be a bit of hope for BioWare?

BioWare was with me for so much of my gaming journey, and made some of my favourite series. Losing them is such a crushing blow. They haven’t been knocking it out of the park recently, or, let’s be honest, for a while, so I can see why a company like EA, who only cares for profit, could cut them loose. Logically, it makes some sense. But BioWare spun stories that went so much deeper than logic.

I choose to live in hope. The cinematic trailer for Mass Effect Universe dropping a day after the announcement reminds me of the first Deadpool movie. A leaked trailer sparked a trio of films that broke so many records. The same could happen here. Surely there is some company willing to take a chance on a studio that can create some of the most beautiful stories in gaming. The petition currently in Canada might give us just a slim chance that we will see space again. Even if Universe doesn’t have my beloved Tali and Garrus.