It's no secret that BioWare has fallen on hard times. Once held as one of the pillars of western RPG development, a string of high-profile failures and a long time without new titles have damaged the public's perception of this once-esteemed company. While Dragon Age: Inquisition and the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO were promising, 2017’s Mass Effect: Andromeda and 2019’s Anthem have diminished BioWare’s reputation. This is doubly true after it was announced that the efforts to overhaul Anthem were being canceled, and the game would be left in its current buggy and unsatisfying state.

However, the staff at BioWare are aware of their current status and want to reclaim their former glory. As stated in a New Year's post by current General Manager Gary McKay, the company is hard at work rebuilding its reputation. McKay went on to talk about how the upcoming Old Republic expansion Legacy of the Sith looked exciting, and that Mass Effect 4 and Dragon Age 4 were both coming along smoothly. A lot is riding on these two single-player RPG experiences, and BioWare needs to step up its game if it wants to win the public's trust and admiration again.

RELATED: Amazon's Mass Effect Show Should Tell A New Story With New Characters

BioWare Needs To Try Something New

Anthem Destiny Killer Hype

BioWare needs every little advantage it can get to compete with the other pillars of the western RPG design. While Bethesda has a somewhat shaky reputation as well due to the problematic launch of Fallout 76, its fans are still excited for the upcoming Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6. Obsidian has also found new life under Microsoft, and with The Outer Worlds and Grounded under its belt, is now moving on to Outer Worlds' sequel and a Pillars of Eternity spin-off called Avowed. BioWare can't be left playing catch-up and needs to build some momentum of its own. The best way it can do this is by bucking old trends, advertising novel new features, and approaching development differently. A bigger scope than past entries alone will not necessarily inspire fan confidence.

As the next Mass Effect and Dragon Age installments are still a while out, BioWare should handle its public relations differently to improve its standing with its communities. One quick and relatively easy way to do that is to give them a status report. This can be as simple as a one-page written message explaining the state ongoing projects are in, what is being worked on currently, and when news can be expected next. Such transparency is not a common practice in the video game industry, but some Japanese creators have done this to enormous success. It's impossible to hold every game developer to the standard set by Naoki Yoshida’s Final Fantasy 16 delay message, but a little bit of communication can go a long way.

BioWare Games Should Focus on Polish and Writing

Of course, fans need to be able to trust in the quality of BioWare's games as well. While getting some new products out soon would certainly help BioWare stay in the conversation, the tone of that conversation is important. Mass Effect 4 and Dragon Age 4 can't come out as unfinished as Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. For that reason, an effort needs to be made to ensure these games match some of the best AAA titles seen in the past generation in terms of polish. Building off of the plan to increase transparency, fans would be given the occasional update to keep spirits high as BioWare's major projects receive as much time and attention as they need. There is some debate as to whether or not next-gen games feel next-gen, and BioWare could earn a lot of points if it sets an example in terms of smooth gameplay and cutting-edge graphics.

And at the end of it all, what is a good RPG without a rock-solid script. The problem is that BioWare's writing has been divisive for a long time, with examples of good and bad writing sometimes cropping up in the same game. Mass Effect 3's ending is reviled, but its Citadel DLC is celebrated. BioWare is not only competing with its usual major competitors in its field but also the growing list of quality CRPGs like Disco Elysium and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. It will be of the utmost importance to ensure that a talented writer with an uncompromised vision is present on these games’ development teams. If at least some of these changes are used, BioWare might be able to build a better reputation than it once had. It will take some time to say for sure, but fans can all agree that they would love it if BioWare could put out some great games.

MORE: Dragon Age 4 May Take Place a Decade After Inquisition