November 2024

There was a time that BioWare games were the biggest deal in gaming. The Canadian developer’s legacy of all-time classics is well known. Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, and Baldur’s Gate are some of the biggest names in gaming. While BioWare’s quality has fallen off lately, there’s no denying the quality of titles in their portfolio. That’s why we’re going to dive in and rank every BioWare game from worst to best. By every, I do mean every BioWare game, even the ones you completely forgot about! As always, this is a list of my personal preferences, not Metacritic ranking. There’s a very, very strong chance that you’ll disagree with my opinion for the best BioWare games and that’s okay! That’s what the comment section is for anyway. On with the list!

Mass Effect Galaxy

Remember when I said I’m talking about some of the games you completely forgot about? Mass Effect Galaxy was one of those games! Released in 2009 for iOS, Galaxy was a top-down shooter that didn’t work. The game’s controls are downright abysmal. It felt more like a cash-grab than an actual mobile game. The less I speak about it, the better.

Anthem

Much has been made about Anthem’s troubled development. Jason Schrier did excellent reporting for Kotaku that highlights everything that went wrong. When I say everything, I do mean everything; Anthem was doomed from the start. The game sounded like a great idea on paper that never translated. A looter-shooter where you essentially live out your greatest Iron Man fantasies is a fantastic idea. However, the problem was a combination of developmental frustrations due to the Frostbite engine, an understaffed studio, and constant changes. Anthem was one of several recent BioWare games that weren’t fun and didn’t work on a technical level. A recipe for absolute disaster.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Like Anthem, Jason Schriefer also dove into the developmental issues with Andromeda. Like Anthem, the Frostbite engine was an issue, but I can argue that the game has more problems. In terms of its scope and scale, Andromeda is arguably too revolutionary. The idea of exploring and discovering hundreds of planets in a new galaxy is excellent on paper but utterly impractical in practice. The cut-back scope, combined with bugs and technical issues at launch, led to a poor launch. For me, though, the biggest problem is the characters. They are bland, boring, and lacking. The original trilogy had a voice cast that packed a serious punch. Andromeda’s voice acting is downright bad.

Dragon Age Legends

I bet you also forgot about this game, too! Dragon Age Legends was a mobile-style game available on Facebook. Surprisingly, it wasn’t terrible! It wasn’t exactly good, either, which is why it lands here on the list. I wonder how it would have been received today with mobile gaming far more popular. Maybe it could have enjoyed success instead of being deactivated from Facebook.

Shattered Steel

The first of all BioWare games is Shattered Steel, released in 1996. It plays similar to the MechWarrior franchise, where players wreak havoc in a mech-inspired vehicle. It’s fun for some mindless action but doesn’t do much beyond that—a solid game for sure, but one that’s honestly not memorable.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

I know you didn’t forget about this one! BioWare made a Sonic RPG for the Nintendo DS back in 2008. Despite a level of excitement leading into the game’s release, it didn’t meet expectations. While the game looked sharp for a DS title, the story and combat were severely lacking. The narrative, in particular, felt schizophrenic. It was half homage to the lighter, campy side of Sonic and half dark, mature themes influenced by BioWare. The result was a disjointed mess that’s better left in the past.

Dragon Age II

This is where all BioWare games start to shine. Moving forward, there’s not a bad game in this list, but the ones that fail to rank higher have issues stepping away from the shadows of the giants. Therefore, it makes sense that we now talk about Dragon Age 2, a great game that can’t surpass the weight of its predecessor. Combat felt better in Dragon Age 2, but the game’s story and gameplay took a step back. One thing that held the game back was its incredibly short development time; publisher EA only gave BioWare 14-16 months for development. BioWare magic delivered a quality game, but in reality that BioWare magic was a demoralizing crunch period. Given this, it’s no surprise that the game is lacking compared to others in the franchise. It’s a miracle the game managed to be enjoyable at all.

Neverwinter Nights

Neverwinter Nights is a Dungeons and Dragons fan’s dream come true. An expensive game with endless replayability, it was a revolution when it was released in 2002. Offering a fantastic campaign, impressive graphics for the time, and a toolset to allow customization and tinkering, tabletop RPG fans were a tremendous virtual translation to tabletop D&D.

Dragon Age: Origins

The original Dragon Age is a work of art. Its ability to deliver a modern interpretation of Neverwinter Nights resulted in runaway success. More than just a fantasy version of Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins offered a tactical and strategic take on combat. It delivers a system that traditionalists and modern RPG fans alike can enjoy. There are some inconsistencies in the stories being told, which brings it down on the list. Not every character or narrative was created equal. Still, there’s no denying the legacy and impact the game has.

MDK2

Out of all BioWare Games, MDK2 is the biggest oddball of the bunch. Ironically, it’s a sequel to a game BioWare didn’t develop; usually, BioWare works on the original titles, and others work on the follow-ups, as is the case with Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights. Furthermore, the game stars Kurt Hectic, a corny but typical name that represents the early 2000s perfectly, Dr. Fluke Hawkins, and Max. Max is a dog, by the way, who smokes cigars and contains an impressive arsenal of automatic weapons. Known for its quirky humor and, at times, high level of difficulty, MDK2 sounds like a game made in 2020, not 2000. It’s definitely worth a trip down memory lane.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

While The Old Republic was never going to live up to the incredibly high expectations it had coming in; it’s still an enjoyable MMORPG. The RPG part carries it, offering some of the best story-based content ever seen in an MMO. After releasing in 2011, BioWare Austin has continued to support Star Wars: The Old Republic with a bevy of content, building upon each previous expansion. Is it an MMO on the level of Final Fantasy XIV? No. Is it an enjoyable sequel to Knights of the Old Republic that offers many storylines, questing, and satisfactory combat? Yes.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

The one knock I have on Inquisition is that the game plays out like a single-player MMORPG. As much as I like MMORPGs, I was hoping for something more. Still, there’s no denying how incredible Dragon Age: Inquisition is. The follow-up to the disappointing Dragon Age 2 is one of BioWare’s best games ever. The fact that I still have seven games to talk about is a testament to what’s left on my list of all BioWare games ever made. The marriage of combat between the tactics of the original Dragon Age and the faster action of the second works wonders. Combined with an enjoyable and gorgeous open world, excellent writing and characters, and a gameplay loop that keeps you motivated to move forward, it’s easy to see why Inquisition is such a smash hit. Is it perfect? No, but it didn’t have to be.

Jade Empire

If we’re talking about games I want sequels to, Jade Empire tops my list. BioWare took a significant gamble trading in their familiar fantasy settings for an original IP based deeply on Chinese culture and mythology. Knights of the Old Republic doesn’t count in my mind since that’s an already established franchise. BioWare had no world-building really to do there. The risk paid off; Jade Empire is a beautiful game, filled with satisfying combat, an engaging narrative, and plenty of consequences for your actions. Please, BioWare. I would like a Jade Empire sequel. Will you kindly give us one?

Mass Effect

As much as I love Mass Effect, it has many problems. Like all BioWare games, however, the story’s charm and characters elevate it to something extraordinary. The original Mass Effect is the weakest of the trilogy due to poor controls. Building relationships with your crew, highly enjoyable quests, and seemingly endless ways to personalize your experience more than make up for those shortcomings. The start of a planned trilogy, Mass Effect set the framework for what was to come. It’s the rockiest of the trilogy for sure, but it’s still a masterpiece.

Baldur’s Gate

The original Baldur’s Gate is a crowning achievement in RPG game design. I already talked about how important Neverwinter Nights was for D&D-inspired gameplay. That game wouldn’t exist without Baldur’s Gate. Its isometric camera style was similar to Diablo, but the gameplay was infinitely deeper. Instead of focusing on combat, dungeon grinding, and acquiring loot, Baldur’s Gate gave players a world filled with characters to converse with and secrets to discover.

Mass Effect 3

Out of all BioWare games, you can argue that Mass Effect 3 was the first time they had a chance to finish a story. While they’ve developed plenty of sequels, this was the finale of a trilogy. Story and character arcs would conclude, the consequences for your decisions and actions will be finalized, and the fate of the galaxy is in your hands. Even though Mass Effect 3 had some severe issues sticking the landing, specifically with how it handles the finale of the Reaper threat, the rest of the game is an absolute delight. Character and side-story resolutions are beyond satisfying. Combat is the best it’s ever been in the franchise. Ending controversy aside, Mass Effect 3 delivers. BTW, be sure to check out our collection of the Best Mass Effect Legendary Edition Mods.

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn

Remember how I said the original Baldur’s Gate is a crowning achievement? Shadows of Amn came in and said, “look at me, I’m the captain now.” Baldur’s Gate II is how you make a sequel to an all-time classic. It improves the foundation of the original in every possible way. The game is bigger, the story is just as engaging, and the possibilities are endless. It is one of the best RPGs of all time, and yet, it’s third on this list.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

While the Baldur’s Gate franchise may have put BioWare on the map for RPG fans, it was arguably Knights of the Old Republic that brought the developer to the mainstream. KOTOR is an all-time classic, one of the best Star Wars games and original Xbox games ever made. The game is so beloved that it remains in the news even today. It was released for Nintendo Switch recently and is being remade as well. Diving into the fabled Old Republic in Star Wars lore, KOTOR delivers in every possible way. The combat’s system mixed in the tried and true formula established in Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights while bringing a cinematic flair and feel. What pushes KOTOR over the top, though, is the morality system. Each and every action affects the outcome of your story. While it wasn’t the first game with a morality system, it was arguably one of the first to embrace it in to the game’s entire DNA fully. Despite its age, KOTOR holds up exceptionally well today and, on many developer lists, would be the best in a portfolio.

Mass Effect 2

It’s no contest. Out of all BioWare games, Mass Effect 2 is undoubtedly the best. Like Baldur’s Gate II, BioWare addresses the issues and concerns with the first while staying true to what makes the franchise great. Combat and controls are tighter and infinitely more enjoyable. An already memorable cast of characters is, against all odds, made even better. The voice cast delivers, featuring additions by Martin Sheen and Carrie-Anne Moss. The new crew-mates, highlighted by Mordin Solus, are stellar. Mass Effect 2’s most remarkable accomplishment may be that it’s able to successfully tell a self-contained story despite being the middle child. Again, the Mass Effect trilogy was always planned so they knew there would be the third game in the series. Yet the game-specific narrative can deliver a satisfying beginning, middle, and end.

Today, we’re reviewing the Devil May Cry games ranked from worst to best. The series has all the edginess and style you could ever need. Devil May Cry originated from two different Capcom series. The series was originally one of the first drafts of Resident Evil 4, and the combat was born from a bug in Onimusha that allowed you to juggle enemies. Dante was originally a detective named Tony Redgrave and was the son of Spencer, the founder of Umbrella from Resident Evil. Tony would have superhuman powers from all the viruses. It was so far removed from Resident Evil that the game was retooled into Devil May Cry. Let’s see how all the games fare against each other. Put on your leather jacket, grab your favorite sword, and recite your best one-liner as we rank the games in the Devil May Cry series to see which of them is SSStylish.

Devil May Cry 2

Let’s start with the only dud in the series. I still have love in my heart for this title because it was my first Devil May Cry game. It is pretty empty and boring, but boy, was it cool. The dev team did great with animation and adding new acrobatic moves. You get a second campaign to play as Lucia. There are two discs and two campaigns. Sound familiar? Kind of like Resident Evil 2. The weapons you unlock are worse than those from the first game. The story wasn’t very fleshed out, and the game lacked a solid direction. Sequels are supposed to be bigger and better, but not this time. Capcom seemed to have lost a step. This left fans underwhelmed, but Capcom regained their footing and delivered four more solid games in the series. If Capcom gives remakes to the series, I’d like to see this one reworked to reach its potential.

DmC: Devil May Cry

During the reboot era, almost everything got rebooted. It only makes sense that Capcom tried to do the popular thing and reboot the series. Capcom immediately received backlash in waves. Dante was young and had short black hair. He looked like a skinny emo boy. He was even more of an edgelord. They revealed that Dante would have white hair during his devil-trigger ability. The game ended up being pretty decent. It found a fanbase, but some still disliked the new Dante. The game had more platforming and still had stylish combat. It is ambitious, and it’s appreciated even if it doesn’t always land. The story was pretty good. It attacked themes of commercialism and modern media. The game’s story aged very well, while some dialogue didn’t. One of the best things is the different difficulty modes. They added lots of replayability to the title. One example is the Must Style modifier. You can’t do any damage until you reach an S or higher style ranking. DmC is drastically different, but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. Give the game a chance, and you might be surprised.

Devil May Cry 4

Let’s get the negatives out of the way. Before the release of the special edition, the game had some issues. Some remain in the latest version. It feels rushed and unfinished, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fun game. The story has pacing issues. Instead of splitting the story between newcomer Nero and the veteran Dante, they should have done separate campaigns. Some of the puzzles are rough and unintuitive. You go from fast-paced fun to figuring out what you should do in a puzzle that barely gives any clues.

Let’s talk about the good. The new main character, Nero, is a good character and has some fun skills. The combat can be some of the best in the series and has some memorable boss fights. You have the most playable characters in the series, with five. You play as Nero, Dante, Vergil, Trish, and Lady. The story is excellent until the switch to Dante, but the pacing gets thrown off. With deep combat and lots of characters to play, this puts it towards the top of the Devil May Cry series.

Devil May Cry

The atmosphere, music, and combat made this a strong showing. It became the king of action games. The enemies were creepy and scary; You can tell this was a Resident Evil title at one point from the enemy designs. The music really builds up the atmosphere of the game. While exploring the castle, you find a lot of reading material to help build the world. Love it or hate it, it has fixed camera angles like Resident Evil and Onimusha. This genre-defining, action-packed brawl is stuffed with style. Devil May Cry had amazing graphics for the time and also some great, action-packed cutscenes. The further you get in the game, the deeper the combat becomes. If this game doesn’t have you buying a leather jacket and a sword, I don’t know what will. You should experience a masterpiece in the action game landscape.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening

In this prequel, we get to see a younger and cockier Dante. He is rocking out harder than ever. This game has some of the best combat in an action game ever. All of the weapons are fun to use and have a lot of skills to learn. Vergil is trying to link the human world with the demon world. Like always, Dante needs to stop his brother’s dastardly plan. Set a decade before the first game, they brought the series back to true form after a disappointing second game. The game retconned Vergil’s backstory, so he lived. The release of the special edition brought improvements and a new way to play as Vergil. The game had a great reception and won many awards. Dante was able to take his crown back as the king of action games. This is a must-play because it is one of the best games to grace the action genre. Dante reawakened everyone’s love for the series in this third game.

Devil May Cry 5

Nero and Dante returned in one of the best-looking games to date. The switch to the RE Engine is a huge highlight for two reasons: one, it has some of the most beautiful graphics in all of gaming, and two, its buttery smooth gameplay. Not only is this the top of the mountain for the series, but I’d also say it is the top of the mountain for action games. You have three main characters: Nero, Dante, and the mysterious newcomer V. All have different play styles. Nero has a new mechanic from losing his arm: he uses robot-style arms with different uses. One example is an arm you launch like a missile and can ride on. Dante has guns, swords, motorcycle blades, and a hat. V is a change of pace by having a more straightforward combat system; he uses his summons to smack demons around. The special edition added Vergil once again as a playable character. He is busted but so fun. The story is decent for an action game; it has a few fun twists in the story. This game has moved into many people’s all-time lists. With deep combat, amazing graphics, and crazy boss fights, you must see this game in action. Without a doubt, this is an all-time great in the action gaming genre.

While most games are memorable for being good or having a great release, a handful are memorable for being the opposite. This list compiles some of the worst game releases in history. Whether they are non-functional on launch or they were overhyped to begin with, they all fall flat for some reason.

Balan Wonderworld

Considering Yuji Naka was on board for this game, it does make me wonder how it ended up being such a failure at launch. Partnering up with Square Enix to make a new platforming franchise should have been exciting news, but instead, it left fans disappointed. 

The gimmick in Balan Wonderworld was incredibly basic and disappointing. While playing fashionista for a minute was fun, swapping between a whopping 80 costumes just for one ability felt a bit excessive.

Redfall

Considering that Arkane Studios has made some truly fantastic games like Prey and Deathloop, the fact that Redfall fell so flat was disappointing. This is one of the most well-known terrible game releases in recent history because it was just abysmal.

Not only was the performance on Xbox terrible, but it was a bug-ridden mess with incompetent AI. It’s a shame. We were hoping for a fantastic vampire game, but Redfall isn’t it. 

Fallout: 76

While Fallout 76 has redeemed itself, it has taken a long time to get to that point. Trying to create a live service game in the franchise of some of the buggiest but most loved games proved to be difficult. The previous games had memorable NPCs, great questlines, and devastating consequences… all of the things that didn’t appear in Fallout 76.

Instead, it was monotonous; people were hacking the game immediately, and there were no NPCs with which to interact. It was a full-on circus on release. It has made quite the redemption arc, though. If you ever considered getting into the game, now is the time.

Babylon’s Fall

There is no failure quite like the failure of Babylon’s Fall. What was supposed to be Square Enix’s next live service game turned out to be the complete opposite and was dead in the water. Just six months after the game’s release, the servers were shut down completely. 

Babylon’s Fall was quite literally a modern-day tragedy in the gaming world.

Aliens: Colonial Marines

I find this game really fun, but I know it is considered one of the worst game releases in recent history. While the gameplay was fine, players noticed that the graphic quality had dropped significantly from the trailer shown at E3.

Not only that, but the AI in the game was god-awful and made getting through the game a bit of a slog. You either love it, or you hate it.

Anthem

Everyone was so excited for Anthem, and it turned out to be one of the worst game releases this decade. When it was announced BioWare was making a new IP, there couldn’t have been more excitement and joy, especially with how good their previous games were. 

Unfortunately, the release of the game came with too many issues to be any sort of success. From an engine that couldn’t handle the chaos of a co-op shooter to a narrative that changed a multitude of times, Anthem lies dead in the water.

New World

While New World is a well-loved game by many now, it didn’t have many redeeming factors at the beginning. It was a bug-filled mess and wasn’t the player experience that fans hoped for. The servers were overcrowded, and the wait times were disgustingly long.

Once players could finally get past the excruciating queues, they found that the game was riddled with game-breaking bugs and glitches, making the experience less than perfect. Since the release, Amazon has pushed out many updates that have made the game playable and enjoyable, but it’s a shame it wasn’t that from the start.

The Last Of Us Part 1 (PC)

Although The Last Of Us Remastered Part 1 ran perfectly fine on PlayStation, it wasn’t quite the same for PC. Even on the highest settings, the graphics weren’t quite what we hoped for. On top of that, it was incredibly laggy, with frame spikes everywhere, and it was very intensive on the CPU. 

Luckily, bug fixes and patches were quickly released, but the PC port did not hit the mark on release.

No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky was once one of gaming’s biggest rejections at the start of its release. Upon release, there was minimal content, bugs, and glitches galore, and it just wasn’t the expansive game people were hoping for. However, Hello Games has pushed the boat out and added many chunky updates to the game for free!

The game is now full of substance, and there is a lot to do, so you’re sure to have a great time exploring all of the different planets.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 had the same redemption arc as No Man’s Sky. On release, the graphics just weren’t there. Instead, it looked like something from a PlayStation One game. On top of that, it was a buggy mess that was pretty much rendered unplayable from the jump. 

However, CD Projekt Red has managed to rectify that and turn it into a solid game with a big fanbase. It even has DLC now!

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was quite the dumpster fire on release. It received a slew of negative reviews from critics and fans alike, and it did Lord of the Rings a huge disservice.

This game attempted to have an original story that took place between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. Instead, it fell flat on its face. From game-breaking bugs to a monotonous story, there were pretty much no redeeming factors for this game.

Mortal Kombat 1 (Nintendo Switch)

For a game that revolves around graphical fidelity, Mortal Kombat 1 did not have any of it for Nintendo Switch. Not being able to experience the true grotesque aesthetic of this iconic fighting game made it one of the worst recent game releases. Although the fighting game itself isn’t too bad, the graphics are muddied, and there are a plethora of bugs. Let’s not forget the one thing a fighting game shouldn’t have: inconsistent FPS. 

Mortal Kombat 1 was fighting for its life on Nintendo Switch but didn’t fight hard enough. Nintendo Switch players were robbed, to say the least.

Life of Black Tiger

Life of Black Tiger is a relatively unknown game that was released on PlayStation 4. With promises of exciting gameplay and a unique story, it received a one star on Metacritic instead. While you can also play this game on mobile, for a “premium” experience, you could get it on PlayStation.

However, what you’ll get instead is a game with awful graphics, terrible gameplay, and bugs galore. 

Marvel’s Avengers

Whenever a game seems to fail, it often seems to be a superhero game. While there are some fantastic ones out there, like the Spider-Man games, Marvel’s Avengers isn’t quite up to that standard. The single-player story mode was relatively short, and those who aren’t fans of live-service games felt slightly robbed.

It was filled to the brim with grind missions, where you’d have to spend hours farming materials and resources with no real resolution.

WWE 2K20

2K dared to do something different with the WWE video games, which certainly showed. Getting rid of the main developer who had been working on them for years meant that the game that was released instead was subpar. It had some ridiculously buggy grapples, and some of them would just render the game completely unplayable.

As a result of this game turning out the way it did, it meant that WWE 2K21 didn’t exist.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition

Everyone was excited to see the iconic trilogy from Grand Theft Auto being remastered. What was released, though, was beyond disappointment. Once it arrived in November 2021, fans were more than disappointed. What they received was a bug-ridden mess with ugly character models and janky gameplay. 

As a result of this, Rockstar offered players the original trilogy for free on the Rockstar Store as a form of placating them. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work.

Duke Nukem Forever

While the reboot of Duke Nukem should have been something exciting for die-hard fans, it instead filled them with dread when the game release came. It was nothing like the originals and instead fell flat. What they received was a game with long loading times, offensive and dated humor, and the controls were incredibly janky. 

Even with all the fixes, the game still didn’t improve, as the storyline just didn’t have the impact that the other Duke Nukem games had. 

Diablo Immortal

On a base level, Diablo Immortal is a good game. The story is fine; it’s easy to play on mobile and relatively accessible. However, there is one big problem. The game is riddled with microtransactions and hours of boring grinding. 

If the microtransactions didn’t exist, Diablo Immortal wouldn’t be such a universally hated game by Diablo fans. However, there are microtransactions for almost everything in that game, making it hard to see through them to its redeeming factors.

Battlefront Remastered Collection

While the rerelease of the original Battlefront games should have been an exciting time for Star Wars fans, it turned out to be the complete opposite. The games were rendered unplayable with all of the technical bugs, and the developers were utilizing assets from people who had modded the game previously. It wasn’t the remaster that fans were hoping for.

There is nothing in this game that works as it should, which is a huge disappointment to many. The Force is weak with this one.

The Day Before

The Day Before has been a bit of a mystery throughout the years of waiting for it. Gamers were excited but had wrongly put their faith in the developers for this one. What came out was a game so unfinished and unpolished that the game developers now cease to exist. 

Just four days after the game was released, curtains were called on the company, and so many questions were left unanswered. I guess we’ll never know.

That concludes our list of some of the worst game releases of all time. Some of them are just downright tragic. At least a few on this list had a redemption arc, though.

What is the worst game release you’ve experienced?

Since 2004, people have been getting lost in the world of Azeroth. Every World of Warcraft expansion has seen the highest of highs, while others have (infamously) dove to the lowest of lows.

With the recent releases of both Classic World of Warcraft and Burning Crusade, many WoW fans have pined for the potential re-release of their favorite expansions. Others have worries that certain expansions will lead to the “death” of Classic WoW.

As the live game’s current expansion, Dragonflight, continues to roll on, it feels like a good time to rank every World of Warcraft expansion so far. As a reminder, this list of based on my opinion. You may agree, you’ll probably disagree. Let’s get on with it.

Battle for Azeroth

A large majority of players will point to Warlords of Draenor as the worst World of Warcraft expansion. A large majority of players will also point to Battle for Azeroth.

The expansion, initially featuring a “faction warfare” story, also wove in narrative threads regarding Azshara and N’Zoth, two major lore characters. Things moved at an absolutely breakneck page story-wise. Things would have felt much better if plotlines, villains, and major characters had a chance to breathe; Battle for Azeroth should have been one expansion, not two.

BFA’s biggest downfall is its borrowed power system, Azerite armor. Borrowed power is a term for a system where character upgrades will only exist within the timeframe of an expansion. This includes abilities, weapons, equipment, and so on. The issue with Azerite armor is the insane amount of grind needed to upgrade an item that you’re going to throw into the trash within a couple of months.

When that becomes coupled with a bulk of your end-game content being an intimidating amount of chores, it’s easy to see why Battle for Azeroth is received so poorly.

Shadowlands

What started as an enjoyable World of Warcraft expansion would eventually become one of the worst periods of the game’s history. The highlights of Castle Nathria, Shadowlands’ first raid, did a great job of hiding poor systems. Sire Denathrius is an incredible villain and enjoyable character.

Unfortunately, Denathrius had so much charisma, there wasn’t any leftover for the expansion’s main villain, The Jailer.

If Battle for Azeroth suffered from narrative bloat, Shadowlands is the exact opposite. The expansion takes place in World of Warcraft’s afterlife, meaning we’re encountering a host of characters from the franchise’s history. For whatever reason, Blizzard didn’t do much with the possibilities at their disposal.

There’s also the Sylvanas elephant in the room. Her role in the story has been incredibly controversial. While her apparent redemption line has been controversial, to say the least, the way it’s been presented isn’t as bad as you have read online. While Blizzard brought the character to a point that’s creating interesting story content, the journey has been an absolute cluster.

Going back to the systems of Shadowlands, the covenant and conduit systems are just the old-school talent trees with extra steps. On the outside, it looks like an incredibly customizable set-up where players can pilot their characters that suit their personal play style. However, this is 2022, and as Classic WoW has shown us, World of Warcraft players are big fans of the min-max lifestyle. This means that there are “correct” builds for conduits and covenants and “incorrect” builds of them. The appearance of choice, as it turns out, is just an illusion.

Warlords of Draenor

It is here where I admit that I am a big fan of Warlords of Draenor. The raid content was some of the best the game has ever seen. Class balance was still riding high following Mists of Pandaria. A stronger narrative and cinematic focus for the game’s story and questing was felt. World quests are a home run and questing in Draenor through Chromie Time in Shadowlands is the preferred way to level a new character from 1-50.

So then why then is Warlords ranked so long compared to every other World of Warcraft expansion? Two big reasons: Garrisons and a severe content drought.

One of the expansion’s big systems is garrisons. While it’s not player housing, it is an instanced base of operations established in Draenor for the player. In it, you gain access to crafting materials, daily quests, and more. It’s really the best place to be, so much so that it gave people zero reasons to inhabit the open world. This resulted in the MMO aspect of MMORPG falling by the wayside. Why venture out into new zones when everything you’d never need was in your Garrison?

The other big detriment of Warlords of Draenor was the severe lack of content. Patch 6.0 arrived on October 14th 2014, a month before the official release of WoD. Two end-game raids were available for players during this time, Blackrock Foundry and Highmaul. Both were exceptional, bringing optimism to World of Warcraft. The next major content patch, 6.1, was released on February 24th, 2015. It included some quality of life updates and Twitter integration. Notably, it did not include any new in-game content. That wasn’t coming until June 22nd, 2015, when patch 6.2 brought the new Hellfire Citadel raid, the mythic dungeon difficulty, timewalking events, and more. This was the last content patch to bring new content to the game until Legion’s pre-patch, 7.0, on July 19th, 2016. Yes, that’s a very, very long time between game updates.

If we make it to Classic Warlords of Draenor, I’m hopeful for a better release cadence. There are a lot of things to love about Warlords, but you have to be willing to play the same content ad nauseam to enjoy it. That’s why it, sadly, ranks so low compared to other World of Warcraft expansions.

Cataclysm

Cataclysm was an extremely important World of Warcraft expansion. After several years of venturing through Azeroth, Outland, and Northrend, Blizzard made the bold move to reshape the Azeroth we knew and love.

The Cataclysm expansion marked the return of Deathwing as a villain. With him came The Shattering, reshaping the entire world of Azeroth. On many levels, this was a needed update. The world of “Vanilla WoW” became outdated both visually and in terms of quest design. Still, people had become attached to the world they knew and loved. Changing fan-favorite zones was a controversial design, especially when it came to their look and feel. Updating the storyline and quest content, however, was a home run decision.

There was more to the old-world revamp in Cataclysm, however. Most of the end-game content was incredibly successful. Heroic dungeon difficulty received a much-needed bump after Wrath. The high-level questing zones were super enjoyable, provided you’re not talking about the underwater zone of Vashj’ir. Raids were top-notch content, minus Dragon Soul, which was relevant for far too long and had a disappointing ending.

To call Cataclysm a mixed bag of a World of Warcraft expansion is dead-on. There were a lot of highs, as well as a lot of lows. If we return to it during the Classic timeline, I’ll be super excited. It brought about a lot of much needed changes for a better in-game quality of life.

Legion

After the missteps of Warlords of Draenor, Legion became a runaway success of a World of Warcraft expansion.

Story-wise, Legion is one of the best ever told throughout World of Warcraft’s history. The fight against the burning legion brought the best out of the major characters within the Horde and Alliance. Varian Wrynn, Sylvanas Windrunner, Illidan, and others helped tell a memorable tale.

As for the expansion’s systems, Artifact Weapons did a great job of highlighting how borrowed power can be a good thing. Was it a grind of a system? Yes. Was it cool showing off a historic weapon? You bet.

The introduction of Mythic Plus over Challenge Modes for 5-person dungeons was a very welcome change as well. The expansion’s raid content was top tier and some of the best the game has ever seen. Legion wasn’t a perfect World of Warcraft expansion, but it sure was a great one.

Dragonflight

The most recent World of Warcraft expansion to complete, Dragonflight, has been an absolute blast whenever I’ve had the time to play it. Yet, for various reasons, I find myself logging less and less into retail these days. That’s not a knock on the quality; more of the harsh reality of being an adult. Dragonflight’s most impressive feature is giving players a multitude of things to do. Best of all, none of them feel required; I don’t have to grind rep to play the game at a baseline level. I can engage with endgame and casual content alike without worry. Blizzard has done well, too, in terms of keeping things fresh with seasonal play. The rotation of Mythic+ dungeons, combining new ones from Dragonflight and old classic instances from past expansions, helps keep things fresh as the expansion goes on. Dragonflight did end up sticking the landing, but there wasn’t anything truly memorable or standout about the experience. The raids were solid, and the content was enjoyable, but its most lasting impression was a return to the foundation of what made World of Warcraft great. It’s a good expansion, but I fear it will be soon forgotten.

Wrath of the Lich King

Some make the argument that Wrath of the Lich King was the World of Warcraft expansion that brought “the beginning of the end.” The introduction of the dungeon finder tool removed the community aspect of the game, yet Classic WoW has shown us that it’s a pretty important tool to have.

Others make the argument that this is the greatest expansion of all time. Given the quality of content, it’s not hard to see why. Ulduar is one of the greatest raids of all time. Northrend is an amazing questing experience. The heroics were enjoyable at launch, though ultimately turning into an under tuned AOE fest that lacked any actual challenge.

Most look back at Wrath with rose-tinted glasses. The lows of the expansion are definitely low; Naxxramas is severely under tuned and Trial of the Crusader is one of the most controversial raids ever released by Blizzard. Yet the content is still beyond enjoyable, finding a way to combine the quality of life changes that were desperately needed while also still focusing on the MMO part of the MMORPG genre.

Wrath’s story and narrative learned from The Burning Crusade’s mistakes. Arthas was a focal point during the questing experience. He was the villain and an actual, concrete character that you would encounter on several occasions as you level your way through Northrend. He was the threat, the poster child of the expansion, and there was no mistaking it. At times, however, this was almost comical; Arthas kept popping up in places, beating a dead horse that he’s the bad guy.

This is a great World of Warcraft expansion, but it has its flaws that have become apparent in Classic WoW. Ulduar aged like a glass of milk, compounded by the fact that it was beneficial to run it while Trial of the Crusader was a relevant raid. And you had to raid it on multiple lockouts! It was super easy to get burnt out in Wrath, ironic considering how everyone was looking forward do it during Classic.

The War Within

Our current expansion is one of the best the game has seen. Yes, the current state of Mythic+ content is a bit chaotic, but that’s an issue that also lies with the player base and not solely the game itself. War Within features one of the best stories ever told in WoW’s history, an incredible raid, and a nice balance of old and new Mythic+ dungeons. Blizzard’s decision to stick with the talent and profession reworks is paying off well, allowing the features to grow with the game, rather than be forgotten for the next new shiny toy as was the case in expansions past. As a result, War Within feels like a natural progression from Dragonflight, which is an important step in WoW’s current journey. War Within is the first of a three expansion narrative arc. If Blizzard wants to stick the landing, they need to make sure the story and gameplay flow between expansions. So far, so good.

Vanilla World of Warcraft

The World of Warcraft expansion that started it all. Classic WoW couldn’t replicate the original feeling of Vanilla when it came to end-game raid content. The leveling and questing experience, however, was a wonderful trip down memory lane. While it lacks the modern conveniences and quality of life changes of the live version of World of Warcraft, Vanilla, and Classic proved that they weren’t always necessary.

One of the biggest hiccups of Vanilla was the fact that it was, arguably, not complete upon release. Comparing the Horde and Alliance starting zone experiences is a night and day difference. The human questline in particular is a well-thought-out, cohesive story, filled with clear-cut objectives and pathways. You know where you need to go now, as well as where you’ll be going next. On the Horde side, you’ll start in the starting area before being thrown into The Barrens and be told “hey, I need you to kill all the things here. Good luck, kid!”

Somehow, this lack of accessibility on the Horde side, as well as the Alliance side as you obtain higher levels, leads to a sense of discovery. To compare it to modern gaming, consider Elden Ring and the lack of a quest tracker, in-game journal, or objective markers. Part of the joy while playing Elden Ring is naturally stumbling upon something remarkable. The same is said about Vanilla World of Warcraft. You’re not completing a checklist of objectives but instead exploring a gigantic, larger-than-life world. At times, it plays more like a survival game and less like an MMORPG, especially compared to modern games today. As time has gone on, we’ve lost that feeling in an MMO. It’s become all about the destination, not the journey. This is one reason why Final Fantasy XIV has done so well for itself: it puts an equal amount of importance on the journey and destination.

So then, why is Vanilla not at the top of this list? It stumbles when it comes to the “destination,” as well as subjecting certain classes to sub-optimal performance compared to its peers.

Mists of Pandaria

Speaking of class performance, Mists of Pandaria is the pinnacle of class balance for a World of Warcraft expansion.

While initial impressions of making both the Pandaren an important part of the game’s lore were mixed, the game’s content proved that Blizzard knew exactly what they were doing. Everything works so well in Mists: class balance, world design, PVP, raid content, side systems.

The one thing that sticks out in terms of controversy, however, is the reworked talent trees. Gone were the “bloated” talent trees, filled with dozens upon dozens of talents that had become streamlined and min-maxed over time. Instead, Blizzard reworked things to give players a total of 18 talents, choosing one of three options every 15 levels. While the streamlining was arguably a necessity, it was nice being able to reward yourself with a talent at every level.

This is ultimately nitpicking, though. Mists of Pandaria is a fantastic World of Warcraft expansion, and Blizzard was at the top of their game in nearly every phase of development and design. I pray we return to Pandaria in the Classic timeline. It’s an experience that’s worth diving back into.

The Burning Crusade

Burning Crusade is not perfect, but no World of Warcraft expansion is. It has its flaws: the questing flow of zones is a bit erratic, the Mount Hyjal raid deserves to be shot into the sun, and it’s an incredibly alt-unfriendly experience.

So why, then, is this the best World of Warcraft experience? It builds upon everything that made Vanilla WoW great, embracing both the MMO and RPG aspects of the MMORPG genre.

Having to attune for heroics over and over again on alts will always be miserable, especially since some of your best gear throughout the expansion drops in said heroics. Having to complete attunements for raids, however, is an enjoyable narrative process. Even if some of the steps are a little awkward at times. Burning Crusade knows that it’s an RPG and isn’t afraid to embrace it. Your character needs to progress not just in terms of power level from gear but also in completing questlines in the game.

It’s also a shining example of how to keep older content relevant. When new raids come out, players still need to venture into old ones to obtain their best items. You’re not throwing them to the wayside just because something new and shiny has arrived. Is this annoying at times? Sure, but it’s something that can be easily solved with the quality of life change that is a dungeon or raid finder.

These are dangerous words to say in Classic, I know, but think of how convenient getting groups can be. Plus, GDKP discords to form PUGs for raids are just the raid finder with extra steps.

The Burning Crusade represents everything that makes World of Warcraft great. A new world steeped with lore and familiar characters from the franchise. Keeping all levels of content relevant. Challenging encounters (within reason, anyway, this is a solved game in terms of Classic) that require us to be on our toes but not overly difficult so friends can still mess around and have a good time.