Bioware's creation of the Mass Effect franchise has garnered a great deal of much deserved acclaim. Whether it’s the games distinctly detailed visuals, or the massive scale found in exploring the universe, it’s clear Mass Effect is a high quality franchise that’s not ending anytime soon. To create such a well-loved gaming experience, there are a couple of key features that set Bioware games apart from other developers on the market, things that would benefit almost any console developer.

One thing key to a Bioware game is the idea of continuing your experience. Dating back to the days of the Baldur's Gate (series), Bioware has always rewarded fans of their games by offering upgrades to those who transport their saves from previous titles. This small gesture goes a long way in creating a loyal fan base. It also shows gamers the developers commitment to the franchise, adding value to the entire series. Instead of feeling like your churning through a marketed release of multiple titles, when your personal story is continued into a games sequel, you feel like you’re playing one big game, instead of three separate ones. Most new players that have never played the first two Mass Effect games, will have an interest in the previous titles, even if the never venture back to play them. The idea of building a character over a series of games should spark some curiosity in most.
Though the used gaming market will prevent the developers from benefiting financially from the interest, the concept of transporting your game saves adds a level of depth to the games world and the choices you make that's hard to ignore. This creates a huge attachment to the game, one that keeps fans longing for the next inclusion.

The care placed into the worlds found in Bioware’s games are half of what makes their games so addictive. The other element that sets them apart is the detail they place in what otherwise might be considered, non-essential characters. In the Mass Effect series, some of the games most popular characters are the ones you’re not playing as.

Your interaction with the games NPCs reveal different personalities and character traits that add an amazing amount of life to the games characters; even to the point where you become emotionally attach to them. This is one area where games like Elder Scrolls Skyrim could have really improved. Mass Effect is one of the industry's first futuristic RPG’s. With that being the case, it host some of the best weapons tech seen in a game. Many of the games weapons creatively meshed a fantasy RPG style with a technical action design.
Where fantasy RPGs give you spells and magic, Mass Effect gives you technology that has a believable explanation and a useful application. Instead of having everything simply pasted together, the weapons have an organic progression that also creates an attachment to its specific uses in battle. The Mass Effect series has become one of this generation largest franchises. EA & Bioware have done a very good job pushing the series forward. The many features housed in the game are too numerous for us to list here. But any developer could learn a great deal from what Bioware has done with the Mass Effect franchise. Mass Effect 3 releases on March 6th in North America.