The day forBaldur’s Gate 3’s early access release is fast-approaching, and many fans of bothDungeons & Dragons, developer Larian Studios, and the oldBaldur’s Gatesaga are eager to see the (sort of) final product.Baldur’s Gate 3will be joining the ranks of many popular roleplaying games that came before it, and perhaps set the stage for what comes after.
It has already been revealed that a good number ofDungeons & Dragonsvideo games are either being planned or are currently in the works, to be released in the years followingBaldur’s Gate 3. Not only willBG3almost certainly influence their creation, but it could very well redefine roleplaying games as a genre, just as its predecessors,Baldur’s GateandBaldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, did before.
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The Legacy of Baldur’s Gate
It’s fair to say that most of today’s top RPGs, and the genre as a whole, would not be the same without the influence of theBaldur’s Gatefranchise.BeforeBaldur’s Gatereleased, most everyone had essentially declared the western RPG “dead.” JRPGs were the sole future of the genre. Then,Baldur’s Gatebroke ground on a narrative and technical level for the RPG genre.
Therefore, games including Larian’s previousDivinity: Original Sintitles, BioWare’s laterDragon AgeandMass Effecttitles, and many more would not exist withoutBaldur’s Gate. The originalBGseries still has some of the most memorable companions fromany RPG game, period (including the ever-lovable Minsc and Boo). The games' scope, especially for a game of that time - the late ’90s to 2000 - is incredible. And for all that graphics become outdated, it’s much more difficult for good writing to do so.
In addition to stellar writing,Baldur’s Gate 2established player character romance, something that will be continued inBG3, and a wide variety of quests with narrative choices and consequences. When the firstBaldur’s Gatereleased, it took the RPG world by storm; then, BioWare took everything that worked about it andput that intoBaldur’s Gate 2, with that sequel effectively setting the bar for all future roleplaying games.
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The Innovation of Baldur’s Gate 3
So what does thatmean forBaldur’s Gate 3? Well, Larian is intending for it to be a successor to the original series on multiple levels, and stepping up the game of theBaldur’s Gateseries means stepping up the expectations of a roleplaying game altogether. In theory, everything that made the originalBaldur’s Gategames amazing will be adapted for a new generation of games inBaldur’s Gate 3. Not only that, butBaldur’s Gate 3is set to include new mechanics and qualities that the old games didn’t have at all.
In terms of narrative structure, Larian has said thatBaldur’s Gate 3’s moral duality, its “theme and philosophy,” is what makesthe game a true sequel. It has, after all, been 20 years sinceBaldur’s Gate 2; the story needs to be a new one, and with it, a new example for what CRPGs can be. It goes without saying thatBG3’s visuals are absolutely to die for, as befits an RPG of its caliber, and it’s set in the Forgotten Realms, one of the most compelling fantasy settings out there. But one of the main staples of the RPG genre is the emphasis on player choice, andBG3is setting itself up to offer massive amounts of that.
Not only will there be a multitude of ways to approach situations in the game, and handle missions tactically, but dialogue - including character relationships, friendship, rivalry,romance, and more - will feature an unbelievable amount of branching options. Meanwhile, the concept of turn-based combat definitely isn’t new, but Larian is designingBG3’s combat to allow greater levels of player interaction with the environment around them, using whatever they can to pull off cool new moves. Beyond that, environment exploration goes leagues further than even the original games; a veritable world of secrets is hidden throughoutBG3. The game isn’t a platformer by any means, but its take on exploration could be revolutionary for the RPG genre.
In fact, that’s the case with many ofBG3’s narrative and technical qualities. We know thatBaldur’s Gate 3is going to be a high fantasy adventure featuring characters from the Forgotten Realms andMind Flayersas the main villain, but it’showLarian plans to use those elements that will makeBG3truly special.
WhenBaldur’s Gate 3launches in early access, we’ll get a chance to see just how forward-thinking the game is. From everything Larian has revealed thus far, it certainly seems likeBaldur’s Gate 3is perfectly poised to usher in a new era of roleplaying games, and that prospect is an incredibly exciting one.
Baldur’s Gate 3enters early-access on October 6 for PC and Google Stadia.
