Baldur's Gate 3
An ancient evil has returned to Baldur's Gate, intent on devouring it from the inside out. The fate of Faerûn lies in your hands. Alone, you may resist. But together, you can overcome ... Prepare for the return of a malevolent presence to Baldur's Gate, intent on devouring it from the inside out, corrupting everything that remains in the Forgotten Realms. Gather your party. - Larian Studios.
BG3 is going to be fully released on Microsoft Windows (PC) and Mac in August 2023. Early Access is currently purchaseable on Steam, GoG and Google Stadia services. However, it only includes the Prologue and Act 1, and its level range is 1-4.
Baldur's Gate 3 release date has been announced as being August 31st, 2023. PC and PS5 only (and possibly XBox).
Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8
Patch 8 was released on the 7th of July 2022, the patch most notably adds the Gnome race and the Bard class to Baldur's Gate 3.
Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 9
Patch 9 of Baldur's Gate 3 increases the level cap to 5 and adds the Paladin class.
Baldur's Gate 3 Two Year Anniversary in Early Access
On October 6 2022, let us celebrate Baldur's Gate 3 for its two years in Early Access, a version of the game that includes one Act of the plot and allows for four character levels.
Baldur's Gate 3 Key Points
- BG3 supports both single-player and multi-player game modes.
- BioWare's Baldur's Gate (1998) is a computer role-playing game that employs Tactical Studies Rules' AD&D 2nd Edition ruleset whereas Larian's Baldur's Gate 3 employs Wizards of the Coast's D&D 5th Edition ruleset. These are rather different rulesets. However, I don't doubt that a good Baldur's Gate game can be made based on 5th Edition. If the reader has played Troika's ToEE (D&D 3.5), they are probably going to laugh at the simplicity of 5th Edition and BG3. It's going to be dead-easy to pick up and play (accessible to the masses).
- Baldur's Gate is built on BioWare's proprietary Infinity Engine whereas Baldur's Gate 3 is built on Larian's next-gen proprietary, Divinity 4.0.
- Baldur's Gate employs an isometric perspective that presents prerendered art assets in two dimensions ("2.5D") whereas Baldur's Gate 3 is presented in full 3D. The perspective is isometric-esque in the main, but can also be shifted to any angle.
- Baldur's Gate employs a round-based combat system whereas Baldur's Gate 3 employs a turn-based combat system.
- Baldur's Gate employs the Realmslore and writing style of the AD&D 2nd Edition body of literature whereas Baldur's Gate 3 employs D&D 5th Edition Realmslore and writing style (much more modern).
Baldur's Gate 3 Pitch
If I were writing a pitch to sell the game to myself, I would come up with something like this:
Baldur's Gate 3 will employ a turn-based combat system with its playing field presented in a top-down isometric-esque perspective in order to facilitate six-person party-based tactics. The camera will not only be rotatable and zoomable but will also allow for trucking and dollying along axes. Baldur's Gate 3 will faithfully employ the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition ruleset in so far as that is possible within the confines of a computer role-playing game. Baldur's Gate 3 will be well-rounded campaign that balances combat, exploration, questing and dialogue, just like the original Baldur's Gate.
None of us want this third installment to be a bad Baldur's Gate game or to fail. While such a franchise acquisition can conjure up nightmares of Bethesda's infamous acquisition of Fallout, the result won't be comparable to Oblivion With Guns (though odious parallels may be drawn by wizened cynics).
Baldur's Gate 3 Predictions
The predictions I made on the cRPG Blog a few years ago (before the worldwide reveal) are as follows:
- D&D 5th Edition ruleset implementation (with modifications by Larian).
- Tactical turn-based combat system. Player controls a party of combat units (marquee selection and real-time group formational movement outside of combat).
- 3D engine with rotation, zooming and trucking. Lockable to isometric-esque perspective.
- The city of Baldur's Gate is reworked and somewhat reimagined (though in keeping with the lore). It remains a quest-dense urban hub that can be explored with a certain degree of freedom.
- Overworld map complete with waylays.
- Companions are going to be fewer in number than in BG1 or even BG2 but characterizations will be more fleshed out. There will be many interjections, banters and several companion-based quests. Romances are also going to rear their head.
- The campaign is going to be more reactive to the player's build than either BG1 or BG2.
- A well-rounded campaign that balances combat, exploration, questing and dialogue, just like the original Baldur's Gate.
| cRPG Blog | Baldur's Gate 1 | Icewind Dale 1 |
| Neverwinter Nights 1 | Baldur's Gate 2 | Icewind Dale 2 |
| Neverwinter Nights 2 | Baldur's Gate 3 | Planescape: Torment |
What are your thoughts about the whole "Abdel Adrian is canon CHARNAME" fiasco. I've read "Murder in Baldur's Gate" and though the character is named like the protagonist of the novels, his actual life and deeds are those of the videogame protagonist. Moreover, in the aforementioned adventure module Abdel Adrian is killed and/or turned into a Slayer and then killed. However, in "Heroes of Baldur's Gate" which was released later, CHARNAME is once again known only as "Gorion's Ward". Do you think WotC/Larian will make a soft retcon and turn Abdel Adrian into a "generic" Bhaalspawn, or they'll go with the punch and confirm a human fighter named Abdel Adrian to be the canon CHARNAME?
ReplyDeleteI don't know what Larian are going to do, and what crazy stuff they're entertaining at the moment, so all I can say is that the name and character of Abdel Adrian is not remembered fondly by myself or by any veterans I corresponded with back in the day, and on and off for 20 years subsequent. Personally, I would leave references to that character out of the game (despite the novel/WotC references you cited), but it won't be a dealbreaker if Larian don't. There are much bigger and much more important unanswered questions at the moment that Larian is being coy/shrewd in not answering. Once they answer those or reveal enough through vids and whatnot, I'll know if this game's development is worth following and commentating on or not.
DeleteHave you had the chance to play the full release? Would love to hear your thoughts on it.
ReplyDeleteI will only ask once, so I guess the Pathfinder Games from Owlcat are not something your looking into and critiquing?
ReplyDeleteThis one is way off-the-mark as a Baldur's Gate title; it may be decent on its own, but that is of little concern to this geek.
ReplyDelete* Larian's writing style (including their humor). "Mood whiplash" is putting it lightly.
* Larian's focus on explosive Hollywoodesque spectacle over a slow burn.
* Larian's weird and oftentimes boring/play-it-safe racial designs (read and view the source material whenever you are curious)
* Larian's approach to romances: progressing too quickly and needlessly vulgar.
* Larian's choice of composer.
* Larian's way of handling combat (this is not the real-time with pause/turn-based difference of opinion, but something else entirely).
* Larian's clumsy/ham-fisted way of delivering social commentary.
* Larian butchering at least two recurring characters.
* Larian's "fantasy" characters that feel too contemporary (regarding both the writing and the voice acting).
* Larian mishandling the setting lore in multiple areas.
* Larian inserting MMORPG-esque items/item sets. What's wrong with the classics?
* Larian recycling assets from their previous games.
...and many more issues that make their attempt tonally inconsistent when placed alongside Baldur's Gate , Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast , Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal .
When you play the original games, you will notice - graphics aside - the difference is night and day. Speaking of which, the developer couldn't swing a true day/night cycle (the original games are about a quarter-century old by this point and even they featured more of a living environment); BG3 carries a degree of artificiality reminding you that the world is - at least in this regard - catering to the player instead of functioning like an independent world. The map design in BG3 is also questionable; people have bellyached about the scope of Baldur's Gate 's maps (yes, I know) in order to justify BG3's comparatively smaller maps more centered around the action, but those areas (in the BioWare games) are not explicitly catering to players in search of adventure/immediate excitement...the substantial gaps packed with emptiness between encounters remind you that The Sword Coast is an environment that exists beyond the Player Character's needs/wants/desires. Finally, I mentioned the romances earlier, but I didn't mention how damn near every NPC wants to screw the main character; in Baldur's Gate 2 , only a handful of characters can be courted (three female and one male...certain races, orientations and pursuits are flat-out incompatible), they're not always obvious about their intentions and you have to work a hell of a lot harder to make the relationship progress. Again, this is a reminder that BG3 is more about stroking the player's ego and less about depicting an objective universe where you need to seek out those gratifying elements.
There are too many pieces that don't fit with BioWare's style and overall je ne sais quoi ; I could push myself to overlook a few minor mismatches, but the problems do not solely concern scanty niggling details. Ultimately, the fundamental approach to game design - and all that entails - between both developers radically differs. Only people who are 1) Thoroughly ignorant towards the original games and their expansions, 2) Compensated to provide favorable reviews that assert a strong connection or 3) Blinded by their love of other elements would say "Yes, this is a Baldur's Gate game." and mean that declaration. This is pretty much a Larian game by the numbers and the fact that Vincke was explicit with his view towards Baldur's Gate 3 as it might benefit his company all but confirms that they weren't terribly interested in fidelity.