Baldur’s Gate 3 may very well be one of the most popular RPGs of our time. Released in 2023, this game revolutionized the genre and player’s expectations of it. This game captivated players with its sprawling narrative, impactful choices, and meticulously crafted characters.
But has the Baldur’s Gate 3 set the player’s expectations too high for other games? Even after my first run, I began to doubt if any other game would be able to compete with this experience. It is not just me, countless other gamers online share my sentiment.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 is a 2023 RPG title, developed and published by Larian Studios.
- This game lets the player create their playthrough. Craft your story, and fight your blood lust, the freedom is yours!
- Other games in the genre feel linear in comparison, leaving players craving deeper immersion.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 changed the game. It’s a new standard, pushing developers to create groundbreaking RPG experiences.
Incredible Freedom of Player Choice
I enjoy most genres of games. Sometimes I just want to shut my mind completely off and enjoy a linear story experience. However, sometimes I want to choose my adventure and play a game with complete freedom of my personal preferences. This is where your average RPG titles come in, and allow players to create their adventures.
Nevertheless, these campaigns only offer so much freedom. By the end, most players would have experienced the same story. This was not the case with Baldur’s Gate 3. Baldur’s Gate 3’s core strength lies in its unwavering commitment to player choice.
From the intricate character creation mechanic to the branching dialogue options, the game encourages players to carve their path through the world. Baldur’s Gate 3 lets you forge your character, from a charismatic rogue to a stoic paladin. Do you want to be an evil maniac with a constant lust for blood? This game even lets you do that.
This emphasis on choice extends beyond dialogue trees. Players can tackle objectives through diverse approaches, influencing the narrative and forging unique relationships with companions. Pushing the boundaries of player choice, the developers even allow for romantic relationships with druids in their wildest form.
During my playthrough, I won an entire fight by simply pushing enemies from a roof. The world itself feels richly detailed, with sprawling maps begging to be explored and multiple paths leading to the same destination. Even animals get their very own dialogue that players can explore by using the Speak with Animals Spell.
All of this leads to a gameplay experience that can ruin other games for you.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Long Shadow
BG 3’s success and popularity have raised player expectations for a unique gameplay experience. This inadvertently casts a long shadow on the RPG genre. I did play Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3 right around the same. It is sort of unfair to compare the two considering how different they are.
However, if we only focus on the RPG genre and avoid Starfield’s janky mechanics, we could easily see the problems. Compared to BG3 this campaign felt more like a linear story. While Starfield boasted a sort of open world and engaging lore, many critics felt its gameplay mechanics and player freedom paled in comparison to Baldur’s Gate 3.
Dialogue options do not have much variety and mostly just open up sidequests. There is a character builder but it does not offer as much freedom. This critical reception highlights the challenge developers now face. How to deliver RPG experiences that not only stand on their merit but also meet the heightened expectations set by Baldur’s Gate 3.
That means paying attention to the finer details while keeping your main detail interesting. Every dialogue should feel organic and every change should affect the world around you.
Future Expectations
Baldur’s Gate 3 has revolutionized the gaming landscape, and in my opinion, it is for the good. It’s crucial to approach this landmark not as an endpoint, but as a stepping stone. What Larian has done shouldn’t scare the gamers, it should make you hopeful for the future. If Larian could do it, why can’t other studios do this as well?
The future of RPGs lies in innovation and iteration, building upon the successes of Baldur’s Gate 3. The games should focus on innovating new paths in storytelling, character development, and player agency. Imagine a next-gen RPG that includes the freedom and choice from BG3 and builds on top of it.
We could get a 3rd personal game, with a combat system different from the turned-based system of BG3. Moreover, with the current explosion of the AI sector, we can only hope that someday we could get AI NPCs, capable of generating real-time dialogues. This could make the interactions even more immersive and lifelike.
The true impact of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be measured not just by its success, but by how it inspires future developers to push the boundaries of the RPG genre. Will Baldur’s Gate 3 remain lightning in a bottle, or will it give rise to a new era of groundbreaking RPG experiences?
Only time will tell, but one thing is certain. The bar has been raised, and RPG developers now have a new benchmark to strive for.
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I’m a Computer Science undergrad by day, and a gamer by… well, most of the rest of the time. Been around games forever, from the classics like CS 1.6 and Halo to the latest stuff like Valorant and Palworld. Competitive FPS is my jam, but you won’t catch me skipping a good campaign – Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us hold a special place in my heart. Outside of gaming, I’m a huge movie buff. Basically, I’m here to dissect the latest games, share some laughs about pop culture, and maybe even recommend a good film.
