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Almost 20 years have passed since we saw the release of Baldur's Gate 2, but now, we've finally seen the first glimpse of a brand new sequel, in the form of Baldur's Gate 3. Revealed originally in cinematic form at E3 2019, Baldur's Gate 3 is set to launch this year, in early access. This is similar to how developer Larian Studios released their other works in the past: Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2.

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Unlike the original two Baldur's Gate games, the third entry's combat will be turn-based, which allows players to be more tactical in their approach to battles, as opposed to real-time combat. You can also optionally play the non-combat sections in turn-based form, and explore and do stealth sections like that. There will be five companions you can choose to travel with in the early access version, with more to be added throughout the game's development.

 

[DANTENDO]

But I need to know, lol I don't even have a vague notion of what the criteria are.

I'd say a game tht has been in development for mor than 3 years by a big team lol I say big team because then im gonna get someone say what about a guy who made a game by himself and took 4 years

 

[Foxi4]

But I need to know, lol I don't even have a vague notion of what the criteria are.

Baldur's Gate 2 is one of the all time greats and a big part of my development. But when I look at BG3 I just see Divinity Original Sin 2. I recognize the forgotten realms setting but I think the BG is more for name recognition than anything else.

That's my main worry. I almost want Beamdog to make one instead, in whatever the next evolution of the Infinity Engine could be, or even Obsidian, who have proven their mettle with Pillars. I feel like they're more in-touch with the spirit of what BG used to be.

As for the AAA moniker, it's just an informal name for big publisher, big developer, big budget projects destined to be blockbusters. It's a term that's very much in the eyes of the beholder - AAA to some is not AAA to others, besides a few games with ridiculously huge budgets that are in a weight class of their own.

That's not to say that budget and scale are everything, we've seen our share of AAA titles that were complete bombs upon arrival. Anthem comes to mind - a great game in concept that was fumbled in execution. That's all an aside though, let's get back to BG3 and hope that it's not just reskinned Divinity.

 

[FGFlann]

A yes to Obsidian.

Obsidian's writing has always been leaps and bounds better than Bioware, even in the old days. The contrast between Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel is a great example of this. Even though KOTOR2 was a very unfinished game, the quality of writing was spectacular next to the original's very basic narrative.

 

[Foxi4]

A yes to Obsidian.

Obsidian's writing has always been leaps and bounds better than Bioware, even in the old days. The contrast between Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel is a great example of this. Even though KOTOR2 was a very unfinished game, the quality of writing was spectacular next to the original's very basic narrative.

Of course. Obsidian in those days was formed from former Black Isle employees, many of whom moved on to inExile over time. It's funny, all of those great games we remember from the past were made by the same group of people, led by Chris Avellone (now freelance), Brian Fargo (CEO of inExile) and Feargus Urquhart (CEO of Obsidian). If you've ever wondered why you enjoyed Fallout 1/2, Baldur's Gate and KOTOR2 despite the fact that they were very, very different games, they had that one thing in common.

 

[FGFlann]

That said, I don't think there's anything to worry about with Larian. The Divinity series is very good and I'm confident they'll deliver a great experience this time, too.

 

[Foxi4]

That said, I don't think there's anything to worry about with Larian. The Divinity series is very good and I'm confident they'll deliver a great experience this time, too.

I guess I'm in two minds about this because I want it to be Baldur's Gate, not an immitation. I want to see the same kind of open-ended quests and that recognisable sense of humour I know from the original. I actually picked up the Enhanced Edition for PS4 recently just to see how it fares on console (a bit clunky, but playable) and I once again had a lovely adventure with a talking chicken. Give me that and I'm happy. Bless you, Melicamp - I have no idea how many times I reloaded my quick save to keep you alive.

 

[FGFlann]

For me it's hauling the body of my dead lover across the world to the altar of a dying god (voiced by Frank Welker ). Love that sense of adventure.

 

[LumInvader]

It's not what I would call an AAA production by an AAA studio, so it shouldn't be sold for an AAA price. I've played and enjoyed BG 1 & 2 both when they were new and when they were re-released by Beamdog, but Larian isn't old Interplay. If the game is *good* then sure, but if it's member berries, that's a different discussion.

I sure am glad we have a resident expert on how a pre-alpha build game should look in order to obtain AAA production status.

 

[DANTENDO]

I sure am glad we have a resident expert on how a pre-alpha build game should look in order to obtain AAA production status.

Go and read what the producer said lol its a triple AAA game - it seems yr an expert in waffling

 

[Rahkeesh]

Of course. Obsidian in those days was formed from former Black Isle employees, many of whom moved on to inExile over time. It's funny, all of those great games we remember from the past were made by the same group of people, led by Chris Avellone (now freelance), Brian Fargo (CEO of inExile) and Feargus Urquhart (CEO of Obsidian). If you've ever wondered why you enjoyed Fallout 1/2, Baldur's Gate and KOTOR2 despite the fact that they were very, very different games, they had that one thing in common.

The only Baldur's Gate that Black Isle studios developed was Dark Alliance 2. Their IE games were Planescape Torment and Icewind Dale. Baldur's Gate was squarely in Bioware's camp.

 

[LumInvader]

Go and read what the producer said lol its a triple AAA game - it seems yr an expert in waffling

Yeah, I don't believe that will be necessary since my criticism wasn't directed at you.

Criticizing a game's quality during it's pre-alpha state is without merit and Larian Studios has an as good or better track record with Western-style RPGs than anyone not named Bioware. For example, Original Sin 2 is one of the best received PC games of all time.

Of course, we're comparing Larian's most recent games to games produced by Bioware two decades ago. With recent duds like Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda, it's likely for the better that Bioware is no longer involved with the Baldur's Gate series.

 

[Foxi4]

The only Baldur's Gate that Black Isle studios developed was Dark Alliance 2. Their IE games were Planescape Torment and Icewind Dale. Baldur's Gate was squarely in Bioware's camp.

That's not what I said - what I said was that Obsidian was formed by former Black Isle employees. The point was that the same group of people working under different monkiers over the years was involved in the development and publishing of pretty much all of the notable cRPG's - Baldur's Gate was developed by Bioware, but published by Black Isle on behalf of Interplay. Chris Avellone, Chris Parker, Feargus Urquhart and other Black Isle and Interplay employees were involved in the process, which you can verify yourself by just reading the credits. Bioware and Black Isle were pretty close back then and I'm sure one studio influenced the other as they worked together.

I sure am glad we have a resident expert on how a pre-alpha build game should look in order to obtain AAA production status.

I choose to read that unironically and omit the sarcasm, so "you're welcome, somebody has to do it".

Go and read what the producer said lol its a triple AAA game - it seems yr an expert in waffling

That doesn't make it so. Ultimately Larian picked up a dead IP and revived it since they know there are people like *you* who will cash in all of their chips blindly just because the sticker on the tin says "Baldur's Gate" - time will tell if the product is good and if the scale of it warrants the AAA moniker. I tend to be a little bit more critical of the media I consume and so far this product does not resemble the Baldur's Gate I know, but I'm still willing to give it a spin and see what these guys came up with. I'm not going to praise it to high heavens just because it exists, it needs to meet certain expectations first. With all due respect, I'll go out to bat for it if it turns out to be any good, not straight out of the gate and based on nothing.

Yeah, I don't believe that will be necessary since my criticism wasn't directed at you.

Criticizing a game's quality during it's pre-alpha state is without merit and Larian Studios has an as good or better track record with Western-style RPGs than anyone not named Bioware. For example, Original Sin 2 is one of the best received PC games of all time.

Of course, we're comparing Larian's most recent games to games produced by Bioware two decades ago. With recent duds like Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda, it's likely for the better that Bioware is no longer involved with the Baldur's Gate series.

I'm not saying that Larian's track record is necessarily bad - I'm saying that none of the old staff seems to be involved and that I don't want a reskinned Divinity, which this seems to be shaking up as. I don't think that's too much to ask and I don't understand why the levels of sodium in the thread are so elevated just because I said the scale of the game's production isn't triple-A, which it isn't when compared to the budget and team sizes of the game's contemporaries. That was not a statement on the game's quality which is a different question entirely. Who would've thunked that Larian had such a rabid fanbase, hmm.

 

[LumInvader]

Well of course Larian's track record isn't necessarily bad. Arguably the best Western RPG since BG2 was released by them in 2018. That likely factored into to WotC choosing them for BG3. You want the best you hire the best. The best IP meets the best modern Western RPG maker. How is that not a quality move by WotC? This collaboration has potential to become next great chapter in AD&D RPGs.

And does this look like a "cut some corners to save some money" budget AA title?

https://www.ign.com/articles/baldurs-gate-3-leaked-screenshots-look-more-impressive-than-expected

 

[DANTENDO]

Some of you lot overthink way to much its just ridiculous lol I bet anyone here 50 bucks this game wil get 9s allover - any rpg luver can just tell tht by watching the gameplay and dialogue already

 

[Foxi4]

Well of course Larian's track record isn't necessarily bad. Arguably the best Western RPG since BG2 was released by them in 2018. That likely factored into to WotC choosing them for BG3. You want the best you hire the best. The best IP meets the best modern Western RPG maker. How is that not a quality move by WotC? This collaboration has potential to become next great chapter in AD&D RPGs.

And does this look like a "cut some corners to save some money" budget AA title?

https://www.ign.com/articles/baldurs-gate-3-leaked-screenshots-look-more-impressive-than-expected

The term refers to scale, not to quality - we've been through this. As I've also said earlier, it's very much in the eye of the beholder (pun intended) as it's a colloquialisms - completely informal, so it's fair for you to have a different opinion. Larian approached WotC in regards to the BG license years ago, basically right after the release of Divinity: Original Sin and were originally rejected. The negotiations fell through in 2014, but continued in 2017 when the studio "proved itself". That said, both Fargo (inExile) and Urquhart (Obsidian) were trying to obtain the IP rights for the better half of a decade, so it's not like Larian was the only developer WotC could've turned to, which leads me to believe that the decision was in part based on the pocket book, not necessarily prior experience with the source material.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur's_Gate_III#Development

Now, I'm not one to judge a product before I sink my teeth into it, but I'm cautiously skeptical. I've been looking forward to this game for quite some time, but the material shown so far does raise some questions, at least to me.

 

[LumInvader]

The term refers to scale, not to quality - we've been through this. As I've also said earlier, it's very much in the eye of the beholder (pun intended) as it's a colloquialisms - completely informal, so it's fair for you to have a different opinion. Larian approached WotC in regards to the BG license years ago, basically right after the release of Divinity: Original Sin and were originally rejected. The negotiations fell through in 2014, but continued in 2017 when the studio "proved itself". That said, both Fargo (inExile) and Urquhart (Obsidian) were trying to obtain the IP rights for the better half of a decade, so it's not like Larian was the only developer WotC could've turned to, which leads me to believe that the decision was in part based on the pocket book, not necessarily prior experience with the source material.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur's_Gate_III#Development

Now, I'm not one to judge a product before I sink my teeth into it, but I'm cautiously skeptical. I've been looking forward to this game for quite some time, but the material shown so far does raise some questions, at least to me.

Or perhaps WotC believes Original Sin 1 & 2 are better made RPGs than anything produced by InXile or Obsidion? They wouldn't be alone in that assessment. That's why your bargain hunter theory appears shortsighted. Budget is not the only factor. You want us to believe that WotC just "coincidentally" hired the most talented team in the business because they're cheap? That's like saying Nintendo also doesn't care about quality, yet "coincidentally" re-hired Miyomoto over and over again the last 4 decades.

I've played a shit ton of games in my lifetime and I can tell you right now, Baldur's Gate III looks nothing like a AA title. You're off your rocker.

 

[Foxi4]

Or perhaps WotC believes Original Sin 1 & 2 are better made RPGs than anything produced by InXile or Obsidion? They wouldn't be alone in that assessment. That's why your bargain hunter theory appears shortsighted. Budget is not the only factor. You want us to believe that WotC just "coincidentally" hired the most talented team in the business because they're cheap? That's like saying Nintendo also doesn't care about quality, yet "coincidentally" re-hired Miyomoto over and over again the last 4 decades.

I've played a shit ton of games in my lifetime and I can tell you right now, Baldur's Gate III looks nothing like a AA title. You're off your rocker.

The most talented in the industry? A bit of a subjective assessment, but you're welcome to have an opinion. We'll see soon enough who's in the right seeing that the game has the dreaded mark of the beast - "Early Access". I myself suspect that there's a degree of "Ubisoft Effect" going on here and the game won't be nearly as shiny as it is in the promotional material once it hits retail, but I'll be happy if I'm proven wrong considering the fact that I've waited for a BG sequel for two decades now - I want it to be good rather than DNF 2.0.

EDIT: As for your Miyamoto comment, it illustrates the exact opposite of what you're trying to argue. Both inExile and Obsidian have experience with the source material, much like Miyamoto does in the case of Nintendo IP's. Larian does not. It's indeed no "coincidence" that Miyamoto's a Nintendo superstar, but you're comparing apples and oranges. That's neither here nor there though.

 

[LumInvader]

The most talented in the industry? A bit of a subjective assessment, but you're welcome to have an opinion. We'll see soon enough who's in the right seeing that the game has the dreaded mark of the beast - "Early Access". I myself suspect that there's a degree of "Ubisoft Effect" going on here and the game won't be nearly as shiny as it is in the promotional material once it hits retail, but I'll be happy if I'm proven wrong considering the fact that I've waited for a BG sequel for two decades now - I want it to be good rather than DNF 2.0.

Winning an Oscar or a Grammy also happens to be based on subjectivity. The gaming industry - just like the movie and music biz' -- is influenced by subjectivity.

With regard to Larian's recent works Original Sin 1 & 2, the aggregate review scores for both are in the 93%-94% range, which is tough to pull off. Both games are critically acclaimed, with the latter picking up numerous GotY awards. These are among the best the genre has to offer, so when someone references Larian as the best at what they do, it's not just one's opinion, but also recognition of their accomplishments.

With regard to BG3's reception, it would not surprise me if it received critical acclaim, just as it wouldn't surprise me if you lost your shit because it plays too much like OS.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

EDIT: As for your Miyamoto comment, it illustrates the exact opposite of what you're trying to argue. Both inExile and Obsidian have experience with the source material, much like Miyamoto does in the case of Nintendo IP's. Larian does not. It's indeed no "coincidence" that Miyamoto's a Nintendo superstar, but you're comparing apples and oranges. That's neither here nor there though.

Now you're just being pedantic. The game looks nothing like a AA title btw. Get your eyes checked.

 

[Foxi4]

Winning an Oscar or a Grammy also happens to be based on subjectivity. The gaming industry - just like the movie and music biz' -- is influenced by subjectivity.

With regard to Larian's recent works Original Sin 1 & 2, the aggregate review scores for both are in the 93%-94% range, which is tough to pull off. Both games are critically acclaimed, with the latter picking up numerous GotY awards. These are among the best the genre has to offer, so when someone references Larian as the best at what they do, it's not just one's opinion, but also recognition of their accomplishments.

With regard to BG3's reception, it would not surprise me if it received critical acclaim, just as it wouldn't surprise me if you lost your shit because it plays too much like OS.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


Now you're just being pedantic. The game looks nothing like a AA title btw. Get your eyes checked.

You're right, I would be mildly disappointed if BG3 played nothing like BG. Weird, I know - I'm just pedantic like that. All jokes aside, you're taking this very personally for some reason and reading weird criticism of the Divinity series into my comments - criticism I've never stated myself, I'm well-aware that the games are highly acclaimed and well-received. Maybe it's not my eyes that need to get checked, but I'm not an optician. You do you, buddy - I don't really intend to argue about this, it's not very productive.

 

[LumInvader]

A couple articles I thought I'd share with you folks:

Baldur's Gate 3 Has “A Triple-A Budget and Team,” Says Developer
https://gamingbolt.com/baldurs-gate-3-has-a-triple-a-budget-and-team-says-developer

“I don't think current-gen consoles would be able to run Baldur's Gate 3,” Says Developer (Full interview)
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-02-27-baldurs-gate-3-interview

Naturally, we won't know just how good the game will be until it's out, but I have the Metacritic floor for BG3 at 85% and ceiling 95%. It just checks too many boxes (IP, developer, AAA budget, HQ pre-alpha footage).