There is no way this should involve the Bhaalspawn at all. That story is told in it's absolute totality already, from someone who can barely survive an encounter with a wolf at Level 1 to becoming a god. It's always gradual, never rushed, always earned. There is nowhere to go after Throne of Bhaal. And frankly, Siege of Dragonspear filled the only true gap in the story, which was what the hell happened between the end of the first game and getting trapped in the dungeon of Irenicus. The story of Baldur's Gate is closed. There are no more pages to write on.
Moreover, I happen to think Larian has put out two SUPERB games in the Divinity: Original Sin series, and if someone has to do this, I suppose I trust them over anyone. But doesn't this almost certainly mean turn-based combat?? Baldur's Gate is tied at the hip with the Infinity Engine and real-time with pause combat. Leaving those parameters, even if it bears the name of the series, is just not remotely the same thing. I'm sure it will be a great game regardless, but if it doesn't have paper dolls, THACO, and 2nd Edition rules, I'm frankly against it being part of the official "series". I doubt Larian is capable of screwing up the actual game, but throwing "Baldur's Gate 3" on the box seems to me to just indicate that in the current day and age, absolutely nothing is sacred.
It seems it's really hard to please everyone these days. You can't announce anything without getting big concerns from people about a title, a setting, a genre, - literally about everything.
"Hey, there can't be any BG3, the story of the Bhaalspawn is finished" - yes, it is finished. But BG3 can be about something else.
"Hey, if it's not about a Bhaalspawn, then it's can't be BG3, it's just a click-bait" - no. The games were called BG, not "Bhaalspawn". There are a lot of stories untold related to the city. Heck, BG2 and ToB didn't happen in the BG city, so the possibilities are endless. I recommend to check out https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/baldursgate_descent as an example.
"Hey, it's Larian, they are so goofy and their humor doesn't suit such a game" - I wonder, how the games that are full of characters who die, full of blood baths, killings, full of dark consequences (I mean both DOS 1 and DOS 2) are considered to be only goofy. Is a "serious, period" way the only way to tell stories? Can't games have humor? It's especially interesting to hear that when the first scene you see in BG2 after Irenicus is the Minsc encounter whom you can ask where did he hide Boo.
"Hey, it's TB, not RTwP, thus this is meh" - I again wonder, how tactical combat from DOS 1 and DOS 2 is meh. I too thought (in 2015) that RTwP was definitely the only interesting and tactical style. Because I didn't try TB, because I didn't try DOS yet. I was very sceptical, since I liked BG, DA, and then PoE combat. But - I actually gave TB a chance. And it changed my mind completely. I also understand D&D games are turn-based.
"Hey, there's nothing sacred left" - I don't know. I can counter it with "maybe let's give it a chance first, and only then judge".
We don't know anything in detail yet. We didn't get any confirmations. All we know is the company has released critically-acclaimed tactical rpgs, and all I know is that those games are very, very fun - at least, they have been fun for me. I also remember how magical it felt when I heard Jim Cummings in Siege of Dragonspear. When I found myself again in the BG city in 2016. What if I get a chance for all that, and more?
Ok we know nothing about it, but I'm afraid they use the Baldur's Gate name to bring traffic to their page/studios.
Some companies did that in the past, like Red Faction series, Mafia 3, or Max Payne 3, but these titles were nothing compared to the original ones.
And, according to me, studios nowadays just don't know write good stories. And that's what BG is all about, good story, good quests, good characters with their background etc...
well, let's keep our fingers crossed before saying anything bad about this supposed BG3
I see no reason to be scared, and only to be excited if it is true. Larian has more than shown their skill in the genre. If there is anyone to make a modern BG3 well, it is them. Their DoS 1 and especially 2 showed that. There is a reason why DoS(2) deserves to be in the list of greatest RPGs of all time. To see the studio literally making the sequel to THE greatest RPG of all time would be amazingly fitting.
I would love to see old characters make a cameo (Minsc especially!), regardless of what story/time period/rule set, or narrative they go with. To have some references mentioning the past would be great too.
That is if this is all true. Hopefully it is them, if it cannot be Beamdog, Larian is the perfect fit.
It seems it's really hard to please everyone these days.
That has always been quite impossible Julius, I don't think anyone should waste their time trying to achieve it. The game will find its audience for sure, just as inevitably as there will be people disappointed by it.
I'm with @JuliusBorisov here. The game doesn't have to be set in Baldur's Gate. The game doesn't have to include the Bhaalspawn. It doesn't have to be 2nd edition, or have real time combat.
The spirit of the franchise is in the world, its story-telling and its character driven narritive. Those are things that Larian does really, really well.
When all is said and done, I don't expect a BG3 will necessarily be better than the original trilogy, but I do think Larian is more than capable of making a worthy successor.
they really should have did what black isle was gonna do and call it baldurs gate: subtitle. this isnt a bg 3 that story is done, and i agree with thacobell calling it 3 is gonna give people way to high expectations. you thought the backlash from sod was bad this might be a nuclear war.
and i am just becoming very un easy with revivals of games at this point. besides two [ the shadow run games and thimbleweeed park] they have all disappointed me in some way. now had this been an original dnd game in the style of bg i may be more forgiving.
I believe that the game has no connection with the 1 and 2 game, but it is in the same universe and period, just do not have something that changes the story of the 1 and 2 game.
Probably history will present the Nine Hells, and the brothers in the demonic sphere of bhaal
I believe that the game has no connection with the 1 and 2 game, but it is in the same universe and period, just do not have something that changes the story of the 1 and 2 game.
Probably history will present the Nine Hells, and the brothers in the demonic sphere of bhaal
thats impossible. it's gonna be 5th edition. they should not have called it baldurs gate 3 period.
I believe that the game has no connection with the 1 and 2 game, but it is in the same universe and period, just do not have something that changes the story of the 1 and 2 game.
Probably history will present the Nine Hells, and the brothers in the demonic sphere of bhaal
thats impossible. it's gonna be 5th edition. they should not have called it baldurs gate 3 period.
"Hey, it's TB, not RTwP, thus this is meh" - I again wonder, how tactical combat from DOS 1 and DOS 2 is meh. I too thought (in 2015) that RTwP was definitely the only interesting and tactical style. Because I didn't try TB, because I didn't try DOS yet. I was very sceptical, since I liked BG, DA, and then PoE combat. But - I actually gave TB a chance. And it changed my mind completely. I also understand D&D games are turn-based.
@JuliusBorisov For better or worse, opinions on the matter will always be divided. In my personal opinion PoE:II has done it right with offering players both RTwP and TB combat equally. (Arcanum also attempted precicely that. Albeit had technical difficulties.) And from the looks of it Owlcat Games also explore that possibility for their games.
So the best course of action for Larian to take would do similarly for BGIII. That way they won't ignore their present customers (which argueable feel very strongly about TB) and also provide longtime fans of the IE games with fond nostalgia.
If it's Baldurs Gate 3, I would expect faithful 5e rules adaptation and RTwP gameplay. They must understand that if they change anything fundamentally, there will be a riot.
Personally I would definitely give a turn based 5e game a chance. Co-op multiplayer is important too and Larian knows how to do that.
It seems like D&D is finally coming back to video games in a big way and that's GREAT.
I mean, if you take out the MMO expansions (which aren't really relevant to the conversation), if you take everything over an 85, it's basically a list of what people would most commonly refer to as the best RPGs they have played.
I'm a pen and paper grognard in a lot of ways, but I'm not stuck in the late 90s (or 1974) completely. I'm happy that this is happening after 3e, which - honestly - was never my TTRPG of choice. 5e is a fine game, and I think lends itself better to an isometric crpg. Obviously, opinions might vary, and I did legitimately enjoy Pathfinder: Kingmaker - which is, at its roots, 3.5e D&D. 3e made games like IWD2 and ToEE very awkward feeling - Owlcat did a good job refining the way the rules interact with the game.
However, I confess that I am both elated and nervous about Larian getting the crack at this - I really didn't overly enjoy Divinity: Original Sin (EE); it was beautiful and lush but I never could get in 'the zone' with that turn based system. My wife, on the other hand, had a love-hate relationship with it - eventually beating the game. We have yet to dive into the sequel, which I understand is much better, but I'm sure we will.
Larian does remarkable work with their visual elements, and they have the funding to make BG3 a beautiful spectacle. I'm definitely in the 'keep the RTwP' elements.
I would have liked to see the PoE folks involved, personally. The first PoE feels a lot like the classic games, and second was a noble attempt to expand but is marred by its load times (which the first also suffers from) and may be a bit overambitious. I do wonder what is going to happen to that franchise now that they are in Microsoft's hands...
I also wouldn't have minded Beamdog, obviously, but, I hate to say it, it's probably in better hands with a major company. In my personal dreams, I would have wanted another 2e Infinity Engine game - but I know that opinion is a severe minority. I am the guy who is installing the original games on an old G4 tower to make a Mac TuTu... so my obsession is well noted by my more modern gaming friends...
Please let this be a potent reminder of how great isometric crpgs can be and not a departure from the format. Either way, it will be in my collection the day it comes out.
I echo your thoughts, @Gynsburghe. I would have liked to see Obsidian get a crack at BG3, if anyone. What I have seen in the Pillars franchise seems like a perfect building block into a new full-fledged BG game. Preferably with Josh Sawyer behind the wheel, as someone who has previously developed one of the classic IE games.
If it's Baldurs Gate 3, I would expect faithful 5e rules adaptation and RTwP gameplay. They must understand that if they change anything fundamentally, there will be a riot.
Personally I would definitely give a turn based 5e game a chance. Co-op multiplayer is important too and Larian knows how to do that.
It seems like D&D is finally coming back to video games in a big way and that's GREAT.
I agree. The one thing to note, though, is that the new D&D game announced by Tuque Games is specifically co-op action RPG, and I can't see WotC wanting two new D&D RPGs being that similar to each other. I thing WotC will want a new D&D game that fills the single-player-focused and story-focused niche within RPGs. You can see from all the D&D related games WotC has greenlit in recent years that they are trying to spread out the D&D brand across as many different types of video games as possible.
Comments
Moreover, I happen to think Larian has put out two SUPERB games in the Divinity: Original Sin series, and if someone has to do this, I suppose I trust them over anyone. But doesn't this almost certainly mean turn-based combat?? Baldur's Gate is tied at the hip with the Infinity Engine and real-time with pause combat. Leaving those parameters, even if it bears the name of the series, is just not remotely the same thing. I'm sure it will be a great game regardless, but if it doesn't have paper dolls, THACO, and 2nd Edition rules, I'm frankly against it being part of the official "series". I doubt Larian is capable of screwing up the actual game, but throwing "Baldur's Gate 3" on the box seems to me to just indicate that in the current day and age, absolutely nothing is sacred.
"Hey, there can't be any BG3, the story of the Bhaalspawn is finished" - yes, it is finished. But BG3 can be about something else.
"Hey, if it's not about a Bhaalspawn, then it's can't be BG3, it's just a click-bait" - no. The games were called BG, not "Bhaalspawn". There are a lot of stories untold related to the city. Heck, BG2 and ToB didn't happen in the BG city, so the possibilities are endless. I recommend to check out https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/baldursgate_descent as an example.
"Hey, it's Larian, they are so goofy and their humor doesn't suit such a game" - I wonder, how the games that are full of characters who die, full of blood baths, killings, full of dark consequences (I mean both DOS 1 and DOS 2) are considered to be only goofy. Is a "serious, period" way the only way to tell stories? Can't games have humor? It's especially interesting to hear that when the first scene you see in BG2 after Irenicus is the Minsc encounter whom you can ask where did he hide Boo.
"Hey, it's TB, not RTwP, thus this is meh" - I again wonder, how tactical combat from DOS 1 and DOS 2 is meh. I too thought (in 2015) that RTwP was definitely the only interesting and tactical style. Because I didn't try TB, because I didn't try DOS yet. I was very sceptical, since I liked BG, DA, and then PoE combat. But - I actually gave TB a chance. And it changed my mind completely. I also understand D&D games are turn-based.
"Hey, there's nothing sacred left" - I don't know. I can counter it with "maybe let's give it a chance first, and only then judge".
We don't know anything in detail yet. We didn't get any confirmations. All we know is the company has released critically-acclaimed tactical rpgs, and all I know is that those games are very, very fun - at least, they have been fun for me. I also remember how magical it felt when I heard Jim Cummings in Siege of Dragonspear. When I found myself again in the BG city in 2016. What if I get a chance for all that, and more?
Ok we know nothing about it, but I'm afraid they use the Baldur's Gate name to bring traffic to their page/studios.
Some companies did that in the past, like Red Faction series, Mafia 3, or Max Payne 3, but these titles were nothing compared to the original ones.
And, according to me, studios nowadays just don't know write good stories. And that's what BG is all about, good story, good quests, good characters with their background etc...
well, let's keep our fingers crossed before saying anything bad about this supposed BG3
I would love to see old characters make a cameo (Minsc especially!), regardless of what story/time period/rule set, or narrative they go with. To have some references mentioning the past would be great too.
That is if this is all true. Hopefully it is them, if it cannot be Beamdog, Larian is the perfect fit.
That has always been quite impossible Julius, I don't think anyone should waste their time trying to achieve it. The game will find its audience for sure, just as inevitably as there will be people disappointed by it.
The spirit of the franchise is in the world, its story-telling and its character driven narritive. Those are things that Larian does really, really well.
When all is said and done, I don't expect a BG3 will necessarily be better than the original trilogy, but I do think Larian is more than capable of making a worthy successor.
and i am just becoming very un easy with revivals of games at this point. besides two [ the shadow run games and thimbleweeed park] they have all disappointed me in some way. now had this been an original dnd game in the style of bg i may be more forgiving.
Probably history will present the Nine Hells, and the brothers in the demonic sphere of bhaal
thats impossible. it's gonna be 5th edition. they should not have called it baldurs gate 3 period.
Everything is even possible to advertise the 5th
https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/501-welcome-to-baldurs-gate-an-introduction-to-the
@JuliusBorisov For better or worse, opinions on the matter will always be divided. In my personal opinion PoE:II has done it right with offering players both RTwP and TB combat equally. (Arcanum also attempted precicely that. Albeit had technical difficulties.) And from the looks of it Owlcat Games also explore that possibility for their games.
So the best course of action for Larian to take would do similarly for BGIII. That way they won't ignore their present customers (which argueable feel very strongly about TB) and also provide longtime fans of the IE games with fond nostalgia.
Larian making a Baldur's Gate game that is turn-based would make me very angry because it would clearly be a betrayal of the legacy of the BG games.
Yeah. https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/genre/metascore/role-playing/pc?view=condensed
Personally I would definitely give a turn based 5e game a chance. Co-op multiplayer is important too and Larian knows how to do that.
It seems like D&D is finally coming back to video games in a big way and that's GREAT.
I mean, if you take out the MMO expansions (which aren't really relevant to the conversation), if you take everything over an 85, it's basically a list of what people would most commonly refer to as the best RPGs they have played.
I can't respect a list that puts Diablo over Fallout.
/rant
well it's ordered by the review scores not whtich game is better.
However, I confess that I am both elated and nervous about Larian getting the crack at this - I really didn't overly enjoy Divinity: Original Sin (EE); it was beautiful and lush but I never could get in 'the zone' with that turn based system. My wife, on the other hand, had a love-hate relationship with it - eventually beating the game. We have yet to dive into the sequel, which I understand is much better, but I'm sure we will.
Larian does remarkable work with their visual elements, and they have the funding to make BG3 a beautiful spectacle. I'm definitely in the 'keep the RTwP' elements.
I would have liked to see the PoE folks involved, personally. The first PoE feels a lot like the classic games, and second was a noble attempt to expand but is marred by its load times (which the first also suffers from) and may be a bit overambitious. I do wonder what is going to happen to that franchise now that they are in Microsoft's hands...
I also wouldn't have minded Beamdog, obviously, but, I hate to say it, it's probably in better hands with a major company. In my personal dreams, I would have wanted another 2e Infinity Engine game - but I know that opinion is a severe minority. I am the guy who is installing the original games on an old G4 tower to make a Mac TuTu... so my obsession is well noted by my more modern gaming friends...
Please let this be a potent reminder of how great isometric crpgs can be and not a departure from the format. Either way, it will be in my collection the day it comes out.
for nwn 2.
Yes, check out https://www.pcgamesn.com/baldurs-gate-3/baldurs-gate-3-development where Chris Avellone, Feargus Urquhart, and Chris Parker peek into the bag of holding at a couple of the cancelled Baldur’s Gate 3s they’ve worked on before.
I agree. The one thing to note, though, is that the new D&D game announced by Tuque Games is specifically co-op action RPG, and I can't see WotC wanting two new D&D RPGs being that similar to each other. I thing WotC will want a new D&D game that fills the single-player-focused and story-focused niche within RPGs. You can see from all the D&D related games WotC has greenlit in recent years that they are trying to spread out the D&D brand across as many different types of video games as possible.