The hype surrounding Baldur’s Gate 3 was immense, and amid the discussions about the role-playing game, many developers took to Twitter to share their analysis of the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has been praised to the skies for years. Even before its release, many people on social media were saying that Larian’s role-playing game would set new standards for the future development of role-playing games.
In 2023, a major thread caused a stir, with many well-known developers taking up this argument. It is often noted that Larian has created something unique here that would be nearly impossible for many other studios to replicate.
This is because only Larian currently has all the prerequisites to independently develop a role-playing game on the scale of Baldur’s Gate 3 without falling apart in the process.
Far from exemplary
The original post on this topic was written by Xalavier Nelson Jr., the studio head of the small development studio Strange Scaffold. Here, Xalavier addresses the view that other studios should follow Baldur’s Gate 3’s example and that there is no longer any excuse for not developing a game exactly like it.
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Like a lot of people, I’m deeply excited about what the lovely folks at Larian accomplished with Baldur’s Gate 3, but I want to gently, pre-emptively push back against players taking that excitement and using it to apply criticism or a “raised standard” to RPGs going forward
1/10— Xalavier Nelson Jr. (@WritNelson) July 8, 2023
Xalavier disagrees and explains how unique the conditions at Larian currently are. According to Xalavier, these conditions include…
- … that development has been underway since 2017.
- … that Larian relies on the technology of the two original Sin games and has since become highly proficient with it.
- … that Early Access was extremely successful, lasted three years, and contributed a wealth of feedback, bug fixes, and revenue.
- … that over 400 developers were involved, spread across seven locations around the world.
- … that the license resonates with people and, with D&D, relies on an IP that is currently more popular than ever before.
These are just a few of the many reasons why Larian can handle the project. According to Xavier, Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t a textbook example, but rather an anomaly that would have broken many other studios. A unique blend of expertise, resources, licensing, and tools.
Other developers and experts agree
There was a lively discussion about this theory in the comments. The thread made the rounds especially in developer circles, and many other developers from different studios agree with Xavier.& nbsp;For example, Josh Sawyer from Obsidian writes:
The circumstances under which BG3 was created are atypical. This is not a dig at the game or the developers, who are obviously passionate and talented. A stable foundation and secure funding to build everything independently are priceless.
– Josh Sawyer
Chris Balser, who worked on Diablo 4 as a senior designer at Blizzard, also emphasizes how important development conditions are when looking at the impact of a game.
People usually only look at the fruits of the labor, but not the labor itself. It’s always been that way. This also applies to people who wonder why there are so few artists who paint like Renaissance masters.
– Chris Balser
From the Munich-based studio Grimlore GamesRebecca Harwick speaks out, describing Baldur’s Gate 3 asa once-in-a-lifetime RPG
You can’t get upset about how much these big games cost AND declare these lavish productions to be the standard by which all games must be measured. I hope Baldur’s Gate 3 is a noble once-in-a-lifetime RPG; I hope no one expects a team of 10, 20, or 40 people to make one like it.
– Rebecca Harwick
What’s your take on this? Do you agree with the developers, or do you think many other studios should still follow the example set by Baldur’s Gate 3 and Larian Studios? What are your thoughts on Baldur’s Gate 3 now that it’s out? Share your thoughts in the comments!
