Baldur's Gate 3 was criticized for being unlike the original RPGs and more of a 'Divinity 3,' but one Larian designer says the games are just about the same things
Jan. 10, 2024It all comes down to the systems supporting a central narrative
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Anna Guxens, senior RPG designer at Larian, recently discussed how much of the two CRPGs – Baldur’s Gate and Divinity – went into the pot when Larian was brewing Baldur’s Gate 3, ultimately reasoning that the two stem from the same key goals.Gamereactorasked Guxens “how much of Baldur’s Gate, the previous games, and how much of Larian, mostly Divinity, do you think there is in this formula?” Her answer cuts to the heart of the genre, and is especially fascinating to me as someone who played Baldur’s Gate 3 as their first CRPG. (I didn’t play Baldur’s Gate 2 when it came out on account of being seven.)
“I mean, Larian is all about player agency, right?” Guxens begins. “And delivering engaging, emotional stories that are always with the player at the core of it. So either with Divinity or also with Baldur’s Gate, we create very strong systems in gameplay that support the narrative as well. We create this sandbox where you can have fun but it’s also delivered through a very heavy storyline and a very interesting, very gripping, emotionally engaging story, and I think that’s the strength. Have a very strong story and characters, and also very strong systems in gameplay, and have them work together.”
The exchange, and Guxens response, doesn’t directly clap back at the argument that Baldur’s Gate 3 is actually Divinity 3 in a sexy trench coat, but she does touch upon the underlying conflict: how a game feels and how it’s presented versus what it’s fundamentally about and trying to do. (And while I haven’t played the original Baldur’s Gate games, I’d argue that a major factor too often overlooked in this discussion, on top of the inevitabilities of Larian’s game engine, is that games as a whole changeda lotin the 23 years since Baldur’s Gate 2 and that shift is invariably felt alongside Larian’s stylistic choices, but I digress.)
One thing’s for sure: Larian has repeatedly and loudly thanked the creators ofBioWare’s Baldur’s Gate games,with lead Baldur’s Gate 3 writer Adam Smith calling it “shoulders of giants stuff.“RPG legend and former Dragon Age lead David Gaiderpraised Baldur’s Gate 3 as “a worthy successor” and “monumental achievement.”
In the same interview, Guxens shared some sage advice for CRPG newcomers who are feeling overwhelmed:stop obsessing over the “full experience,” because “you don’t need that, you just need to roll with it.”
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