WotC World Reveal of Baldur's Gate 3

At PAX East today, gameplay footage of Baldur's Gate 3 was revealed for the first time by Larian Studios.

According to PC Gamer, the Early Access version of the game will launch this year with five characters:

• Wyll, Human Warlock
• Shadowheart, Half-elf Cleric
• Lae'zel, Githyanki Fighter
• Gale, Human Wizard
• Astarion, Elven Vampire Spawn Rogue

And you'll be able to create characters using these six classes:

• Fighter (Battle Master, Eldritch Knight)
• Wizard (Evocation, Abjuration)
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster, Thief)
• Ranger (Hunter, Beast Master)
• Cleric (Life, Light, Trickery)
• Warlock (Fiend, Great One)

15 races include (amongst others):

• Elves
• Dwarves
• Humans
• Githyanki
• Drow
• Tieflings
• Vampire Spawn

 

[Leatherhead]

You all didn't play Divinity: Original Sin 2, did you.

 

[miggyG777]

You all didn't play Divinity: Original Sin 2, did you.

I did, but who really wants BG3 to be a Divinity: Original Sin 2.5e

 

[Teemu]

Plenty of successful and well-received video games are turn-based. It's hardly an ancient relic of tabletop gaming.

Larian's previous hit was a turn-based RPG. One of the most successful video game RPGs of the past few years, both critically and commercially. Why would they abandon their tried and true turn-based approach when it's worked so well for them so far? And for a game using D&D as its basis?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Mearls could literally have Larian Studios elevate D&D to the next level, but instead he chooses to enforce them to adhere to the 5e ruleset to the T. When the DMG says "If a rule stands in the way of your game, throw it out."

Just shows that Mearls cares more about his own legacy than collaborating with Vicke & Team. Which is what I feared would happen.

Sadly this fail will mostly affect Vicke who will be held responsible for this shortcoming by many. It was an impossible project to begin with. I know how much Vicke loved Baldurs Gate and I wished he had the creative freedom that he needed to create the true successor, that he envisioned.

I’m pretty sure it’s Larian’s decision to stick to the 5e rules, not Mearls.

Vicke has been wildly enthusiastic about modeling 5e D&D as Exactly as possible since day one.

 

[Oofta]

Good grief. Yet another "this is going to be horrible" for something that hasn't been released?

What ever happened to being cautiously optimistic and waiting until the game is released before passing judgement?

 

[Burnside]

Gameplay looks awesome, and I love that combat is turn-based.

Not so sure about the writing, though.

 

[Gladius Legis]

I did, but who really wants BG3 to be a Divinity: Original Sin 2.5e

I'd be very OK with that, actually.

 

[miggyG777]

Also: Early access? Really. I may be too old for this and don't understand how beta testing works nowadays. But a story driven RPG of the epicness and scale that a BG3 should have and then it gets released in early access? Are they running out of funds or what?

 

[Horwath]

I'd be very OK with that, actually.

I would rather see that they make Divinity 3 and BG3 as 2 completely different games.

 

[Gladius Legis]

What would really irk me is if they radically changed things under the assumption that 5E wouldn't work for a computer game, but still sold it as a 5E/D&D game.

Yup. Indeed, someone already tried that once. It was called Sword Coast Legends. And it was a dumpster fire.