Baldur’s Gate 3, the highly anticipated game developed by Larian Studios, has captivated gamers and sparked concern among Western developers. The promotional material for the game was so impressive that it raised worries among other developers over the possibility of it setting a new standard for the medium. This level of quality was seen as a challenge for Western games that have been lacking polish in recent years.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is based on the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons and follows the story of a customizable avatar who becomes a captured adventurer infected by the monstrous Illithid during their invasion of the Faerûn continent. The player’s character embarks on a journey to rid themselves of the mind flayer’s parasites and thwart their plans for conquest.
The game boasts features like a customizable party, single-player and multiplayer options, and an overall level of polish that has been missing from many Western games. It comes as no surprise that Baldur’s Gate 3 was eagerly anticipated by gamers.
But while gamers eagerly awaited the release, Western video game developers had a different reaction. In the weeks leading up to Baldur’s Gate 3’s launch, several developers expressed panic in response to the game’s quality and potential impact on the industry.
Xalavier Nelson Jr., the developer of El Paso, Elsewhere, and Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, took to Twitter to address this concern. He urged players not to raise the standard for RPGs based on Baldur’s Gate 3’s success, emphasizing the unique circumstances surrounding the game’s development.
Nelson Jr. outlined several key factors contributing to the game’s success, including a development cycle dating back to 2017, the experience gained from previous games, a successful three-year Early Access period, and a team of over 400 developers across seven offices worldwide. He emphasized that Baldur’s Gate 3’s level of ambition and resources are not a baseline for all RPGs but rather an anomaly.
Other Western developers echoed Nelson Jr.’s sentiment. They acknowledged the exceptional effort put into Baldur’s Gate 3 and the advantages Larian Studios had in terms of development experience and resources. They cautioned against expecting every game to reach the same level of scale and polish, as it could be detrimental to smaller studios.
Players, however, hope that Baldur’s Gate 3 will raise the standard of quality control in the industry. They long for more working and polished games from larger studios, such as Bethesda and Ubisoft, which have released titles with numerous bugs and issues in recent years.
In conclusion, the release of Baldur’s Gate 3 has both captivated gamers and sparked concern among Western developers. While players hope it sets a new standard for quality in the industry, developers caution against expecting every game to match Baldur’s Gate 3’s scale and polish. The game represents an exceptional effort by Larian Studios and serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by smaller studios in replicating such achievements.
