I'm looking forward to it! Just wanted to get that out of the way.
I grew up with Baldur's Gate, it (and the other infinity engine games) are very dear to me. I'm a fanboy, okay? I've played DOS 1 & 2 and enjoyed my time with them, but for me Baldur's Gate is on another level. Larian deciding to name their new DnD game Baldur's gate 3, that comes with a lot of expectations. More pressure, more scrutiny. I think that's fair, really. I'm sure Larian knew what they were doing, and I applaud their ambition.
First impressions from the gameplay demo.. It looks a bit too familiar. In a bad way. I couldn't shake the feeling it felt like looking at a cross between DOS 2 and NWN 2. Which sounds kinda cool and interesting in its own right, but... This game is calling itself Baldur's Gate 3. And I couldn't help but feel like, if I didn't know it was BG 3, and if I was to only glance over it and not look too closely I'd think someting like " Damn, Divinity Original Sin 3 looks really good". Which, again, sounds all fine and well in it's own right, but again, this isn't DOS 3. The over-the-top animations, the colour palette, etc.. Can't say I like it a lot. I don't mind it in DOS, but I don't love DOS. This isn't DOS, this game is Baldur's Gate 3..
Now this BG 3 isn't gonna be anything like we might have imagined a BG 3 being like, 20 years ago. Or 10 years ago, even. This is still gonna be a Larian game. And I'm ok with that. I might prefer realtimewithpause, etc etc. And I'm fine with this game being TB etc etc. I'm at peace with those kinda things. But I hoped the game would ooze a little bit less DOS, and feel a little bit more.. new? And same? New, but playing on the nostalgia strings in just the right ways. Modern, but respecting its roots. Fresh, but in touch with its legacy.
I don't envy Larian their job, making a sequel to a cult classic like this. Super difficult, I am sure. But that's what they've decided to go for. Difficult, but not impossible, I'd like to think. And I think Larian can pull it off, I really do. And so do they, otherwise they would've just made DOS 3 instead. I know terms like style, aesthetics, atmosphere and such, are really vague. But that doesn't make them any less important. Challenging to get right, but important that they try.
One of my biggest worries (and still is, a little) was that we'd get a great game, but it'd be DOS 3 with some DND injected into it and a coat of Forgotten Realms paint on it. Potentially a really good game, but not quite... Baldur's Gate 3. And this worry of mine isn't dispelled completely. I think they could do more to leave some of the DOS DNA behind and make BG 3 it's own game. Of course Larian tapping into what they do well makes complete sense, and of course some things in DOS can work quite well (with more, less or no modifications) in a sequel to the Baldur's Gate games.
They can still work on the presentation of the game, add that little bit of dirt or whatever, that bit of extra "weight" to the animations, or somesuch. For example I think the UI could improve, it could look more pleasting to the eye (particularly from a nostalgic infinity engine point of view) while simultaneously supporting all the needs of a next generation Larian Baldur's Gate game. I'm a sucker for the beautiful hand drawn portraits, myself. Pretty Please?
All in all, cautious optimism is the way I'm feeling. Lots of promise, still not liking evertything I've seen (so much we haven't seen, still) and still lots of time for Larian to work and polish on what hopefully can become the best modern CRPG yet, reaching lofty heights that I personally feel neither DOS 2 or the two PoE games didn't quite manage to do, even if they got close.
That's the kind of hopes and expectations you get when you name your game Baldur's Gate 3!
