I hate to say it, but dated game genre is dated. I like this type of game, but I don't think it has significant mainstream appeal to warrant a strong reaction at a large showcase. As much as the people on this forum enjoy them, there's definitely something anachronistic about isometric RPGs in 2023. The good news is that BG3 has a TTRP community, a DOS community, and a Baldur's Gate community (caveat--over two decades old). Outside of these groups and people that like narrative-driven RPGs, I don't see how the game appeals to your average gamer™.
I don't disagree that this is title unlikely to make too many millions in sales, but I really dispise a suggestion that a cRPG would be anachronistic. Why would it be anachronistic? Because it has mechanics deeper than a cow clicker? Doesn't have a battlepass or cosmetic shop? Because it doesn't have raytracing that almost no one will turn on? That it screenshot won't look quite as nice, or "movie like"?
I'm not happy about saying this because I like cRPGs, but they are anachronistic. That's why they had to have a whole renaissance with PoE and DOS. Things which are consistently thriving with the times do not need to have a renaissance (literally Rebirth). Something which is alive and well does not need to be reborn. The people that made the first two games which preceded this game were already shifting to over-the-shoulder perspective, 3D environments, reduced party-management, and more real-time-without-pause action. Bioware went from BG2 to Neverwinter Nights, KOTOR, Mass Effect Trilogy, and Dragon Age Games. Gradually more open world, more cinematic, more single-character-control focused. Other cRPG makers just died as companies only to be revived with kickstarters a decade later. RPGs ARE popular, just not cRPGs. Major games are increasingly open world, quest-oriented, single-character-created-and-controlled, over-the-shoulder or first-person, with 3D environments and cinematics. That's been the path for A LOT of AAA singleplayer experiences. Isometric RPGs do not fall into that category of game which is popularly made, profitable, and mainstream. They do not attract the same amount of interest or money as the other kind of RPG. They do not get the same notoriety that they used to. That's what makes them anachronistic. Not bad, just a man out of time. If you played DOS2, kinda like Fane.
