And now we can bring Elden Ring as counter example. Excessive UI is a shortcut to bypass good level/quest design.
Elden Ring isn't even close to BG3 in multiple ways.
That wasn’t a point. @Elphirein that mainstream audience requires handholding, and Elden Ring is the easiest and most recent example to bring up. I think Zelda games would work as that, but as I don’t own Nintendo platform I am not 100% sure.
Whenever it is an activity, landmark or quest is irrelevant really. You can design the game so it’s easy to navigate without UI, or you can make it easier on itself and use UI. I don’t know what’s hard about Elden Ring’s navigation. You see a thing, you walk towards it.
I am not sure how it relates to BG3. I don’t remember BG3 handholding being very invasive.
+10 - Really Elden Ring reminded Devs that there are gamers out there that find greater enjoyment by being allowed to explore the world and figure stuff out on their own. Like we did in the old days.
I recall there was the same backlash from salty devs who were so mad about the lack of UI handholding. Horizon would have been a much better game if there wasn't so much damn crap telling you where to go and what to do. I couldn't even play it.
Having said that I think Bg3 and Larian have reached a very fair middle ground. You have a quest log, but it's mostly vague about what to do specifically. There are not that many, or any map markers that I recall. Unless they changed something. I will have to see in the full game.
Honestly it's been a great few years for Video Games. It feels almost like a little revolution is occuring.
