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It's a nice change of pace from the typical flowery uwu butterflies and sunshine stuff that's prevalent in the world.
Getting Us isn't mandatory. If it icks you, just skip it.
Developers shouldn't be expected to tweak their vision for something based on how the minority of players perceive it.
Us, and that scene in general, is overwhelmingly popular.
Maybe M-rated games aren't for you? May I suggest trying some JRPGs? Plenty of pretty colors and the "power of friendship" tropes without a dark theme in sight.


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Originally Posted by Tzelanit
It's a nice change of pace from the typical flowery uwu butterflies and sunshine stuff that's prevalent in the world.
Getting Us isn't mandatory. If it icks you, just skip it.
Developers shouldn't be expected to tweak their vision for something based on how the minority of players perceive it.
Us, and that scene in general, is overwhelmingly popular.
Maybe M-rated games aren't for you? May I suggest trying some JRPGs? Plenty of pretty colors and the "power of friendship" tropes without a dark theme in sight.

Yup, totally agree. The scene is a difficult one to stomach (for some) but that is the point.

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I think it's funny looking at this thread and contrasting it with the complaints I've seen in other spaces saying that BG 1 & 2 were really dark and BG3 is too "light".

Baldur's Gate generally is and always has been borderline dark fantasy, in my view.

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Originally Posted by Ayvah
I think it's funny looking at this thread and contrasting it with the complaints I've seen in other spaces saying that BG 1 & 2 were really dark and BG3 is too "light".

Baldur's Gate generally is and always has been borderline dark fantasy, in my view.

Yeah, in BG2 the game opens with you being tortured and not long after finding Khalid’s mutilated body. BG has always been quite dark but balanced with plenty of tongue and cheek absurdity.

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I do not really see the Us brain thing as "dark" personally. Just "gross" in a way, though it almost looks comedic (why would you just pull out a brain with your bare hands like that and not wash them after!). I am personally not bothered by it, though I can see why others might be. In light of what I have seen so far of stuff it does kind of feel out of place as it is the only thing that goes to those extremes

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Originally Posted by Warlocke
Originally Posted by Ayvah
I think it's funny looking at this thread and contrasting it with the complaints I've seen in other spaces saying that BG 1 & 2 were really dark and BG3 is too "light".

Baldur's Gate generally is and always has been borderline dark fantasy, in my view.

Yeah, in BG2 the game opens with you being tortured and not long after finding Khalid’s mutilated body. BG has always been quite dark but balanced with plenty of tongue and cheek absurdity.

I feel the need to raise the point that there is a huge difference between seeing something from a far up top down perspective and seeing some visceral up close with closeups and details and everything.


Originally Posted by TheFoxWhisperer
I do not really see the Us brain thing as "dark" personally. Just "gross" in a way, though it almost looks comedic (why would you just pull out a brain with your bare hands like that and not wash them after!). I am personally not bothered by it, though I can see why others might be. In light of what I have seen so far of stuff it does kind of feel out of place as it is the only thing that goes to those extremes

I agree completely. It's the gross out factor that's shared with movies that goes in that direction too. It's not dark, rather, it feels a bit immature.


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What and roast Dwarf leg isnt? Where should (if any) the line be drawn on this? Go ask every single person on the planet that might possibly play this game if something offends or upsets them?? These games arent meant to appeal to everyone. Thats what fortnight and DOTA are for. But of course, this thread will go down yet another moral/sensitivity pit so...

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Originally Posted by Topper
What and roast Dwarf leg isnt?

That is kind of similar to finding corpses in games, or body parts, or skeletal remains. It is more background and kind of a common thing that does not really show much (and often more implies how they died), rather than "in your face gore" that the brain scene is more similar too, that is shown in a pretty close up camera.

If BG3 was this kind of game, one focussed on getting that Ick-Experience for people with gore and viscera a-plenty with this being the theme of the game (Mindflayers eating brains in a way like the Starship Troopers brain bug scene for example), then I would agree with it not being a game for everyone. But, this scene is kind of a one of its kind so far and feels out of place. Even with the mind flayers about that literally eat brains, stuff is not really overly detailed. BG3 does not really seem like the kind of game where these Ick-inspiring sort of scenes feel at home.

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Originally Posted by TheFoxWhisperer
But, this scene is kind of a one of its kind so far and feels out of place.

I agree, and it's sort of oddly placed right at the beginning of the tutorial. When I saw it on my first playthrough I was very worried that the whole game was going to be a similar gore fest, but nope - everything afterward is much more toned down.

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But thats the point is it not?????? The mind flayers are meant to be alien, freakish and gut churning. That scene quickly and effectively demonstrates just how horrible the mind flayers are. They prey on intelligent beings and destroy them utterly in the process, taking everything that makes them human. Kudos yet again to Larian.

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It is supposed to show Mindflayers are this, yes. Alien, eldritch creatures that are meant to be feared. But it kind of fails to do so, really. It is just a "gross" scene. Nothing creepy, alien or freakish really. In ways it can even be seen as comedic or immersion breaking (just grabbing inside a skull to remove a brain like that, with your bare hands? That is just silly).

I would love for mindflayers to appear more allien and more like the abberations they are. More eldritch horror elements would be cool. This scene kind of misses that mark by just being an isolated ick-event that feels out of place, both in theme of the game regarding gore and creepy events as well as immersion.

Even the creatures breaking out of the skull offscreen (while possibly showing the main character's disgusted face recoiling back, and just that accompanied by ick sounds) would be better, and would make it a lot creepier to me. The implied skullbreaking and a brain wiggling out and growing feet and legs. (it goes with the more eldritch horror feel that fits mindflayers well I think. "less is more" and keep the mystery and creepiness rather than have it be all up in your face.)

Last edited by TheFoxWhisperer; 16/01/21 10:23 PM.
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I liked that scene. Thought it was a good way to show some of the weird stuff that mind flayers do.

Originally Posted by EstherEloise
and I'm not OK with missing content just because I can't stomac it. I can endure it, but it's still over the top.
I am not ok with content being removed or watered down just because some people can't deal with it. You are not missing anything by skipping this part, you unfortunately don't even see Us again after the crash. I think with your issue, it might be helpful for you to look up guides and gameplay after it is released. There will most likely be more of this, we are dealing with mindflayers who do much worse than intellect devourers, and knowing alternate quest paths or what dialogue to skip would probably be helpful.

Originally Posted by TheFoxWhisperer
I would love for mindflayers to appear more allien and more like the abberations they are. More eldritch horror elements would be cool. This scene kind of misses that mark by just being an isolated ick-event that feels out of place, both in theme of the game regarding gore and creepy events as well as immersion.

Even the creatures breaking out of the skull offscreen (while possibly showing the main character's disgusted face recoiling back, and just that accompanied by ick sounds) would be better, and would make it a lot creepier to me. The implied skullbreaking and a brain wiggling out and growing feet and legs. (it goes with the more eldritch horror feel that fits mindflayers well I think. "less is more" and keep the mystery and creepiness rather than have it be all up in your face.)
I hope they leave it as it is. If they must change it, at least leave out the immersion breaking facial expressions. Pretty sure most of my characters would be curious or amused, not disgusted. I agree there should be more eldritch horror elements. Pretty sure we will get them, mind flayers are a central theme. smile

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I mean, it kinda has grown on me....

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Originally Posted by TheFoxWhisperer
It is supposed to show Mindflayers are this, yes. Alien, eldritch creatures that are meant to be feared. But it kind of fails to do so, really. It is just a "gross" scene. Nothing creepy, alien or freakish really. In ways it can even be seen as comedic or immersion breaking (just grabbing inside a skull to remove a brain like that, with your bare hands? That is just silly).

I would love for mindflayers to appear more allien and more like the abberations they are. More eldritch horror elements would be cool. This scene kind of misses that mark by just being an isolated ick-event that feels out of place, both in theme of the game regarding gore and creepy events as well as immersion.

Even the creatures breaking out of the skull offscreen (while possibly showing the main character's disgusted face recoiling back, and just that accompanied by ick sounds) would be better, and would make it a lot creepier to me. The implied skullbreaking and a brain wiggling out and growing feet and legs. (it goes with the more eldritch horror feel that fits mindflayers well I think. "less is more" and keep the mystery and creepiness rather than have it be all up in your face.)

I do see your point and i think its something I share with regards to RPG's in general. That scene does not "fit" "your" idea of what should happen in the RPG fantasy world of your mind. I totally agree and I stopped playing Pathfinder KM and never tried Outward for very similar reasons. I like what Larian are doing in this game and so do a lot of people that will remain invested in the game and developers for years to come. I doubt they will be able to or willing to tick everyones "ideal" RPG boxes.

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I was testing the options to this encounter when my 8 year old popped into the room to watch. She decided to show pity to the Mind Flayer and had Shadowheart 'feed' it. Well we failed the saves so had a party wipe. In the end, a group of level 2s are no match for a healthy mind flayer intent on ganking. Though I found this encounter mildly disturbing for a child to watch (moreso for the unsuspecting parent) but my daughter burst into laughter, proclaiming that I "HAD TO" convince Mommy to let her play the game with the parental controls off. Due to my aiding a child's turn to the dark side, I'm fairly certain I will not get the Parent-of-the-Year Award this year...perhaps never.

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Originally Posted by Stim#66
I was testing the options to this encounter when my 8 year old popped into the room to watch. She decided to show pity to the Mind Flayer and had Shadowheart 'feed' it.

That's not the encounter this thread is discussing....

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I think it does make a good point though. The intellect devourer is certainly not the only thing that's horrific/disgusting in the game.

I really think it's pretty consistent with the tone of other parts of the game. Some people will react to some parts more than other parts, I imagine. However, if you're not prepared to feel a somewhat disgusted or horrified during some scenes of the game then I think it's best that you sit this one out. There's no reason to believe it won't get worse at some point later in the game.

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I did find it pretty viscerally disgusting first time it happened. I prefer my horror elements a little more understated, what the imagination conjures can be far more scary than having all the gory details shoved in your face. I suppose this is another symptom of Larian's penchant for the kaboom, in-your-face style. Subtlety or leaving things to the imagination seems rare in this game.

Originally Posted by Topper
But thats the point is it not?????? The mind flayers are meant to be alien, freakish and gut churning. That scene quickly and effectively demonstrates just how horrible the mind flayers are. They prey on intelligent beings and destroy them utterly in the process, taking everything that makes them human. Kudos yet again to Larian.

I agree on your description of them but somehow I found them more menacing in BG2...

***SPOILER BELOW***

And then later in BG3 in the Underdark we meet a nice friendly mindflayer. I'm no DnD lore aficionado but is there any reason why there is a friendly one all of a sudden?

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To the spoilered question,

Unusual exceptions to standard norms are just that - unusual exceptions. There's nothing wrong with having something that is distinctly not the norm, and indeed, if we never encountered such things, the world would be a much more boring, drab and mundane place. As such, an individual example of something that stands starkly against the normative established lore, and is clearly noted out and lamp-shaded as being so, is perfectly fine; it is its unusual nature that is interesting.

In the case of the Ormellum, he is an illithid arcanist; illithids have a strong distaste, almost disgust, for those with arcane abilities that occur with their own; one of the less stated reasons for this, however, is that these unusual individuals usually have a more pronounced sense of self and are far more likely to find themselves at odds with the will of the elder brain. Those that do find themselves at odds with the will of the elder brain, or craving more free will of their own are either executed, or else they escape and break free, going to ground and trying to make sure they don't come back into the influence of their, or any other, elder brain ever again. they become rogue, independent illithids. This is very rare, but not unprecedented.

As such, finding this rogue illithid down here, hiding and doing research as he looks for a 'better way' to be and to live, is extremely unusual and a very unlikely thing, but it is also entirely believable within the realm space.

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Originally Posted by Niara
To the spoilered question,

Thank you for taking the time to provide such an in depth response and analysis. I would totally agree that having an exception to the norm can make for an interesting and integral part of a story; I guess my reticence towards is it that so much seems exceptional in this game that there is little in the way of 'normal', so far at least in EA (we start the game experiencing planar travel, visit the Underdark all in Act 1 and our party members include a vampire thrall,
a werewolf (apparently from the datamine)
, a mage who requires magical items for sustenance and a human pact-sworn to a devil)...but I am digressing here and they are personal preferences after all.

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