Baldur's Gate 3: Genre Revolution or a Special Case? A BioWare Veteran's Perspective
Baldur's Gate 3. Uttering the name aloud conjures images of mythic quests, universal praise, and sales chart domination from the summer of 2023. However, after the initial hype had faded, there was one gigantic question left over. Does this stratospheric success mark a watershed for the RPG genre? Will every studio now be pursuing the Baldur's Gate 3 formula? A veteran of the RPG trade, with decades of experience at BioWare, has spoken up with his perspective. It's not always what you might anticipate.
Sales and Influence: Rarely the Same Story
Mark Darrah, a name synonymous with BioWare for over two decades (think Dragon Age, Mass Effect), recently shared his thoughts in a YouTube video titled "Sales and Influence Are Not the Same Thing." His take? While Baldur's Gate 3 is undoubtedly a masterpiece and has expanded the RPG audience, its impact on the broader industry might be more limited than some believe.
Darrah, with the unique insight of a programmer on the original Baldur's Gate titles, contends that Larian Studios' success is a "special case." He argues it is a perfect alignment of factors impossible for other studios to replicate. Let's delve into his reasoning.
The D&D Magic: A Setting Primed for Success
A primary argument of Darrah's is the power of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) setting. It's not just a well-known fantasy world; it's a cultural phenomenon. And, notably, D&D was in the midst of a popularity resurgence while Baldur's Gate 3 was in production. This built-in fanbase and popularity surge provided a huge tailwind to the game's success. It was the right setting at the right time.
Larian's Daring Decisions: Unique, But Not Universally Applicable
Darrah also mentions some of Larian's design choices that, while genius in Baldur's Gate 3, might not become industry-wide trends. He mentions:
- The Silent Protagonist: While it works in BG3, the industry has been moving towards voiced protagonists for greater player immersion. Larian's choice was a risky one against this trend.
- Simplified Cinematics: Compared to some RPGs with very cinematic, involved cutscenes, Baldur's Gate 3 has a simpler style. This fit the tone of BG3, but other studios might prefer different kinds of cinematic storytelling.
Darrah is not suggesting these choices were wrong. He notes that Larian executed them beautifully for Baldur's Gate 3. His argument is that the industry has largely moved away from those practices for specific reasons. It's unlikely BG3's success will suddenly reverse those prevalent trends overnight across the board.
No Blueprint for the Future
The crux of Darrah's argument is this. As excellent as Baldur's Gate 3 is, it's not destined to be the new template that all RPGs going forward are molded from. Its success is the result of a perfect storm of factors. These include the D&D setting, Larian's specific design choices, and perhaps a bit of lightning in a bottle. Other studios will take lessons from and marvel at BG3, but they will not change their tried-and-true development philosophies due to the phenomenal, if possibly aberrant, success of one game.
Meanwhile, as Larian Studios is enjoying the limelight of their massive success, they've also released their final major patch for Baldur's Gate 3. The devs are already looking towards their next adventure, leaving behind a legacy that, while influential, might be a glorious, genre-redefining exception rather than a complete revolution.
You can watch Mark Darrah's full video on YouTube for a more detailed examination of his analysis.
