Baldur’s Gate 3is set to launch in early access next week, and fans are excited for a number of reasons. It’s been over 20 years since the firstBaldur’s Gategame released, which is quite the gap between installments, even for video games.
Baldur’s Gate 3might just redefine the RPG genre, just as its predecessors did in their day. It also looks like it’ll set the stage for all futureDungeons & Dragons-based games, of which there are quite a few in development, meaning whatever happens inBaldur’s Gate 3will leave its mark on the Forgotten Realms permanently. The events of the game could cause change across the Sword Coast and beyond, something all future games will need to acknowledge.
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The History of Baldur’s Gate
Dungeons & Dragonsis currently in its 5th edition, and the currently existing adventure books have already brought new lore for thehistory of Faerun. But that’s not all; there are multiple existing video games set within the popularDungeons & DragonsForgotten Realms setting, and what happens in the games is written into the history of the world for those who play eitherD&Ditself,D&D-based video games, or both.
Baldur’s GateandBaldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amnmade their mark on the gaming industry and fans everywhere, but they also made their mark on the Forgotten Realms and Faerun. Once the games released, the Bhaalspawn crisis (which covers the player character’s journey through both games and the ensuing expansion) became canon in the Forgotten Realms.
That includes the existence of the main Bhaalspawn - in canon, it’s Abdel Adrian,D&D’s default that fills the place of the player-character for the games - the almost-war that Sarevok waged in Baldur’s Gate, the experiments of Jon Irenicus, and more. In addition,the god Bhaal livesonce more in 5th edition canon, though his resurrection happened over a century after the events ofBaldur’s Gate.
SinceBaldur’s Gate 3is a sequelto these games, it’s entirely possible the Bhaalspawn crisis could be mentioned in-game. Either way,Baldur’s Gatelaid the foundations for futureD&D-based games, includingNeverwinter NightsandIcewind Dale.Baldur’s Gate 3will do the same thing today.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 Could Change Faerun
Knowing that whatever goes into the games becomes canon means that the events ofBaldur’s Gate 3could really take their toll onthe Forgotten Realms. Even in the opening cinematic trailer forBG3, we can see a massive Mind Flayer dreadnaught wreaking havoc across the city of Yartar, and kidnapping people to be infected with the Mind Flayer tadpoles. With people being forcibly turned into Mind Flayers left and right, it’ll be a long time before the people of Faerun forget what happened.
So, when futureDungeons & Dragonsgames are created, they’ll have to deal with the aftermath ofBaldur’s Gate 3. What a post-BG3Faerun looks like remains to be seen, but that’s the stage that developers of otherD&Dgames will have to work with. It’s possible the events ofBG3could even be mentioned in future adventures for 5th edition, simply as part of the flavor of Faerun. In that way,Baldur’s Gate 3has a lot of power over theD&Dgames that’ll follow, though the exact effect they’ll have is yet to be seen. Nonetheless, the events ofBG3are likely to leave a lasting imprint on the Forgotten Realms; it’s hard to imaginea Mind Flayer incursiondoing anything less.
According to Wizards of the Coast, there were “7 or 8"Dungeons & Dragonsvideo gamesas of late 2019 planned out for release in the next few years. While most of them remain unannounced, and therefore a mystery, that number includesBaldur’s Gate 3andDungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, the latter of which lets players take on the persona of Drizzt Do’Urden and company. Every game afterBG3will inherit the world space existing uponBG3’s conclusion. Thus,Baldur’s Gate 3sets the stage for all futureDungeons & Dragonsgames.
After the legacy left by its predecessors,Baldur’s Gate 3is going to have to make an equally big mark to stand out and live up to its name. If it does that successfully,Baldur’s Gate 3might very well change the standards of the modern RPG with its mechanics, graphics, and story. Beyond that,Baldur’s Gate 3is perfectly poised to change the historyDungeons & Dragons' main setting. Here’s hoping Larian can make that happen.
Baldur’s Gate 3enters early-access on October 6 for PC and Google Stadia.
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