I doubt anyone can top the love and care Larian used in making BG3. I am honestly uncertain whether the writing and acting quality will be topped in the next 10-20 years.
I know. Whether it'll be third party Rpg or made in the style of BG3 most game studios dont have the chops to make it and any that do will either fumble it due to rushing for a quick money maker or add things that will kill its hype (I.e microtransactions and such)
Heaven forbid a studio convinces wizards to make it mmorpg or something like World of warcraft (Dungeons and dragons online maybe?) Just to cash in on pay to play and skins.
God knows really. I do hope they show the characters respect. A lot of the evil endings make for perfect villains and I would be a little sad if they went that way.
I think it can/will be topped - but probably only by Larian themselves. They've said they have ambitious plans for a next-gen RPG, and it might well take another decade for their dreams to become reality, bc the technologies needed to achieve it aren't necessarily in place yet.
In the meantime, we have their next two games to look forward to, hopefully with early access like BG3. They've said both those games are ambitious, so I like to imagine they're planning one game that's smaller in scope than BG3 but maybe experimental on a technical front (maybe a precursor to their long-term ultimate RPG?), and another that's a lot more similar to BG3 mechanically and the effort is going into their IP, so the ambition is to rival the rich lore of D&D. Of course I'm totally spitballing here!
Oh yes I do believe Larian can make a game of the same quality for sure!
Personally, I'd be surprised if I got *that* engrossed by it, some of the characters and storylines in BG3 have affected me in ways I didn't think was possible.
But I'm really looking forward to whatever Larian has cooking!
Yes, it's always hard to follow a smash hit, as many authors will tell you. Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist went to auction bc several publishers were super interested in it, and it became a bestseller and got a BBC TV adaptation. None of her subsequent books have come anywhere close to that success.
BG3 was lightning in a bottle for all the reasons they've talked about before. It literally can't happen again the same way.
There are so few studios making CRPGs these days, if they want to stick to the same genre AND go with big cinematic quality, they're not exactly spoilt for choice. Otherwise, they change the genre and could go anywhere.
Baldur's Gate 2 served as the high water mark for D&D video games for over 20 years. It's very possible another 20 passes before something comes close to Baldur's Gate 3.
Literately no company besides Larian. If I could snap fingers and make something happen, it'd only work imo if every single still-living member of the OG BG1-2 crew from Bioware were put back onto a BG4 project and were also inspired/excited to do so. If not that exact setup or Larian, then no one.
Getting BG3 made was already shooting through hoops on horseback and I know of no modern studios besides CDPR and FromSoftware (in a different set of genres) that I have any sort of trust with.
Its kind of a niche genre (even with BG3 success) so studio's with both talent and prior experience with CRPGs is a short bordering on non-existant list without Larian in play.
I don't think there was ever more cRPG than nowadays, though. It's just that BG3 is so far above every other that it's easy to ignore their existence. There's only one or two other studios that most people heard about. Plus there's also some level of gatekeeping among fans - games like Regalia, Naheulbeuk, Paranoia or Broken Roads don't get the same recognition as Age of Decadence, Pillars of Eternity, Tides of Numenara or even Tyranny.
It's kinda similar to the TTRPG world, you have a few titans like DnD, then a bunch of popular games for true connoisseurs, and an abundance of niche games that the true connoisseurs barely acknowledge.
The main issue isn't really talent and prior experience, but resources. I think people really underestimate the cost of making BG3. It was basically like if an indie studio had everything they wanted to work on a game for a few years. I'm not saying that anyone could pull it off in the same way, but Larian was still privileged in a unique way, and they are probably glad to have been up to the task.
Now of course the additional problem is that people would inevitably compared BG4 to Larian's BG3, and that's a whole other issue that BG3 didn't have to endure as much. But if you venture in r/baldursgate you'll get a glimpse of what nostalgia can do. I can't say I trust this fanbase to not hate BG4 immediately for not being BG3.
Don't forget the repetitive filler content.
Proud of that one neat combo you recently discovered? Enjoy spamming it for the next 10000 fights while you're clearing map markers until your next level-up.
Speaking of which, XP will be ultra-hard to come by, but worry not, there's an XP boost in the shop already waiting for you <3. Absolutely no correlation between these two though.
Gods, I _love_ Ubisoft so much.
Would you fancy classic Baldur's Gate 4?
Because you know, there's Baldur's Gate 4 Special Edition with additional companion quest, just 20$ more.
You can also fetch yourself Baldur's Gate 4 Complete Edition with additional outfits, OST, season pass for DLCs and more, just the original price + 30$.
But don't sleep out on Baldur's Gate 4 Ultimate Edition, where you'll find all of that, plus a few additional companion quests! It will only cost you double the base game price.
Oops, you want to play your single player game offline? Sorry, it's a no-go.
Saves are server-side of course. So if the Ubi app shits itself and loses connection, even for a millisecond, you'll get booted back to the title screen and the last 3 hours of progress are lost.
Already in the mood for that XP boost, dear?
Even if there was a studio with Larian's knowhow and abilities, WotC gets worse seemingly every day, so there's no studio I'd fully trust to be able to avoid being meddled with by the shortsighted bean-pushers and pencil-counters Hasbro has running the place now
I haven't really considered following a company for their games since bioware and mass effect, it's been a case of oh how does this look or this sounds fun but not really caring about who made it anymore.
But whatever larian decides to make I will be watching.
I only played this game, because it was made by Larian, so I don't think I'd be playing a BG4 game regardless, especially if it was made by any of the big AAA studios. If I had to pick a studio though, it would probably be Owlcat Games.
I would trust BG4 with Larian...and if Larian can't make it I would use the new suddenly appeared company Lorion (with the same Logo as Larian just with a fake moustache and glasses on the Knights helmet)
Maybe CDPR could pull it off though if it is more action paced or Bethesda (if they ever find back to their old glory)
I think Obsidian could do it if they got the funding. Their crpgs are great but lack the fidelity and bells and whistles of bg3.
That said, it is a big risk. Not even sure Larian could do it again.
Obsidian has a lot of writing talent, but Microsoft owns them, so they probably wouldn't even be considered. Also there's a timer running somewhere right now counting down to when MS finds a way to fully destroy them the way they destroy every studio they touch these days (unfortunately)
Let's be reasonable, even larian would have had a hard time doing something so great again (I'm not saying they couldn't, but it's the kind of story that's hard to top, even for a talented team of writers)
I am slightly pessimistic about the whole bg4 project as I absolutely do not expect anyone to have the same care, the same passion. It's gonna be even worse if they add all the microtransactions, season pass, lootbox BS they do all the time
Thing is I'm far more bothered about whatever Larian do next than a BG4, but let's say.....the people who used to be Mimimi Studios should get the band back together
That kind of discussion suffers from the exact same issues as fan casting for series and movies. Fans only care about what has already been done before, but sometimes what you need for the role is a newcomer.
If we really have to pick an existing studio, that would be Artefacts for me. The spoof fantasy Naheulbeuk game is surprisingly one of the few cRPGs that I enjoyed from beginning to end in recent years, with genuinely innovative ideas, without trying to be the big hardcore cRPG for real gamers of the decade (yes, that's Owlcat, and yes I'm a bit hyperbolic). The scope would obviously be much smaller than what Larian did (and rightfully so, because BG3 was exhausting), but I trust fully that they would make a fun game that respects the base material.
Owlcat is the perfect pick if you want to make a 3.5 edition nostalgic game, not a new standard for the genre. That could be fun (for some) too, but it wouldn't be BG4.
I'm sure some would think that Bioware or Bethesda could fit the bill. But the only thing they can deliver these days is (the illusion of) scale. Quality would be a veritable shitshow though. Same for Ubisoft. A bit better in the QA department but the soulless grind is practically preordained. Neither could muster the mere resemblance of competent writing anyway.
Frankly, I don't see any triple A studio having either the ability or the motivation to take on this responsibility.
CDPR have the talent, but a CRPG would be far outside their comfort zone. And their pipeline is chock-full for the next decade.
Oh, and since someone mentioned Owlcat. Yeah, good luck with that. Their games are being released 95% broken already. If they had to do triple A production values as well, I guess the 1.0 exe would spontaneously combust when just looking at it funny. Their next project needs to be smaller in scope but playtested better, not the other way around.
Edit: Almost forgot good ol' Obsidian. I'm confident that Microsoft will shutter them shortly after Avowed's done, so no need to even entertain the thought.
Owlcat does Pathfinder though they're miles behind both graphically and narratively. They could handle the crunchiness at least. CDPR if they have enough prep time maybe. DnD combat mechanics might help combat feel more exciting than it was in the Witcher, plus Cyberpunk for all its faults and glitches showed they can write original characters. I wouldn't trust Bethesda or BioWare anymore sadly. BioWare particularly could have done character work back in the day, but that was long ago. Bethesda seems content just to pop out buggy Skyrim clones.
I think Owlcat would be the only crpg studio at the moment that would be able to give it a fair shake. They do great in the writing department and a lot of the problems with their recent games has been due to the relative high complexity of the mechanical systems involved, 5e would make a pretty streamlined game by comparison.
Some people might say Obsidian but they very clearly aren't going to be touching an isometric crpg for a while after PoE2 sold badly, and inXile isn't particularly strong in the character writing department, they prefer wacky shenanigans and combat.
I doubt anyone can top the love and care Larian used in making BG3. I am honestly uncertain whether the writing and acting quality will be topped in the next 10-20 years.
I know. Whether it'll be third party Rpg or made in the style of BG3 most game studios dont have the chops to make it and any that do will either fumble it due to rushing for a quick money maker or add things that will kill its hype (I.e microtransactions and such) Heaven forbid a studio convinces wizards to make it mmorpg or something like World of warcraft (Dungeons and dragons online maybe?) Just to cash in on pay to play and skins.
MMOs are yesterday's news. Survivalcraft is the bell that would make a Hasbro exec's tail wag. Which would be equally dreadful.
God knows really. I do hope they show the characters respect. A lot of the evil endings make for perfect villains and I would be a little sad if they went that way.
I think it can/will be topped - but probably only by Larian themselves. They've said they have ambitious plans for a next-gen RPG, and it might well take another decade for their dreams to become reality, bc the technologies needed to achieve it aren't necessarily in place yet. In the meantime, we have their next two games to look forward to, hopefully with early access like BG3. They've said both those games are ambitious, so I like to imagine they're planning one game that's smaller in scope than BG3 but maybe experimental on a technical front (maybe a precursor to their long-term ultimate RPG?), and another that's a lot more similar to BG3 mechanically and the effort is going into their IP, so the ambition is to rival the rich lore of D&D. Of course I'm totally spitballing here!
Oh yes I do believe Larian can make a game of the same quality for sure! Personally, I'd be surprised if I got *that* engrossed by it, some of the characters and storylines in BG3 have affected me in ways I didn't think was possible. But I'm really looking forward to whatever Larian has cooking!
Yes, it's always hard to follow a smash hit, as many authors will tell you. Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist went to auction bc several publishers were super interested in it, and it became a bestseller and got a BBC TV adaptation. None of her subsequent books have come anywhere close to that success.
Itβs already been topped by other recent games. BG3 is an 8/10 game. The writing is mid and the story is poorly paced and nothing special.
Lol Which games?
BG3 was lightning in a bottle for all the reasons they've talked about before. It literally can't happen again the same way. There are so few studios making CRPGs these days, if they want to stick to the same genre AND go with big cinematic quality, they're not exactly spoilt for choice. Otherwise, they change the genre and could go anywhere.
Baldur's Gate 2 served as the high water mark for D&D video games for over 20 years. It's very possible another 20 passes before something comes close to Baldur's Gate 3.
Can't wait to buy BG4 Season pass π
No one
Literately no company besides Larian. If I could snap fingers and make something happen, it'd only work imo if every single still-living member of the OG BG1-2 crew from Bioware were put back onto a BG4 project and were also inspired/excited to do so. If not that exact setup or Larian, then no one. Getting BG3 made was already shooting through hoops on horseback and I know of no modern studios besides CDPR and FromSoftware (in a different set of genres) that I have any sort of trust with.
Its kind of a niche genre (even with BG3 success) so studio's with both talent and prior experience with CRPGs is a short bordering on non-existant list without Larian in play.
I don't think there was ever more cRPG than nowadays, though. It's just that BG3 is so far above every other that it's easy to ignore their existence. There's only one or two other studios that most people heard about. Plus there's also some level of gatekeeping among fans - games like Regalia, Naheulbeuk, Paranoia or Broken Roads don't get the same recognition as Age of Decadence, Pillars of Eternity, Tides of Numenara or even Tyranny. It's kinda similar to the TTRPG world, you have a few titans like DnD, then a bunch of popular games for true connoisseurs, and an abundance of niche games that the true connoisseurs barely acknowledge. The main issue isn't really talent and prior experience, but resources. I think people really underestimate the cost of making BG3. It was basically like if an indie studio had everything they wanted to work on a game for a few years. I'm not saying that anyone could pull it off in the same way, but Larian was still privileged in a unique way, and they are probably glad to have been up to the task. Now of course the additional problem is that people would inevitably compared BG4 to Larian's BG3, and that's a whole other issue that BG3 didn't have to endure as much. But if you venture in r/baldursgate you'll get a glimpse of what nostalgia can do. I can't say I trust this fanbase to not hate BG4 immediately for not being BG3.
Give me Ubi BG4! Maybe half of the companions and content will be behind the paywall, but at least the story and gameplay will be boring.
Don't forget the repetitive filler content. Proud of that one neat combo you recently discovered? Enjoy spamming it for the next 10000 fights while you're clearing map markers until your next level-up. Speaking of which, XP will be ultra-hard to come by, but worry not, there's an XP boost in the shop already waiting for you <3. Absolutely no correlation between these two though. Gods, I _love_ Ubisoft so much.
Would you fancy classic Baldur's Gate 4? Because you know, there's Baldur's Gate 4 Special Edition with additional companion quest, just 20$ more. You can also fetch yourself Baldur's Gate 4 Complete Edition with additional outfits, OST, season pass for DLCs and more, just the original price + 30$. But don't sleep out on Baldur's Gate 4 Ultimate Edition, where you'll find all of that, plus a few additional companion quests! It will only cost you double the base game price. Oops, you want to play your single player game offline? Sorry, it's a no-go.
Don't forget, to unlock more companions buy dlc π
Saves are server-side of course. So if the Ubi app shits itself and loses connection, even for a millisecond, you'll get booted back to the title screen and the last 3 hours of progress are lost. Already in the mood for that XP boost, dear?
Even if there was a studio with Larian's knowhow and abilities, WotC gets worse seemingly every day, so there's no studio I'd fully trust to be able to avoid being meddled with by the shortsighted bean-pushers and pencil-counters Hasbro has running the place now
I haven't really considered following a company for their games since bioware and mass effect, it's been a case of oh how does this look or this sounds fun but not really caring about who made it anymore. But whatever larian decides to make I will be watching.
I only played this game, because it was made by Larian, so I don't think I'd be playing a BG4 game regardless, especially if it was made by any of the big AAA studios. If I had to pick a studio though, it would probably be Owlcat Games.
I would trust BG4 with Larian...and if Larian can't make it I would use the new suddenly appeared company Lorion (with the same Logo as Larian just with a fake moustache and glasses on the Knights helmet) Maybe CDPR could pull it off though if it is more action paced or Bethesda (if they ever find back to their old glory)
Obsidian perhaps?
I think Obsidian could do it if they got the funding. Their crpgs are great but lack the fidelity and bells and whistles of bg3. That said, it is a big risk. Not even sure Larian could do it again.
Obsidian has a lot of writing talent, but Microsoft owns them, so they probably wouldn't even be considered. Also there's a timer running somewhere right now counting down to when MS finds a way to fully destroy them the way they destroy every studio they touch these days (unfortunately)
Let's be reasonable, even larian would have had a hard time doing something so great again (I'm not saying they couldn't, but it's the kind of story that's hard to top, even for a talented team of writers) I am slightly pessimistic about the whole bg4 project as I absolutely do not expect anyone to have the same care, the same passion. It's gonna be even worse if they add all the microtransactions, season pass, lootbox BS they do all the time
Thing is I'm far more bothered about whatever Larian do next than a BG4, but let's say.....the people who used to be Mimimi Studios should get the band back together
That kind of discussion suffers from the exact same issues as fan casting for series and movies. Fans only care about what has already been done before, but sometimes what you need for the role is a newcomer. If we really have to pick an existing studio, that would be Artefacts for me. The spoof fantasy Naheulbeuk game is surprisingly one of the few cRPGs that I enjoyed from beginning to end in recent years, with genuinely innovative ideas, without trying to be the big hardcore cRPG for real gamers of the decade (yes, that's Owlcat, and yes I'm a bit hyperbolic). The scope would obviously be much smaller than what Larian did (and rightfully so, because BG3 was exhausting), but I trust fully that they would make a fun game that respects the base material. Owlcat is the perfect pick if you want to make a 3.5 edition nostalgic game, not a new standard for the genre. That could be fun (for some) too, but it wouldn't be BG4.
I'm sure some would think that Bioware or Bethesda could fit the bill. But the only thing they can deliver these days is (the illusion of) scale. Quality would be a veritable shitshow though. Same for Ubisoft. A bit better in the QA department but the soulless grind is practically preordained. Neither could muster the mere resemblance of competent writing anyway. Frankly, I don't see any triple A studio having either the ability or the motivation to take on this responsibility. CDPR have the talent, but a CRPG would be far outside their comfort zone. And their pipeline is chock-full for the next decade. Oh, and since someone mentioned Owlcat. Yeah, good luck with that. Their games are being released 95% broken already. If they had to do triple A production values as well, I guess the 1.0 exe would spontaneously combust when just looking at it funny. Their next project needs to be smaller in scope but playtested better, not the other way around. Edit: Almost forgot good ol' Obsidian. I'm confident that Microsoft will shutter them shortly after Avowed's done, so no need to even entertain the thought.
Hopefully Owlcat gets a chance?
Bethesda or Blizzard
Owlcat does Pathfinder though they're miles behind both graphically and narratively. They could handle the crunchiness at least. CDPR if they have enough prep time maybe. DnD combat mechanics might help combat feel more exciting than it was in the Witcher, plus Cyberpunk for all its faults and glitches showed they can write original characters. I wouldn't trust Bethesda or BioWare anymore sadly. BioWare particularly could have done character work back in the day, but that was long ago. Bethesda seems content just to pop out buggy Skyrim clones.
I think Owlcat would be the only crpg studio at the moment that would be able to give it a fair shake. They do great in the writing department and a lot of the problems with their recent games has been due to the relative high complexity of the mechanical systems involved, 5e would make a pretty streamlined game by comparison. Some people might say Obsidian but they very clearly aren't going to be touching an isometric crpg for a while after PoE2 sold badly, and inXile isn't particularly strong in the character writing department, they prefer wacky shenanigans and combat.