Rewarded with the title of “best foreign game of the year” during the Pegasus ceremony, the developers of Larian Studios were able to speak with us about the impact of their latest flagship title: Baldur’s Gate 3.
It was under thunderous applause that we were able to meet three members of “Larian Studios” during the last official ceremony of the Pégases 2024. The event, which is responsible each year for rewarding the best video game creations, notably awarded the title of “best foreign game 2023” to Baldur’s Gate 3. A well-deserved reward for the development studio which, following the release of the title, quickly found itself in the spotlight following the success of their creation.
We were able to speak with Edouard Imbert, designer in charge of the combat in Baldur’s Gate 3, to discuss the different themes of the game and its impact on the video game industry today.
First of all, congratulations on your “best foreign game of the year” award. When we think of Baldur’s Gate 3, many players first mention its very diverse characters. Was this something important to the studio?
“Representation and diversity are points that were important from the beginning of the game’s design. We wanted the title to really emphasize diversity and accessibility. We wanted to create strong characters, different characters and all genres. The primary goal was to really not leave anyone out of the character creation. As such, we notably had a lot of discussions about the lore of Dungeons and Dragons (editor’s note: basic universe from which Baldur’s Gate 3 is taken) which we had to adapt so that all players felt welcome. In our studio alone, we have over 20 different nationalities and multiple personalities so we’re not kidding about that.”
These multifaceted characters and personalities are much appreciated today. Some of them, like Astarion, to name just one, are heavily represented through multiple original fan creations. Is this something that inspires the studio or can even impact future creations?
“You know, in our premises we even have a fan art gallery where our staircases are covered with the original creations of our players. If the adventures, but also the pains and sorrows of our characters can serve as spokesperson or representation to players who are going through difficult things, it moves us. We know that certain parts of Baldur’s Gate 3, like the story of Astarion that you cited, were able to help some people feel seen or represented. When fans we send drawings, letters or even personal anecdotes, that’s when you feel like you’ve really succeeded.”
Baldur’s Gate 3 had a big impact on the RPG (tabletop role-playing game) phenomenon, as did works like Stranger Things. Do you think the game is a good entry point into this universe?
(laughs) “completely. Completely. For my part, I took care of the game’s combats and the combat log which transcribes all the actions carried out and the details of the calculations during the confrontations. When developing this, I said to myself that it would be incredible if we made a game so accessible, that once it was finished, people knew how to play “Dungeons and Dragons”. This is why the whole team insisted on the accessibility of the fights and that people understand everything that is happening and can roll real dice in the real world.”
The game was a dazzling and, one might say, quite surprising success. How did Larian Studios manage such fame acquired in such a short time?
“In panic (laughs) yes in panic. There are also pitfalls which are quite dangerous. Everyone wants a little bit of you after that and we can’t be everywhere at the same time or blow up the studio by hiring 300 or 400 more people to, in the end, create a situation like at CD Projekt (editor’s note: development studio for The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 games which had to lay off 9% of its workforce after recruiting heavily during the COVID-19 epidemic). So we manage as best we can on a day-to-day basis. We don’t make hasty decisions and we don’t panic.”
Being crowned with the title of “best game of the year” by many media, we are certainly entitled to ask ourselves the ultimate question: do you think that there will be a before and after Baldur’s Gate 3 as we could be titles like “The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim” or “The Legends of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” for the world of video games?
“When I was a teenager, I played incredible titles like “Vagrant Story”, “Metal Gear Solid” and “Final Fantasy VII”. In everything I do today, there is a bit of these games. In everything I do in the industry, we find a little bit of these iconic Video Game titles, and I know that it’s the same thing for many people at Larian Studios. So maybe in 10 or 15 years, we will see a new generation who say they themselves were greatly influenced by Baldur’s Gate 3. I don’t know if there is a “before” or an “after” BG3 although many think so. what I’m asking for is to have been able to make the players happy, whether for 2, 5 or 100 hours.”