Someone could, and perhaps someday will, write a book on all the lessons RPG developers can learn fromBaldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios' undisputed magnum opus. Character writing, a baffling amount of meaningful choices to be made, and unique, impactful build-crafting systems are all among some of the best elements of the 2023 Game of the Year winner, but it’s the translation oftabletop-RPG storytelling that truly makesBaldur’s Gate 3workso well.
Indeed, it can be argued that just about every other positive aspect ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s structure and storytelling stems from this translation of traditional DnD mechanics, which positions player agency and control as the most important factors to consider. Put simply,Baldur’s Gate 3is more “Elder Scrolls” than “Final Fantasy,” in the sense that players can effectively choose their own backstory, untethered by predetermined characteristics. But the game also manages to be considerably more fleshed-out than its contemporaries with respect to this defining strategy, offering tangible and long-reaching variables that can greatly change how players engage with the story. Of these myriad possibilities, The Dark Urge storyline perhaps paves the best, or at least most fascinating, path to explore.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Why the Dark Urge Storyline Should Be Influential
The Dark Urge Provides a One-of-a-Kind Baldur’s Gate Experience
Created by Bhaal, Lord of Murder,The Dark Urge is an Origin characterwith no memory of their past. All that they are aware of is their insatiable lust for murder, spurring them toward meaningless violence with intense ferocity. This impacts the story in a number of significant ways, including:
The Dark Urge path also affects the broader gameplay and role-playing experience in smaller ways. For instance, The Dark Urge is a cannibal, able to consume human and humanoid flesh. Giving into and rejecting the Urge can both yield Inspiration points as well, directly linking the story to player performance at certain points in the adventure. There are even more aspects ofBaldur’s Gate 3that can only beexperienced in a Dark Urge playthrough, but the point is that opting for this route has meaningful, extensive implications on both the gameplay and narrative fronts, so it serves as an important lesson for other RPG developers.
The Dark Urge is a Dragonborn by default, but they can be whatever race, gender, class, et cetera, that the player wishes.
Why The Dark Urge Should Inform Other, Similar RPGs
The notion of the “evil playthrough” is nothing new in the world of western RPGs. Drawing upon Bethesda’s rich catalog for examples, one can see evil options presented at just about every corner in theFalloutandElder Scrollsgames, though these are considerably stripped-down when compared to thelikes ofBaldur Gate 3’s Dark Urge plot. Perhaps the closest parallel would be the vampire and werewolf subplots inSkyrim: players afflicted with these conditions experience unique positive and negative affects, but these augment the experience rather than fundamentally change it. In other words, becoming a vampire or werewolf inSkyrimsimply adds another layer to the already-existing narrative and gameplay—it doesn’t make for a completely new interplay of good versus evil, or chaos versus order.
For other choice-based RPGs to approach thelevel of quality and polish ofBG3’s Dark Urge, attention to detail and ambition must be present in equal measure. Larian committed wholeheartedly to the concept of a player-character struggling with the forces of evil, instituting transformative changes toward this end, and the result is a role-playing experience that feels like a completely new game. Other studios should follow suit.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
