Dragon Age writer and Baldur's Gate 2 dev David Gaider has finally finished Baldur's Gate 3, and like countless other fans, he reckons it's "a worthy successor" to BioWare's CRPGs.
"As someone who worked on BG2, my very first game in the industry, I gotta echo what everyone else has said: this resurrected the feeling of it in every way," Gaider said in a Twitter (X) thread after rolling credits on Baldur's Gate 3. "Hats off to [developer Larian] for all the love that clearly went into this. A worthy successor."
Gaider's assessment is not without criticisms. "Did I have some issues? Did I encounter bugs, even big ones? Do I have some Thoughts on the construction of its romances? Did I yearn for SOME kind of epilogue or wrap up at the end?" he asks. "All yes, but none of those detracted from the monumental achievement, here. I enjoyed every hour."
Partly echoing the widespread sentiment that, to its benefit, Baldur's Gate 3 feels like a game from a different time, Gaider adds: "I find myself bemused, considering all the things I've been told from time to time that are too 'old-fashioned' for a modern title: a silent protagonist, turn-based combat, nothing resembling monetization or live service for miles to be seen. Yet here we are."
"I hope Larian and all the creators involved are proud of their achievement," he concludes. "I can't imagine all the resources and the work that would've been required (well, that's not quite true - I can), and I really hope it was worth it. If we're all lucky, this is just the beginning."
Gaider's review is particularly weighty not just because of his reputation among RPG fans, but because of his role in the making of Baldur's Gate 2 during his time at BioWare, especially its Shadows of Amn expansion, not to mention his stay at Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition developer Beamdog.
Lead Larian writer Adam Smith described Baldur's Gate 3 as "shoulders of giants stuff" building on the RPGs that came before it, and paid particular homage to BioWare's run at Baldur's Gate. "It means a lot whenever I see anybody who was even vaguely associated with the original [Baldur's Gate] games being pleased, because we owe them a huge debt, and we hope we did them proud," Smith said. Larian's certainly got Gaider's approval.
As for this just being the beginning for Baldur's Gate 3, Larian senior producer Tom Butler was recently asked about post-launch plans and assured fans that the team does "want to do more," even if there's no set plan or timeline just yet.
Gaider previously defended Baldur's Gate 3's least-favorite companion, arguing "fandom has always treated male characters with more forgiveness."
