Even if I own quite a few games on Steam, that's a no for me. If they did it on GOG as well... I'd think about it.

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I didn't know anything about this:
https://www.thegamer.com/archetype-entertainment-new-bioware/

WotC is on fire! Those big Hasbro bucks might just end up going places worthwhile

Bioware reborn??!?! Count me in :))

I can't help but be skeptical of the decision to re-use the name of an old franchise. The story was finished, the system isn't going to be used again, what relation could it possibly have to Baldur's Gate. Even so, I am curious to see how 5e will be adapted, D&D computer games used to be all the rage but it's been a long time since the game was tapped for adaptation.

I'm usually not keen on early access, but I think I'll make an exception for this title.

Even if the story is about a different character, and different antagonists, the ways in which it can tie to the previous ones are endless, and that is how the writers of this game can make or brake it (besides mechanics, but the designers would have to be pretty terrible to mess that up, more on that below). The story of the Children of Bhaal was far from over in the Forgotten Realms pen and paper canon by the time ToB occurs. As I've mentioned in other topics: As for current D&D and the implementation of 5e into CRPGs, it seems WotC has given some freedom to Larian in adapting the system, even though WotC has plans for several CRPGs during the next 5 years. I seriously doubt they will put all in the hands of people not prepared either technically or knowledge-wise to make the proper adaptation that they need to set off their plans with a bang and continue to use that adaptation of the rules in the rest of the games.

Additionally, and this is just a completely baseless and gut-feel opinion from me, WotC is or will be looking to make something to serve as a digital tabletop for online adventuring (that is not simply "pen and paper with computers" as they are now). BG3's engine and rules would be perfect for that, and I'm sure they'll put all the resources they need to see that succeed.

In any case, if the game really (or even marginally) sucks, you'll hear it from me as soon as I lay my eyes on it.

So... that happened.

Early access confirmed in a few months (Swen said "a couple of months" but not in the proper sense of two).

I'm still digesting some of it, but I don't have much to say other than that they should have waited a bit longer to show the gameplay (and I'm not talking about the technical issues, it's freaking good for alpha gameplay). I'm fine with it having turn based combat, but most of the demonstration went into showing how to use the environment to our advantage instead of showing char abilities and teamwork.

Regarding the story, the only interesting matters that could have been mentioned or shown... weren't. Gith vs Illithid is a good setup, but that was about all that was new.

There is one possible disappointment already showing for me. It's not combat, or the looks, or the fact that the story hits the ground running instead of it unraveling slowly before you. As of now, it appears that the most interesting char development efforts went into the "Origin stories" of pregenerated chars. If making a custom char makes you miss out on most of those efforts, and there is no proper main character (to "allow everyone to be a/the hero" in multiplayer) and there is no personal branching story for them other than the main adventure itself, then THAT is what it will make it not worthy of the Baldur's Gate saga.

If it ends up being so, they can still make a great game out of this, but instead of naming it Baldur's Gate 3 they could have easily named it Icewind Dale 3 and change the venue. :P

Also, the lighting effects when using abilities that are in no way magical... very silly. One of the first things that need to be modded out if they get to the final game in that state.

DOS3 with the name Baldur's Gate attached via IP purchase.
Will it be good? Maybe, but I can't stand 3D camera wrestling in an rpg, and if it has generic artstyle, setting and writing, then I'm not interested even if the gameplay is good.

My opinion, after watching the 90 minute presentation:

Baldur's Gate 3 will be a very good D&D 5e CRPG, but not a "Baldur's Gate" game, ala Tales of the Sword Coast, Shadows of Amn, and Throne of Bhaal.

This new BG3 just looks and feels like a different genre game.

I wont be far from the truth when I say this is just Divinity: Original Sin 3. What the hell had Larian been thinking?

All these points have been discussed to death on the Larian forums within a few months after the initial announcement.

Most of the true BG fans who expect a proper BALDUR'S GATE game tend to be disappointed that there just isn't much about this game that is "Baldur's Gate".

I'm a fan of Larian myself, ever since I played Divine Divinity 10 years ago, and I enjoyed both DOS games well enough, playing both on Tactical difficulty. But I'm also a hardcore BG fan. As such, while I'm not "disappointed" per se, my enthusiasm for this game does dwindle a bit.

This game caters more to the DOS fans, and fans of the tabletop D&D. Funnily enough, far as I can tell, the people who most vocally support BG3 were never fans of the original BG games to begin with. Some even disliked them. These people are the most eager to attack you directly as soon as you say things like "A shame it's going to be turn-based", "Come on this is no Baldur's Gate", and so on.

So anyway, while I keep an open mind, and I'm confident I can enjoy BG3 if it indeed is a great game, I must say that, perhaps they should have called this game something else, rather than "Baldur's Gate 3". If you say this on Larian forums, chances you will start a huge war in which people start bashing you and critizing how BAD the original BG games are just because they are RTWP.

Thanks for the post amazingchestahead. I'm not on the Larian forums much, so your observations are interesting.

BG1 and BG2 are my favorite games of all time.

If I saw that game footage for BG3, and the words "Baldur's Gate" were removed everywhere therein, I woulda never have guessed it had anything to do with the BG1 and BG2 games.

I am playing Larian's Divine Divinity for the first time (and plan on playing through all the Divinity games), and I am enjoying it well enough.

I will probably buy and play BG3. I will probably enjoy it well enough. It will probably be a very good D&D 5e CRPG. It will be set in the city of Baldur's Gate on the Sword Coast of the Forgotten Realms. It will probably have appearances by characters from BG1 and BG2. It will probably reference events from BG1 and BG2.

But this is not the next game in the "Baldur's Gate" series. This is another game set in the Forgotten Realms... not BG3.

Being turn-based sold it to me.

These are exactly my thoughts. The game is too different from the original series. It resembles Divinity: Original Sin 2 a lot, but not a next BG game. It has chances to be the best D&D computer adaptation in history. It doesn't have that BG feeling though.

I don't understand why I already love this game. Given my attitude towards Bethesda's Fallouts, I should hate it. It has nothing to do with the Bhaalspawn saga. It has a completely different look and feel. Nobody who actually worked on BG1-2 is actually working on BG3. It has a completely different combat style.

Then again, I liked BG: Dark Alliance as well, but hated Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, which was pretty much the same game. Is it that I'm more attached to Fallout? Or maybe it's because changing RTwP to Turn-based is good and Turn-based to full real time is bad (which doesn't explain why I actually liked BGDA1-2)?

Maybe it's because they aren't trying to change the Bhaalspawn saga at all. By not being part of it, they can't corrupt it by adding silly lore or turning little jokes into important truths. Of course the game itself will likely have cameos from BG1-2 characters and may reference BG1-2 lore, so maybe I'm speaking too soon, and they will, indeed, do what Beamdog did and make it their own.

Personally, I prefer the Pillars of Eternity approach and the look regarding Baldur's Gate legacy. Though I still think BG3 might turn out to be a really good game. Will it be a good Baldur's Gate? I'll give it a chance.

I was really worried that this would be a simple and shiny RPG for the masses, but I like that they try to stick to the D&D rules and there's quite a bit of variety of interactions.

I'm not a fan of flashy jumps, dashes etc. and that epic intro, though.