“With Baldur's Gate 3, we wanted to highlight diversity and accessibility” (interview)

Awarded 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 find three members of "Larian Studios" during the last official ceremony of the P&gases 2024. The'éevent, which takes place every year& to reward the best video game creations, notably awarded the title of "best foreign game 2023" &agrav; Baldur's Gate 3. A well-deserved reward for the development studio which, following the release of the title, quickly found itself under 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.

© Larians Studios First of all, congratulations on your award for 'Best Foreign Game of the Year'. 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 have been We wanted the title to really emphasize the diversity of the game. and accessibility. We wanted to create strong characters, different characters and of all genres. The primary goal was to really not leave anyone out of the character creation. As such, we have had a lot of discussions about the lore of Dungeons and Dragons (editor's note: basic universe from which Baldur's Gate 3 is drawn)& nbsp;that we owed adapt so that all players feel welcome. In our studio alone, we have over 20 different nationalities and multiple personalities so we're not kidding there. on it."

"From the development of the game, we wanted the title to emphasize diversity"< /p>

These multi-faceted characters and personalities are much appreciated today. Some of them like Astarion, for n' ;to name just one, are very well represented through multiple original fan creations. Is this something that inspires the studio or which can even have an impact on future creations ?

"You know, in our premises we even have a fan art gallery whereù our stairs are covered with our players' original creations. If the adventures, but also the pains and sorrows of our characters can serve as spokespersons or representations for our character, players 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, may have helped some people to achieve their goals. feel seen or represented. When fans send us drawings, letters or even personal anecdotes, it's there. that we have the impression of having truly succeeded."

The character of Astarion touched upon many players in Baldur's Gate 3. © Larians Studios Baldur's Gate 3 had a big impact on the RPG (tabletop role-playing game) phenomenon, as did Baldur's Gate 3. also works like Stranger Things. Do you think that the game is a good entry point into this universe ?

(laughs) "completely.Completely. For my part, I took care in particular of 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. In 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 it. "Dungeons and Dragons". This is why the entire team insisted' on accessibility fights and people understand everything that's happening and can go roll real dice in the real world."

"It would be incredible if we could achieve à make a game so accessible that people would know how to play à Dungeons and Dragons once completed"

The game was a dazzling and, one might say, quite surprising success. How Larian Studios managed the game such a reputation acquired in such a short time ?

"In panic (laughs) yes in panic. There are also & pitfalls which are quite dangerous. Everyone wants a bit of you afterwards and you can't be everywhere at the same time or do 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 having recruited a lot during the year). COVID-19 epidemic). We therefore manage as best we can, day by day. We don't make hasty decisions and we don't panic."

By being aureolé of 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 like We could have released 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' &agrav; incredible titles like "Vagrant Story", "Metal Gear Solid" or "Final Fantasy VII". In everything I do today, there is a little of these games. In everything I do in the industry, there is a little 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 are greatly influenced by Baldur. #39;s Gate 3. I don't know if there is a "before" or an "afterès" BG3 although many think so. All I ask is to have been able to make the players happy, whether for 2, 5 or 100 hours."