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 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.
“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 including is based on Baldur's Gate 3) which we had to adapt so that all players feel welcome. Within our studio alone, we have over 20 different nationalities and multiple personalities so we're not kidding about that."
"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."
(laughs) "completely. Completely. For my part, I took care of the game's combat and the combat log which transcribes all the actions performed and the details of the calculations during the confrontations. In developing this, I rightly 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". That's why the whole team insisted on the accessibility of the fights and people understand everything that's going on and can go roll real dice in the real world."
"In panic (laughs) yes in panic. There are also pitfalls which are quite dangerous. Everyone wants a 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 having recruited a lot during the COVID-19 epidemic ). So we manage as best we can and day by day. We don't make hasty decisions and we don't panic."
"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."
