Summary

  • Look, everyone loves Karlach and Astarion and the rest of the gang.
  • But Baldur's Gate 3's endings are definitive and highly variable, making it tough for many characters to come back in a sequel.
  • BG4 won't be Larian anyway, so let a new studio cook up some fresh characters instead of dealing with leftovers.

Thinking about what comes next for Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn't seem like the best use of my time right now, what with Larian jumping ship and Wizards of the Coast still searching for a new dev for a future sequel. Add in the long development cycle of a game of its scope, plus the pressure to follow up one of the greatest games of all time while knowing if you fall short everyone will say Larian did it better, and there could be more point speculating about GTA 7 than Baldur's Gate 4.

But given I've already done that, maybe it's worth indulging the speculation. While we know Larian won't be around, a clean break is not guaranteed. There will not be the 20 year wait in the wilderness there was between 2 and 3, plus even then it wasn't an entirely clean break - Jaheira and Minsc made it through the decades. Plus, the game is at the height of its popularity, and with WotC shopping it around, they might exert more creative control than they would have had over Larian who had earned the right to do things its own way.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s Cast Is Ready To Return For A Sequel

Most crucially, the actors behind our favourite characters have not distanced themselves the same way the developers have. While Larian is keen to create something entirely self-made, free from the constraints 5e placed on Baldur's Gate 3, the cast are not of a one and done mind. Speaking to them on the red carpet of the BAFTAs last month, Neil Newbon, Samantha Beart, and Tracy Wiles (Astarion, Karlach, and Jaheira respectively) each told us they'd come back if the script was right. But should they?

This is not a comment on Newbon, Beart, or Wiles, or indeed any of the cast. The performances (and the writing, which they correctly highlight) were a key part of Baldur's Gate 3's success. Just as BG3 lodged itself in my favourite games of all-time, Karlach entered my pantheon of most beloved characters. Speaking as a fan, if we get a trailer next year introducing Baldur's Gate 4 from Owlcat Games which starts with Karlach puffing on a cigar, it will shoot to the top of my most anticipated list. But with a bit of objective distance, is that the best solution for the series?

Spoilers follow for Baldur's Gate 3

I think we could all do with being less precious about 'our' playthroughs. The next Mass Effect is going to have to make some decisions for players, probably canonising the Destroy ending from the third game. Players who chose Control or Synergise will feel hard done to, but their games still count - the enjoyment they got from those playthroughs, the stories they discovered, they still had the same impact they always did. But for things to move forward, BioWare needs to lay down some ground rules for the universe and that means picking a foundation, not building on sand and letting everyone find their own personal grain.

Baldur's Gate 4 may need to do this too. My hypothetical trailer had Karlach's 'good' ending, heading back to Avernus with Wyll and Tav in tow. But my Tav was a Mindflayer. My colleague Tessa Kaur turned Karlach into a Mindflayer. Some people killed Karlach on Wyll's order, had her die in regular gameplay, or just never recruited her. There are multiple endings for each character, and none of them need to make it to the end - most of them don't even need to be recruited at all, and those that do can later be sent away.

Baldur’s Gate 4 Works Better With An All-New Cast

The cast stress that the script must be right in order for them to return, but it faces a tougher job than choosing between Mass Effect's three endings. The personal arcs of each character is what makes the game, and while I think there is a way through by canonising the key moments the majority of players experienced, do we really need all of this cast back?

They are great characters, no doubt. But we've navigated some of the biggest obstacles they will ever face. You could find adventures for them to go on (I'd hoped this would be the DLC packs), but what is there of Astarion's story to tell now that he is at peace with his turmoil caused by Cazador? New characters with unknown stories waiting for us to discover them would be a far better route for a new game than getting the band back together. If the game's strength is storytelling, what use is a character whose story has already been told?

It's not a hardline stance, and as a fan, I'd give it a chance. Gale's story is not yet done, as the game ends with an important choice about the Crown of Karsus, so there are ways for him to return. And there are party members who we could encounter and even recruit as back-up support like Jaheria and Minsc. But if a new studio feels pressure to bring back all the fan favourites to just do Baldur's Gate 3 again, it should resist that urge. The way to do Baldur's Gate 3 again is not to repeat each step but to back yourself to create something fresh. That was how BG3 succeeded, not by relying on established characters.

Brief cameos? Proof that the world has depth beyond your own party? Substantial narrative developments? Sure. Bring 'em back. That, to me, is what it means for the script to be right. But relying on these established characters at the risk of Baldur's Gate stagnating and while tying itself up in canonical knots is not the right way to go, even if it might lead to the biggest cheers when the trailer drops. Baldur's Gate 3 should provide a platform to take risks, not a shadow to hide behind. Whoever does get the license will need to hold their nerve.

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Baldur's Gate 3

RPG Systems 5.0/5 26 9.4/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 96/100 Critics Rec: 98% Released August 3, 2023 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence Developer(s) Larian Studios Publisher(s) Larian Studios Engine Divinity 4.0
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Baldur's Gate 3 is the long-awaited next chapter in the Dungeons & Dragons-based series of RPGs. Developed by Divinity creator Larian Studios, it puts you in the middle of a mind flayer invasion of Faerûn, over a century after the events of its predecessor.

Platform(s) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS Powered by Expand Collapse