Baldur’s Gate 3 could have been completely different!

It was in 1998 that the Baldur’s Gate license was born. A franchise that is now back in the limelight with its long-awaited third installment. A lot has happened since the launch of Baldur’s Gate in 2000. And now, we learn that Baldur’s Gate III could have taken a completely different form.

Tim Cain’s Surprising Revelation

Tim Cain, one of the creators of the very first Fallout and co-founder of Troika Games studio (known for Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines), recently revealed a surprising anecdote. Baldur’s Gate 3 could have been a first-person game! Yes, you read that correctly!

A Different Perspective

Back in 2003, Troika’s studio approached Wizards of the Coast, the studio formerly in charge of the Baldur’s Gate license, to create Baldur’s Gate 3. However, it was not meant to be a competitor to the Diablo saga. Instead, it was envisioned as a role-playing game in first-person view that would switch to third-person view during fights. This feature can be compared to Skyrim, where players can change views on the fly.

Innovative Multiplayer Mechanics

Unlike Bethesda’s game, this version of Baldur’s Gate 3 was also intended to include multiplayer mechanics. Players would have been able to participate in player versus player clashes or cooperate with each other. There was even a mode where two teams would race to complete quests. To enhance the multiplayer aspect, the game would have come with a tool that allowed players to design their own quests.

The Rejection and Abandoned Versions

However, Wizards of the Coast, the rights holders and publishers of the Baldur’s Gate license, reportedly did not like the approach. They believed that the proposed version focused too much on action and neglected the true role-playing aspect. In this version, players would not have had the choice of their skills but only a class (Bard, Cleric, Druid, Warrior, Mage, Assassin) that would evolve automatically as they progressed. Additionally, only one character would have been playable, but companions would have been provided to assist the protagonist.

It’s interesting to note that there were other versions of the game that were abandoned before Larian Studios took over. The Interplay studio had also planned to develop a game called Black Hound, set in the Forgotten Realms and featuring a completely different story from the first two games.

Reader Opinions and Engagement

So, would you have liked to experience Tim Cain’s version of Baldur’s Gate 3? Regardless, the highly anticipated official Baldur’s Gate III is set to release on August 3 for PC and September 6 for PlayStation 5.

Article Title: Baldur’s Gate 3 Could Have Been Completely Different!

Comprehensive Coverage:

• Introduction to the history of the Baldur’s Gate license and its return with the third installment.
• Tim Cain’s surprising revelation about the potential alternative direction of Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Description of the proposed first-person perspective and the integration of multiplayer mechanics.
• Wizards of the Coast’s decision to reject the idea due to a perceived simplification of the role-playing aspect.
• Mention of other abandoned versions of the game before Larian Studios took over.
• Invitation for reader opinions on whether they would have liked to experience Tim Cain’s version.

User Engagement:

• Encourage readers to share their thoughts on whether they would have preferred the proposed version of Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Prompt readers to comment on the upcoming official release of Baldur’s Gate III and its expected features.

Headings:

• Baldur’s Gate 3 could have been completely different!
• A bonus multiplayer mode!
• Towards a simplification of approaches

Note: The article content and headings have been provided based on the given text. Some minor edits have been made to improve readability and coherence.