A few weeks prior to its launch, Baldur’s Gate 3 looks like one of the most promising RPGs in recent memory. However, some devs are urging players not to rate all other games in the genre by such a high standard, appealing to Larian Studios’ unique combination of vast experience and resources.
Also, frankly, even the concept of a “baseline” is a damaging concept.
This is all a bit alarmist, isn’t it? My baseline is a sensible user interface, responsive controls, and fun. Very high-budget games from the biggest studios have come and gone (often failing those modest criteria) yet my baseline remains the same. Having experienced the epics doesn’t raise my expectations or damage my opinion of the less advantaged ones.
Or to put it another way, I’ve been lucky enough to have a few very impressive multi-course meals, yet I still love a good taco.
I would include “well written” in my baseline, since it is an RPG. If the writing is bad, even if everything else hits, it would be super disappointing.
This is all a bit alarmist, isn’t it? My baseline is a sensible user interface, responsive controls, and fun. Very high-budget games from the biggest studios have come and gone (often failing those modest criteria) yet my baseline remains the same. Having experienced the epics doesn’t raise my expectations or damage my opinion of the less advantaged ones.
Or to put it another way, I’ve been lucky enough to have a few very impressive multi-course meals, yet I still love a good taco.
I would include “well written” in my baseline, since it is an RPG. If the writing is bad, even if everything else hits, it would be super disappointing.