There’s no doubt that Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the best games of 2023. Larian Studios’ blockbuster launch is rightfully garnering a ton of recognition from players, and equally importantly, from fellow game developers too.
The latest developer to praise Baldur’s Gate 3 is none other than Raphaël Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios and creator of the Dishonored series. Colantonio departed Arkane in 2017, and revealed in an interview in 2020 that he left the AAA games scene because he was experiencing creative anxiety, because it was more about making a product than a game.
“Baldur’s Gate 3 reminded me that I actually STILL love playing games, I feel like I’m 16 years old again,” Colantonio posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Aug. 21. “I kind of forgot what it feels like after so many years of drought. Thank you Larian Studios.”
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 is so good, even multiplayer-only gamers are loving it
Part of the reason Baldur’s Gate 3 is so good, especially for veteran gamers, is that it offers a unique narrative with great mechanics. The game was nearly perfect when Larian Studios officially released it on Aug. 3, and only a few players experienced game-breaking glitches.
On top of this, it helps that BG3 isn’t another live-service title packed with microtransactions. You just download it and have fun.
One fan told Colantonio that Baldur’s Gate 3 is very similar to Larian Studios’ Divinity franchise, and Colantonio agreed—to a certain extent. “To me, BG3 is the blockbuster evolution Divinity OS,” he replied on Twitter. “While the systems, exploration, and controls are practically the same, most can’t deal with the absurd amount of dialog in Divinity OS. Whereas BG3 has just the right amount, while improving on the depth and consequences.”
Related: Not even review bombers can take Baldur’s Gate 3’s Metacritic crown
As someone who also struggles with games nowadays, I can only agree with everything that Colantonio said, and hope that other game studios take note of the things that made Baldur’s Gate 3 so successful.
