Forget open-world RPGs, no game needs to be longer than 40 hours
I’m not one to police how long a video game should be. Every game is different and begs design considerations that dictate runtime. It makes sense for Star Fox’s campaign to be…
How thin can you stretch a story before it loses cohesion? There is a common opinion regarding 2023’s Game of the Year winner, Baldur’s Gate 3, that the storytelling and characters outshine the gameplay. While not necessarily shared by the majority of fans, this opinion still surprises me: I actually enjoy BG3’s gameplay, but I’m not that impressed with the story and writing in Larian Studios’ RPG. Some context for the angry mob that’s about to draw the torches and pitchforks in the comment section: I am an old-school gamer. My references, in terms of RPGs, are the likes of Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, Planescape: Torment, Mass Effect 3, the Fable series, the first 10 Final Fantasy games, Chrono Trigger, etc. You get the gist. These are games that, while experimenting with player agency and letting their decisions affect the game, still make story a central focus, even if it’s sometimes divided into a handful of branches. To summarize: Your input as the player matters, but not as much as the folks who created and wrote this game. These games had a story to tell you. Baldur’s Gate 3? Not so much. Larian’s take on the Dungeons & Dragons world has been praised for the freedom it gives playe

Jul 4, 2026 → Jul 4, 2026
How thin can you stretch a story before it loses cohesion? There is a common opinion regarding 2023’s Game of the Year winner, Baldur’s Gate 3, that the storytelling and characters outshine the gameplay. While not necessarily shared by the…
Read original at Polygon →1 updates from 1 source.
How thin can you stretch a story before it loses cohesion? There is a common opinion regarding 2023’s Game of the Year winner, Baldur’s Gate 3, that the storytelling and characters outshine the gameplay. While not…
Read original at Polygon →What this story stands on. Tier 0 is a primary record or the subject's own words; higher tiers must be attributed, never stated as bare fact.
How thin can you stretch a story before it loses cohesion? There is a common opinion regarding 2023’s Game of the Year winner, Baldur’s Gate 3, that the storytelling and characters outshine the gameplay. While not necessarily shared by the…
View source →Tier key: T0 = Primary source · T1 = Wire · T2 = Outlet report · T3 = Commentary
I’m not one to police how long a video game should be. Every game is different and begs design considerations that dictate runtime. It makes sense for Star Fox’s campaign to be…
After Baldur’s Gate 3’s enormous success, Baldur’s Gate 4 feels like an inevitability. That’s how the entertainment industry normally works: if a product everyone loves makes…
From elusive frying pans to dismembered clowns Not all RPG side quests are created equal. For every captivating detour that nets you a spiffy new weapon or reveals an intriguing…
It's been how long since Middle-earth: Shadow of War?? When was the last time you played an excellent Lord of the Rings game? The landmark fantasy series is known for its epic…
Craig Mazin’s not the only one taking a trip to Baldur’s Gate 3. Book publisher Penguin Random House is going all-in on Larian’s hit RPG, creating a whole new publishing program…