Well, let me contrast that exceedingly unnecessarily dramatic and empty-rhetoric-filled post of yours, Plane Escapee, with what might be a bit of a surprise to some by throwing some well-deserved praise at Swen instead.
In the main BG3 thread I came to the initial conclusion that this game looked like shit. I stand by that conclusion made at the time, but after allowing myself to be a little more open-minded and patient with this newest glimpse of the game, I now would like to officially reverse course: I was wrong.
There is something very interesting going on with Larian and Baldur's Gate 3, something that could actually wind up being special. I know it's still early, and many mistakes could still and certainly will still be made in its development, but even at this pre-alpha stage I can see what it is I'm referring to: the merger of what Larian has done with D:OS 2 and a Dungeons and Dragons game is actually... working. What?
Yes, that's right. Even the previously-silly mechanic of, for example, moving boxes around with your telepathic abilities in DOS:2 makes much more sense in this game. As the video showed, sometimes characters may need to improvise to reach some ledge and that's the kind of thing we've (or at least I've) always sort of wished computer D&D simulators could do. Finally we can climb walls, attempt things like jumping chasms (I'm assuming the mechanics of jumping illustrated so far are at least mostly in-line with the official D&D rules -- I'm trusting Swen not to venture too far out of the rulebook on these things) and other feats simply not possible given previous games' engines' limitations.
Other things that seem to mesh well with what D:OS 2 was doing and what this game is offering include the reactivity of surfaces or materials or objects with elements such as fire. D:OS 1 was heavily criticized for relying way too much on those water puddles and spells to make us feel clever when we electrocuted enemies. It was bland and trite and stupid back then. But D:OS 2 got a little better at it and now, with BG3, it all seems to make sense. I hope I'm not wrong about this, as I hate clever little tricks like that in what I consider to be "serious" roleplaying games, but unless I'm crazy, it seems like Swen is taking these things a little more seriously now?
Yes, there's still some wonkiness going on. Some of the acting and animations might be a little over the top. But I can handle a little of that. It's what I'd interpret as the DM waving his arms around and mimicking what he'd think the NPC or creature in question might sound like. Sure, okay, make me smirk a little with your British-sounding goblins, as long as you're not taking too much creative license with my precious nerdy D&D lore we'll be fine..
As has already been mentioned, the verticality and adaptability in combat looks quite delicious. The size even of the demo shown is impressive. The advice to explore everything to be rewarded is inciting. This game just looks, already, like it's asking me to play it.
Again, I sure hope I'm not wrong.
But, for now, Swen, if you happen to read this, I take it back. Don't fuck this up. You won me back, for now, and you could be on to something here.
Usually I hate it when I'm wrong, but not this time.
