3 Reasons Why You Need To Play All Sagas Of Baldur Gate Before Heading For Season 3

Larian Studios, the creators of the Divinity saga, made popular by the critically successful Divinity: Original Sin II, will release Baldur’s Gate 3 on August 3 for PC (Windows and macOS) and on September 6 for PS5. Many will wonder if it is necessary to play BioWare’s great RPGs, Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, before entering the vast world of the Forgotten Realms.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is set, like its predecessors, in the world of Abeir-Toril in the Forgotten Realms, and more specifically, on the continent of Faerûn. Therefore, it is foreseeable that there will be connections, references to some moment, winks, perhaps some character (because there are races that live longer than has passed in the history of the games), and of course, locations.

However, it shouldn’t be viewed as a direct sequel for a number of reasons: It’s set over a century later, BioWare games are no longer canon in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, and in fact, continues a campaign of the tabletop RPG.

Also Read: Baldur’s Gate 3: How To Buy, Link, Offers, Price, Best Deal, Editions & More

The official events of Baldur’s Gate, those that follow the canon established by Wizards of the Coasts, are those narrated in the adventure Murder in Baldur’s Gate. There are important differences with respect to the original video games, such as the death of a character and the consequences of certain decisions.

In addition to the remoteness of the events, since Baldur’s Gate 3 is set in 1492, 120 years after the events of Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn if there is something that is important (but not essential) it is the story told in Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus, a campaign launched in 2019 for the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

Baldur Gate: All You Need To know

There are also differences in terms of game mechanics. The Larian Studios title will be more like Divinity: Original Sin than Baldur’s Gate released more than 20 years ago; It will have turn-based combat and the variety of ways to approach situations has a lot of weight. There is another fundamental difference. While the BioWare games referenced the Dungeons & Dragons 2.5 edition rules, Baldur’s Gate 3 is based on the D&D 5th edition rules, albeit with some modifications to make them more suitable for a video game.

Therefore, it is unnecessary to play Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn to fully enjoy Baldur’s Gate III, although that does not mean you should pass them up. Although they have the expected rough edges of an RPG that’s over 20 years old, both are two of the best RPGs ever made, and the Enhanced Edition versions that Overhaul Games released for PC, consoles, and mobile are highly enjoyable today.