Recently, players of Baldur’s Gate 3 were given a glimpse into the past with the resurfacing of a 2004 article detailing an attempted sequel to the game that was planned decades ago.
The journey to the release of Baldur’s Gate 3 in August 2023 was a lengthy one, spanning 23 years from Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn to Larian Studios’ critically acclaimed sequel.
Despite Larian not being the first to try a sequel to BioWare’s pair of Dungeons & Dragons quests, newer fans are now discovering the extensive past of unsuccessful Baldur’s Gate 3s through an old magazine unearthed by one devoted fan from two decades ago.
A picture of the magazine article on the BaldursGate3 subreddit was shared by Reddit user ebrum2010.
Found this 20 year old PC Gamer Magazine with a BG3 article byu/ebrum2010 inBaldursGate3
The article, which was published in the Oct 2004 edition of PC Gamer, was a part of the 30th anniversary celebration for D&D. The game is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.
At this juncture, it is evident that Baldur’s Gate 3 had already faced difficulties during its production, as the article mentioned the scrapped game “Jefferson”from Black Isle Studios.
The majority of the article focuses on Atari’s efforts to develop a Baldur’s Gate 3, which later led to a partnership with Obsidian Entertainment.
In the article, Atari and executive producer John Hight guarantee a comparable grand scale to the previous games, along with a vast gaming environment filled with memorable characters.
Curiously, the article also features a picture from BioWare’s Dragon Age engine, providing a sneak peek at a franchise that would not be released for another five years.
Furthermore, there is a sense of awe and curiosity among Baldur’s Gate 3 enthusiasts regarding the poster’s unique discovery. Many are also expressing their gratitude that things turned out as they did. As one individual stated, “Honestly, I’m relieved that the other studios didn’t pan out and we ended up with the game we have now.”
Despite Atari’s teasing that Minsc would return for their sequel, many were pleased to see that he still made an appearance in Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3.
Ultimately, despite the fact that both Atari and Black Isle’s versions of Baldur’s Gate 3 are highly regarded as some of the biggest “what ifs”in gaming history, it’s difficult for anyone to feel let down when considering the exceptional quality of Larian Studios’ game.
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