Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Operating as an independent studio, it’s impossible not to be blown away by what Larian Studios has accomplished with Baldur’s Gate 3. The studio allowed itself to take its time, spending nearly two years in early access as it received feedback from fans and used it to make Baldur’s Gate 3 the absolute monolith that it was when it launched in 1.0 late this summer.
Baldur’s Gate 3 launched on PC, but Larian Studios made a concerted effort to get the game on other platforms as soon as possible. The game came to PS5 roughly a month after its initial release, and Larian Studios was able to come to an agreement with Microsoft to work out some Xbox Series S kinks and get the game on Xbox.
As an independent publisher, Baldur’s Gate 3 wasn’t forced to launch early to hit a quarterly earnings target, nor has it been boggled down by forced exclusivity. It’s abundantly clear that the game is better off thanks to the fact that Larian Studios was piloting the ship the whole way through. The studio has managed to parlay its success with frequent updates and a Deluxe Edition to keep fans satiated.
Be sure to read over the rest of the Shacknews Awards in our Year of the Games: 2023 feature.