Lead writer on Baldur’s Gate 3 describes working under Bioware’s “shadow”

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Baldur's Gate 3's lead writer, Adam Smith, has described what it was like carrying on the legacy of BioWare's previous Baldur's Gate titles. 

In a recent interview with our sister site, PC Gamer, and while talking about the character Jaheira, Smith praised Bioware's work with the original games and went on to talk about the pressure of taking on the Baldur's Gate mantle and series.

Making Baldur's Gate 3, was akin to being on the "shoulders of giants", said Smith, as Larian Studios took over the established series from Bioware. He went on to say that working on Baldur's Gate 3 with that legacy in mind felt like "such a big shadow". It's a revealing window into the concept of taking over an existing and high-profile game series, and Smith's description and discussion of the work behind the game clearly show the emotions involved. You can see the full interview below as part of one of PC Gamer's 'Chat Log' video series.

Gaining the approval of those who had worked on the first two games more than twenty years ago was also a big deal for Smith: "It means a lot whenever I see anybody who was even vaguely associated with the original games being pleased...we hope we did them proud," he says.

We found Baldur's Gate 3 to be a roaring success and a brilliant manifestation of Dungeons & Dragons in video game form. In his review, TRG Editor-in-Chief Jake Tucker described the game as "a fine contender for one of the best video game RPGs ever made. It’s the most ambitious RPG out there, and the painstakingly accurate rendition of Dungeons & Dragons will delight fans."

To see where Baldur's Gate 3 sits among its genre companions, take a look at our best RPGs guide. And, if you're after more tabletop action, then check out our picks for the best board games and the best classic board games available right now.