Mark Darrah, a veteran developer who worked on the original Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2, believes that Baldur's Gate 3's immense success stems from Larian Studios' decision to forge its own path rather than strictly adhering to the formula of its predecessors. Darrah, who has a long history with BioWare RPGs, stated in an interview with FRVR that Baldur's Gate 3's critical and commercial achievements, including its sustained popularity on Steam, are a direct result of Larian's unique approach.
He contrasted Larian's method with that of Obsidian Entertainment's Pillars of Eternity, which, while a successful game, was designed to closely emulate the feel of early Infinity Engine titles. Darrah noted that while such faithfulness can be commendable, the gaming landscape has evolved significantly. "The reality is that the industry has moved on so much since then that I was like, oh yeah, this is a really faithful adaptation of that and it turns out that I didn’t actually want that anymore," he explained, highlighting a potential limitation of overly strict adherence to past design philosophies.
In contrast, Darrah posited that Baldur's Gate 3 is "Baldur’s Gate 2 and Baldur’s Gate 1-flavoured, but they’re also Divine Divinity-flavoured." He believes Larian's sequel is flavored by its own development history, particularly its Divinity series, and by the evolution of CRPGs over the intervening two decades. This blend, he argues, is what makes Baldur's Gate 3 a standout title and a successful continuation of the franchise.
Baldur's Gate 3 shares significant DNA with Larian's own Divinity games, which are also highly regarded RPGs. Larian's Divinity: Original Sin 2, for example, was recognized for its compelling narrative and co-operative gameplay, elements that have also been praised in Baldur's Gate 3. PC Gamer's Wes Fenlon had previously lauded Original Sin 2, stating in 2017 that "there's never been an RPG with a story or characters this interesting that you can play co-op with four players."
The significant success of Baldur's Gate 3 presents a unique challenge for its owner, Hasbro. The franchise is now a highly valuable asset, but the immense quality of Larian's latest entry might make future installments daunting to approach. Darrah suggested a potential path forward, proposing a model similar to Fallout: New Vegas, where a different developer could handle a future title. One possibility he raised was to "Get Larian to agree to license out the Divinity Engine and essentially let someone make an oversized expansion pack for Baldur’s Gate 3 and call that Baldur’s Gate 4." Conversely, he acknowledged other viewpoints, such as the suggestion from PC Gamer editor Fraser Brown to potentially avoid a direct sequel in the immediate future.