Five (or so) Reasons Why Gamers Shouldn’t Hold Other Games Up To The Standard Set By Baldur’s Gate III

Baldur’s Gate III has just been released by Larian Studios, a developer known for its immersive world-building and narrative depth in previous titles like Divinity: Original Sin II. This latest installment is no exception; it boasts an incredible amount of content, choices that seem to matter greatly within the game’s richly detailed fantasy setting, and doesn’t suffer from any game-breaking bugs at launch. However, some gamers might be tempted to hold this title up as the standard against which all other games should be measured. As always, gamers are wrong. Here are five reasons why.

First off, not every game can afford the luxury of having years spent on polish and refinement like Baldur’s Gate III did. Many smaller studios simply don’t have the resources or time to achieve such a level of perfection; they must release their titles when they’re ready, regardless of whether there are still lingering issues that need ironing out. This is especially true for indie developers who rely heavily upon early sales figures to fund further development. It would be unfair to hold them up against any standards if those same standards make it impossible for them to compete financially. This is also true of AAA studios, who have to pay thousands of developers for years to make a game. It’s just not fair to expect them to wait until their game isn’t broken to release it. Wanting developers to be able to have food security means accepting broken live service games that are never truly finished.

Secondly, you don’t even want polished games. The best part about gaming is the sense of discovery and exploration; finding hidden secrets or exploits within a game adds an extra layer of excitement beyond what was intended by its creators. If every game were perfect at launch, there would be no surprises left- everything would already be known before players ever got their hands on it! Besides, sometimes bugs can lead to emergent gameplay experiences which wouldn’t otherwise exist if not for those pesky glitches. So instead of holding other titles up against Baldur’s Gate III’s impossible standard, embrace imperfection in video games as something that makes them unique and special. In this context, Baldur’s Gate III is actually kind of boring when compared to the latest Battlefield or Diablo game.

Thirdly, some gamers might argue that they have paid full price for a finished product; however this ignores the fact that most AAA releases are live service games with ongoing development cycles after release. This means that while you may have bought the initial package, you’re still paying through microtransactions or season passes; so why should you expect everything to be perfect at launch when there will undoubtedly be changes made down the line? It would make more sense if gamers accepted these titles as works in progress rather than expecting them to arrive fully formed like a baby from its mother’s womb (a metaphor which is not lost upon us).

Fourthly, game design isn’t an exact science; sometimes things just don’t work out how they were intended. Developers are human too and can make mistakes. Instead of holding them up against impossible standards, we should show understanding towards their fallibility; after all, no one likes being told they suck at their job or that something they created wasn’t good enough. So instead of demanding perfection, try showing some empathy for the hardworking people behind your favorite games!

Last but certainly not least: Gamer culture has been toxic lately with its obsession over “games journalism” conspiracies (#Gamergate) which have led to harassment campaigns against innocent individuals simply because they dared write about video game issues from a critical perspective. Instead of focusing on holding other titles up against unrealistic standards set by Baldur’s Gate III- why don’t we focus our energy towards making gaming communities more welcoming and less toxic? After all, isn’t that what really matters in the end?

Oh, I just thought of a sixth thing: Whales. This important category of gamers gets virtually nothing out of a game they can’t just pay money to be the best at, or skip entirely. They say Baldur’s Gate is complete, but there’s no PVP, cash shop, randomized mechanics, or dubious currencies. The worst part? The developers actually brag about this, and have no plans to include any of these valid Whale-hunting strategies in their game. It’s like they skipped the last 20 GDCs, for God’s sake.

In conclusion, while it might be tempting for gamers to hold every new release up against the incredibly high standard set by Baldur’s Gate III, this would ultimately lead to an unsustainable situation where no games could ever hope to live up to such expectations. Instead, embrace imperfection as part of what makes video games unique experiences; show understanding towards developers who are only human; and work towards creating a better community within gamer culture. Remember: not everything has to be perfect at launch- sometimes good enough is just good enough!