Let’s rewind the clocks back a year, okay? 2023 was a hyped year for gaming because we KNEW there would be big titles released within it across multiple consoles and PCs. Whether it was going through a “modified” version of Hyrule, going to a field of stars, or cutting up zombies as a next-gen version of Leon S. Kennedy, gamers would have plenty to do. However, despite being in Early Access for years, Baldur’s Gate 3 became the title that everyone was talking about almost out of nowhere. It was the game that had gamers wanting more and having them do all sorts of playthroughs just to try and do things differently.
That reverberated into the awards season, where it not only won Game of the Year from The Game Awards but recently got the most nominations at GDC for its award ceremony. So, yeah, people love this game. But thanks to Larian Studios head Swen Vincke, we have another feat that Baldur’s Gate 3 can add to its ever-growing list. As he screenshotted on Twitter, the game has crossed 500K “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews over on Steam:
To help “set some context” on things, you don’t typically see people doing reviews in that amount on Steam, or any platform for that matter. Sure, there are exceptions, but can you think of one right off the top of your head? Another thing to consider here is that sometimes games will start with “positive” reviews because they’re new and fresh, but they will then “sour” over time. That’s what happened with Bethesda’s big game last year. However, with Larian Studio’s title, the opposite is true. It’s being called consistently great, if not epic, and gamers can’t get enough.
It likely also helps that Larian continues to update the game with various patches and fixes so that gamers can get even more from the title or adjust certain things so that it plays better. It hasn’t even been out a full year since its launch version, and the studio has put plenty of effort into doing right by fans with its fixes.
So, what is the “moral” of this story? The first is that you shouldn’t judge a video game because it’s not part of a “big series.” Yes, we know this RPG comes from a historic line, but that line had been dormant for a while. Second, it proves that you need to be willing to put true quality into the title and not just bank off of nostalgia and such.
Finally, always try to do right by the gamers who will pick up your title.