D&D Live 2020 kicked off Day 1 with a live gameplay stream of Baldur’s Gate 3 by no other than the head of Larian Studios himself, Swen Vicke. This stream revealed some of the new mechanics that the creators of Divinity are bringing to the newest entry in the Baldur’s Gate franchise, including the camp, the tactical sneak mode, and the double-edged sword “Tadpoled” mechanic.
Developer Larian Studios—the creators of the Divinity series—have been very open during the development of what it says will be the best video game adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons. What we know so far is that Baldur’s Gate 3 will be a Baldur’s Gate/D&D-style story with Divinity-style gameplay. The main trailer showcased the skeleton of the story line: Ceremorphosis, the process of turning a normal person into an illithid—mindflayer—by implanting a larva into their brain.
The larva that is in the main character’s brain is more than just a stowaway, as shown in the newest gameplay footage. The interesting Tadpoled mechanic allows the player to Jedi Mind Trick someone, as we see when Swen tries to read the thoughts of one of his companions. This opens new dialogue options but is not a completely free ability. By feeding the tadpole in his mind, the player gets a notification he has lost something to the creature as he moves further into darkness. Players who enjoy self-sacrificing mechanics will attach to this feature very quickly.
The camp is also shown in greater detail. Rather than just popping out a sleeping bag and time-skipping forward, setting up a camp allows the player to visit with their companions, not unlike the feature in Dragon Age: Origins. We also get a look at how Dark Vision is incorporated when switching to one party member allows you to see in a dark cave as if they are carrying an invisible lantern with them.
One of the other features shown in detail is the sneak mechanic. Rather than just crouching—or putting a rock over one's head like in Divinity—the character actually changes their entire style of movement to tip-toeing and slinking. There is also a sun icon that tells the player if they are completely visible, partially visible, or completely hidden.
While these were some the main new features showcased, we also got to see how Inspiration Points can be saved and used to retry dialogue attempts. When exploring secret areas, fans of D&D will recognize a very important character that was discovered.
Some Baldur’s Gate purists are still divided over the fact that the game seems to be more Divinity controls than old Baldur’s Gate controls, because change is always a scary thing when reviving beloved franchises. Hopefully, the promise of being the best D&D adaptation is lived up to when the game releases on Early Access in two months.
Baldur's Gate 3 is in development for PC and Stadia.