Larian Studios has been taking a different approach to the release of its latest RPG, Baldur's Gate 3. While plenty of games release into early access, Larian has also been taking things bit by bit, releasing only pieces of the game at a time. Currently, only the first part of the game has released. It's not the first to do this, but even among early access games, it's a rare approach.
Despite this less-common approach to video game releases, this format seems to be working for Larian and its game. From its updates to the influx of fan and community feedback, here are all the ways that early access has been good for Baldur's Gate 3.
The State of the Game
Larian is currently in the process of refining act one of the game, of which there are apparently three. According to Larian, acts two and three are still in-progress, and the developer anticipates being in early access for at least a year, if not more. Right now, there's no word on when the next chapter of Baldur's Gate 3 might be released; instead, Larian is focusing on a string of patches and hotfixes for the first act, complete with adjustments to gameplay and story, bug fixes, and more.
Taking the Time
Early access allows a developer to take its time with a game's development, while still providing an eager player base with material to explore. And it's clear that Larian has no intention of rushing things like so many developers do when making big games like this; the FAQ on Baldur's Gate 3's Steam page even goes so far as to say, "It'll be ready when it's ready." While the prospect of taking a while to fully release BG3 may be disappointing to some, it's ultimately what's best for the game, and the 1.0 version of Baldur's Gate 3 will be all the better for it. In the meantime, players don't have nothing; with the release of Baldur's Gate 3's act one, there's something for players to work with, so they can get a good sense of the game without playing the whole thing.
Statistic Watch
Larian has also been able to observe the choices and actions that players take, and use that data to shape future decisions for the game's development. The developer has shared some of its statistics from act one of the game, from the character that is killed the most (Gale) to the character that is romanced the most (oddly, also Gale), to the amount of times that players have pet the dog, Scratch. Gathering stats and figures for each piece of the game allows Larian to see what aspects are the most popular, what players struggle with, and so on. It's and important part of getting to know the player base, and an equally important part of going on to tweak the game.
Player Feedback
This is one of the biggest benefits of early access, after all, and Larian is serious about listening to its fan base. Early access allows a developer to actually have its game tested and played by fans before the 1.0 release, thereby gathering feedback to incorporate into the final version of the game. This has certainly been reflected in the development of Baldur's Gate 3 thus far; one of the most recent patches addresses the tendency for players to reload the game multiple times when an ability check role doesn't go their way. Unfortunately, failing the roll sometimes had consequences too great to be accepted or ignored, so Larian announced that things were going to change.
Now, there are certain ability rolls in the game where the dialogue and outcomes have been adjusted, so that failing a role doesn't automatically mean disaster. This is especially meaningful since the roles can be so random, and even players who are good with a certain and pick all the right options can role a natural one and "blow it," without having actually done anything wrong. This way, the roles are less punishing on players. There are plenty of other examples on how player feedback has shaped the release of patches and hotfixes; Larian has done an admirable job of listening to its community thus far.
In this way, early access is invaluable. There's no substitute for working directly with the player base for a game, and exploring a plethora of different ideas with the aid of a live community. With Larian doing just that, embracing the process of early access and taking its time in development, the future of Baldur's Gate 3 looks bright indeed.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available to play now on PC and Stadia.