Baldur's Gate 3 Takes Interactive Storytelling to New Heights: Unveiling an Astounding 17,000 Epic Endings!

Larian Studios' upcoming game, Baldur's Gate 3, is shaping up to be an incredible classic RPG, with an astonishing 17,000 possible endings. As the successor to renowned CRPGs, the game carries a lot of expectations, and the developers are working hard to meet them. With so much content, it could take up to 18 playthroughs for a single character to fully experience everything Baldur's Gate 3 has to offer. Some developers have expressed concern that this sets an unfair standard for RPG studios with limited resources, time, or team size. However, it's important to note that the game's 174 hours of cutscenes are exceptional and not the norm for future RPGs.

In addition to that impressive figure, Baldur's Gate 3 boasts a staggering 17,000 potential endings. One of the writers dedicated around six months specifically to crafting the game's conclusion. Fextralife had the opportunity to speak with this writer and inquire about the number of ending variations, to which she responded with an approximate 17,000. It is important to note that this does not mean there are thousands of distinct story endings, but rather a myriad of possibilities that consider all the choices made throughout a player's Baldur's Gate 3 experience. Larian's director of publishing further acknowledged this number by tweeting, "Oh no they found the 17,000 number."

Regarding the main, overarching story endings of Baldur's Gate 3, the writer was unable to provide a specific number when asked by Fextralife. This suggests that either the number is not easily quantifiable, similar to Elden Ring's six endings or Cyberpunk 2077's five, or Larian has yet to finalize their decisions. It remains unclear how the existence of 17,000 potential variations will ultimately affect the visual presentation of the game's conclusion.

Whether Larian Studios is too ambitious with its upcoming game, some developers claim that if the company surpasses player expectations, Baldur's Gate 3 could set a new standard for RPGs like Mass Effect 4, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, and the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. Unlike smaller studios, BioWare and CD Projekt Red have the means to rise to the challenge. Therefore, Baldur's Gate 3 could offer a glimpse into the future of epic RPGs, and even if it takes time for competitors to catch up, Larian's game will provide ample replayability in the meantime.

Baldur's Gate 3 will be released on August 3 for PC and September 6 for PS5, with an Xbox Series X/S version currently in development.