Yesterday it was suddenly revealed that HBO would be producing a Baldur's Gate TV show helmed by The Last of Us and Chernobyl's Craig Mazin. Considering that Baldur's Gate 3 is still popular even after more than two years, it can be expected that fans will have a lot to say. While some were enthusiastic about the announcement, others were more skeptical. Some even questioned whether Mazin was the right choice.
The announcement noted that the TV show will be set after the events of Baldur's Gate 3 and will utilize source material. In fact, some characters from the game will also appear, along with new ones. There's a lot to unfold here, but one thing on everyone's mind is how something as massive as BG3 can be condensed into a TV show.
HBO's Baldur's Gate Won't Be Easy to Adapt
Unlike Mazin's previous video game adaptation, The Last of Us, Baldur's Gate is not a linear story. Dialogue, story beats, and even the final outcome are all determined by player choices. It comes with lore and lore from famous Forgotten Realms cities. Naturally, fans have some opinions on how it should be made.
“I'd say it's going to be incredibly difficult to please fans of the game with this game. I'll definitely watch it, but we're planning a fun D&D show with dragons, magic, monsters, etc,” one comment on Reddit said. That's probably what most people think. However, since some returning characters will appear, it may step on the toes of fans who have developed a connection with those characters. For example, what if the show's version of Shadowheart is still Shar's disciple? This might not be so great for fans who decided the ending was canon.
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Others think this should follow the same path as another popular video game adaptation. “I wish it went in the direction of Fallout. Use a setting, not a story. If you try to adapt BG3 in any way, you'll fail. You could set it in the Forgotten Realms and reference events from the game, but no more.” This seems to be a safe approach. Characters such as Mr House appear in both versions, but the show tells its own story.
“If they do it right it will be some kind of anthology series centered around Gate and the Sword Coast,” said another comment. I think that might be the best idea. When dealing with games as expansive as Baldur's Gate or The Forgotten Realms, fans want to see every aspect of the game, from nobility and lowlifes to armies and wizards. Perhaps the best way to make this show would be as an anthology.
- released
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August 3, 2023
- ESRB
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M (Mature): Blood and gore, partial nudity, sexual content, strong language, violence.
- engine
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Divine 4.0
- multiplayer
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Online co-op, local co-op
- cross platform play
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Full cross-platform play.
