Baldur’s Gate 3’s length concerns revealed by the game’s director

Game director, Swen Vincke, recently admitted he had fears and concerns regarding Baldur’s Gate 3’s length due to cut content and scrapped ambitions.

Baldur’s Gate 3, which won Game of the Year 2023, offers a captivating open world gameplay experience. From the quests and combat scenes, to the deep NPC interactions and uniquely sad storyline, and it had all the right to win GOTY 2023. For those who have played BG3 for a decent amount of time, it is obvious that the game’s depth and runtime offers a an engaging gameplay that captivates them for hundreds of hours.

In a recent interview with BAFTA, Swen Vincke surprisingly revealed his concerns that the developers might drastically reduce the length of Baldur’s Gate 3 due to necessary content cuts during development. This fear arose when massive expectations were placed on the game, which has received high praise for its depth and expansive narrative.

I was afraid the game was going to be too short originally, but I’ve, notoriously, always been very bad at judging the length of our games.”

– Swen Vincke, Baldur’s Gate 3 director during BAFTA Checkpoint. (August 16, 2024)

• Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 wins Game of the Year

Balancing game’s length with content quality

Baldur’s Gate 3, at its release, showcases the meticulous work that went into ensuring that the game’s quality was not compromised by the necessary content cuts. One of the most notable cuts was a second tower in the Moonrise Towers area, which was scrapped after the planning phase. Vincke emphasized that each cut was made with the game’s overall quality in mind, ensuring that players still received a full and immersive experience. This in turn, made itt stand out as one of the most expansive, immersive, and saddest RPGs in recent times.

This reveal sheds light on the challenges faced by developers in maintaining a balance between delivering a massive RPG experience and ensuring that the game remains coherent and enjoyable. Fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 can appreciate the careful decisions that went into creating a game that lives up to the legacy of its predecessors while also pushing the boundaries of modern RPGs.