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Video games are all about rules.
The result is a shared acceptance of the rigid paradigms present, for better and worse.
That is, untilBaldur’s Gate 3came along.
Even open-world RPGs likeCyberpunk 2077andSkyrim, two hugely ambitious games in their own rights, impose strict demands.
You have set locations and characters if you want to progress the main story.
You have limited dialogue options.
If an idea doesn’t work, you have to accept the outcome.
All of this is perfectly fine, and has actually become a comfort to a fan such as myself.
No matter what game I’m playing, I know where I’m at based on these shared principles.
Funnily enough, Larian’s masterpiece punished me for this.
You have to abandon all preconceived notions and bring your imagination into play.
Once this dawned on me, I felt like I’d unlocked some Illithid power.
“That’s that,” I thought.
I had hit what appeared to be the end of a potential side quest before it began.
In any of the other games I mentioned above, this would likely be the case.
But as I turned away, I realized I could choose the door.
Why would the game allow that if there wasn’t some other option?
I was through, and we did indeed save our new friends' ally.
Armed with this new insight, I set forth on my next adventure.
Seeing the structure was made only of webbing, I clicked on it and saw it had HP.
I knew what to do next.
I released a bolt, tore the walkway to shreds, and dropped the big beasty on its butt.
It’s the essence of childhood play.
It’s making your own fun in a world free from the same old rules.
It’s why we play games in the first place.
