Years before it was known forDragon Age,Mass Effect, andAnthem, BioWare built its reputation on classic isometric RPGs likeBaldur’s GateandNeverwinter Nights. Now those classic games, and some others from the now-defunct Black Isle Studios, will have a new lease on life on modern consoles.
Skybound Games, the company that revived Telltale’sThe Walking Dead,is releasing enhanced versionsofBaldur’s Gate,Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn,Icewind Dale,Neverwinter Nights, andPlanescape: Torment, along with Beamdog’sSiege of Dragonspearexpansion forBaldur’s Gatethat was originally released in 2016. All of the games will be available later this year for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Of course, whenever classic games are remastered for modern platforms, there is talk about whether or not this means that sequels could be in development. Considering the fact that it’s been almost 20 years since the release ofBaldur’s Gate 2, the franchise is long overdue for a sequel.
As it turns out, there may actually be hope for a newBaldur’s Gategame. According to Interplay founder Brian Fargo (Interplay being the parent company of Black Isle Studios back in the day), Larian Studios is already hard at work onBaldur’s Gate 3, though that has yet to be confirmed or denied by anyone at the studio. Larian Studios, for the uninitiated, is the award-winning team behind the critically-acclaimedDivinity: Original Singames.
Of course, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about apotentialBaldur’s Gate 3until it’s officially announced, but getting new eyes on the franchise certainly wouldn’t hurt its chances of being developed. Perhaps the release of these classic isometric RPGs will trigger a proper resurgence of this style of game, like we’ve seen with other genres. However, it’s worth pointing out that we’ve already seen some attempts at this, like withWasteland 2, for example.
Regardless of any new isometric RPGs, fans of the genre will at least be able to look forward to playing the classics on modern platforms when they launch later this year.
