Summary
In recent years, RPGs have come to offer a massive amount of variety when it comes to playstyles. Two recent games in particular that showcase the very different sides of the genre’s freedom in player choice areStarfieldandBaldur’s Gate 3.
Ultimately, these two games highlight the opposite extremes of how player choice, when combined with the buildcrafting tools available in each game, can lead to problematic outcomes. While bothStarfieldandBaldur’s Gate 3are praiseworthy in their own regards, future RPGs may want to avoid certain aspects of these two successful games - namely the way that they approach character leveling.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Skill Checks Are Ruthless
It’s generally inBaldur’s Gate 3’s DNA to avoid the jack-of-all-trades concept because of itsDungeons & Dragonsfoundational mechanics. As is the nature of a dice roll, every skill check has the chance to fail, no matter how unlikely or favorable the odds are. This can be quite frustrating for players who aren’t well-versed in the flow of this game’s foundations, and it’s arguably whereBaldur’s Gate 3’s intense difficultycomes from.
Another way thatBaldur’s Gate 3combats the jack-of-all-trades concept is by limiting the amount of XP that players can earn in each part of the game. On the other hand, inStarfield, players are free to farm an endless amount of XP, gear, and in-game currency immediately after completing the game’s tutorial. In general, most players inBaldur’s Gate 3’s community feel that the currentmaximum level inBaldur’s Gate 3is too low.
The Illusion of Choice in Bethesda’s RPGs Is a Recurring Problem
The jack-of-all-trades concept is a recurring problem for Bethesda’s RPGs, especially the recent games in the Fallout franchise. Unlike previous Bethesda RPGs though,Starfield’s New Game+ featuresets it apart from the other games. Considering the presence of the New Game+ mode though, it makes sense that players can eventually achieve proficiency with every individual skill and playstyle. However, allowing players to reach this on their first playthrough is arguably a bit too generous. In hindsight, it might have been for the best forStarfieldto combat this by implementing a max player level during the first playthrough, and then removing it for subsequent playthroughs.
Given the reactions from both games’ communities so far, it may be for the best for future RPGs to avoid either of the extremes presented inStarfieldandBaldur’s Gate 3when it comes to balancing different playstyles. However, given the respective praise surrounding each of these games, the industry might be doomed to repeat its recent history.
The Jack-Of-All-Trades RPG Trope is a Double-Edged Sword
There’s a certain enjoyable power fantasy behind the jack-of-all-trades trope in RPGs, but without moderation, it can also become a guilty pleasure. Reaching the point of beingthe strongest character inBaldur’s Gate 3,Starfield, or any other loot-based RPG is arguably the ultimate goal of these kinds of games. However, being able to achieve this power should neither be easily available, nor impossible, but instead a fair goal for experienced players to achieve.
Although each game is enjoyable, theRNG related toBaldur’s Gate 3’s skill checkscan be very unforgiving, while on the other hand,Starfieldcan be far too simple after players pass a certain player-level threshold. InStarfield, players can invest their character in a way that most skill checks will no longer pose an obstacle, but inBaldur’s Gate 3, the opposite is true, as no matter how specialized the player’s character is, the game will never consistently allow players to breeze past skill checks. As far as RPGs go, future games should strive for a good middle ground, considering how these two recent games showcase two very different extremes that come with some noticeable downsides.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
