Baldur’s Gate 3has further molded storytelling in role-playing games by presenting players with a fascinating choice between the fully customizable Tav and the pre-established Dark Urge background. While many players gravitate toward creating their own characters with imagined backstories, theDark Urge playthroughsoffer an alternative that blends customization with deeper narrative integration.
This uniqueBaldur’s Gate 3option raises the intriguing possibility of whether more RPGs should implement custom-character tracks like the Dark Urge to offer prebuilt story ties without sacrificing too much player freedom. For upcoming games likeMass Effect 4,Dragon Age 5, or even a potentialBaldur’s Gate 4, this hybrid approach could enhance the storytelling experience and redefine how players connect with their characters.
Dark Urge Makes Baldur’s Gate 3’s Story Richer
The Dark Urge is a stark departure from the traditional blank-slate protagonist often seen in custom RPGs. As a Bhaalspawn, they come with a deeply conflicted backstory that ties directly into the overarching narrative ofBaldur’s Gate 3. This pre-written history integrates them into the world while still allowing players to shape their personality and choices.
By contrast, a fully custom character like Tav offers the maximum freedom to roleplay, but their impact on the story is often more superficial. While Tav serves as a great blank canvas,the Dark Urge is part of the core plot, with personal stakes that give every decision more weight. This comes in the story with players potentially murdering key characters if they’re not careful. Some of the main enemies withinBaldur’s Gate 3also have a deep tie with the Dark Urge.
How Dark Urge’s Depth Benefits Baldur’s Gate 3
What makesthe Dark Urge work so well is the careful balancebetween narrative integration and choice. Players grapple with a constant internal struggle between succumbing to violent impulses or resisting them, creating a nuanced character arc that evolves based on decisions.
This model could inspire future RPGs to implement similar backgrounds that fit seamlessly into the main story. For example, in a newMass Effectgame, a protagonist with ties to a key faction like the Systems Alliance or the Benefactor could open up exclusive story paths while still allowing players to choose their moral alignment. Similarly,Dragon Age 5could explore a descendant of the Executors whose legacy impacts how others perceive them, providing an alternative to fully customizable heroes.
Narrative Freedom Without Sacrificing Player Agency
A common criticism of prebuilt protagonists is the loss of agency, but the Dark Urge demonstrates how these concerns can be mitigated. While their backstory is set, players retain full control over their morality, relationships, and choices, allowing for a personalized journey within a structured framework.
Games likeDragon Age: OriginsandMass Effecthave previously explored elements of this concept, offering characters with defined origins that shaped their interactions. However, the Dark Urge takes this one step further by actively driving the narrative. A potentialBaldur’s Gate 4could expand on this idea, offering multiple prebuilt backgrounds tailored to different themes, such as redemption, revenge, or political intrigue.
A New Blueprint for Custom RPG Characters
TheDark Urge as one ofBG3’s origin charactershighlights an exciting possibility for future RPGs: creating characters who balance personal history with player-driven narratives. It challenges developers to rethink the value of blank-slate protagonists, suggesting that more meaningful story integration could make custom characters even more compelling.
While traditional blank-slate heroes will always have a place,games likeBaldur’s Gate 3prove that offering pre-written options with robust narrative ties can elevate the genre. Whether it’sMass Effect,Dragon Age, or any future RPG, developers should consider this innovative approach to character design to enrich their stories and immerse players further into their worlds.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
