I am a big fan of Baldur’s Gate 3, but I can’t pretend it hasn’t made me a bit nervous about the future of Dungeons & Dragons video games. Its monumental success feels like the type of thing that could lead to poor copycats or rushed sequels, and I was worried Wizards of the Coast might fall into that trap. Luckily, it seems like at least one upcoming D&D video game is going to be very different from Baldur’s Gate 3, and I’m very excited to see how it turns out.

Another reason I’m looking forward to a different type of D&D game is that I’ve sunk a lot of time into Baldur’s Gate 3. I’ve started new BG3 games at least a dozen times, and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon, so I don’t really need another game exactly like it. I also DM a weekly game, so I get my fill of classic D&D gameplay. That’s why I’m looking forward to a game set in the same world, but with a different style of play.

D&D’s Upcoming Game Is More Focused On Action

Giant Skull’s D&D Game Is Reportedly An Action Game

It was recently announced that a single-player D&D game is being developed through a collaboration between Wizards of the Coast and Giant Skull. The game will reportedly be more of an action game, which is a big change of pace from Baldur’s Gate 3‘s isometric CRPG gameplay. Not only will this help differentiate the new game from Baldur’s Gate 3, it opens up a lot of interesting possibilities in terms of gameplay.

Dungeons & Dragons has a lot of cool character classes with unique abilities. Translating even a few of these classes into an action game could create some unique ways to interact with the world of D&D. The thought of playing a third-person action game where I can suddenly Wild Shape into an Owlbear or unleash an explosive Fireball sounds like a great time. It could also help players come up with some exciting new ideas for their tabletop games, once they get a feel for how D&D‘s combat would play out in real time.

D&D Could Use A Good Action Game

Previous D&D Action Games Have Been Lackluster

It’s hard to imagine a video game doing a better job of capturing traditional D&D gameplay than Baldur’s Gate 3, but there is a lot of room for a D&D action game to distinguish itself. There haven’t been many AAA action games set in the world of D&D, and the ones in recent memory have not been great. The most recent one, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, got middling reviews, and was largely bland and repetitive from my memory. Although I never played 2011’s Daggerdale, its reception suggests that it was even worse than Dark Alliance.

Dungeons & Dragons has a lot of untapped action game potential, so I’m surprised we haven’t gotten a good one sooner. Now that Hasbro seems more interested in video games for their IPs, we will hopefully see this change. I also have high hopes that Giant Skull is the perfect studio to deliver a solid D&D action game.

Giant Skull Seems Like A Good Developer For A D&D Game

Giant Skull’s Founder Has Developed Several Great Action Games

Although Giant Skull has not developed any games yet, its founder, Stig Asmussen, certainly has. Asmussen was the director of God of War 3, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. All three are great action games, and the Star Wars games in particular are the ones that have me excited about Giant Skull’s D&D game. Asmussen proved he knows how to effectively capture the appeal of the source material he’s adapting, so I’m sure he can do for D&D what he did for Star Wars.

I’m sure at some point, a sequel or spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate 3 will come out, if it’s not already in development. However, for now, I’m happy that we’re getting a very different kind of D&D game. I’m even happier that it’s coming from Giant Skull, as I have enjoyed Stig Asmussen’s previous games, and trust his company’s work on this new project will be just as exciting.