Hello and greetings from Eastern Europe, my name is ColdBeer and this time I want to tell
you sad story about canceled Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound game.
If you never knew about it, it will be a pretty interesting story to hear.
Don't worry, It has nothing to do with a newest Baldur's Gate 3 being developed by the Larian
Studios – that game is alive and kicking, there is no need to be concerned, just relax
and listen to interesting story.
You might hear something unexpected that may interest you as a fan of classic RPG games.
The sequel to Baldur’s Gate 2, The Black Hound was first announced in a year 2001.
It is strange, but the game had no relation with a plot, location or even characters of
the previous Baldur’s Gate games.
In fact even Bioware had nothing to do with the game – instead the Black Isle Studios
were in charge of production, and despite being famous for developing such games as
Fallout, Planescape: Torment or Icewind Dale, studio is also known for it’s unfinished
projects, such as Torn, Stonekeep II and classic isometric Fallout 3.
That’s a shame.
Indeed, and including third Baldur’s Gate, that’s a lot of unfinished work for one
small company.
Baldur’s Gate III: The Black Hound was best known by a codename Project Jefferson, named
after a new 3D engine they were suppose to use instead of Infinity Engine used in a first
two Baldur’s Gate games.
Actually this engine was never used in a successful game – third isometric Fallout, known as
Van Buren, which was the other game using this engine, was also cancelled a bit later.
Great!
Yeah, great.
It sounds ironic, but actually it is.
Because Van Buren’s tech demo was leaked onto the Internet in 2007 thus showing us
the engine first hand.
Imagine Baldur’s Gate made with this.
At that time it would definitely be a decent game.
Although It may possibly be that the name “Baldur’s Gate III” was just a legal
trick, as during its development Interplay lost the Dungeons & Dragons license to Atari
but could still develop D&D games under the Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale brands.
So, they did.
The team was led by Josh Sawyer, a History Major, and while it would still use the D&D
ruleset and be set in Forgotten Realms, it would be a more grounded, low-level adventure,
with a heavier focus on role-playing.
Oh, fun role play, I like it I like to roleplay.
Not that roleplaying.
Although, maybe, all in all game was never released.
The Black Hound was set to take place in the Forgotten Realms continent of Faerûn.
It would have been set in the Dalelands and allowed players to travel mostly in the area
of Archendale.
Although none of the characters from the previous Baldur's Gate games would have returned, the
cast would have been completely original as well as the story, but some characters from
the Icewind Dale series would be included.
The plot of the game revolved around evil cleric May Farrow and her gang of raiders
who have spent weeks tracking down the Black Hound, the physical manifestation of May's
guilt for unleashing a great evil.
During a game, you as a player learn the tale of a widowed farmer's wife, taking great guilt
in her husband's death as for some reason she believed that it is her fault.
This is the place where you all must truly realize that this is a fantasy game, nothing
common with reality, because in real life it’s never a womens fault.
Anyway, widow tries to resurrect her husband and succeeds but finds him to be an abomination.
And not in that common term, where he resurrects and then starts drinking and beating her again.
He becomes a real monster.
She cannot stop him, despite him being very weak at the time.
Through the course of the game, the farmer is growing stronger and stronger off the guilt
absorbed by the Black Hound through the player.
You, the player, by that time, learn that this wife is previously mentioned evil cleric
May Farrow, who believes killing the Hound would be a way to stop the farmer.
The hound however latched its soul onto you and use you as a tunnel to channel guilt to
the farmer and as his guide to the world.
That is actually really original, not cliche story, and it deeply reminds me of one quest
of the first Witcher game, where the hellhound, referred to also as the Beast assumes the
form of a terrifying hound and tirelessly stalks its victims once it finds their trail.
Peasants believed that the hellhound embodies the vengeance, and it is sent to punish humans
for their wickedness.
See, one hound embodies the vengeance other the is the manifestation of guilt.I know it’s
not the same, but it is really cool similar concept.
The Black Hound game was cancelled in 2003 when Interplay lost the rights to the Baldur’s
Gate brand and could not release a D&D RPG anymore.
Suffering from financial issues, Interplay closed the Black Isle Studios shortly after.
And rumor is that the game was already 80% complete.
And that is so weird, because all we have is this artwork and zero real graphics.
Ayway, the artwork of The Black Hound looks really good, I hope you’re enjoying it.
However, that was not the end of The Black Hound.
Black Isle Studios` former manager, Feargus Urquhart, gathered a few key developers, such
as Josh Sawyer, Chris Avellone and three others and founded a new studio: Obsidian Entertainment.
Yes the one which created Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, Pillars
of Eternity and last year’s hit The Outer Worlds.
In 2007 Josh Sawyer using Neverwinter Nights 2 module creation tool began to work on a
personal project: a Baldur’s Gate III: The Black Hound module.
He posted about the project for a few years, sharing screenshots and discussing his views
on mechanics such a damage resistance, feats and classes, but the module was never finished.
Despite that people liked the idea of Baldur’s Gate with Neverwinter graphics.
Although, Baldur’s Gate 3 was never finished as a module of Neverwinter Nights 2, first
Baldur’s Gate was completely rehauled by fans.
Completely.
Look at this.
This is free if you have Neverwinter Nights 2.
Just install and play, I will put a link of this mod into description.
And when you finish that, you can find Icewind Dale campaign laying nearby.
All you need is Neverwinter Nights 2 installed.
Anyway, last attempt at resurrecting the The Black Hound occured in 2008, when Obsidian
pitched Baldur’s Gate III to Atari, holder of the Dungeons & Dragons license at the time.
Negotiations went far and designers worked for months on the project, but Atari was suffering
financially, didn’t have the money required and the game was abandoned again.
That was the last time.
Now we all wait for Baldur’s Gate 3 being made by Larian Studios.
20 years later game is finally happening.
Although it will be a totally different game.
All that’s left of the Black Hound is a name of the inn inside Pillars of Eternity
game.
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Have nice day and I’ll see you next time.
Bye