Larian Studios’ CEO Swen Vincke was joined by none other than two Lord of the Rings alums for a hilarious Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough - and it’s the essential Christmas viewing I didn’t know I needed.
Larian shared the brief playthrough on social media, which had the developer’s big boss walk Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins) and Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee) through the D&D RPG's opening hours. Laughs erupt in no time, as Astin turns to the naked Tiefling waiting on a character creation screen and says “I’m really excited to see what is already… beautiful to look at.” Wood instead creates a halfling with the Dark Urge background, and on second thought, where else has he roleplayed as short fantasy folk tempted by overwhelming darkness?
Other fun Middle-Earth callbacks have Astin defeating the Spider Matriarch, channeling his Shelob-hunting era: “I killed the big spider… again.” And then, there’s the conclusion, which weirdly mimics the iconic trilogy. After unlocking the Necromancy of Thay book, Wood’s character is overcome with evil temptations, forcing him to kick a squirrel, chop off a wizard’s arm, and fling a gnome across the village.
Fresh off The Game Awards Swen met with some familiar faces to play some Baldur's Gate 3 👀Thank you @elijahwood and @seanastin for joining us in a totally normal game session, where absolutely no evil powers were awakened and no squirrels were harmed. pic.twitter.com/fC75mLOi5tDecember 24, 2023
Staying true to Samwise’s spirit, Astin takes his companion to a lava-filled pit. “Throw the book in the fire,” he implores. “I can’t throw the book, Sean. I’m too powerful,” Wood replies, defeated, “the possibilities with this book are myriad and endless. I can’t let it go.” Sensing that his friend is too far gone, Astin decides to kick him, along with the dark book, into the lava pit. A reverse-Gollum, if you will.
That’s an eight-minute video that’s almost impossible not to crack a smile at, especially if you’re a fan of both properties. Should you want Baldur’s Gate 3 and Lord of the Rings to cross over more often, check out the mod that adds the entire Fellowship of the Ring to the game.
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