Inspiration is the main thing for any game to exist; according to two popular directors and creatives, there is a game that helps shape two popular titles. Todd Howard from Bethesda, responsible for Starfield, and Swen Vincke, the director of Baldur’s Gate 3, confirmed in an interview that the franchise Ultima 7 was a great inspiration for both games.
This role-playing gaming saga played a crucial role in creating these two popular games that fans eagerly anticipated last year.
These Two Games Have the Most Unexpected Thing in Common
After one of the best years in gaming in 2023, with stunning games like Alan Wake 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and many more, players are hoping to see the same quality this year. Many titles from last year were very different in genre and gameplay. Larian Studios’ recent Dungeons & Dragons RPG, and Bethesda’s recent space adventure RPG both have a game that connects these titles in the most unexpected way.
The creatives behind these popular titles had two different interviews where they confirmed a very interesting detail about what games inspired them. Both Howard and Vincke had interviews where they talked about Ultima 7 as an inspiration. Being two not-so-similar projects, these creatives shocked fans with this revelation, but this is not that odd, especially for the age of these personalities.
Ultima 7 is the Definitive Inspiration for Todd Howard and Swen Vincke
According to Vincke, an Ultima 7 obsession led him to create several very popular role-playing games like Divinity and, of course, Baldur’s Gate 3, GoTY of last year. In an interview with PC Gamer, he said the following:
It was non-linear, and you had to interrogate characters to know what you needed to do. You had a party that reacted to what you were doing. It pretty much fit what my friend had told me about so many years before.
Howard, in a recent interview with Famitsu, talked about how mods will be available in the new Bethesda title, but he also mentioned the first games that he played. Ultima 7 was also one of the first games that Howard played, so it is normal that Starfield was born with some inspiration from this franchise. The DLC for the exclusive Xbox title will be coming this year, and fans are really eager to see this new content.
When the first Ultima game came out in 1981, all PC players fell in love with the role-playing genre, which encouraged the use of imagination through text. This franchise later evolved into a more extensive and detailed experience, where fans were even more engaged by the incredible possibilities that these titles offered. This was a key feature for making new games like Dragon’s Dogma 2 or any very developed role-playing game.
What are your thoughts about these declarations? Let us know in the comments!
