Warning: spoilers for the game
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https://freedium.cfd/https://fanfare.pub/baldurs-gate-3-is-very-anxious-about-automation-7b108629ebe9>
"The videogame
Baldur's Gate 3 earned accolades the moment it launched,
dominating nominations for the 2023 Game Awards and being well-received by
gamers and critics alike. The game takes place in the world of Faerûn (a common
Dungeons & Dragons setting). The plot involves an invasion of Mindflayer
parasites secretly influencing the minds of more and more hosts in a bid to
take over the continent and perhaps all of existence.
Yet something is not typical with this resurgence of mindflayers. Not only is
your character infected and not being turned into a tentacled monster, but the
hivemind that usually controls such hosts is silent. In its place is the
Absolute, a mysterious force your player must uncover the motivations of as you
race to find a cure for your infection.
Although bugs were frequent, I found this game to be a treat to play,
especially its narrative. There are many nuggets that one could deconstruct
from this work: its unapologetic queerness as every other NPC casually slips in
references to a same-sex partner or lover; the way it breaks down how innocent
people can get indoctrinated into cults; the way player creation allows for
transness in a way I haven't seen in a while.
Perhaps the most interesting is this fantasy work's take on security and
Artificial Intelligence. Autonomous defense units, parallels of which are being
deployed in the real world as we speak, are not depicted in the game as
vehicles of safety but harbingers of fascism — an intriguing criticism as our
world gears up to connect everyone and everything in the name of productivity
and safety."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
