One Key Detail For D&D’s Warlock Game Has Me Worried Already

Dungeons & Dragons has announced its next video game, but it’s unclear if it will be as successful as Baldur’s Gate 3. While I appreciate that D&D isn’t simply trying to recreate Baldur’s Gate 3 with a sequel, and a fresh approach with the new game, Warlock, could be positive, the game’s main goal seems overly ambitious and may be difficult to achieve.

The trailer for Warlock shown at The Game Awards 2025 was more about creating a feeling than showing actual gameplay. And it did create a cool feeling, blending classic fantasy with the dramatic style of old video game trailers. However, the official announcement calling it an “ambitious open-world experience” is raising some questions.

Warlock Is An Open-World D&D Game

A Grand New Ambition

An open-world game based on Dungeons & Dragons could be fantastic, but it would also be a huge undertaking. Many open-world games today struggle to create worlds that feel truly alive with engaging content. It’s simple to add repetitive tasks and items to a map, but much more challenging to design memorable side quests, distinctive locations, and characters that stay with you long after you finish playing.

Many games achieve moderate success without excelling in any specific area, and we’ve seen open-world titles score well despite being fairly average. However, Warlock faces a tough challenge following the massive success of Baldur’s Gate 3. That game has raised the bar for all Dungeons & Dragons games, and Warlock will likely be criticized if it doesn’t offer similar strengths and quality.

Open-World Games Are Made Or Broken By Gameplay

It’s So Easy To Mess This Up

It’s important for Warlock to differentiate itself from other games, and the key will be unique gameplay. The warlock class from Dungeons & Dragons offers a lot of potential for interesting mechanics, and translating those into fast-paced action could create an experience unlike Baldur’s Gate 3.

The game’s announcement promises a combat system that blends magical abilities with close-quarters fighting, creating battles that are both strategic and impactful. However, it’s hard to say if this will actually be true until we see it in action. Many games fall into the trap of letting players simply repeat the same powerful spell, and this game’s Warlock class will need to offer more diverse and engaging ways to fight to avoid that problem.

Even with good fighting, open-world games need to offer more than just basic, empty spaces. Forspoken shows how easily a game can become disappointing, even if its core gameplay is solid. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeds because its carefully designed structure keeps things fresh, and Warlock might struggle to achieve the same level of reinvention with a more open approach.

Open world games can sometimes actually reduce the feeling of excitement and discovery. If a game just gives you a list of boring things to do, it starts to feel like a chore instead of an adventure. Even excellent games, like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, can struggle with this, making it a difficult issue to resolve.

D&D Has Plenty For An Open-World Game, If Done Right

There’s So Much To Draw From

Although I have some reservations, I’m happy to learn more about Warlock. I’m a big fan of isometric RPGs, but I understand not every game can reach the heights of Baldur’s Gate 3 or Planescape: Torment. Dungeons & Dragons games have improved a lot since the older “Gold Box” titles, and an open-world approach could be really innovative if done well.

Many Dungeons & Dragons campaigns focus on exploring a vast world, and the freedom to pursue any lead or go anywhere is a key part of the tabletop roleplaying experience. Adapting this feeling to a video game will be difficult, but it’s achievable.

It’s currently unknown if the game Warlock is set within a pre-existing Dungeons & Dragons world. The developers say it takes place in a dark fantasy open world inspired by D&D, but it’s unclear if that world will be one fans already know. While the Forgotten Realms could fit this description, other D&D settings like Dark Sun and Ravenloft are more strongly linked to dark fantasy themes.

The developers have experience working on large open-world games such as Far Cry and Watch Dogs, but I don’t find those games particularly exciting, so that doesn’t guarantee success. I’m hoping they’ll draw more inspiration from games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring, though that might be wishful thinking.

Right now, all we can do is wait and see what happens with Warlock. It has the potential to be a truly innovative Dungeons & Dragons video game, opening up exciting possibilities for future adaptations. However, it could also end up being just another typical open-world game where the gameplay feels repetitive after a while. I’m optimistic about it being something special, but I’m also prepared for it to be underwhelming.

2025-12-12 22:45