As part of our upcoming exclusive interview with the Astarion actor, Neil Newbon has shared his reaction to Baldur’s Gate 3, praising in particular its treatment of mature content and romantic relationships.
Newbon performed as acid-tongued vampire Astarion, and he’s now had the chance to experience the game firsthand. He’s playing through BG3 as a half-elf druid called Bow’ee and is seriously appreciative of what he helped create.
He noted how sex isn’t the end-goal of BG3’s relationships (unlike, say Mass Effect 3). He lauded the way sex can be the beginning of a relationship, but it’s up to you to determine where you go from there. And, when push comes to shove, you’ll be asking yourself just how much you’re prepared to sacrifice for that relationship. “It becomes incredibly interesting and real; it’s a very adult story in that way,” he remarked.
Newbon is also impressed that the game doesn’t gloss over relationships — romantic or otherwise — coming to an end. As he pointed out, if you upset a character, they’re not necessarily going to stick around for the sake of the quest. They will leave, and you’ll have to deal with the consequences.
Newbon has a love for branching games and is impressed by how both BG3 and games in general have improved in scope, noting that narrative was once an afterthought. According to Newbon, that in turn makes actors’ jobs more interesting, enabling them to be more than a cliche. He praised the execution of BG3’s story, saying that “it’s so imaginative. It’s the richest experience for an actor because we get to really do our job.”
In short, Newbon has been very impressed by the whole experience and the way he, as an actor, has benefited from developer Larian Studios’ storytelling skills.
If that’s left you craving more on the Astarion voice actor’s reaction to Baldur’s Gate 3, you can read our complete interview with Neil Newbon from October 17. This article will be updated with a link to the interview at that time.
