Larian Studio's animation game was extremely on point in Baldur's Gate 3. The ludicrous number of unique interactions each character has gives each so much personality, and as it turns out, inspiration struck one of the developers from an unexpected angle.
In an illuminating new series looking at mocap in BG3, Larian's choreography expert Mustapha El Bachiri, among other things, explains where Lae'zel's unique style of combat comes from. Confirming it was inspired by an "eastern martial arts samurai background", Bachiri went a step further, adding a special technique that once came to an ancient swordmaster in a dream to add "a little elusive touch."
According to Bachiri, this master swordsman had a dream in which he fought a tough opponent who he could not overcome, no matter what technique he tried. He managed to overcome this nocturnal opponent by envisioning a "final missing move" that would ultimately help him win. He disguised the positioning of the blade, cradling it backwards on the inside of his arm and behind his body when standing side-on.
This is, of course, represented by Lae'zel's iconic idle and ready animations with a long sword, which players will see almost immediately upon booting up a fresh game. It remains incredibly impressive that this level of detail was routinely applied to such a massive RPG, undoubtedly part of the reason why it was received so warmly.
What do you think of this mocap showcase? Did it have you twirling around the nearest length of wood you had to hand? What do you think of the origins of Lae'Zel's combat animations, pretty cool, huh? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
