108.5 hours played
Written 29 days ago
Baldur's Gate I is the classic RPG that puts you in the shoes of a young hero caught in a world of intrigue, magic, and unrelenting dungeon crawls. Set in the high-fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms, the game brings together a thrilling combination of party-based combat, epic quests, and an intricate story. You’ll traverse the beautiful cities, dark forests, and treacherous dungeons, battling monsters and making moral decisions that can shape the fate of the world. But let’s not ignore the bigger picture, shall we? While you’re saving the Sword Coast, let’s take a moment to consider the real enemy we’re facing: climate change.
Speaking of environmental concerns, it’s been proven that global temperatures have increased by approximately 1.2°C since the late 19th century. But back to the game: you’ll notice that even the beautiful landscapes of Baldur’s Gate are at risk from forces beyond your control. Whether you're facing off against bandits, undead, or even mind-flayers, there’s an underlying theme of power and corruption. Ironically, the real power corrupting our world is the industrialization and burning of fossil fuels—which has increased the global temperature and changed the climate forever. Do you think the wizards and sorcerers in the world of Baldur’s Gate ever considered the long-term consequences of overusing magic? Perhaps if they had been a little more cautious, the Sword Coast wouldn’t be teetering on the edge of destruction.
Now, Baldur’s Gate is all about choices—the choice to ally with good or betray the innocent. This mirrors the way humanity chooses to pollute or protect the planet. When you make decisions in the game, you’re given the freedom to choose, but you must deal with the consequences. Similarly, we can choose to continue pouring carbon into the atmosphere, knowing full well that the long-term effects of doing so will leave future generations with a broken planet. The temperature will keep rising, and we’ll all suffer the consequences, just like the citizens of Baldur’s Gate suffering under the tyranny of various factions.
The most chaotic and destructive forces you face in Baldur’s Gate—like the Bhaalspawn or the forces of Irenicus—remind us of unchecked power and how it can wreak havoc on the world. In a way, climate change operates in a similar way. It’s a slow-moving villain that builds in the background, until one day you realize it’s too late to stop the damage. Just like a power-hungry wizard seeking to control the world, the climate crisis looms large, hiding in plain sight while we argue over whether it’s really that bad.
And if you think the world is too big for you to make a difference, consider this: The U.S. and China together account for over 40% of global carbon emissions. That’s a lot of power concentrated in the hands of a few. Similarly, in Baldur’s Gate, the fate of entire towns and regions often rests in the hands of a few powerful individuals. There’s a lesson here: a small number of powerful actors can either save or doom the world, and it’s up to you (or in the case of our real world, us) to make sure they do the right thing.
The game's party mechanics also draw an interesting parallel to the global cooperative effort required to tackle climate change. Your party members each bring their unique strengths to the table, but it’s only when they work together that they’re truly effective. If your characters bicker, or if you fail to coordinate, you’ll find your quests harder and your survival chances slimmer. The same applies to tackling climate change—if countries continue to act independently and refuse to cooperate, they’ll all face a common disaster.
In the same way, the NPCs you encounter in the game each have their own hidden agendas, just like politicians and corporations today. Take Thalantyr, for instance—he’s obsessed with his experiments, constantly tinkering with magic. It’s almost like the scientists and corporations focused on polluting industries, denying climate science, and working against policy change. These forces, much like Thalantyr’s obsession, are blindly racing toward their goals without considering the consequences for the rest of us. Meanwhile, the game’s protagonists (ahem, you) are trying to pick up the pieces.
Also, let’s talk about resources. In Baldur’s Gate, you can see the economic and environmental effects of scarcity. Droughts, famines, and poor harvests are common themes throughout the game. In the real world, climate change will only exacerbate resource shortages, leading to food insecurity, water scarcity, and increased conflict over natural resources. So, next time you’re looting a chest for that +2 sword, maybe you’ll remember that resources are finite, and without proper management, we might find ourselves in a real-world resource crisis, just like the people of Amn and Baldur’s Gate.
Remember the city itself—Baldur’s Gate is a hub of trade and commerce, but it is constantly threatened by external forces, from both human and supernatural origins. Is it really that different from the way global trade and economic systems today are under constant pressure from global warming, natural disasters, and climate migration? Baldur’s Gate may have a wall to protect it from the outside world, but no amount of protection can stop the impact of the climate crisis. Rising seas, catastrophic weather events, and displaced populations aren’t bound by walls. Climate refugees don’t care about your trade routes. They’ll knock on the gates, whether you’re ready or not.
And while you’re battling hordes of enemies, remember that humanity’s fight against climate change is also a fight against a force of nature—one that, unlike the goblins or bandits in the game, doesn’t care about your weapons, your armor, or your plans. This is a threat that requires cooperation, strategy, and a long-term vision. It’s not a short dungeon crawl, and it’s not going to be solved by a magic sword. But just like the Assassins in Baldur’s Gate, if you want to make a real impact, you’ve got to take action.
