Summary
A lot of people that jumped on theDungeons & Dragonsbandwagon quite recently may not know that it wasn’t Larian Studios that invented the city ofBaldur’s Gate. It’s arguably one of the most iconic locations in the Forgotten Realms, thoughBaldur’s Gate 3is probably the best look we’ve ever had of it outside of standard D&D campaigns.
Thanks to the video game series, it’s easy to create a clear picture of exactly what Baldur’s Gate looks like, and that clear picture is what has helpeda Cities: Skyline fan completely recreate the city in the game, albeit with a modern twist. First shared on the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit, user Impossible_Active271 showed off their recreation with a number of side by side images from D&D sources and screenshots of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate Has Been Recreated In Cities: Skylines
There’s quite a lot to go through in just the screenshots alone, as Impossible_Active271 somehow managed to fairly accuratelyrecreate the Baldur’s Gate map from above. Sweeping shots from the outside of the city and above even accurately recreate the time of day, making them even more identical, though they also share screenshots of certain landmarks within Baldur’s Gate that elicit a chuckle.
I’m a very big fan of Impossible_Active271 recreating The Blushing Mermaid tavern by sticking half of a cruise ship inside a building.
Even places that you’d imagine would be difficult to recreate have been done with a bit of forward-thinking. For example, since Cities: Skylines doesn’t have any castles, Impossible_Active271 uses a massive skyscraperto replace Cazador’s Palace. Similarly, old-school docks in Baldur’s Gate have been recreated in Cities: Skylines using harbors, while the Water Queen’s House has been turned into a couple of public pools.
Impossible_Active271 then goes a bit deeper into the state of Baldur’s Gate in their modern world, revealing that the walls of the city have been replaced by a ten-lane highway, a flying tram line, and a series of skyscrapers. It’s extremely polluted, as they argue that Baldur’s Gate “was already a nasty city to begin with.”
Drinking water is thankfully still clean, although that could change pretty soon with all the sewage that’s being dumped underneath Wyrm’s Crossing bridge. There’s also just one police station for the whole city, meaning crime is just as rampant as it is in the original Baldur’s Gate. You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t immediately pack up and move there.
Cities: Skylines
WHERE TO PLAY
In Cities: Skylines, you take control of planning and constructing your metropolis from start to finish. Decide on transport routes, funding, and management from top to bottom.
