‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ Pushed the RPG Genre Forward but Fizzled Out on Black Hair
Despite working through two playthroughs of Baldur’s Gate 3, I’ve found myself returning to the character creation screen a lot. Heralded for story and gameplay mechanics, the game also continues to receive praise for expansive customization options. There’s seven campaign starter options, 11 playable races, 12 classes, and 42 subclasses. When you break down the visual elements, players get even more options. However, when it comes to Black hair, while BG3 isn’t the worst offender, developer Larian Studios definitely didn’t excel here as well as it did many other aspects of the game.
Returning readers may have noticed subtle nods of approval about the hair in the game from me. After all, I linked that emotional video of Purplelightning on Twitch reacting to the curly faux hawk. This quiet cosign came from a variety of factors and some mental gymnastics. It started with me not realizing for three weeks that my PC’s graphics card didn’t meet the minimum requirements. However, after a massive hardware upgrade and seeing other games I have no intention on playing doing miles better, I had to reconsider this nod given to BG3.
This criticism will not consider bugs (like the fact that Ellesméra’s hair goes bone straight on the level-up screen), nor am I getting into a larger history or the “why this matters” discussion. However, I’m going to get nit-picky because that’s my right 298 hours in. If that bothers you or you have the desire to bring up Norsemen, then I feel free to click elsewhere.
The textures that work
Before diving into the issues, I want to praise what works because Larian made it clear that the inclusion of Blackness (and Asian features) wasn’t an afterthought. Not only did the devs cast many Black performers in key roles, but Larian offered Black facial options for custom characters. Every humanistic fantasy race features at least one face with distinct Black features. This includes small bridges, wide lips, and Jackson 5 nostrils. Also, the undertones of the brown skin options included cool and warm colors. This is such a basic feature, and yet, ashy brown skin remains industry standard.
Regarding hair, the first thing I noticed was how quickly one could find a Black style or texture. Quantity doesn’t equal quality, but if I’m being generous, 14 out of the 87 hairstyles are representative of Black hair. (This doesn’t account for wigs and silk presses.) With few exceptions, most games limit Black styles to an afro, cornrows, and some short cut. The execution varies by game, and Larian’s biggest success with Black hair was how it approached curly hair—specifically Type 3.
Though it’s hard to tell unless you grow it out, many people (regardless of race) have two or more hair textures. BG3 does show this, and it’s most apparent with it’s curly hair options as they mixed in a variety of textures. Artists, take notes, because this layering technique by BG3 did created volume and looks good! Additionally, both my characters have curly hair (Dandelion for Ellesméra and Scooped Cèilidh for Tav) and reflect a realistic halo effect in certain lightings. Unfortunately, like other forms of media, the game treats curly hair texture better treated than kinky, coily hair. While many biracial and multiracial Black players hold Type 3, the average Black player holds a texture (Type 4) not represented well in the game.
Black hair that didn’t work in Baldur’s Gate 3
The issues with most representations of Type 4 hair come down to a fundamental misunderstanding of how the hair is structured. BG3 displays locs (and others) as large coiled tubes rather than tight-coiled formed together to make tube-like shapes. For purposes of artistic interpretation and rendering limitations, I’m not expecting every strand on coily, Type 4 hair to be visible. Like with the curly, Type 3, hair they can play around a bit to create an illusion. A good example of this was Hobie Brown‘s wicks in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. The film’s artists showed proficiency in understanding cultural context, physics, and hair anatomy.
At least with loc options, Larian pulled together the overall style pretty well. The options reflect the creativity of Black hair styles. While Gorgon as a name has some terrible implications, this hairstyle option is almost like a loc version of Goddess braids (better known by G-slur braids). As any good artists, it’s clear the modeling team used a lot of good, diverse references. Still the foundational understanding is lacking. You can see it at the beginning of the locs and in some short hairstyles—like Cauldron Foam. It looks like a Brillo pad. When it came down to facial hair, there was no distinction between hair types.
With a better understanding of Type 4 hair, I don’t think I’m alone in wishing there was also more variation like with the straight (Type 1) and wavy styles. Shorter styles could’ve included a fade, flat top, afro puffs, and a full afro. Varying types of afros may feel extra … until you realize there’s 25 bob types and seven styles of buns/pigtails.
Also, the biggest missed opportunity is—unlike with locs and curly hair—limiting braids to just Interplanar Braids. Those are fairly basic for such a stellar-sounding name. (I’m not saying I don’t like them, but that I want more!) Finally, I refuse to believe the style (Loomspun) placed on poor, sweet Wyll are supposed to be braids. That looks like some long straight hair styled with elongated, skin-toned Flexi rods. Regardless of what that’s supposed to be, Wyll (and the voice actor, Theo Solomon) deserves better.
What prompted this reevaluation?
I had some hesitation about writing about this and airing it all out. Not only do I have my own personal uneasiness with talking about something that I have a complicated, personal relationship with, but despite these shortcomings in BG3, this is still better than many other games. I’ve read and even partaken in conversations about egregious screwups, but a part of me felt the need to just be grateful.
After all, there’s a lot of other related elements Larian Studios got right or improved upon. However, watching YouTuber ari’s video about loc representation changed my perspective. Please note that this isn’t the only great video on the issue with Black hair in video games. See Veridis Joes‘ and Blessing Adeoye Jr.’s (of Kinda Funny Games) take.
Ari’s commentary dives into the response to developers’ gravitation to side-swept locs, popularized by Killmonger in 2018’s Black Panther. Very few people will argue this doesn’t look cool. However, this is not a common hairstyle and feels it’s transforming into a new basic option. (Alongside the aforementioned styles of bald, afro, and cornrows.) In defending this over the previous status quo, Ari provides some examples of games that do Black hair well, not just noting newer sports games (NBA 2K and Madden) but sharing examples of narrative games like GTA V (the updates, at least) and, much to my chagrin, Hogwarts Legacy.
While I saw some praise about this in passing around Hogwarts Legacy’s release, I never looked into it because I had no intention of playing. The game may support an influential TERF, include unexamined antisemitism (like BG3) and racism, feature a suspiciously thrown in trans character to shield it from criticism, and center putting down a slave rebellion—but somehow it has some of the best options for Black hair in a video game ever?!
I’ll give Larian this: Warner Bros. Games and many of the studios that created examples of great Black hair options are much bigger studios. The fact that they can do it while other studios of equal size don’t is more of a knock on those other big-name studios than it is on a large independent developer like Larian.
Knowing these other games have done better makes BG3′s hair selection look less impressive, though the game’s Black hair fares better than the average game selection, especially in the RPG genre. This can remain my game of the year and easily one of my top three video games of all time and still get a barely passing grade in this respect. Here’s hoping the modding community (and maybe BG3 updates) give this aspect of the game more attention—and also hoping this remains the minimum and games only go up from here.
(featured image: Larian Studios)
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