Baldur's Gate III (2023)

I started playing Baldur's Gate 3 in July of 2024. I rolled credits last week. Let's get into it.

I'm gonna take a page from academia and actually state my theses up front, because I've got at least three of them and I want to mention them here in case I forget to later. Not gonna try and do it artfully though (I mean I think this intro has sailed that ship anyway).

THESIS 1: It continues to be fascinating to watch Larien push video games as close as possible to the TTRPG experience, and it continues be frustrating to experience the inevitable and impassible chasm between what they want to achieve and what they actually can achieve.

THESIS 2: BG3 is Too Much Game. Or rather, too much game for one person.

THESIS 3: I need to learn to have fun.

There's probably more but that'll do for now.

So most of what I have to say about Thesis 1 I already said in my Divinity: Original Sin II review, namely that no amount of mitigating systems can fully make up for the lack of a GM and the freedom to make choices the game hasn't explicitly accounted for.

I think with BG3 it's most noticeable in regards to the spider web of cause and effect stretching invisibly across every quest chain in the game, where there's no way to know what far-flung consequence your actions will have without looking up a guide. My playthrough of BG3 took 108 hours, and it probably would've been sub-100 if I hadn't had to reload so many times because I spent three hours on a dungeon and then found out "oh if you do things in this order everyone dies."

I want to be really careful here about distinguishing between my (possibly unhealthy) bias toward wanting to extract my desired story from the game and what is actually good and interesting design. Because while I might be pissed off about these kinds of unforeseen consequences, I can see the argument that it's a more interesting story if you just make the best decision you can based on the knowledge you have at the time and then find out what happens.

I have a couple counterpoints. The first is that that requires trusting the writers of the game to have made the right decision regarding what would be the most interesting/satisfying consequence for my actions. And I don't! I'm much more willing to trust a GM who knows me and has been playing with me for some amount of time, and who can craft a narrative around what they're interested in and what the players are interested in, and make adjustments to that narrative as needed to avoid locking off storylines arbitrarily or leading us down a path we ultimately won't enjoy.

The second is that that requires trusting the game to have given you adequate knowledge for making those decisions, and it simply does not do that. May I present to the court Exhibit A, Act 2, Moonrise Fucking Towers. Throughout Act 2, the game is pushing you to find and infiltrate/besiege Moonrise Towers. It does not at any point make it clear that doing so too early will in fact lock off several side missions, make the boss fight against Ketheric Thorm much harder, completely fuck up Shadowheart's storyline, and probably lead to lots of NPC's dying unnecessarily. Surprises, twists, and unforeseen consequences can be narratively interesting, sure, but in an RPG that needs to be balanced against player agency, and I think for the most important choices the player needs to know what choice they're making. (This also goes for basically every choice having to do with The Emperor, almost none of which are obvious.)

Also, Larien has yet to figure out how to make failure interesting, which while they couldn't necessarily do it as effectively as a GM I do think they could do better. There are a few cases in the game where failure doesn't just mean reloading a save, but none that are especially interesting, other than maybe getting taken to prison, which can be fun if the character actually has the right skillsets for staging a prison break, which Shadowheart (having accidentally murdered a civilian who walked into her Moonbeam right after combat ended, which again, a GM would simply not let happen) did not, so I had to reload and do the sea-creature fight down by the docks all over again, and I still have no idea what that was even about.

Because (oooh, a transition) there's just so much going on this game. There are so many side quests, so much to keep track of, so much inventory to manage, so many character builds to try to understand, and just so many decisions to make, it's exhausting. Also the map itself is way bigger than you expect it be and in Act I I apparently just missed a part we're you're supposed to rescue Lae'zel and so I just found her corpse later. And like I don't actually care because I only ever played with Karlach, Wil, and Shadowheart (the three best characters in the game don't @ me actually fuck it do, what's-his-wizard is smarmy and arrogant, whiny vampire is annoying, and Lae'zel, well, she's dead, so), but just to show how easy it is to miss important stuff because there's just so much of it.

I do think a lot of this would be mitigated by playing multiplayer. I mean, you wouldn't solo a four-person D&D campaign, right? Only having to manage one character's inventory and understand one character's build would be a huge relief, as would being able to collectively make decisions or even just let the rest of the party decide. And that could even help with some of my issues from Thesis 1, if you just sort of give yourself over to majority rule regardless of consequences.

But for me, all alone, it was exhausting, which, along with some health issues, is a big reason why this game took me over a year to finish. Less than half of that time was spent on Acts 1 & 2, but by the time I actually got to Baldur's Gate I was so burnt out that I kept avoiding the game if I was feeling anything less than excited about it. I've logged 15 games since starting BG3, and that's not even counting the hours spent in various rogue-lites that I don't feel "finished" with yet and so I haven't logged but also will probably never remember to. A couple of those games were ones I'd been avoiding before starting BG3, that's how much I was avoiding it. I stopped in the middle of the final battle for like 2 weeks.

So this was yet another open-world RPG where by the end I was playing on the lowest difficulty settings and just wanted it to be over. I wasn't having fun anymore SMASH CUT PART 3: I NEED TO LEARN TO HAVE FUN

I always try to get "the intended experience" from a game, to not get in there and mess around with the gears and wires until I've actually finished it and understand it. But I'm 31 years old, my health is failing, there TOO MANY GAMES, and I spent 1 year and 108 real-world hours playing a game that could've been exponentially more fun if I'd let myself change the settings sooner and/or install mods (I don't think the mods were available when I started playing, but they were by the end; not actually sure if you can use mods halfway through a playthrough though, so this point is possibly largely theoretical).

And like, am I going to play BG3 again? Spend another 108 hours on it? Yeah, probably, I almost started a second playthrough the day I finished it. But I could've had my first, my canonical, experience with the game be so much more enjoyable. I need to let myself play on lower difficulties, install mods, do whatever to make the game fun, because that's the point, right? And to some extent those could also be considered mitigating tools for GM-less RPGing. Anyway, that's something I need to work on going forward.

Why, though, you might be asking, did I give this game 5 stars and am already thinking about playing it again if I was seemingly so miserable? The answer is: Have you seen this thing? Of course this is a great game! You can find a note that talks about how the statue is too greasy and then later you find a statue and you're like "what if I just...threw grease on it" and you do that and now you can turn it and find a secret room, I mean come on! You can climb up into the rafters and fire spells at people in the next room and they won't have any idea where you are! You can trap a boss against a table and then surround him with elementals that just pound him into the dirt each turn while he's also in a Moonbeam! You can stack up barrels in front of a door to keep people from getting in! You can talk to animals! You can have sex with a (druid in the form of a) bear! If that's your thing!

Whatever else Baldur's Gate 3 might be, it is a remarkable achievement in gaming, and if you wanted to you could (and I know some people have) put thousands of hours into it and never touch another game. That's not something I want, but I can see the appeal, and there's a lot of fun stuff in here that I'm sure I'll be dipping back in to explore at some point.

p.s. The epilogue glitched so Jaheira thought it was still right before the final battle. Also the power went out during the credits so I had to look up the post-credits scene on YouTube and I don't really get it but I'm sure there's a three hour video explaining it to me if I want one.

p.p.s. The Steel Watch Foundry is the worst dungeon Larien has ever made, it's the worst part of the game, I hate it so much.

p.p.p.s. Seriously, why has no other review of this game mentioned that you can fuck a bear? I'm not arguing for or against it I'm just saying, pretty notable that that's just a thing you can do in this mainstream award-winning branded video game.

p.p.p.p.s. Speaking of the brand, my hottest BG3 take is that I wish Larien had made another Divinity game instead. But presumably they wouldn't have gotten anything like this kind of budget without the D&D of it all.

p.p.p.p.p.s. Having never played the first two games I read Matt Bell's Baldur's Gate II from Boss Fight Books (which also summarizes the plot of the first game). It's a really good book, digs into what playing that game was like at the time and also his own personal history with RPGs, highly recommend it. And it'll give you a little bit of insight into some of the characters, setting, and plot of BG3 if you also haven't played the first two games.

I was intrigued by Baldurs Gate mainly because I was aware that the game featured some of my favourite actors but I was pleasantly surprised when the game quickly made its way into being one of my all time favourites. This was my first time playing any kind of turn based combat as well as my first time playing an RPG but I found myself really enjoying the mechanics of the game and quickly getting to understand how the mechanics worked, despite having no knowledge of DND. I found myself having to actually think and strategise before any battle, learning ways to defeat my enemies in less hits and use my characters abilities to their full potential.

Visually the game is absolutely stunning, every area and aspect designed very beautifully. In particular i found the shadow cursed lands especially beautiful, the contrast of colours making for the perfect atmosphere.

I found all of the characters to be compelling and well written, making me thoroughly invested in the outcomes of not only my story but the companions along the way. I enjoyed how the story was a good balance of silly and comedic fun to being a very meaningful tale about its characters.

Despite having hundreds of hours in the game i’ve found that no two runs are the same, the ability to make choices creating a diverse experience as well as the added unpredictability of the dice rolls which created a unique experience every time.

Overall I gave this game a 5/5 rating as I thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing and I find it very easy to replay and come back to, it is definitely worth playing at least once. It has it flaws of course (namely the emperor trying to seduce me every play through), like anything but they pale in comparison to the things I loved about the game.

For as universally loved as Baldur's Gate 3 is.... I'm just not feeling it.

I seem to have hit a dead end in Act 1. Everywhere I go, I just get obliterated in the extremely-not-fun battle. I accidentally warped away from the goblin camp, leaving Bear-Dude by himself, and I can't seem to find the item I need to cross the broken bridge to get back.

I'm just not having fun with this game.

Shelved.

Dipped my toes into BG3 to see if I'd like it and I'm having a lot of fun! Almost made a 70's glam rock star duo, but ended up going for a more majestic wood elf that unfortunately looks like he's pulling the Zoolander blue steel look 24/7 during cut scenes. Never played anything D&D related so the rules and mechanics aren't making much sense, I've done a bit of reading to understand the whole dice terminology stuff.

I like how many possibilities there are for different things to happen even moment to moment. At the beginning I stumbled across some people who I assumed were enemies and instantly went into combat and killed them, then realised that they were having a conversation and I should have tried to join in first, so I reloaded the save file and sure enough I had a chat and we walked away without any violence. Stuff like that is happening every 10 minutes or so and I'm loving it!

Also enjoying the turn based combat far more than I thought I would, typically get really bored with turn based mechanics. And I hate to say it, but first impressions of Astarion is that he's way too full of himself to be likeable... there I said it.

After 70+ hours across Steam and PS5, I think it’s time to admit Baldur’s Gate 3 just isn’t clicking with me.

It’s trying to do so much all the time—narratively, structurally—and it just ends up wearing me down. The loop of talking, choosing, looting, organizing, fighting, more talking… it’s more tiring than fun.

Sidequests are everywhere, tangled into the main story, which is impressive—but it makes everything feel heavy, bloated.

Probably putting this one down again. Maybe for good this time.

I'm way too dumb to play this game. I have to think of ALL MY STEPS and It's super tiring for my stupid brain sad

Im sorry for comparing games, but at least FOR ME, Elden Ring is so much cooler, in a way that I can move freely, the fights are awesome and make me anxious, I love the way I have to roll, strike, and flee and to do this all in the caos of the moment, in baldurs is a lot of one shot and then your shot was="error", go this way = "the way is blocked", go that way, you can't cuz there's grease in the way, ah god dammit. Also in ER the exploration is so awesome, I dunno I like it better.

So yea, in baldurs gate I don't like much the fights, tbh I bought the game on impulse because it looked awesome, but the fights are kind of boring for me...

The game is still kinda fun, but after some hours I have to just stop and not come back for days, because my head hurts ahah The game has a great story, and I love having the dialogues and to "participate" more with the character, that's maybe one of my fave parts.

I can't believe im still on act I. I'm always triggering a fight anywhere I go lol. I'll still try to play more to see if I enjoy it better, I have like 25 hours in, let's see.

I had no idea that Larian had patched out this bit of dialogue, I guess because I haven't played since shortly after honour mode was dropped. I'm glad a mod can restore it, because I always found this exchange between the three characters to be quite humorous.

Wyll Can Flirt With Lae'zel And Shadowheart Again Thanks To This Baldur's Gate 3 Fan

5/5

Played on PC.

I think I forgot to write a review for this one after playing it. Everything to say about this game has already been said luckily - it's brilliant. A lot of people said the third act was pushing it but I really enjoyed. Just an overall quality production. Easily one of the best games I've ever played.

"Baldur's Gate 3 - A Ressurreição Triunfante do RPG Clássico"

"Baldur's Gate 3" é uma obra-prima moderna que revitaliza a icônica série de RPGs, trazendo uma profundidade e imersão raramente vistas em jogos deste gênero. Desenvolvido pela Larian Studios, o mesmo estúdio responsável pela aclamada série "Divinity: Original Sin", este título estabelece novos padrões para jogos de RPG baseados em Dungeons & Dragons.

Narrativa e Personagens

A história de "Baldur's Gate 3" é envolvente e repleta de escolhas significativas que realmente impactam o desenrolar dos eventos. A narrativa começa com os jogadores presos por um parasita Mind Flayer, lançando-os em uma jornada para encontrar uma cura. Ao longo do caminho, você encontra uma série de personagens memoráveis, cada um com suas próprias histórias, motivações e dilemas morais. As interações com esses personagens são profundas e complexas, com diálogos bem escritos e opções que permitem moldar os relacionamentos de diversas maneiras.

Jogabilidade e Mecânicas

A jogabilidade em "Baldur's Gate 3" é uma fusão perfeita de combate tático e exploração profunda. O sistema de combate por turnos, inspirado nas regras de Dungeons & Dragons 5ª Edição, é estratégico e desafiador, exigindo planejamento cuidadoso e uso inteligente das habilidades de cada personagem. A exploração é igualmente gratificante, com um mundo rico e detalhado cheio de segredos, missões secundárias e encontros aleatórios que mantêm a experiência fresca e envolvente.

Visual e Áudio

Visualmente, "Baldur's Gate 3" é deslumbrante. Os ambientes são detalhados e variados, desde masmorras sombrias até florestas luxuriantes e cidades vibrantes. A atenção aos detalhes é evidente em cada canto do mundo, criando uma sensação de um mundo vivo e respirante. A trilha sonora e os efeitos sonoros complementam perfeitamente a atmosfera, com músicas épicas que intensificam momentos de tensão e combate, e sons ambientais que trazem um nível adicional de imersão.

Liberdade e Rejogabilidade

Uma das maiores forças de "Baldur's Gate 3" é a liberdade que oferece aos jogadores. Suas escolhas não apenas moldam a história, mas também como você interage com o mundo ao seu redor. Quer você queira ser um herói altruísta, um mercenário pragmático ou algo completamente diferente, o jogo permite que você siga seu próprio caminho. Essa liberdade, combinada com uma vasta gama de opções de criação de personagens e abordagens de jogo, garante uma rejogabilidade imensa.

Desafios e Dificuldade

"Baldur's Gate 3" não é um jogo fácil, e isso é parte do seu charme. Os desafios apresentados são significativos, tanto em combate quanto em resolução de quebra-cabeças. O jogo exige que os jogadores pensem criticamente e planejem suas ações, recompensando aqueles que investem tempo em entender suas mecânicas e explorar todas as opções disponíveis.

Conclusão

"Baldur's Gate 3" é um retorno triunfante para uma das séries de RPG mais queridas de todos os tempos. Com uma narrativa rica, personagens complexos, jogabilidade estratégica e um mundo incrivelmente detalhado, ele estabelece um novo padrão para jogos de RPG baseados em Dungeons & Dragons. "Baldur's Gate 3" oferece uma experiência inesquecível que cativa e desafia em igual medida. Para os fãs de RPGs, este jogo é simplesmente imperdível.

I have spent 219 hours with this game (one solo campaign on PC (24 hours) started in December 2023 and one online campaign on PS5 (27 hours with my brother and sister started somewhere in January 2024; both aborted because of, well, real life), and this campaign, the first I have finished (twice, by the way), which my PS5 marks as being around 168 hours. Of course, this doesn’t imply active playtime by any means. But it gives a somewhat accurate portrayal of how much time I have spent with one campaign, immersed in this world. This is a very particular case with me, since I -for the most part- prefer narrative games with a gametime of 20 to 40 hours, I’d take 70 sometimes; and I don’t play online games that much, so, if we check the game time I’ve spent with the rest of the games in my libraries, it would be safe to assume, this is the game I’ve spent most of my time in. And yet… I could spend 100 hours more, let’s go big and say a 1000 hours more. It could be endless… Nevertheless, I think it's time to let go - at least, for a bit.

This is a game that has come my way a couple of times, as explained before, but I am so glad I got to make it all the way through, in this specific time. I haven’t been doing alright lately, it happens sometimes, it comes with the seasons, that dreadful feeling of personal and spiritual stasis, of what David Bowie expressed in his song ‘Be My Wife’, “Sometimes I feel so lonely, sometimes I get nowhere”. This game came again, once more, my way and made me feel less lonely and led me to somewhere. This 168 hours in the Grove, Shadowlands, Mountain Pass, Moonrise Towers, Rivington, Wyrm’s Crossing and Baldur’s Gate; accompanied by Shadowheart, Gale, Karlach, Astarion, La’ezel, Wyll, Halsin and Ol’ Bone Withers; might have been not only life saving hours, but life affirming. It’s truly a miracle. Never in my life would have I ever thought that I could love videogame characters as I do my merry band of swashbucklers. Not to mention the fellow travelers, like my Guardian, Jaheira, Barcus, Arabella and Mol, Ronan, Elminster, Mizora (even if you were oft a pain in the ass), Isobel, Dame Aylin (the GOAT), Yenna and Grub - and Volo, who gave me a new eye; or the villains, True Soul Gut, Dror Razlin, Minthara, Auntie Ethel (I love you, you creep), Nere, Ketheric Thorm, Lorroakan, Lord Enver Gortash, Cazador Szarr, Viconia DeVir, Sarevock Anchev, Orin the Red (girl, you’re crazy, but you changed me) and the Absolute. Not to mention the rest (!) Kagha, Abdirak (you too are crazy, and changed me), Dammon the Blacksmith, Thulla, Wynn Freshwater, the Strange Ox, Nine Fingers, He Who Was (I am really sorry for being too zealous of my Oath of Vengeance), Naaber, Daniel… I could go on naming more, and I’d have you reading names for a tenday, at least. Such a remarkable experience, one that I have internalized and has become intrinsically a part of me as anything that has happened to me.

So I’d like to give my thanks to (here comes a couple more names): Adam Smith, Adrienne Law, Baudelaire Welch, Chrystal Ding, Ella McConnell, Ine Van Hamme, Jan Van Dosselaer, John Corocran, Kevin VanOrd (kudos, for being one of the actually good game reviewers and now being part of this, so glad), Lawrence Schick, Martin Docherty, Rachel Quirke, Ruari Moore, Sarah Baylus, Stephen Rooney and Swen Vincke (genius) for writing and making this experience. Not long ago I asked for a good romance story in video games: you made it happen; I asked for a good adventure: you made it happen; I asked for companionship: you made it happen; I asked for mystery and suspense: you made it happen; I asked for good memories: you made them happen; I asked for help: you gave it, and as to me, to the millions of players. Thank you. Thank you to the rest of the team at Larian Studios, to the animators, to all the musicians and singers that worked at the score, to the art department team, to the concept artists, to everyone that added their grain of sand to this sandcastle. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I am getting teary eyed just for writing this, as it is putting a definite end to this campaign, and this chapter. But I come out of this with a new desire for life, for companionships, for adventure, for the world. So let’s toast to Baldur's Gate, to our merry band of swashbucklers, to our friends, to our foes, to the Sun, to the Sea, to the Moon, to our sisters, to our brothers, to me and to you -whoever, wherever, whenever you are reading this, to us and everyone. Love you all.

(Spoilers ahead)

I finished one full Tav playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3 and am slowly chipping away at a dark urge playthrough. Accumulatively, I've spent well over a hundred hours in the game so far, though I bought the game when it released in December on the Xbox. After reflecting long and hard on Baldur's Gate 3, I can now succinctly describe my thoughts on the game as GYATT DAYUM!

Like many who've played the first two entries in the series, I was skeptical that any future iteration could do their legacy justice. The original team who developed Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 have long separated. The RPG landscape has changed drastically, even considering the CRPG revival that occurred in the 2010s. Releasing a third entry approximately twenty years after Throne of Bhaal, one that could live up to two of the most crucial entries in RPG canon while appealing to contemporary tastes, was a monumental undertaking for Larian Studios. In my opinion, I wouldn't just say that Larian was successful in creating a worthy sequel. They created one of the greatest RPGs I've ever played.

I'll start by talking about how Larian adapted the D&D Fifth Edition ruleset. I've played my fair share of 5E over the years and, while I'm by no means an expert, I'd say that Larian absolutely nailed translating D&D to the video game medium. As the game unfurled its rules early in my first go around, I quickly learned that I couldn't play Baldur's Gate 3 like any other RPG, lest I get my ass reamed by a beholder or something. I had to play the game like D&D, exploring the map's every inch, talking to everyone, and coming up with clever solutions to bypass obstacles. In doing so, I was fully immersed in a brain-tingling sandbox that answered my "Can I do that?" with "you sure as hell can!"

While Baldur's Gate 3's story progression may be described by some as linear, the possibilities one has to navigate said progression are near endless. Certain encounters are inevitable to advance the story, but how one chooses to go about that encounter can range immensely between players. One could defeat a boss by fighting them head-on in a long, arduous, epic battle. Another could stack a few explosive barrels behind that same boss, shooting a barrel with a fire arrow to blow that fucker into meat confetti. One might call in ogre mercenaries to do the dirty work for them. Or, if one has enough points dumped in strength, they could simply walk up to the boss and shove them off a cliff. The options are plentiful and all are equally valid.

Player ingenuity isn't just rewarded in combat either. Acting upon seemingly inconsequential ideas can bring about unique, emergent outcomes. For example, casting "speak with animals" and talking to a random ox may spiral into a sudden encounter with a hostile ooze pile. Casting "feather fall" and jumping down the right hole will land the player into an area well before the story is meant to take them there. One of my favorite moments in the game was opening the doors of an inconspicuous barn, walking in on two... creatures... joined in coitus. Hysterical, if a little scarring. Nonetheless, Baldur's Gate 3 is exceptional in how it rewards creativity and exploration.

Another of the game's strengths lies in the majority of its characters. A few of the companions could've been better developed, but the majority had me smitten by their charming uhh personalities. Shadow Heart's tragic struggle with codependency and childhood trauma tugged at my heartstrings, striking my "I can fix her!" Achilles' heel with pinpoint accuracy. Karlach's hyper, muscle-mommy self was endearing. I was happy to get her "good" ending. Wyll was a total bro. Playing as a warlock myself, I found that RPing in our interactions gave insight into his devil-related subplot, bringing us closer. Astarion was a bitchy, scheming, bastard of a twink. Initially, I tolerated the vamp in my party due to his exceptional lockpicking and trap-disarming, but he grew on me by the time his arc completed. Again, I was happy for him when his story came to a positive conclusion. Gale was a fun guy. Likeable enough for a living nuke, though I didn't use him much on my first playthrough. Lae'zel was... a total asshole! Not the worst in combat, I guess. Karlach was better.

As for the non-origin companions, It was nice to see Jaheira again. The writing did well to build her up as this legendary hero without overriding player decisions from the original games. While she doesn't have a questline of her own, unexpectedly stumbling into her family's home in Baldur's Gate led to a nostalgic, sweet little moment. Those who played the originals will be touched. I thought more could've been done with Minsc. Once he's recruited, he just sort of exists. Speaking of just sort of existing, Halsin does too! I plunged Minthara down a bottomless pit shortly after meeting her so I can't comment on her much. My Durge will pursue the bitchy drow in time.

The Emperor, a polarizing character among fans, captivated me with his nuance. The squid man owes me about two months rent for how much he's occupied my brain, virtually and irl. While he's one of those love-him-or-hate-him types, I found it revealing to perceive The Emperor through the lens one would any historical leader. Like Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon, The Emperor self-aggrandized, condescended to those he considered inferior, manipulated others, considered himself beyond good and evil when it came to achieving his ends, yet he genuinely believed his actions served a greater purpose. Deeper still, while he manipulated the player and lied by omission, his reasons for doing so were rational from his perspective. An asshole, yes. But an asshole who could back his assholery up with consistency, logical arguments, and raw power. While I was hesitant to trust The Emperor at first (how could anyone?), I determined that siding against him, in favor of the Githyanki, may bring worse consequences than if I went along with the original plan. I considered my decision vindicated in the end, as The Emperor lived up to his promise to destroy the big bad and demonstrated growth, evident in his last note to the player.

Since I've already touched on it, I should probably talk about the plot itself. It's essentially a sequence where the player is tasked with fighting one big bad, to a bigger bad, to a bigger bigger bad, etc. Simple at its core: remove tadpole if you'd like, stop the bad guys or join them and destroy innocent lives. Though much like player interactions can lead to unique breakthroughs in gameplay, so too do they enrich the plot. The first major conflict in Act 1, for example, involves a buncha racist druids kicking Tiefling refugees out of their druid sundown town. In doing so, the Tieflings would most likely be slaughtered by goblins unless the player intervened. These same goblins plotted to invade the sundown town once they discovered its location. How the player goes about resolving this conflict can end in a plethora of ways, from sending the Tieflings to their demise, to killing the druids, to fighting the goblins as they siege the sundown town, to initiating the siege only to betray the Tieflings and side with the goblins, to strategically picking off the goblins within their camp, etc. The choices one makes ripples through the rest of the game. I felt fulfilled after protecting the Tiefling refugees all the way from Act 1 to the game's ending. Seeing my boy Zevlor survive all the bullshit he went through was a sweet reward.

The intricate decision-based story progression persists from act to act, eventually culminating in a final battle reminiscent of the Battle for Hoover Dam in Fallout: New Vegas. The allies one makes throughout the story will come to the player's aid, as the player and companions make their last push to confront the biggest bad. It was a grand battle where many of my decisions tied into a neat conclusion (Shout out to Zevlor and Dame Aylin for kicking major ass. Sword Coast MVPs fr ). Now if one were to spend their playthrough burning bridges, the final battle would be much tougher.

The antagonists near the end were a mixed bag in terms of writing quality. The Dead Three provided decent political intrigue. Their alliance transparently out of convenience and, just as much as each member attempted to pit the player against the others, so too could the player exploit their tenuous alliance to pick each member off one by one. The writing for the Dead Three's individual motives driven by their hubristic opportunism, each charismatic in their own right. Ketheric tragic and kinda pathetic, Gortash a cocky shit, Orin a sadistic baddie. The biggest bad, The Netherbrain, made for a decent final boss. It was fitting to have The Emperor, who thought he was the one pulling everyone's strings into the final confrontation, finally meet his match.

What was egregious to me were the minor returning villains in Act 3, Viconia (who is encountered at the end of Shadow Heart's quest) and fucking Sarevok (encountered during the main quest). Viconia I thought was haphazardly thrown in and completely mischaracterized, though I am biased as she was my BAE in the first two games. I've read that Viconia's characterization in 3 can be attributed to how WOTC chose to canonize her? Regardless, my queen shouldn't have been done so dirty. Especially when she HURT SHART! VICONIA WOULDN'T DO THAT! SHE REDEEMED HERSELF AT THE END OF THRONE OF BHAAL! SHE ROLLED WITH DRIZZT FFS! Viconia's arc throughout my time with BG1 and 2 meant nothing to 3. As sad as the romance ending was for Viconia in Throne of Bhaal, I would've preferred that to be canon over her depiction in BG3. That ending was better written, anyway. She may as well be a different character in 3.

Furthermore, why in the fuck was Sarevok even there? It's been a minute since I played the first two, but does 3 not invalidate Sarevok's development in Throne of Bhaal too? I thought he wasn't a Bhaalspawn anymore. Am I missing something? I get that Orin is his granddaughter but... so what? Maybe his incorporation is cohesive in a Durge run or if I brought different party members to confront him but, as he appeared in my Tav run, I was baffled.

The two returning characters were done a huge disservice compared to their original iterations, confounding in a game that otherwise succeeded in rich characterization. Neither of their inclusions will have any impact on one's enjoyment of BG3 if this game is one's introduction to the series but, as someone who was heavily invested in the first two games, their poor implementation was infuriating.

I'll briefly touch on graphics before wrapping this novela up. I played Baldur's Gate 3 in performance mode on a Series X and 4K QLED TV. Shit looked gorgeous! Performance mode targets 60 FPS at a 1080p resolution. The fame rate was fluid aside for a few unobtrusive dips in Act 3's densely populated Baldur's Gate. HDR did its thing, colors popping vibrantly throughout. Baldur's Gate 3's graphical fidelity and art direction make for a beautiful experience.

There is heaps more I could write to express how much I love this game. While I was disappointed by Viconia and Sarevok's characterizations, and thought other characters could've benefitted from further development, these are but little flaws in a game that is otherwise a monumental achievement. The options the player has in regards to things like character builds, story and gameplay decisions, and companion interactions make for a game near boundless in replayability. Larian Studios was successful not only in carrying the Baldur's Gate legacy forward, but in raising the bar for the RPG genre to lofty new heights. Baldur's Gate 3 is up there with Fallout: New Vegas for me, a game I place among the greatest RPGs of all time. As Baldur's Gate 3 took what I loved about New Vegas, chiefly New Vegas's emphasis on player agency and the intricate relationships between its numerous factions, but intensified in granularity, yielding a game that is even greater defined by the player's actions. I'm confident I'll keep coming back to Baldur's Gate 3 for years to come, no doubt uncovering something new each visit.

Few games have gotten me as invested in the story, characters, choices, and moments as Baldur's Gate 3. I haven't felt this way about an RPG since I first beat the Mass Effect trilogy and Persona 5. BG 3 stands up to the best the genre offers.

BG3 lives up to the hype, its writing is elegant. Its characters, both party and in the wider world, tell nuanced stories, have defined personalities, and show growth.

I have spent quite a bit of time discussing the morality of choices in the game with friends. And what I love is there aren't clear-cut right and wrong choices, I absolutely love that. The people you meet are a mix of good and bad, with some clear paragons of good making perpetually bad choices (looking at you Minsc) and some evil characters doing things that will actually help a lot of people, just while benefiting them (the guild).

There are many many choices and options given to the player, and so many of these are subtle, while others are really hard to miss.

Gameplay-wise, I am so happy to see games embracing turn-based combat with tactical challenges again!!!! It's great!!!

The music, art, voice acting, pacing, it is all amazing.

If you like in-depth stories, choices mattering, compelling party members, and great gameplay what are you waiting for!!!

Larian Studio’s did it again, the masters of RPG, the Gods of perfection. Baldur’s Gate III was worth the wait, and my God, it is a piece of art, created by human hands.

When I started playing Baldur’s gate III, my jaw fell on the floor. Right from the start, this game impressed and amazed me by the million options of customization of your character. I created my character, chose my correct dick type and ventured into a world full of adventure and wonder.

Story wise, I will not say anything. This is a journey that one must experience for themselves. It is a unique experience which can really lure you in, and keeps you playing for hours on end. Let me just say that it restored my love for video games instantly.

There is so much to do in Baldur’s Gate III. So many quests, so much open world to explore, so many encounters, the amount of content this game offers is almost endless. You are in full control of your own path and can complete quests, side missions and optional encounters in any order you like.

Every action has consequences and you can really break your game or shut yourself out of future quests when you decide to murder the wrong people, make enemies in the wrong places or committing acts of theft. The game is one big sandbox in which you, and only you, decide how your journey is going to end. Every encounter, every battle, every quest, it was all so good! Not once was I bored or did I feel any form of repetitive gameplay. The humor, the random encounters, and punishments for your curiosity is all worth it. I was always wondering what would happen next. One moment you are warned not to open a bottle, and when you do it (because you are an adult), you are rewarded with a freaking Spectator for your stupidity and curiosity.

This game is hard, really hard. But it is the kind of hard that is still fair. With the right strategy, builds and items, everything is possible. That’s what I like most about this game. You enter a battle, get your ass handed to you, but the next time, you adapt, think of another approach and then slash your way through the fight.

The graphics in Baldur’s Gate III are absolutely gorgeous. The world feels so alive and the animations are spot on. Facial expressions are the best I have seen to date and every character has emotion and “a soul” if that makes sense.

In the Audio department, my praise could not be higher. Epic sound effects that you can actually “feel”, perfect voice acting, glorious music. I seriously run out of words that can describe “perfection”. Special praise from my side for the boss music with Raphael’s fight, which he sings himself. Silence him with a spell, and the music stops. Well done Larian, well done…

The mechanics also work flawlessly (most of the time). Interfaces are easy to understand, inventory management is great and all the rules of DND 5e are just implemented perfectly. Checks feel on point, balanced actions and bonus actions, the right stats are used for the right situations and overall, it just works.

One big shoutout for Larian Studios for making this game, “just a game”. They ship out this piece of art and perfection, without corporate crap like Season Passes, subscriptions, and micro transactions. They knew (and they are right) that just making an epic game, is good enough. Larian has a great reputation, and with this game, I still consider them the best, most talented, and most fair developer of all time.

Although I consider Baldur’s Gate III perfection, there are some annoyances, bugs, glitches and problems. Some small, some hilarious (twitching dicks while long resting), but some can really impact your gameplay.

For the minor stuff, it consists mostly of stuck AI in combat, in which the enemy does not do jack sh!t for 15 seconds, and eventually skips its turn. Other small annoyances include lag, in which you perform an attack and, sometimes, need to wait 8 seconds for the game to continue and calculate the outcome. Ghosting in your inventory, in which an item disappears when moved and reappearing in the spot you put it in several seconds later is also a thing.

Lastly, there is the issue of selecting one of your other characters to check their stats, current damage or proficiencies, but while you selected a different character, the stats and display is still focused on your main character, displaying false damage numbers or showing you that your hulking Barbarian is not proficient with Heavy Armor. Click again on the other character, and the problem is solved.

However, there is one bug/glitch that can be infuriating, and still has not been fixed despite many patches and fixes (at the time of writing). This is a bug in which open doors act like invisible barriers, making it impossible to throw your big ass fireball through it. Only when stepping through the door can you make it happen. This is the only (but a big one) problem that makes me very angry when playing. Sure, game crashes can also happen, although I did not experience this too many times.

The final act, act III can be a little overwhelming and the fact that (at the time of writing) the level cap is still 12, some side quests can feel a little pointless because the experience does nothing anymore to your powerful level 12 characters.

In the end, I still mean everything I say when I conclude that Baldur’s Gate III is perfection and the best game I have ever played in my life thus far. And when I say played, I actually mean play, because I am not done yet with this masterpiece, not by a long shot. I can start this game anytime, creating a fresh new experience with different choices, character lineups and outcomes. This game has a replay value greater than mankind itself and I am sure that there is lots of new features, DLC and gameplay in the making at the time of writing, so I cannot wait!

My deepest respects to Larian Studios once again, for creating something Holy like this masterpiece of a game. Ratings go no higher then 10, but when possible, it would get an 11 from me.

Definitely recommend this legendary gem.

Larian delivers yet again. 80 hours of journeys, to complete good/ high moral compass playthrough

just only want to mention couple of cons:

• game buggy at some parts ( map, quests , character helmet ( bold for sometimes lmao), markers not showing) but foremost , buggy with controllers. hope they patch it soon
• Combat okay, but i kinda enjoy the one in divinity original 2 more
• turn invisible but somehow they all still see what im doing lol
• items sorting are a mess. also shud come w add to fav or pinned items
• last but not least, movement to damn slow omg

i will start a dark/evil playthrough after my complaints get patched . still an awesome adventures. rip sleeping