A lot has been said about Baldur’s Gate 3. The hype train has been rolling for months and like any good Triple-A game, every influencer, website and Youtube Channel has had their say. There is little doubt that in the eyes of players and industry this is a game that is a complete smash, a wholesome return to gaming morals of the past and damn good time. This article is not going to say any different. Baldur’s Gate 3 has been nothing but a revelation. There, now you can click away, head to the bottom to see the trailer, or stay and see just why we think it should definitely be in the running for game of the year.
Before we get to the list of reasons we love Baldurs Gate 3, let’s just clear a few things up for newcomers or those who may possibly have no idea what a Baldur’s Gate game is about.
Set in D&Ds Forgotten Realms, Baldur’s Gate 3 picks up where the story ended in two. While the first two games were crafted by Bioware, who developed them to massive success and popularity, this third one comes from the lesser-known Belgian studio Larian, who had previously helmed Divinity: Original Sin 2 to some reasonable success and cult adoration. Like the previous games in the series Baldur’s Gate 3 uses the D&D rule system, this time it’s 5th edition, and deftly runs the mathematics behind the scenes. This is a creative, balanced rules set that allows the creation of a huge variety of character types with different races, classes and skills.
Also similar to the previous versions, Baldur’s Gate 3 sees the player touring an immense map with a party of chosen companions to explore, battle and interact their way through a gripping storyline and many hundreds of intriguing side-quests. Along the way, you will level up, get to know your companions, meet many delightful and strange non-player characters and find romance, death and adventure. The thing that sets this apart from other RPGs is the sheer size, depth and individuality of the quests and the available options.
So why do we love it?
Baldur’s Gate 3 promised 174 hours of cut scenes on release, but what they did not say was that these cut scenes are each for the most part just seconds long, spread out over hundreds of adventures, and down a complex variety of interaction trees that no player will ever see in just one play through. Together, they add up to give you the idea that you truly could do anything, say anything and be anything, almost exactly as if you had a real human Dungeon Master at the helm.
This ability to say anything to almost anyone (including animals just in case you have the speak-to-animals spell) is carried over to actions too. Most dungeons and puzzles have multiple ways to tackle them with the game allowing players to move objects in the room, warp to new locations, or use the old standards of sneaking and charging in with swords drawn. The level design is simply stunning in its creativeness and expansiveness. No matter the character you have built, you will find the challenges conquerable using your skills.
The truly unbelievable thing is that Larian has not cheated in the game size to try and fit in all these options. New and different adventures exist around every corner. Innocuous doors can lead to six hours of gameplay, and no NPC is wasted in luring adventurers on engrossing adventures. The size and options are simply staggering, overwhelming even. Those people who have been playing Skyrim since it launched back in 2016 will be delighted to find they can do the same with Baldur’s Gate 3, and likely with vastly fewer mods.
The combat is fun, as well as tactical. Blending turn-based and real-time strategies it flows seamlessly, taking the very best from earlier Western RPGs as well as JRPGs to create a system that’s just tough enough to be a challenge without feeling unconquerable.
No DLCs and no Monetisation
A final thing worth mentioning is that Baldur’s Gate 3 has come shipped complete. There will be no future DLCs, no shop with powerful weapons you can only buy with real money and no intention to further monetise the game in any way after purchase. You pay once and get everything. It’s something that has stunned other studios who simply can’t believe this has happened in the modern era, and also something that has absolutely electrified the fan base. It’s a “too good to be true” feeling, that this time, is actually true.
In short, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game staggering its ambition and scope and one that meets every towering hope and expectation that designers and fans had. It’s a game where 70 hours in we feel like we have barely scratched the surface, and an absolute ode to both Dungeons and Dragons and the RPG genre in general. Don’t hesitate to buy it.
Currently its only available on PC, though a Playstation 5 release is coming on September 6th and XBOX will be announced in the near future.
PC Minimum requirements
- Operating System:Â Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor:Â Intel I5 4690/ AMD FX 8350
- Memory:Â 8 GB RAM
- Graphics:Â Nvidia GTX 970/ RX 480 (4 GB+ VRAM)
- Direct X:Â Version 11
- Storage:Â 150 GB available space
PC Recommended Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Intel i7 8700K/ AMD R5 3600
- Memory: 16 GB
- Graphics: Nvidia 2600 Super/ RX 5600 XT (8 GB+ VRAM)
- Direct X: Version 11
- Storage:Â 150 GB available space
