Baldur's Gate 3 is a role-playing video game that brings the tabletop experience of Dungeons & Dragons to the digital world. Developed by Larian Studios, it's the third installment in the Baldur's Gate series. The game is set in the Forgotten Realms and allows players to create characters, form parties, and engage in a rich narrative filled with choices and consequences. The game is renowned for its complex character interactions, strategic turn-based combat, and a vast, immersive world. Players can enjoy the game solo or with friends in a cooperative multiplayer mode, offering a unique blend of storytelling and tactical gameplay.
The lore of Baldur's Gate 3 is deeply rooted in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, specifically the Forgotten Realms. The story begins with the protagonist being captured by Mind Flayers, who implant a parasitic tadpole in their brain, threatening to transform them into one of their own. The game follows the player's journey to find a cure, unraveling a plot involving a cult known as the Absolute, which seeks to dominate the world through mind control. The narrative weaves through the rich history of Faerûn, touching on the legacy of the Bhaalspawn from previous games, and involving deities and powerful entities like Bhaal, Shar, and the Githyanki. The player encounters various factions and characters, each with their own agendas and secrets, contributing to a complex tapestry of intrigue and adventure.
Baldur's Gate 3 is set in the mystical world of Faerûn, primarily along the Sword Coast, a region known for its diverse landscapes and turbulent history. The game takes place in the year 1492 DR, over a century after the events of its predecessor, Baldur's Gate II. Players explore various environments, including the bustling city of Baldur's Gate, the treacherous Underdark, and the cursed lands surrounding Moonrise Towers. The atmosphere is one of high fantasy, filled with magic, mythical creatures, and the looming threat of an ancient evil, creating a world that feels both expansive and intimate.
Baldur's Gate 3 offers a non-linear progression system, allowing players to tackle quests in various sequences across its three acts. The main quest involves removing the Mind Flayer tadpole and confronting the cult of the Absolute. Players can choose from multiple paths and decisions that influence the story's outcome and character relationships. The game encourages exploration, with hidden areas and side quests providing additional context and rewards. Players must manage their party's skills and resources, making strategic choices both in combat and in dialogue. The game supports different play styles, from stealth and diplomacy to direct combat, giving players the freedom to shape their journey through the world.
Players face numerous challenges in Baldur's Gate 3, from tactical combat encounters to intricate puzzles and moral dilemmas. The turn-based combat system requires careful planning, as players must consider positioning, environmental hazards, and enemy weaknesses. Difficult enemies and bosses test the player's strategic thinking and ability to adapt. Outside of combat, players navigate complex social interactions, where choices can have far-reaching consequences on the story and relationships with companions. The game's open-ended design can sometimes lead to confusion, requiring players to pay close attention to clues and context to progress through quests effectively. The combination of these challenges creates a rewarding yet demanding experience that encourages creative problem-solving and exploration.
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Baldur's Gate 3 Reviews & Ratings
What's most telling that this will be a great game: only about 20 hours of unpolished gameplay are available to play—and yet when those hours are over, there's an immediate desire for more. If roughly one fifth of a game with limited character creation and so many bugs can do that, then the game in question is going to be something special when finished. The only real struggle will be waiting for the next chunk of Baldur's Gate 3 to hit Early Access.
Wonderfully written, faithfully adapted, and just a joy to play beyond the obvious lack of polish and bugs that par for the course in early access builds, Baldur’s Gate 3 is shaping up to be one of the best RPGs ever made.
With a high level of player choice and role-playing systems, Baldur's Gate 3 already looks like the promising start of a deep, immersive RPG.
Beyond the good looks of the graphics, I haven't found much in Baldur's Gate 3 to recommend it. Your character and party feel like insignificant gnats and are forced by circumstance to do and see awful things that they're not powerful enough to change. This is not a case of "tough moral choices" as seen in Wasteland 3, or in Obsidian's excellent 2016 RPG Tyranny—in Baldur's Gate 3, it feels like you have no agency at all.
Baldur’s Gate 3, like Divinity before it, features an expansive world, dense with characters that all seem to have something to say. What elevates Baldur’s Gate 3 and sets it apart from past isometric RPGs is the attention to detail in its cinematic presentation when actually interacting with said NPCs.
| Release Date | 2023-08-03 |
| Publisher | Larian Studios, Wushu Studios |
| Total Rating | 95% |
| Content Rated | M (Mature) |
| Game Modes | Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Split screen |
| Player Perspectives | Bird view / Isometric |
| Genres | Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Tactical, Adventure |
| Themes | Action, Fantasy |
| Platforms | PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia |
