August 4th 2023.
Baldur's Gate 3 is the highly anticipated new fantasy epic from the makers of Divinity: Original Sin 2, and from the first look, it's clear that it could be a classic in the making.
However, the lead up to its release has been slightly rocky, with review copies only sent out four days before launch, and the refusal to allow pre-loads, causing problems with the Steam servers. On top of this, early access users were told to delete their saves, leaving many to question the quality of the game.
Thankfully, it seems that the issues are far from disastrous, and the main problem at the moment is that we’ve not been able to play more than what was available during early access. Even then, that’s still over two dozen hours of gameplay, and if that was all there was, it would still be considered one of the best role-playing games ever made.
This is not surprising, considering it’s the follow-up to Larian Studio’s superb Divinity: Original Sin 2. The original Baldur’s Gate games were the first projects by Dragon Age creators BioWare, set in the Dungeons & Dragons setting of the Forgotten Realms. The plot revolves around an invasion of mind flayers, and a variety of Tolkien-esque races, such as elves and dwarves, feature.
What makes Larian’s role-players so special is that they try to replicate the experience of playing a tabletop game of Dungeons & Dragons. Instead of every obstacle being how hard you can punch a monster, you’re free to use all your skills at any time, whether that’s charming or bribing your way out of trouble, stealthily creeping your way past a fight, or focusing on magic over melee combat.
The game world features a level of realism that is only matched by Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, while the combat system follows the turn-based system from Original Sin 2. Although it does seem oddly balanced at first, with many early enemies appearing to be overpowered and the ability to resurrect dead party members being very cheap to access, it’s clear that this is intentional.
What’s more, the game follows the exact same Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition rules as the tabletop game, which means that almost every dialogue option imaginable is available at every moment. The mountains of dialogue are an incredible achievement, all spoken, and the script is a notable step up from Original Sin 2, with party members featuring hints at complex backstories and personalities.
Overall, Baldur’s Gate 3 is shaping up to be an incredible game, and one that could be a new classic in the making. We look forward to exploring the side content and playing more of the game to uncover its full potential.
Baldur's Gate 3 is on the cusp of becoming a classic, and the anticipation for its release has been unprecedented. The developers, Larian Studios, have been in Early Access for almost three years, giving us a glimpse of what to expect. Just four days before launch, review copies were sent out, highlighting the mad rush to get the game released.
Adding to the confusion, there were issues with preload, resulting in a predictable crash of the servers, and early access players were asked to erase their saves. All this in the face of a game that will take over 100 hours to finish, and even more to get a full experience of the side content and alternative routes.
The issues, however, are not as dire as the Cyberpunk 2077 fiasco, and the main problem is that we haven't been able to play more than what was available in early access. Even that is over two dozen hours of gameplay, and it is already considered one of the best RPG's ever made. This is not surprising, considering Larian Studios' previous work on Divinity: Original Sin 2, which got a 10/10 from GameCentral.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a sequel in the Dungeons & Dragons setting of the Forgotten Realms. It features the usual Tolkien-esque races, such as elves and dwarves, and a plot revolving around an invasion of mind flayers - parasitic, brain-eating monsters. What makes Larian's role-players special is the ability to use all skills at any time, like charming or bribing your way out of trouble. You can also use the game world's realism to your advantage, as every obstacle is governed by consistent rules of physics.
The combat system has changed from real-time combat to turn-based, as seen in Original Sin 2. The combat is excellent and well balanced, although there are some issues which may resolve as the game progresses. The use of the 5th Edition rules means a low level cap of 12, and miniscule experience point rewards. On the other hand, it allows for fun spells and abilities, and the ability to talk to animals.
The dialogue is impressive, with spoken dialogue and many options available. The main party members are all well-rounded and have complex backstories and personalities, and the game features the same level of detail as Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. It's a massive game, and the interface can get pretty complicated, but it all adds to the charm of Baldur's Gate 3. We can't wait to see what the side content has in store.
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