Baldur's Gate III

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Baldur's Gate III review
Camrin Santchi

Review

A Grand Adventure

A Tale of Tyrants and Tadpoles


Baldur's Gate III is a game that has been in Early Access for some time, and only recently has it officially come out in full capacity. For any gamers interested in thoughts on Early Access, one of our reviewers at Hooked Gamers wrote up a preview here. This preview was done back in 2020 when Larian first released Baldur's Gate III into Early Access, so naturally there have been a lot of changes since then on the game’s path to a full release!

Like previous entries in the Baldur's Gate franchise, Baldur's Gate III takes place in Faerun, the world of Dungeons and Dragons - but just the very opening of the game emphasizes the specific part of tabletop game that the plot appears to hinge on - namely illithids or mindflayers, Lovecraftian seeming beings that lead a vast empire and hunger for the brains of humanoids. This may take some players out if they expected a little less sci-fi in their fantasy RPG, but in the case of this player I was immediately intrigued and wanted to find out more.



Baldur's Gate III explores the environs of the Sword Coast, the area surrounding Baldur's Gate and similar cities, all packed to the brim with goblins, tieflings, and more to find as you explore. One of the first things a player may be compelled to do is to gather up as many party members as possible as teaming up can make combat so much easier - plus the companions in Baldur's Gate III are well designed and written. Depending on your chosen player character several of the companions are in fact 'origin' characters and someone you can choose to play as rather than customizing and creating your own character.

Unlike your custom character, the origin characters in Baldur’s Gate III are set in their classes and appearances - so Shadowheart will always start as a Cleric for example. You are able to re-spec and change classes after a certain point in the game however, so don't feel like you’re stuck using characters you aren't the fondest of because of class synergy- you can absolutely change Astarion from a Rogue to a Ranger for example, but until that point you need to work with what you've got.



The World of Faerun


Baldur's Gate III is an immense world and story that spreads throughout three main acts, all of which are filled with dynamic characters, hauntingly beautiful music, and the beauty that the world has to offer - from the ethereal Underdark to the ominous Shadow Cursed Lands. This reviewer doesn't want to get too far into explaining characters or the story, since gamers should absolutely experience this game themselves.

One thing to note about Baldur's Gate III is that while I don't foresee many issues that might break the game and make you force quit it, the sheer length and scale of the game could technically be a negative. It is utterly massive in scope and as such can be very difficult to get into because of that.. Hours can vanish in the realm of Faerun, adventuring through swamps and forests- fighting monsters or wreaking havoc. It can be very overwhelming to people with limited game time - which is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to a game. Length means plenty more content upon purchasing, but it can also be intimidating when gamers have a small amount of time per day, week, or even month that they can put forward into playing a game- particularly if it is not a genre, franchise, or game that they do not know that they would enjoy.

That being said, Baldur's Gate III is an amazing game. While the length can be intimidating and the lore vast - that makes it all the more compelling and the game could easily become one of the biggest time sinks for gamers since the likes of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or Elden Ring released. If you're a fan of Larian Studios' previous work, DND, strategy RPGs, or any of the above, BG3 is almost certainly the game for you, and comes highly recommended.


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9.7

fun score

Pros

Fantastic Story, Engaging Characters, Compelling Gameplay

Cons

Too Large, Can Be Hard to Get Into