Despite initially being put off by its many issues—frustrating enemy placements, disconnected areas, and the mechanics of soul memory and ADP—Dark Souls 2 has struck out a very core, emotional experience. The world of Dark Souls 2, with all its rough edges, feels deeply human. No higher purpose exists here, but merely the hope to break the chains of a curse. Majula, with its melancholy beauty, stands as a beacon of these themes—a place where despair and hope mingle like the fading light of dusk, where the legends of old seem but distant whispers on the wind and those few companions seek out a nonexistent solace. In these dialogues, fleeting as though hollowed, we see ourselves, our own desperations. It's about the push to find a place, a moment of peace, in a world that feels perpetually against you.

My initial dissatisfaction with this game has gradually transformed into an appreciation for its qualities, establishing it as a commendable title within its genre, albeit not without significant flaws that prevent it from reaching the lofty heights achieved by masterpieces such as Disco Elysium. I won't spend much time on its strengths --- this game has received an immense deal of praise already, but to be succinct: the game impresses with an outstanding soundtrack, the innovative dynamics of emergent gameplay, and spectacular set-pieces, all underpinned by consistently strong acting performances. Nevertheless, the game's approach to fail-forward mechanics does not fully meet expectations, with instances where players can be entirely excluded from content or, more critically, key narrative characters, due to a failure in a single dice-roll. Although these occurrences are not widespread, they are frequent enough to raise concerns.

Possibly my largest issue with this game lies in its narrative, a critical component of a crpg; Baldur's Gate 3 struggles with erratic pacing and dialogue that often feels exaggerated and almost caricature-like, which stands in stark contrast to the game's generally self-serious tone. This issue is exacerbated by a narrative that, disappointingly, offers little depth or insight, featuring characters that are overly dramatic and lacking in true depth (while villains often feel nothing more than afterthoughts). Moreover, the narrative often penalizes players for engaging with its supposedly key elements, and the portrayal of characters leans heavily on clichés and well-worn tropes.

Despite the game generally offering a wide array of choices to the player, receiving frequent praise for its player agency (of which there is certainly a lot), I frequently found that the available options did not align with what I would genuinely want my character to express, detracting from the immersion. This seemingly decreased as the story progressed, however, but it was quite jarring initially.

While Baldur's Gate 3 has its moments of brilliance, these issues ultimately prevent it from achieving the distinction of being a genre-defining work, as a solid crpg and certainly Larian's best, but nowhere near the pinnacle of the genre.