It feels like there's a rare breed of games that catch the gaming community slightly off guard, games that are both popular and very well received, for all the good reasons. The Baldur's Gate series and Larian studio certainly had an impressive track record and history, so maybe that level of success shouldn't be a surprise, but honestly, I never expected in such a strong year, Baldur's Gate 3 would be one of the top contenders, not just for me but for a lot of people as well.

From an RPG standpoint, BG3 is honestly a masterpiece. There's a degree of freedom you rarely see in most games, and it's not just the freedom you have in how you tackle a problem. The story of the game complements your decisions really well, creating a very cohesive narrative, and the end result is a game with very competent writing that is also personal and tailor made based on the way the players chose to act. I think the emphasis on the companions, their stories and their relationships, is also an extension of the above, and I'm surprised with how much I ended up caring about my teammates, even though I kind of lost the plot concerning the ones I didn't travel with. Something that really surprised me is how much even small decisions affected events way later, and how seemingly filler side quests actually mattered for the main plot a lot. The game has three acts, with the first one serving as an introduction to many characters and plot points, but a lot of the meat of the game doesn't really become apparent until way later. I kind of felt that the two final acts were a bit more uneven, with some conclusions not feeling satisfactory, but they also had some really high highs that really won me over. Regardless, it's pretty clear this is an extremely ambitious game that for the most part actually accomplishes those ambitions and it becomes an unforgettable experience as a result. And something else to note is, while I'm rarely someone that replays games, the re-playability of this one certainly feels unparalleled for an RPG, with future runs certainly bound to be way different just based on having a different set of companions or a different play style. It is simply astonishing that this game has so much content of great quality, that people are bound to miss, wantint it or not, in one playthrough.

A big asset of BG3, that really bolsters the game's pathing outcomes, is the Dungeons and Dragons ruleset. The game features tons of passive and active skill checks, and you roll a lot of dice during your adventuring time, so based on how you might build your character and the party, the story is almost certainly already going to feel personalized. The decision to also include the DnD classing and race system is a brilliant one, as other than mattering for the gameplay, they also matter quite a bit for those checks as well, and offer their own roleplay options as well. Obviously, that level of choice is nothing new for an RPG, but every system basically just builts upon each other, and that only manages to work as intended due to the huge amount of effort behind the game, taking into account so many different success and failure scenarios for the vast amount of options BG3 provides.

And while you can always solve a lot of situations with just words, fighting is still a pretty big part of the game. A lot of elements from Divinity OS 2 are present, like the importance of the terrain and how it's affected by the characters' actions, but for the most part it has been revamped to be in line with DnD's ruleset. This has its merits, with a lot of really neat and time tested mechanics, spells and skills present, but the level 12 cap also feels like it limits a lot of the true potential of this system. And considering that you get exp pretty easily while exploring, and you're bound to do a lot of exploration, you reach that cap rather quickly, which halts the feeling of progression that the game very nicely built at first.

Last but not least, I really have to mention how impressed I am from the overall production values of the game. The dialogues are all voiced, with tons of unique voice actors, there are some really neat cinematics, the characters have a lot of unique animations, and the models feel very detailed despite the view you usually will have during your playthough. A lot of those might feel like a given to an AAA game with linear progression or a more homogenized world, but not to something as meticulously crafted as BG3. There's a big variety in the locales, from the gloomy Underdark to the huge city of Baldur's Gate, and the majority of the encounters you'll have are unique, either it's friends or enemies. The music is also worth noting too, with some especially good tracks, and some that might really surprise you once you listen to them. What I didn't really enjoy though was the amount of bugs the game had at launch, from small graphical glitches, to more serious issues like crashes and save corruptions, but at least, by the point of the 4th hotfix patch, my experience was already way better compared to my first few days with it, but still worth pointing out as some of them were rather frustrating.

All in all, Baldur's Gate 3 is the very definition of an RPG, and it really feels that there isn't a game out there like it, with that level of attention at least. It took me 100+ hours to reach its conclusion, after lots of exploration and many tough decisions, and really enjoyed it from start to finish a lot. I can't really understate how unique of an experience it is, and how great it feels to see all the different decisions you make coming to fruition. I'm a fan of the world of DnD as well, so despite having never played a Baldur's Gate game before, I really loved seeing that world realized in a game, with all those small details and references. However, I feel even someone that isn't into tabletop games (yet), will really appreciate a game as well made as this. Baldur's Gate 3 is definitely an important milestone for not only the genre, but the medium in general as well, and it's really going to be one of those games that will monopolize discussions for a long time. Highly recommended!

Tales of Arise is something that I was really looking forward to play, since the very first trailer it had. And I'm really happy to say that it manages to live up to my expectations and BN has delivered a very strong game that modernizes a lot about the Tales formula, while still being true to its roots. For me, it feels like a game that basically sets the standards I'd like to see in future "anime" JRPGs. QoL elements, like a very detailed record and menus, and easy fast travel, a dense world that feels nice to explore, fantastic visuals that elevate the art style and are actually appropriate of a modern game. It was basically a bliss to play through. A slight nitpick, but despite how great the game looks, I though the reuse of enemies was really egregious, and the dungeons were distinct but felt kind of monotonous. Both seem like decisions due to budgetary reasons mainly, though I don't think the game was "cheap-looking" or anything like that.

As far as the characters go, I was very surprised with how much I loved the character dynamics that exist within the game. First and foremost, I really liked Shionne and Alphen's intimate romance, and I found them a very strong duo of protagonists, that carried a lot of the best moments in the game. But really, I couldn't neglect mentioning the chemistry between Rinwell and Law or Law and Alphen, or Dohalim and his quirkiness. While a lot of the focus is the main story, there are quite a few skits or extra scenes that highlight how good the party is, and I enjoyed how down to earth the characters felt. As for the main story, it is good overall, and I think it does a great job with highlighting most of the important moments, but there were some parts that I don't think were as strong as the rest of the game, mostly due to the pacing of the story. But regardless, I thought it was satisfying, and despite some common tropes in use, the conclusion was emotional and very pleasant.

Lastly, I wasn't a big fan of the combat in Berseria, but I think Arise improves upon it to a great extent. The flow is very good, and the combat is very satisfying, either you fight single, big bosses or mobs of enemies. Combos flow greatly, all of the characters feel like the play a role and a lot of the artes are fun to use. I think fun is a very apt word to describe it in general. Moreover, every character is unique, and feels like they have their own ways that completely change how you play. Altogether, maybe a bit hectic at times but definitely a fantastic combat system.

Basically, I had a great time with it, something I'd definitely recommend to people that enjoy JRPGs and to newcomers alike.