Baldur's Gate 3 is a new once in a generation standard bearer for a specific. and long running, style of RPG; Dungeons & Dragons. The game features dice rolls, ability checks, stat modifiers, etc. that people have come to associate with D&D. But even for those unfamiliar with the mega tabletop hit, Baldur's Gate 3 offers a unique and deep spin on the RPG genre, giving character choice and direction depth that has never before been seen in gaming.
At its core, Baldur's Gate 3 is a standard fantasy RPG with a well tuned and tactical XCOM like battle system. Fights can be long and grueling, taking upwards of 30-45 minutes to finish, and positioning is key. Spells and classes are unique and well balanced in their implementation, although the D&D style combat dice rolling can be frustrating at times if you low roll a bunch in short span, the game is crystal clear though on the chance for your attack or ability to hit. Fights are also difficult and challenging, especially bosses and the larger encounters, some taking a couple trial and error runs with pre fight positioning and sequencing.
Where the game truly shines above all others like it is in its breadth of player choice. You as the main player character can, effectively, do whatever you want. Yes, there are consequences, but there is never a shortage of options. In only my first several hours of gameplay I had killed 3 potential party members without even realizing. You can circumvent encounters with dialogue or character choices. You can turn yourself into an illithid monster and kill everything in your path. There are entirely too many possibilities to describe but if you can think of it you can usually do it.
My most memorable and consequential decision came sometime in the early mid game when I arrived to the Last Light Inn. A character there revealed himself to me to be working for the 'Absolute' (bad guy) and that he wanted my help abducting the local priest who was protecting the inn with her magic. I chose to wait and see because I wanted to find a quiet way to dispatch of this guy and get an item he had that I wanted for myself. Immediately in my next conversation the guy made his move and abducted the priest right from the middle of everyone, without the priest the inn fell in to darkness and everybody there outside of my party died a grueling death. This is just an example of the consequences and intricacies within this game, everyone will have a different path and story through this game.
Where the game does a little fall flat is in the 3rd act, which for the most takes place in a large city. The story, choices, and quests are just more straightforward here, lacking the diversity and polish of the previous areas. The game is also littered with visual and gameplay bugs that are typical for this genre. Missing textures or invisible objects can happen, the game can get stuck saving which prevents you from saving again or loading back into a previous save, I fully expect in future patches and developments for these issues to be fixed.
Overall, due to some of its technical and story issues the game falls short of being in the top tier class of Skyrim or Witcher 3 for me. But it is without a doubt the most free and uninhibited RPG I have ever played.
At its core, Baldur's Gate 3 is a standard fantasy RPG with a well tuned and tactical XCOM like battle system. Fights can be long and grueling, taking upwards of 30-45 minutes to finish, and positioning is key. Spells and classes are unique and well balanced in their implementation, although the D&D style combat dice rolling can be frustrating at times if you low roll a bunch in short span, the game is crystal clear though on the chance for your attack or ability to hit. Fights are also difficult and challenging, especially bosses and the larger encounters, some taking a couple trial and error runs with pre fight positioning and sequencing.
Where the game truly shines above all others like it is in its breadth of player choice. You as the main player character can, effectively, do whatever you want. Yes, there are consequences, but there is never a shortage of options. In only my first several hours of gameplay I had killed 3 potential party members without even realizing. You can circumvent encounters with dialogue or character choices. You can turn yourself into an illithid monster and kill everything in your path. There are entirely too many possibilities to describe but if you can think of it you can usually do it.
My most memorable and consequential decision came sometime in the early mid game when I arrived to the Last Light Inn. A character there revealed himself to me to be working for the 'Absolute' (bad guy) and that he wanted my help abducting the local priest who was protecting the inn with her magic. I chose to wait and see because I wanted to find a quiet way to dispatch of this guy and get an item he had that I wanted for myself. Immediately in my next conversation the guy made his move and abducted the priest right from the middle of everyone, without the priest the inn fell in to darkness and everybody there outside of my party died a grueling death. This is just an example of the consequences and intricacies within this game, everyone will have a different path and story through this game.
Where the game does a little fall flat is in the 3rd act, which for the most takes place in a large city. The story, choices, and quests are just more straightforward here, lacking the diversity and polish of the previous areas. The game is also littered with visual and gameplay bugs that are typical for this genre. Missing textures or invisible objects can happen, the game can get stuck saving which prevents you from saving again or loading back into a previous save, I fully expect in future patches and developments for these issues to be fixed.
Overall, due to some of its technical and story issues the game falls short of being in the top tier class of Skyrim or Witcher 3 for me. But it is without a doubt the most free and uninhibited RPG I have ever played.