Maybe a game that’s making me wish I didn’t stick to whole star ratings. A high-3, if only because I still don’t love Ace Attorney’s model, It’s just a little too long-winded for my visual novel tastes (the fifth chapter’s trial had me exhausted), and a little too visual-novel-y for my adventure game tastes. For me to stay engaged in a mystery where I can start to see the beats line up along a rail, but have to wait for the trolley to chug on through them all, I just need a little more momentum. The autoplaying of dialog really saved my overall experience with this game; I even opted to use the “story mode” for the final chapter just because I didn’t have the heart to play through it all myself, and I was interested in seeing how it worked.

I cannot deny, though, my experience with The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures was leagues more exciting than my time trudging through the first couple of games in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy a few years ago. Besides the aesthetic being enormously more intriguing, the “deduction” sections help break-up the investigation segments of the game so much better and I just found myself a lot less disengaged for half of the game. Herlock Sholmes clears, what can I say?

What also got me locked in here was the general politics of it all on display. The way this game is about the British Empire imposing on the world their own systems, looking down on all foreigners, especially non-white foreigners. I mean, this is basically a racism simulator. The over-arching story really grabbed me along with the over-arching vibe, so once again I am finding myself adoring the world and characters of Ace Attorney, but just not really able to get locked into the game. Does make me deathly curious how I’d feel about Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, since I really love the former’s gameplay and not the latter’s.

Dear Baldur's Gate 3,

To be honest, I didn't care about this game from the day it was released until the day it won Game of the Year. It didn't catch my interest; I had never played a CRPG before, and I didn't think it would be my kind of game. I found isometric RPGs boring, and I thought I would struggle with them, and Baldur's Gate 3 didn't seem any different. However, BG3 turned out to be a game that changed my perspective on the genre completely. I bought the game at full price the morning after it won GotY, and I believe I got every penny's worth. Baldur's Gate 3, far from just being the best game of 2023, stands as one of the greatest games ever.

Despite its scattered nature, the game feels cohesive, with a perfectly written and satisfying story, incredibly deep and diverse companions with unique personalities, engaging combat that challenges your brains, and puzzles that add color to the game with a sweet difficulty level. This game, oozing effort from every corner and finely polished, makes you feel like you're playing a real masterpiece. It has even sparked my interest in CRPGs, which is a significant achievement for someone who used to dislike the genre.

For me, the strongest aspect of the game is its story and characters. I shed tears at many points during the game, especially during the character stories. I have never played a game that cared so much about character stories and gave such importance to its characters. Each character has long quests, perfect romance scenes, and incredibly emotional (or uplifting) fantastic endings. The story is really epic, with every scene giving you goosebumps. It succeeds in making the player care for it, leaving them unable to resist wanting more. I was satisfied with every character's ending in my playthrough, except for Gale. I don't remember leaving a game with such satisfaction in the story and characters; Baldur's Gate 3 holds the top spot for me in this regard. (':

In terms of gameplay, the game uses a turn-based system based on the D&D 5th edition rules. I generally don't like turn-based combat, but the D&D gameplay has always appealed to me. I found myself drawn into the game in every aspect of its gameplay. It's a game where you genuinely have to plan your approach to the enemy, and you can't just rush in blindly. Despite being someone who prefers ease, I enjoyed this aspect. Every fight was very satisfying for me, and the superb boss battles contributed to that. And what about the music during those boss fights? I could sit there listening for hours, especially during the battle with Raphael.

The fantastic music I mentioned contributes significantly to the game's presentation. From camera angles to facial expressions, from sounds to voice actors' performances, everything is flawless and adds impact to the game's scenes. Nightsong's salvation, Astarian's infamous scene... it contains many moments that I'm sure will stay in my mind for a long time. Comparing this to other recent games, it's evident how much effort and success Larian has put into this. The dialogues are engaging, and while some sentences may be incredibly long, it's worth enduring for memorable moments and enjoyable scenes. It's not a problem. It's a beautiful way to showcase the liveliness of the characters and the game world.

By the way, the game's additional content is incredibly extensive. I forgot to mention this, so let me touch on it briefly. With side activities, the game offers over 100 hours of gameplay, and these side activities are not the typical boring ones you find in Ubisoft-style games. They have been worked on as much as the main quests, providing fun and engaging activities that feel just as rewarding and necessary for a complete experience.

I won't make this review too long. I just finished the game, and I'm incredibly emotional. I believe this game is one of the best ever. Before playing BG3, my heart was set on Zelda for GotY, but in the packed 85 hours I spent in the game, I understood that BG3 truly deserves this award. It's the first time in a long time that I've liked a game this much. I thank Larian for reviving my slowly dying "interest in games"... it seems the problem wasn't with me but with the terrible games that are being released. (':

In short, if you're on the fence about getting the game, don't hesitate. You're in for an epic and emotional adventure with remarkable stories.