Summary
There’s a lot to love about Larian Studios’Baldur’s Gate 3beyond just the story. It also sets a new standard for CRPGs. When it comes to this genre, players want to feel like their choices matter, their creative thinking is rewarded, and there’s no right or wrong way to play the game. While the medium of video games has its limitations, this game proves that there are ways to satisfy players without oversimplifying content with generalized plot points or taking one-size-fits-all shortcuts to relationships. Undoubtedly, other CRPGs paved the way forBaldur’s Gate 3, but Larian Studios didn’t merely contribute another title that’s more of the same; they directly address some of the longest-standing pet peeves associated with the genre.
CRPGs can have breathtaking yet disappointingly non-functional backdrops and the illusion of choice is, at times, a little too obvious.Baldur’s Gate 3has a lot of characters, choices, and quests that all tie into one plot, and it may seem impossible to reconcile all of this into a coherent game, let alone one that offers a truly different experience with each replay. Its tactical side may prove challenging to some at first, and there have been some notorious bugs, but once mastered, the combat is incredibly engaging, and the issues are outliers in an otherwise flawless presentation. Thanks to brilliant mechanics and design choices like being able to save at any time and providing multiplepre-made and customizable protagonists,Baldur’s Gate 3is not only coherent, it’s endless fun and full of pleasant surprises.
10Multifunctional Environment
Everything Everywhere Is Dangerous
Throwing objects may seem like nothing new, but makingeverythinglootable, movable, and throwable - even things normally considered props - opens upa whole new world of gameplay. Large objects can be moved and stacked, residues and flames can turn into weapon coatings, and finishing a battle need not involve weapons. A good shove is sometimes all players need!
Theversatility of the environmentisn’t just for show: it pushes the player’s imagination further to come up with increasingly creative ways of moving forward and solving problems. Team abilities are only half the battle, and enemies can make use of the environment as much as the player does, makingawareness of the environmentmore important for players than ever before.
9Rewards Come In Many Guises
Every Choice Is Right When Good & Evil Want Different Things
Nothing inBaldur’s Gate 3feels so scripted that there’s only one correct solution. Reneging on agreements can be quite profitable, although this doesn’t meanall paths are equally rewardingin thesameway. Completionist players may still feel the sting of perfectionism as they aim for the best result or reward they perceive, but the game itself doesn’t get bogged down with this question unless every last teammate is downed and killed.
Although many players will want to take advantage of tools likeScroll of Revivify, hardcore roleplayers whotake character deaths in stridecan choose to ignore these options and leave their team biting the dust. Hireling characters can be called in through Withers if players feel their team is lacking in numbers or abilities. Leaving Origin characters behind means missing out on their quests, but giventheir disparate alignments, there’s a core team available for every type of protagonist.
8If It Looks Interesting, It Probably Is
Wandering Around & Switching Up Party Members Is Rewarding
Nothing feels purely decorative inBaldur’s Gate 3; everything that seems to be a secretreveals something useful or interesting. At the very least, found objects can become curious collectibles with a story, or can be sold. As with most CRPGs, exploration is encouraged and not required, but the game offers many incentives to turn over every rock. There’s a good chance there’s XP, lore, or dialogue to trigger under there.
The scope of things to do in this game is incredible without feeling overwhelming. Players might find themselves progressing less quickly than expected purely because there’s always something new to discover. Whether it’s insightful commentary from a character with a different background or access to secret areas, the replayability potential of this game is enormous.
7Narrative Framework
Feedback On Choices & Filling In Gaps In Relevant Lore
Most CRPGs don’t bother with continuous narration, butBaldur’s Gate 3takes its cue from tabletop games and creates the equivalent of a Dungeon Master with the Narrator. This might throw some players for a loop at first, but given a little time, it will present its proof of concept. Players are provided with ample ideas about what they could do next and how. Narration istailored to all the variablesthe game offers, too, making it easy enough to listen to a whole new story with a new protagonist.
Seeing asBaldur’s Gate 3can be played inventively and in many ways, it’s easy to see how some would feel a little lost without anything toconnect seemingly unrelated quests. With the Narrator, the game offers a structure to the story without giving the plot away, deepening the player’s intrinsic experience as their chosen protagonist. This feature also gives room for voicing inner thoughts and feelings ordinarily left to the player’s imagination.
6Complex Relationships
It’s All-Hands-On-Deck & Dodging Consequences Is Hard
Relationships can be the highlight of a fleshed-out CRPG, but a lot of them have a mechanical feel to them, especially after several playthroughs. Clearing the right dialogue options is often all that’s required to lock in a relationship in many games. InBaldur’s Gate 3, relationships are almost as complex as they can be in real life, offering players the opportunity toroleplay a deeper connectionbased on everything done in the game, not just companion quests.
This isn’t the first game that deals with consequences even if a companion isn’t taken along somewhere, but it is unique in that party members are aware of every major decision made; if there are consequences, they will come up. The typical requirements like choosing the flirty dialogue options aren’t obvious, either; not every companion will like the player’s character’s choices or their approach to romance.
5Anyone On The Team Can Be The Protagonist
Customization Isn’t Just About Looks
This feature stands out because of the accessibility it offers to the CRPG for inexperienced players. It provides a quick and easy way to get into the world of Faerûn, D&D-style roleplaying, and CRPG character-building all in one.Baldur’s Gate 3has eight protagonist options, including core companion characters. In terms of custom protagonists, any number of unique characters can be made, as well as the Dark Urge customizable character tofacilitate evil playthroughs.
This approach essentially gives players six differentpre-made protagonistsfor the same game who each have a complete backstory, different approaches, problems, and personal goals. Getting to know companions more intimately by actually playing them can be a whole new spin for players, taking them deeper into the psyche of their favorites.
4Protagonists Don’t Steal The Thunder
Every Team Should Have A Charmer, A Thinker, & A Fighter
The idea ofhaving a team in a battleis nothing new, but more often than not, CRPG companions tend to melt into the background.Baldur’s Gate 3can be played that way, but nothing holds players back from letting one of their companions take the lead in any given interaction. In fact, if a companion wanders too near to a dialogue trigger, they will be the ones who are in conversation.
The benefit of having a fully interactive team goes beyond giving players the feeling that their whole team is involved in situations. This mechanic allows players to explore characters who may otherwise have glaring disadvantages as the party leader. Dumping points into Charisma is no longer necessary to gain an advantage if another teammate can do the negotiating. NPCs also react individually to each team member, even if another character previously engaged them.
3Evil Has Never Been Easier To Roleplay
Corruption, Deceit & Disloyalty Are Achievable Goals
For players who want the full evil experience but don’t want to go out of their way to make the hard choices,Baldur’s Gate 3’sDark Urge character is quite literally a whole new story. This character template isn’t just about making evil choices, it’s about being evil incarnate. As such, players can choose to resist or succumb to their dark urges. It might not be an easy game, but players will get significantalternate options and endingsplaying it.
It’s possible to switch moralities even with regular custom characters. However, with the fully customizable Dark Urge character, there’s more to being evil than just choosing evil dialogue options or killing enough NPCs. The soul of the player’s character is constantly compelled to act on violent instincts. It’s not for everyone, as some of the choices can be quite difficult to make for anyone who grew attached to good-aligned NPCs and companions like Karlach and Wyll, for example.
2Saving Mid-Dialogue & Mid-Battle
Undoing That Deadly Disapproval
The versatility of boundless saves might seem to undermine what roleplaying is all about, but in a CRPG, it’s an incredible blessing. Not everyone likes torely on save scumming, but considering how random a roll of the dice can be, being able to reload options can save players a lot of time and frustration, especially mid-battle. It’s worth a quicksave to preserve a masterful tactic that takes out the most dangerous enemy on the field, regardless of how the rest of the fight goes.
The benefit of saving at any time mid-dialogue is that players can try the most tantalizing or strange options first and still quickly undo choices they regret without skipping through the whole scene again. This also enables players to explore all the dialogue options until they find the one that fits their character best. For players who care a lot about what their companions think about their protagonist, this feature ensures players don’t have to choose between anunexpected hit to approvalor replaying a difficult scene.
1Flexibility In Accepting Quests
Some NPCs & Quests Are A Delight To Reject
Unlike a lot of games where players are given the almost meaningless choice to accept or decline quests,Baldur’s Gate 3focuses much more onhowplayers want to handle each situation. Normally, refusing a quest is a loss of XP, loot, and story content. This can make it a little difficult to roleplay a character who wouldn’t ordinarily help certain quest-givers. In a lot of games, this is circumvented by rude dialogue options or bigger choices that still require the player to accept a quest, if grudgingly, but it doesn’t always leave players satisfied if it feels like a token gesture.
Baldur’s Gate 3has an innovative approach to this question (which may end up being the death knell of fetch quests) by providing players with alternative paths to rewards. Sometimes it’s as easy as looting clues off of quest-givers who won’t be needing them anymore. Other times it means talking to another NPC on the opposing side. Either way, a lot of the side quests inBaldur’s Gate 3seem related to the adventure, giving the game an unmistakably tabletop-D&D feel. Whatever the party encounters, there’s something to gain for every type of character.
