Baldur’s Gate 3 Review- Infinite Choice
What can be said about Baldur’s Gate 3 that hasn’t already been said countless times? Since its release last August, this game has been praised for its masterful storytelling, incredible characters and engaging combat. It has also been heralded as game that brought back demand for CRPGs, and led many to play older titles in the genre including Larian’s very own ‘Divinity: Original Sin 2’. With all of its awards, titles and merits, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece. But what about after the hype? As someone who only started playing the game well after the massive hype cycle, does it really live up to all of those expectations? The answer to that question is an unequivocal yes.
Image by Larian Studios
Story
On the surface, Baldur’s Gate 3 does nothing truly new to innovate how its story is presented and told. However, this is far from a bad thing. Instead of shaking up the formula, this game instead perfects one which has been around for decades. This is a very typical video-game plot about fighting evil, killing bad guys and saving the world. However, the dressing of this narrative is not smooth. It has many wrinkles in which side stories are told, tragic backstories are unveiled and, most importantly, choices are made.
With every decision made in Baldur’s Gate- whether it be side or main quest, there are true consequences. Not black and white save this person or kill this person consequences, but real true impacts on the world that make you think about almost every choice and dialogue decision you make. One flippant act in the first 10 hours of the game will come back around and hit you in the face in the closing hours. For an experience with over 100 hours of content per playthrough, this is not merely impressive, but represents some of the best narratives in gaming- and makes it clear that in this release, every decision really does matter.
Although the main and side stories are truly engaging here, what makes Baldur’s Gate 3 stand out from a narrative standpoint is the companions you journey with. All potential companions can be recruited, killed or left- and many depend on the bigger choices you make in the main plot. From the witty vampire spawn Astarion to the brooding, edgy Shadowheart and (one of my favourites), Minsc, who has a little Hamster friend named Boo who can help out in battle. No matter where or when they are recruited, each character has such a strong personality, backstory and lore which you can choose whether or not to engage with. Considering how phenomenal the voicework and characterisation is here, however, its certainly worth diving head first into their beautifully written storylines and quests.
Image by Larian Studios
Gameplay
The biggest thing that may put off a lot of new players to this masterpiece is its complexity. CRPGs have increased in popularity in recent years but had yet to break into mainstream gaming until Baldur’s Gate 3. The complicated stat-based levelling and turn based battles can be difficult to get to grips with if you’ve never experienced an RPG for but, even if you’ve never touched a game like it, Baldur’s Gate manages to ease you into its systems without ever overwhelming you. There’s enough depth here for veterans of the genre to immediately start crafting builds and characters, but its also made simple enough that newer players don’t get bored or confused in the opening hours. Somehow, this release manages to unite people into playing Dungeons and Dragons without it feeling like the learning experience is a chore.
With so many different class and race combinations that make a substantial impact in and out of combat, each character you craft will feel unique- with their own strengths and weaknesses. With everything decided by the roll of a dice, however, even the most likely of outcomes can be flipped on its head- meaning your weak bard can pull of seemingly impossible feats of strength, while your strong barbarian can suddenly have a ridiculous amount of intelligence.
Through this system, each character has their strengths but, crucially, nothing is ever really impossible- which makes those unlikely rolls feel so good when you pull them off. Despite this, you will still make rolls easily and fail rolls when it makes sense. Whether you play a Druid, Ranger or Warlock, the choice really is yours. For a genre that has recently lost the role to play, Baldur’s Gate 3 manages to revitalise this aspect of RPGs that made them so great in the first place.
The combat does not slouch either, though. Through turn based actions that really make you think about the best way to approach a fight, this is the area where the most freedom is offered to the player. Sure, you can just go straight for the enemy with your fighter, which could take a few turns to defeat a group of goblins. Alternatively, you could disguise yourself as a cat to sneak up to them an lay down some explosives, which you then blow up with your Ranger hidden in the shadows. You could also lure them onto a bridge which you destroy with a quick fireball to cause them to plummet to their deaths. If you think something might be possible in Baldur’s Gate 3, it probably is- and that goes for both in and outside of combat. Freedom and choice is key here, and its pulled off masterfully.
Image by Larian Studios
Presentation
When you think of an epic fantasy RPG with seemingly infinite choices and combat options, what you may not initially think of is its music. However, that’s what makes the soundtrack of Baldur’s Gate 3 so fantastic. The majority of music serves to pull you into its world and immerse you with current events- be they low or high action. Whether relaxed or tense, the soundtrack makes you feel what the characters are feeling at that point in time. That isn’t to say that its not noticeable, however. The gorgeous violin tunes at camp or the epic guitar riffs in the midst of battle are outstanding to listen to- with some notable tracks including vocals that elevate those moments to some of the greatest in recent memory.
The graphics of Baldur’s Gate are not slouching either. With each new environment and area, you feel a distinct change in both the soundtrack and visual design. By showing anyone who has played the game a screenshot of a location, they would most likely be able to tell you where it’s from. This makes the world feel varied, beautiful and alive- and does wonders to immerse you. The one problem a lot of players had when the game first released was with its bugs. However, months later, the majority of these have been ironed out and the game runs incredibly smooth. Although some crashes and visual glitches did appear, these were very minor and so rare that they can be overlooked. Its impressive that Larian have managed to ensure that the game runs this smoothly across all consoles, even if there are occasional bumps in the road.
Image by Larian Studios
Conclusion
Baldur’s Gate 3 truly feels like a once in a generation type of game. When your project has other developers scared that their games won’t live up to its precedent, you know you’ve made a masterpiece. The level of choice in every part of this game is unfathomable. From character creation to class and race selection- from in combat to dialogue choices- each decision here matters and feels like your own. Although a cliché, it is true that no two playthroughs of the game will feel the same- even outside of the traditional main plot choices. The power is given to the player and 99% of the time, you really can do anything. Baldur’s Gate 3 shows what gaming should be about- and what it can be. We can only hope that others take inspiration from this masterpiece in the years and decades to come.
