2023’s unanimous game of the year did not come out of nowhere. Baldur’s Gate 3 entered early access in late 2020 and slowly wormed it’s way into our hearts and minds. Even the long awaited sequel Tears of the Kingdom did not stand a chance against the might of the breakout CRPG.

What give BG3 it’s strength is it’s illusion of player choice. The game’s first act feels overwhelming. The player has a number of decisions to make and groups to align yourself with (even betray if you feel up to it). Carefully coordinated quest lines feel like a Dungeon Master going off the cuff because they never thought you’d actually try that. This scope narrows in the second act. The player still has a lot to do but almost all build up to the game’s villainous reveal which asks “well, is this still the route you want to go down?” These large questions the game asks is where it’s story starts to falter.

Statistically, most players will not choose the evil route in a video game. Some may be evil out of a morbid curiosity but most will save it at least for a second playthrough. It’s fun to play evil but it feels good to be a hero. Baldur’s Gate 3 nearly hands players the keys to ultimate power and even that doesn’t feel enough to suddenly become the bad guy. The game’s villains are fun and creepy but far from convincing in their diatribes. In typical fashion they immediately betray each other the moment the player comes along and you’re welcome to make or pass on deals with them.

If your typical goody shoes player were to be tempted by anyone, why not the vampire elf lurking among your companions? Characters like Astarion and Shadowheart have their own dark agendas and charming personalities. Karlach and Wyll, the de facto do-gooders, are just as beautiful and lovable in their own ways, but who doesn’t love a bad boy? Most will ogle over these digital sweethearts and yell “I can fix them!” and you can. But party members with such magnetic performances can make you wonder if ultimate power isn’t such a bad thing after all.

Stories both grand and interpersonal weave themselves together in the third act. The long winded finale containing the most satisfying storytelling as well the most frustrating combat encounters in the entire game. Depending on your actions in the game you may very well be close to 100 hours of play time by the time you actually reach the titular city. The third act is at it’s strongest when you are reuniting with memorable characters after what feels like ages, only to solve one last problem before sending them on their happy ending. It’s weakest parts are when those satisfying endings are blocked by fights that need you to fight a dozen plus enemies. It’s draining, both of your time and physical self in real life 5e Dungeons and Dragons, and it’s just as tiring here in it’s most faithful digital recreation to date.

The feeling of overwhelming choice becomes real in the last act of BG3. The game makes you feel as if time is running out while placing countless distractions in front of you. Every new quest line introduced feels simultaneously inconsequential and like it could tip the scale of the impending final battle in your favor. In the end, only the relationships you have forged along the way have any impact on the game’s actual ending and the epilogue added some time after the initial release. Some threads just end, such as it is. Over the dozens hour journey it takes you on, Baldur’s Gate 3 will delight and enrapture you, but this potential game of the decade will frustrate and overwhelm you if you’re not careful.

"Disregard. The smell gives me sweet dreams." -Balthazar Personal Notes: 2

(づ ̄ ³ ̄)づ Playing BG3 is like stumbling into a tavern full of eccentric characters and realizing you're the weirdest one there. Every decision shapes your fate and the destiny of those around you. It's a thrilling blend of immersive storytelling and strategic combat, where alliances are forged and broken, and the line between hero and villain blurs with each choice. A thing to note, the monsters aren't always the scariest thing you'll encounter - sometimes it's the unexpected antics of your own party members or strangers you meet. "૮₍ •⤙•˶

Muita gente diz que RPG de turno compensa o combate "ruim" com uma história maravilhosa. Baldur's Gate 3 está no seleto grupo de jogos que é oposto dessa "máxima". É um jogo com combate fenomenal, lhe dando possibilidades infinitas de abordar cada situação da sua gameplay da forma que você quiser. Dá pra sair na porrada, usar stealth, virar um dinossauro, encantar inimigo, distrair inimigo com uma apresentação de música, etc. Se de um lado você é livre pra fazer o que quiser com as milhares de builds, do outro você tem uma narrativa cheia de escolhas que, inevitavelmente, vão culminar nos mesmos 3 caminhos de história. Não teria problema ter essa "falsa liberdade" na narrativa, só que Baldur's Gate 3 conduz sua história do mesmo jeito que o Luciano Huck conduz o The Wall. É enrolação atrás de enrolação, build up após build up, voltas e mais voltas, pra no final, ele fazer um speedrun e resolver todas as pontas no ato 3. Isso seria até tolerável, se o jogo não tivesse 100h+. E isso sem falar que a narrativa de Baldur's Gate 3 é que nem a de Dark Souls, só que sem a parte do conhecimento de lore se fazer só por itens e cenário. Em Baldur's Gate 3, os personagens passam a maior parte do tempo falando expositivamemte do mundo, do que, de fato sendo personagens desse mundo. Baldur's Gate 3 é tipo aquele seu professor que é um cara muito bacana, mas a aula é um saco.

Horas jogadas: 182

Um jogo espetacular, finalizei praticamente 2 vezes, uma com um grupo de amigos, porém não chegamos a finalizar o ato 3. E uma sozinho aonde zerei.

Baldurs Gate é um clássico rpg de mesa, a jogabilidade é ótima pois te permite fazer escolhas que poucos jogos permitem, como matar o personagem o empurrando do penhasco. A história e ambientação não perdem em nada e fazem você querer continuar jogando, pois permitem diversas escolhas e caminhos diferentes a se seguir. os gráficos são ótimos e cada personagem tem seu próprio estilo, história e ideais. Apenas não dou 5 estrelas por conta de ser um jogo nichado, que pode não agradar a todos.

Recomendo: Sim, mas tem que entender que é um jogo de turno e que o principal é a história e como suas escolhas afetam ela.

This game is special. I dropped 150 hours into just one playthrough and couldn't stop thinking about what I would do next time. The combat is truly excellent with many fights requiring me to use every option at my disposal, at least on tactician difficulty. The social aspects and exploration are also top-notch and are setting a new industry standard. I felt really connected to this party and enjoyed getting to know them. However, there are so many little things that irked me throughout. Certain questlines and romance paths have such specific triggers that you have to hit with no way of knowing what you need to do. Like I wanted to romance Karlach, but because I didn't talk to a random NPC in the corner of a large settlement before clearing the goblin camp I was completely locked out, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN FIND AND TALK TO THAT GUY LATER. Friendly npcs would constantly walk into my area of effect spells or even just terrain effects and then aggro onto me causing me to have to not use some builds just because of the dumb ai. Characters would consistently get caught on random objects when jumping, causing it to end early even though the game told me that the jump would succeed. Some party members were clearly given more things to do in the story and their own personal quests, meaning that some feel a little out of place. There are tons of these little things that were frustrating, but I can't give this game anything lower than a 10. The fact that a 100-hour crunchy number turn-based rpg based on Dungeons and Dragons was able to see mainstream appeal is insane and a true testament to how good this game is. It is a truly special and unique experience.