Well, here we are. For so long I was apprehensive of playing this game. Not because I wasn't confident it would be as good as everyone said it was, but because I was afraid I'd have a hard time getting into something with this much depth (same reason that RDR2 was overwhelming). But I gotta say, after my first 80 hour campaign... I get it now. It's as good as everyone says and it many ways even exceeded my high expectations.

The biggest compliment I can give to this game is that it may be the most ambitious video game ever created. I love Dungeons and Dragons, and no video game can ever replicate what a TTRPG can do... but this game gets pretty damn close. The loosey goosey style of the story feels like D&D and the sheer volume of branching narritive options are impossible to comprehend from a logistics standpoint. The weird shenanigans you and your companions get into feel like D&D. The fact that you really can roleplay any type of character you want feels like D&D. The combat literally just is D&D 5e and is an overall amazing port (I am personally not a fan of combat when playing D&D5e because of the monotony of dice rolling, but the system translates so well to a video game). Other games dream of having this much depth but very few can stand up to even one of these pillars of BG3's design. As a lover of both D&D and video games, this game was a perfect marriage of strengths between both of these styles of storytelling.

Few video game stories, really few stories in general, can affect me like this one did. The story, the world, and, most importantly, the characters were all so enchanting that by the end I got emotional when I had to say goodbye to it all. I think part of what it made so special was that it was my story that was naturally crafted through my choices. Most games will give you different roads that lead to the same destination in a deceptive attempt to make you feel like you're playing an RPG, but BG3 actually does live up to its promise that your story will be different than everyone else's. I had a lot of fun chatting with my friends and roommates about how much our stories differed from one another.

Like I mentioned briefly earlier, this game is logistically impossible for me to comprehend and is one of the most ambitious games ever made, but.... at times it also falls victim to its own ambition. This is where I list my criticisms of the game, which are mostly in the technical category. When you have a game with this much gameplay depth, there's no way you can foresee every possible encounter and how niche mechanics work with each other, so I don't fault Larian too much for any of these. I had my fair share glitches and frustrations in this game; poorly optimized camera controls (at least on the PS5), my companions constantly got left behind or stuck, game crashes, asset loading errors, combat inconsistencies, there were a few quests that glitched out and I couldn't complete, and a few more smaller things that irked me and took me out of the immersion. While these are (mostly) just minor inconveniences, they do add up and keep this game from perfection. However, its sins are heavily outweighed by its virtues, and despite all these issues I still respect this game from a technical standpoint.

Another small complaint I have, and this may be a hot take for some people: I don't think the co-op is very fun. I actually started a co-op campaign with experienced players first and did the tutorial with them before starting my own game, and I think that was a mistake. When I play a game like this I like to take my time with everything and engulf as much of it as I can, which is to say I think I play games like this slower than most people. Usually this isn't a problem in a fast paced game like Helldivers 2, but for a game like this with so much depth I much more enjoyed my time playing solo. Though this is mainly a personal preference as I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with how the co-op structure was built, so I don't knock any points off for it.

I feel like I've wrote more about what I don't like about the game, which isn't how I wanted this to go, but if you've played this game you know why it's as amazing as it is and I don't need to reiterate all the glories of the game that have been said in 10,000 other online reviews. This review is getting long, so here's a few other things I really liked before I wrap it up:
- The voice acting was top-tier, from the legacy PCs with thousands of recorded lines to the niche NPC encounters that most players won't experience. Bonus points for J.K. Simmons.
- The gear system wasn't overcomplicated, but was still comprehensive. A lot of lesser games struggle with this balance.
- Beautiful lighting and sound design.
- The musical themes were both beautiful and provocative, and the main theme will live in my head for a long time.
- Character creation was amazing for facial customization (though, admittedly, lacked in the body adjustment department).

If I can end the review on one last anecdote; this game in 2023 feels like what Skyrim felt like in 2011 and, before even that, KOTOR did in 2005 and, even though it was a little before my time, Chrono Trigger in 1995. These are three pinnacles of the RPG genre and I think they walked so the next one could run. I remember when Skyrim came out and every friend I had was skipping school and talking about how it offers "unlimited" freedom in its fantasy setting and these same talks happening with BG3 made me feel nostalgic for that. I'm excited to see what game takes what BG3 did and somehow improves on it.

This is a game I don't think I'll ever forget. Although it's flaws hold it back from a seal of Masterpiece, I still believe this is one of the most innovative, impressive, groundbreaking games ever made. I'm so happy for Larian Studios and the video game fandom in general for this games commercial success. It deserves every penny and shows the world what kind of games we really want. This game had passion poured into every crack and corner of it; you could tell lovers of games made this.

96/100

This was a significant letdown for me. The story, which initially captivated my interest, unfortunately crumbled towards the conclusion. When it comes to the gameplay, it mirrors the style of a Diablo game but with a noticeable simplification.

However, delving into the "Live Service" component, the disappointment deepens. The execution of the live service aspect was marred by numerous issues. From persistent bugs to lackluster updates, the live service experience was far from what one would expect. The promised ongoing support and engagement with the player community fell short, leaving the overall gaming experience tarnished and unsatisfying.

It's everything you've heard. And more.

When looking at the RPG genre, most people will agree that the best aspects are, well, the roleplaying. Being able to create your own character and be immersed into a fully realised world is the truest form of the escapism that video games can provide us.

And while Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't invent some magic new system that will "change RPGs forever", it instead decides to focus on making sure the delivery of that immersion is as polished yet still vast as a Dungeons and Dragons game can be within the limits of video games.

I get that it isn't for everyone. D&D isn't for everyone and that's okay, if you are reading this and you didn't enjoy it then that is okay. But the quality of content here is indisputable and it is absolutely worth trying out at least once. Larian has poured so much love into this and you can see it in the voice acting, the music, the combat, and every little small detail that you'll miss initially which reignites your desire for another playthrough.

I don't think I'm going to forget this game for a very long time. If at all.

As someone who's never really played CRPGs this game was barely on my radar right up to its release. I kept forgetting what it was and innately rejecting it as something that would be too hard to get into and demand so much time that I'd never get around to finishing it. I don't remember exactly what it was that finally sold me on trying it, but once my interest was piqued I was thoroughly "in" - (honestly, might've been an interview with the Larian head in the FPS Podcast)

I want to keep this one "short" so I won't be going into much detail, but this game is insane. The fact every conversation is mocapped adds so much to the immersion, and the writing and performances are thoroughly excellent to boot. The world designs and mechanics allow for heaps of creative freedom, so much so that the previous "obvious" GOTY contender for this year has (imo) been given a run for its money. Tears of the Kingdom looked to have it on lock, in large part due to it's player freedom... I can't believe Larian came along in the same year to one-up them in this regard, but perhaps the coveted title isn't as in-the-bag as once thought. [Especially considering the slew of flaws TOTK brought with it from BOTW... hell I still haven't finished it lol]

Anyway! I adore this game, it's been forever since I got so lost that 12-15 hours could pass without me noticing, and that's what this game has been giving me almost every day for around a month now. I'm already excited to replay it and take different paths because - while I did follow every quest as far as I could without committing to conflicting ones - I know damn well there are countless hours of content, encounters and characters that I didn't see. I'm also eager to play with a controller and see how different the third person perspective is.

To include a gripe, the biggest downside of the game is either the combat being pretty brutal at times if you're not prepared or familiar with strategies that can be game-changing (protip: you can heal multiple people with splashed potions, and if you stand on fire all you have to do is drop the pot, it's free!) In spite of this, the combat was still one of my favourite parts because there's always so much you can do and once you find your method, it's amazing.

Second point: Silent protagonist.. The narrator is amazing and I love her, and the custom MC's voicelines for certain things are a nice touch, but there are some conversations that feel kinda weird having your response just be clicking the line without audio, or watching yourself pull a face instead of saying anything. Small issue that I got used to quickly but yeah, kinda weird. I wonder if playing as the Legacy characters negates this 🤔

That's it! I've rambled enough, if you're interested please give this game a shot, yes it's long but the majority of it is also optional and you could always do things the quick and easy way if you prefer. If you can't tell this is my current GOTY, which is insane because I'll have gotten a Final Fantasy, a Resident Evil and Alan Wake 2 this year (jury's still out on that last one 👀)

Hope you've all been well, quick shoutout to Paranormasight while I'm here. Idk if I'll bother reviewing but play it blind, it's really good! Have a good September folks, next review will be God knows what. I'm onto Sea of Stars and Starfield next. Thanks for reading!😌


P.S. Quick addendum I've heard people say Act 3 is bloated but I think it's just more dense and has a lot of quest conclusions and bigger encounters and all that. Also heard people say the ending is sudden but they must've gotten less satisfying ones because mine felt very well paced. The only things it didn't immediately address either aren't important or could easily be DLC follow-ups.

As a kid, I often would falsely believe that anything and everything was possible in a given game. That maybe, if I approached something differently, the story would play out differently. Later in life, while playing games from companies like Telltale, I believed this again. Ultimately, I learned that a lot of my "choices" in games did not really matter and would always lead to the same conclusion. I had believed all games to be this way, even those that focused a lot on roleplaying or player choice. I was proven wrong by Baldur's Gate 3.

CRPGs are not my usual genre of choice. Sure, I love Disco Elysium to absolute death, but that game feels more like a piece of interactive art than a more traditional CRPG. Baldur's Gate 3 wasn't really on my radar until I saw the stellar reviews. Seeing how it was getting Tears of the Kingdom type scores, I knew I had to check this game out.

What immediately strikes you in Baldur's Gate 3 is the game's ability to immediately suck you into its world. The opening is an intense and intriguing one, introducing you to some of the characters and what conflict afflicts this world. Right from the get go, your choices affect everything about how this story will play out. This isn't just about the small details either. We're talking about major plot points and elements that will determine every bit of your adventure. The amount of detail and different paths that you can encounter is staggering, maybe even overwhelming at times. But it all culminates into a very satisfying narrative that you shape throughout your entire experience.

The characters are also a major highlight of the game, in particular your party members. All of the major players have interesting storylines. Not only that, but they are just incredibly interesting to learn more about, as well as see their arcs unfold as the story goes along. They're not all perfect, but you will absolutely have your favorites that you want to follow until the end, or of course romance.

The combat is incredibly intricate. Its probably pretty standard for those of you that are more used to CRPGS, but I found it to be a system that's easy to learn but difficult to master. You absolutely have to strategize and plan out your moves if you want to hope to survive encounters. The game provides a pretty good difficulty incline (at least on Balanced difficulty). I never felt like the game ever had any difficulty spikes, nor did it ever feel too easy.

Customization is also insane. First of all, you could spend hours on the character creator alone. Its so detailed and deep that you can easily get lost in it. Second is the class customization. There are a ton of classes in BG3, and each have three separate subclasses once you get to a certain level. You can also reclass and respec at any point (granted you have the NPC that allows you to do so at your camp), so the game encourages you to experiment and try out new things with your character(s). This allows you to really strategize for combat and roleplay to the best of your ability.

Now is the game perfect? No, but no game is. But here are a few things that I did feel like could have been done better. For starters, the game does still have a fair amount of glitches, especially the farther you go into the campaign. The game's story is pretty solid throughout, but there is a decline in the narrative in Act 3, particularly during the falling action after the final boss.

Other than these few complaints though, I really don't have anything negative to say about BG3. This game simply blew me away. I feel weird having beat it. Even though it took me 90+ hours, I already feel ready to start a new playthrough as a different character both in class and personality. This isn't just one of the best games of the year. This is one of, if not the best CRPGs ever created. As the creators said in a recent advertisement for the game: even if you think this game isn't for you, give it a shot. You may be surprised by how much you'll enjoy it.

A masterpiece in every sense of the word, Larian have really outdone themselves with Baldur's Gate 3. Rooted firmly in DnD game systems and lore, it is a spectacular adventure from start to finish. The level of character expression through character progression/creation, dialogue choices, exploration, and combat is something that I haven't really encountered since well, Divinity Original Sin 2.

My playthrough was as a high-elf bard with a criminal background, and so as a result I ended up being a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. I could pass all persuasion/deception checks, a large pool of spells to utilize in and out of battle, and proficient with rapiers and crossbows as well. For your companions, each and every one of them has a compelling story arc (if they choose to stick around and you don't get them killed in battle). They may approve or disapprove of your actions throughout the game, but with all the variation of events there is high replay value even at ~100 hours in length.

This variation however can be hit or miss. While I have no doubt there are plenty of events I did not see throughout the game due to my choices (cool), there are some objectives that feel pretty obtuse. Either far out of the way, or requiring specific NPCs to talk to, needing to be done in a specific order, or just time sensitive. Some hidden stuff is all well and good, but some things almost feel like they require a guide to know how to do "properly". A fine line had to be walked for balancing long rests (which pass time in the world, but also restore all your character's health, spells, and trigger certain events).

Baldur's Gate 3 is a long adventure, but not a moment feels wasted. Each area is tightly designed and sprinkled with enough fast travel points and events where the player spends very little time just running around wasting time. Though the final act has its fair share of bugs, it is still a well crafted game that encompasses everything an RPG should be. The voice acting, the high-fantasy music, the atmosphere, the character and creature designs, the writing - BG3 is a treat that may just inspire me to give DnD yet another shot. In a year of plenty of tremendous video games, this is almost certainly going to be my game of the year.

So what can I really say that other people in this particular camp haven't about this fucking hilarious, broken, enthrallingly charming game? Bethesda will (likely) never make a video game that is as good as Morrowind again. Oblivion is my favorite.

Walk into a damn tavern in the Imperial City in the evening and just sit down. It'll take approximately 5 seconds before you're in tears. Those mudcrabs are filthy creatures. Also, those boycotts led by those syndicates of wizards on those Imperial goods. This is a game where so much has aged 'terribly' great. I do not get the same sense of amusement in any other Bethesda game that I do from this one.

This is also a game that aged ... terribly awful even on release! I don't have the patience to explain the Leveling + Level Scaling but just google that and you'll find threads dating back to the stone age in bewilderment that certainly the team was cracked out making this one that they didn't take into account how horribly fucking awful it is. There's various ways to mitigate it but it sucks.

This is also a game where it feels quest after quest generally has a real interesting concept/narrative around it. Yeah, the guild quests are often seen as the games highlight and yeah, I do feel they suffer from the Skyrim problem of wanting to give players no opportunity to miss out on content so you kinda become the master of all, but when they are as compellingly interesting as they are, it's hard to be too bothered. Add in a bunch of super amusing Daedric quests, and general MISC quest around the world that rival any game. There's a particular side quest involving a painting that to this day, I might be out buying some groceries or at the bar grabbing a drink and it 'pop' into my head and I'm like aahhhh, that Oblivion. What a game.

The world gets flak for being more 'generic LOTR-inspired fantasy' and sure, it's not the volcanic alien wasteland of the former but the almost atherial quality of the lighting, the high-saturated pallete of the world lends a real charm to the rolling hills and forests. There's an almost soft haze to everything and I adore it. God-awful potato faces and all.

Another favorite is, while I love the slow-burn deliberate pacing of the narrative of Morrowind, I also really appreciate in Oblivion that you're not the 'Chosen One'. Sir Patrick Stewart certainly saw you had a very important role to play in the days ahead, but it's not you who is ultimately the big hero. I have only about 5 hours in Arena and around 20 in Daggerfall so I'm unsure, but I feel Bethesda has never really done that before this and certainly not after. Praise be to Martin!

Add on top of that, one of my all-time favorite expansions to any game with Shivering Isles. If you ask someone who their favorite Daedric Prince is and they answer back in 0.5 seconds SHEEEEOOOOGORATH! There's a damn good reason for it. It involves cheese.

It's a game for people in the chess club. Who's laughing now?