The time has come…to talk about one of the best games ever made*:
Baldur’s Gate 3 (This is a link to the Honest Game Trailer video that will give you a great deal of insight with a sense of humor. It’s also a little spoilery, so be forewarned.)
By now, I would imagine, even if you’re not a gamer, you’ve heard about this 2023 Game of the Year winner. It took the (gaming) world by storm. On the other hand, it took The Sis and I a little while to get on board, only because we wanted the hard copy, which wasn’t available the first year, and which also meant that we had to invest in a new Xbox along with the game. A hefty, unprepared for, purchase.
We worked with people who continued to talk it up and we had to avoid so many things that may have spoiled this marvel for us for ever so long. Eventually, we took the plunge.
Worth every penny.
*But be aware, this game isn’t for everyone. It’s a graphic turn-based RPG, rated M due to the depictions of violence, the coarse language and bloodshed, in addition to nudity and sexual content.
Based on the table top game, Dungeons and Dragons, that in the 80s started a worldwide panic because our parents were led to believe that it was a tool of the devil – fun fact, look it up – earlier versions of the video game are considered great in their own right, but the third game in the series is unlike anything before it.
Dungeons and Dragons was first published in the early 70s. If you’re roughly my age, you may have played or knew of people who did. They were nerds or geeks or outcasts. Or so the consensus deemed them. The phrase Dungeon Master is from this game. If you watched Stranger Things, it’s the entire basis of the series. And if you watched the extremely well done 2023 film, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, you’ll have some understanding of the world.
It’s medieval fantasy with magic, politics, religion, and a world ending kind of event you must thwart. All things I enjoy in not only my gaming (one reason I love RPGs), but my writing, movie and tv watching, and reading as well. I knew I’d enjoy it, but I didn’t expect to consider it the best game I’ve ever played, but here we are.
Now, you may be wondering, “Do you love it more than Dragon Age?” And my answer would be, “Even in the shadow of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the Dragon Age Universe still has my heart, always will, but this game is a feat of wonder and possibilities.”
Now, among the endless positives this game entails, there are a few negatives, so as I’ve done with my other video game reviews, let’s break it down.
Let’s list the Positives first.
Character Creator
If you’ve read any of my previous video game reviews, you might recall that I love to create new characters in a well designed character creator. Baldur’s has a wonderful system with a ton of choices. Almost too many, if you’re easily overwhelmed.
There are eleven races to choose from, any sex you prefer. There are a dozen classes to begin with as well as a dozen backgrounds. Not only can you create a unique character (my elven wizard, Bryn is here for reference, as is my tiefling cleric, Peri – both adorable, if I may so), should you choose, you can play as an “origin” character – any of the companions that you’ll recruit along the way, giving you so many avenues to explore.
And after all those painstaking choices, you get the opportunity to create a second character, a Guardian before venturing forth. You may take less time and effort to make a distinctive Guardian after the hours you just spent creating the other.
Once you decide what your protagonist will look like, and what they’ll be capable of, you will quickly start making decisions as to the type of morality and belief system they hold dear. Will you play as a kind, all-round do-gooder? Or perhaps you’re out to make some coin? Another option, the Dark Urge is an entirely different choice in the character creator that will allow you to give in to your dark side and play full evil, or perhaps you will try to fight against your nature.
Right off the bat, before you’ve stepped into the world, you discover that one playthrough will not give you a full picture of what the developers at Larian have made.
Story & Lore
The story of Baldur’s Gate 3 is told in three distinct acts, and there’s a lot of story within them. From what I’ve learned, there’s a lot of cut content as well, meaning the game could’ve been even bigger. Offhand, I think I clocked in around 180 hrs, and I didn’t do everything, while The Sis was over 200. Yeah, it’s that kind of game.
You, the protagonist, along with so many others in the world, have been infected by a parasite. And not just any parasite, an Illithid or Mind Flayer tadpole. The tadpole is used as a means of reproduction, for the parasite will transform the host into a Mind Flayer, a tentacled humanoid creature that consumes brains.
They are considered a great evil, a hive mind subservient to an Elder Brain that controls all Mind Flayers linked to it. They’ve wiped out and enslaved civilizations.
Not wanting to change, you find others that were infected and band together in an effort to remove the parasite and avoid the transformation. Henceforth your journey begins. This is just the tip of the story iceberg. There are different people to save, hags to fight, places to visit, camps to destroy, an entire land to liberate, and so much more…or not. You are given a lot of choices to bend the world to your will.
Companions
These are among some of the most interesting people I have ever tried to save the world with. I adore (almost) all of them. They come from varied backgrounds, with unique perspectives, their own agendas, and wonderful character arcs (plural because there are so many choices to be made). In order of the picture above, there is Karlach, who despite being betrayed and having to fight for survival for many years, is a cinnamon roll and a loyal friend. Then there’s Astarion, who is among one of my favorite characters ever invented. He has a tortured background, but depending on your treatment of him can be changed in a number of ways.
Shadowheart also has a dark past and is a devoted cleric in service to her goddess, but with a change in perspective can be swayed to thinking about life differently. Gale is a wizard who once had the love of the goddess of magic, herself. After a magical mishap, he has spent time alone, so he’s adorkably awkward, but well meaning, if a bit haughty.
Lae’zel is from a warrior race that eons ago rose up against the Mind Flayers. She is a hard-edged character that can become one of your closest allies. Wyll is a do-gooder type. He has made tough decisions to save people and suffered great consequences because of it. Although he’s absolutely the type of character I would normally adore, for some reason, I can’t get behind him or truly care about his cause. Sorry, Wyll.
There are a handful of other companions you can recruit along the way, some by the nature of your choices, such as Halsin, Jaheira, Minsc, and Minthara. Some of your choices may also lead to some of your party members leaving your company permanently, which will give you an entirely different playthrough as their dialogue, story arcs and quests will no longer be available.
Romance
Within moments of meeting Astarion, I was immediately drawn to him. I mean, look at him. His voice actor, Neil Newbon is extraordinary, and he’s just such fun character that there was no way I wasn’t going to romance him. And I started, although it took some persuasion on my character’s part because she’s a goody goody, and he’s sort of turned off by that, initially.
And then I met Gale. Oh, Gale. Eventually, I had to make a choice. I couldn’t keep them both, sadly. Because of the type of character I was playing, Gale made more sense for her. His voice actor, Tim Downie, is magical (pun intended) as well. His voice is rich and soothing, and often times reassuring.
Peri, on the other hand, is going to make that sultry man love her!
The writers did a wonderful job creating these romances. There is a great deal of dialogue, there are tons of cut scenes, and there are choices you don’t expect to have to or get to make over the course of the game’s timeline.
The romances do not have restrictions based on sex or race. You can romance any of the origin characters. There are also opportunities for “encounters” with other characters along the way. It’s a fully realized world, sometimes with interesting, surprising, and NSFW details.
Other Characters
This is a bit of a spoilery section, and I don’t want to do that to you, should you decide to play, but needless to say, there are some well written, superbly acted, interesting side characters you’ll meet along the way, like Aylin, Isobel, and Orin, just to name a few.
Soundtrack
As with film, video game music sets the tone, it sometimes warns you of danger, or enhances the romance. Music is a big part of the experience, and composer Borislav Slavov has created some truly beautiful and inspiring pieces with this soundtrack. In an Act I side quest, you encounter harpies singing a luring song. I hummed that tune for days afterward. After meeting the bard, Alfira, she sang an original tune that I couldn’t get out of my head for weeks. The Sis, after hours of replay, brought the song, The Power to the top of her most played songs of the year within a few short months. And then there’s Raphael’s Final Act. It’s stellar. The album has 43 songs, some of which are alternate versions of others, and there are so many standouts. In addition to the above, there’s Twisted Force, Bard Dance, Down By the River, and I Want to Live.
Give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed.
Graphics
It’s a beautiful game. What else needs to be said? The world is richly designed. There’s so much detail every where you look, and not just in the environment, but also in the fabrics, the armor, the spell casting. If your character has a blessing, you may glow with an aura, or should you find yourself encumbered, you’re surrounded in a red glow. While it’s not completely open world, there’s a great deal to look at, explore, and discover, and you’ll wonder at how the game doesn’t crash.
Mechanics
Whatever you want to do in this world, you can pretty much do it. Want to talk to every NPC? Almost every single character in the game is available to interact with, and pretty much every single one of them has a unique name. Want to open a crate to check for loot? You can open all the crates and all the jars. Want to take a painting off the wall? Go ahead. Want to open every door, jump (nearly) everywhere, steal any and all things within grabbing distance? Sure, why not. Want to talk to the animals, shape shift, pass through dimensions? There are potions and spells for that. Want to push things over cliffs, put boxes in boxes, sneak attack or try to talk your way out of a fight. Give it a go.
D&D is reliant on the roll of the dice. You may have heard of a Natural 20 which is awesome, or if you roll a 1 you’re doomed, and this system leads to a number of outcomes. You use the dice to persuade or deceive, pass intelligence or knowledge checks. The game mechanics are unlike most other games I’ve played, and should a certain outcome ruin your chances at plot point, the developers created a contingency for the major ones. You’ll get a second chance, which is just genius.
Okay. This is a long enough ramble as to why the game is amazing, the con post will be much shorter because there’s really not much to say.
Happy Gaming!
I am so thankful for having such generous friends, like “D”, who let me borrow his XBox One in order to complete the Dragon Age Inquisition story line.
The first DLC is Jaws of Hakkon, a new region to explore in the Frostback Basin. There are a number of missions to complete while you search for the remains of the last Inquisitor, who is believed to have died in the area hundreds of years ago. You will learn a great deal of history during this time with tales of the Avvars, the creation of the Seekers, and the previous Inquisitor and his political ties, lineage, and reasons for being in such a remote location. The map is a bit confusing, as it is a place of peaks and valleys, so travelling from one location to another sometimes takes a little effort finding that one path.
DLC number two is The Descent which takes place in the Deep Roads. If you’ve played the previous two games, you’re probably like me and sort of huff at the thought of traipsing through the Deep Roads yet again, just as the Wardens must. Wink wink. Those blasted darkspawn! And there are just. so. many and it is difficult. Even at my high rank, I had to drop down from hard to normal in some areas because the enemies were just relentless and never ending. I’m having nightmarish flashbacks just typing that.
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