Baldur’s Gate 3 is a grand adventure, personal and epic. review

Played on PC

Since the release in Early Access (which my colleague Denis Shchennikov told about), it was clear that an excellent project is being prepared within the walls of Larian Studios, with a deep role-playing system, a detailed world, an intriguing story, etc. well-developed characters. And here we have a really excellent role-playing adventure, created according to all the rules of the genre … in fact, not quite so. There’s something about Baldur’s Gate 3 that takes it far beyond being a mere quality game, not even making it great, but a reference project that ten or even twenty years later will be remembered as a pillar of the genre, a happy place to be. as a favorite adventure, like a black hole mercilessly sucking up all your free time… and we weren’t against it. What a genre pillar – Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the greatest adventures in the history of the industry, comparable in emotional involvement and depth to Dragon Age: Origins, Disco Elysium or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. And the beginning of this adventure, as expected, begins with the creation of a character…

Only half an hour of hair and make-up selection and you can finally decide on a course

Adventure for everyone

What kind of character editors we haven’t seen yet – from simple designers reminiscent of cloning machines to complex systems where character creation is almost the most important part, which will take a couple of hours. And even at this stage, Baldur’s Gate 3 demonstrates exceptional flexibility and a desire to provide the most enjoyable gaming experience for everyone, without exception.

For newcomers to the genre or those who don’t really like tinkering with dozens of locations, one of the main characters like Shadowheart, Laezel, Asterion or Will will do. These heroes are interesting, detailed and, most importantly, they will fulfill almost any game requirement, with one exception – the desire to create a unique protagonist. And here at Baldur’s Gate 3 everything is at the highest level: connoisseurs of detailed customization will appreciate both the large number of classes, subclasses, starting Kantrips (basic skills), spells and properties, as well as the possibilities for individual design of the appearance of each case – from eyeliner, lipstick color, hairstyles and tattoos to physique and different types of genitals. And you can also go the third way and just trust the character generator – the characters in it turn out to be quite nice.

Interaction with companions is built very delicately, and in order to establish friendly or even romantic relationships, you need to try

Also in the narrative area, Baldur’s Gate 3 shows maximum loyalty to the players. The game skillfully and meticulously introduces us to the context of local events, without overloading with tons of information about the world or the characters, but giving only what is necessary to understand what is happening. All the richness of the scenario is revealed gradually, so there is always an opportunity to fully experience this or that important moment, without fear that something has been missed somewhere. However, nobody bothers to delve deep into the local mythology – thanks to the wealth of additional sources of knowledge such as books that appear here and there or, for example, optional dialogues with non-player characters.

Despite the loud and forceful introduction, Baldur’s Gate 3 shifted its focus from global events to personal clashes between heroes – both our companions and non-playable characters. Her motives and goals are always clear, mostly human and even somewhat down to earth. And that’s why almost all the characters will not leave you indifferent, because their aspirations are so close to us people on this side of the screen. Someone is trying to cope with the loss of a loved one, someone is trying to find themselves and their place in this world, someone is having a crisis of faith that is causing a rethink about life, and someone is just trying to be in a place to survive full of hate and prejudice. Such subtle personal study makes every story in this world vivid, rich, and memorable.

The band decided to take a break from adventure and make a cover for a music album

But the focus on the personal doesn’t detract from the superbly constructed global story arc, which has room for large-scale twists, ongoing intrigue, and scenario changes rather uncharacteristic of mass-produced projects. And most importantly, the entire storyline is fully linked to our actions, decisions, 12-pointers, and even successes on the tactical field.

personal way

The head whirls at the local embellishment and sophistication. Even the smallest-town situation can produce completely opposite, and sometimes totally unexpected, results. Which of course are more dependent on us and a little on the wayward D20. At almost every step there are dilemmas of varying degrees: from helping an old woman whose two children are stuck on a dusty road, to having our ship boarded by slave dwarves who are desperate to know where we got their colleagues’ swimming equipment from; From a bunch of orcs and goblins trapped in a barn to a madman’s bloodthirsty surgical experiments we unwittingly witness.

Are you trying to scare the pass? Why not!

There is no right way out of collision, but there is always choice and scope for roleplay. Whether you want to intimidate, deceive, use charm, or call on a function or specific knowledge of a class or race, do what you see fit for your character… or just what your heart desires. In a drinking game, use “Skill” to spill a dubious concoction on the floor unnoticed by your opponent – please; frighten a superior enemy with a dubious but confident argument—still; Or, in the same situation, use athletic dexterity to reduce the number of enemies with a deft jab – oh yes! The main thing is that luck doesn’t fail at the crucial moment… Although failing the dice trial can lead to unique consequences and another mesmerizing bike from the vastness of Baldur’s Gate 3.

However, it is at all possible Grab a gunin every incomprehensible situation, massacring at every turn – rude, morally dubious, exhausting, but also role-playing.

In addition, the tactical battles here are excellent. For the most part, of course, they’re consistent with the battles from the Divinity: Original Sin series, but they feel nicer, faster, and generally more polished. Again, there are just insane ways to combine the abilities of party members, an inordinate amount of abilities and spells, and of course, tons of ways to use the environment. Whether it’s pushing the enemy into the abyss, creating a puddle to electrify or freeze them later (and watching with malevolent glee as the enemies just don’t reach the goal), or simply blowing up any barrel that catches your eye falls…

The leprechaun’s hostile appearance suggests that there will be no peaceful solution. Or will it?

The opponents themselves are not averse to resorting to cunning tricks, and in principle they are quite clever, resourceful and will not let you relax for a second. And the conditions of the battles change so often that there is hardly time to catch your breath: there is a spectacular battle between two barges, a battle in conditions where enemies constantly arrive through portals, and a battle against a terrible witch who calls their copies into battle. There are literally no battles similar to each other in the game (at least I haven’t seen them, but I usually try to avoid battles), and therefore they don’t have time to tire them out, as is often the case in the tactical RPG genre . But they do something else: They provide a multitude of really bright game moments.

***

I would like to joke that Larian Studios has had critical success with their latest project. But Baldur’s Gate 3 can hardly be called the result of incredible luck – it is a natural result of the gigantic work of four hundred people who sincerely love the RPG genre, the D&D system and, of course, the players. The result: we have an amazingly complex game, with finely written characters, a branching and well-developed story, a deep tactical component, a minimum entry threshold (surprisingly, yes), and a simply breathtaking ability to fall in love with yourself without a trace.

Advantages:

• incredible depth of absolutely every aspect of the game;
• a compelling story, beautiful sub-plots and amazing character development;
• exciting tactical combat with scope for combat improvisation;
• grandiose variability and limitless possibilities for role-playing games.

Defects:

• Baldur’s Gate 3 will take up a lot (a lot!) of your free time.

Rating: 10/10

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