General Gaming Baldur's Gate III - Information Thread, update: Larian doesn't plan to release DLC/expansions for BGIII nor develop BGIV

[legend]

41 minutes ago, Paperclyp said:

I don’t disagree. When it comes to review aggregation though, I guess what I mean is that like Super Mario World, or let’s say a more recent game I guess like, I dunno, Mass Effect 2, are not reviewed in a context of “games will get better over time, so I have to factor that into this score.” If that makes sense. So while I agree with Xbob as well in that if you give 1,000 fandoms folks breath of the wild and a link to the past, I suppose most will say BOTW is amazing and not only is LTTP not as good it is actually a waste of their time; I think we just live in a time where we need to proclaim something one of the best ever or barely worth your time. 
 

So perhaps recency bias isn’t the right term. You see it in sports too. Every player is one of the best who has ever played or is trash. 

 

You're right, they're not reviewed that way. But I do think that because we continue to smooth rough edges in games, it makes it easier for someone to find fault in an older game even if it was great. And if it's easier for someone to find fault, it's harder to top the aggregate ratings since the more people that find faults the lower the aggregate. At some point I think we'll saturate on that regard, but I don't think we're there yet.

[Air_Delivery]

In a storytelling and world building sense. It was the first Zelda that had more than just a shell of a story. The first NES Zelda is really where everything stems from. ALttP just takes everything great about the first NES Zelda and brings the puzzles, worldbuilding, graphics and pretty much everything to the next level. 

[Paperclyp]

10 minutes ago, legend said:

 

You're right, they're not reviewed that way. But I do think that because we continue to smooth rough edges in games, it makes it easier for someone to find fault in an older game even if it was great. And if it's easier for someone to find fault, it's harder to top the ratings since the more people that find faults the lower the aggregate. At some point I think we'll saturate on that regard, but I don't think we're there yet.

Do a lot of these older games get reviewed today? I don't really know how these sites work I guess may be part of the problem. 

[legend]

26 minutes ago, Paperclyp said:

Do a lot of these older games get reviewed today? I don't really know how these sites work I guess may be part of the problem. 

 

I think reviews can be added from venues for older game and sometimes work there way into to the aggregate, but largely it's the reviews at the time it was released.

[Paperclyp]

14 minutes ago, legend said:

 

I think reviews can be added from venues for older game and sometimes work there way into to the aggregate, but largely it's the reviews at the time it was released.

So to me that’s weird then - that most games’ reviews are from time of release - cuz I just don’t think we’re good at contextualizing quality beyond time and place. Though maybe part of it is we (perhaps rightly) didn’t make it as big a deal as we did now, like a game’s “score” or rank overall. It was just more of a reference or way to assist someone’s purchasing decision. 
 

I was listening to old giant bomb pods and they explain their 5 star system and why they think it’s the right way to go, and as time goes on I tend to agree with them. 
 

Regardless, I shouldn’t derail this topic any further. BG3 is incredible and as I mentioned before absolutely could be a top 5 game ever for me, maybe higher. 

[Xbob42]

To be clear, I have never once in my life understood giving media products numbered scores and am virtually incapable of coming up with a "top X" list because I can barely comprehend what that even means. You wanna talk apples to oranges, how the fuck am I supposed to choose whether Mass Effect 2 or Silent Hill 4 goes into the number 17 slot.

I can say my favorite game of all time has been Chrono Trigger for a long, long time, and that Resident Evil has probably snuck its way into being my favorite series overall, but trying to rank them is like gibberish to me. I get that some people find it fun but people taking shit like Meta or Opencritic seriously confounds me.

[legend]

2 hours ago, Xbob42 said:

To be clear, I have never once in my life understood giving media products numbered scores and am virtually incapable of coming up with a "top X" list because I can barely comprehend what that even means. You wanna talk apples to oranges, how the fuck am I supposed to choose whether Mass Effect 2 or Silent Hill 4 goes into the number 17 slot.

I can say my favorite game of all time has been Chrono Trigger for a long, long time, and that Resident Evil has probably snuck its way into being my favorite series overall, but trying to rank them is like gibberish to me. I get that some people find it fun but people taking shit like Meta or Opencritic seriously confounds me.

 

I think it's important to bear in mind that a game topping the aggregate ratings doesn't mean it's the best game ever made, it means... well, that it's the most highly rated game on aggregate! But a game can reach that position without actually being any reviewer's favorite game. Aggregation sites are all subject to the complexities of voting theory which is riddled with weird counter intuitive properties. So while topping the aggregate ratings is impressive, I do think it's important to remember precisely what that measure is and isn't  

[legend]

2 hours ago, Paperclyp said:

So to me that’s weird then - that most games’ reviews are from time of release - cuz I just don’t think we’re good at contextualizing quality beyond time and place. Though maybe part of it is we (perhaps rightly) didn’t make it as big a deal as we did now, like a game’s “score” or rank overall. It was just more of a reference or way to assist someone’s purchasing decision. 
 

I was listening to old giant bomb pods and they explain their 5 star system and why they think it’s the right way to go, and as time goes on I tend to agree with them. 
 

Regardless, I shouldn’t derail this topic any further. BG3 is incredible and as I mentioned before absolutely could be a top 5 game ever for me, maybe higher. 

 

Well, what I'm saying is it doesn't matter if we do or don't. You don't need to actively think contextually about the timeline and how standards may change to be affected by the current state of affairs. Games being less polished at any given point and time means the unpolished parts are probably going to be something the drives some person nuts. And the more unpolished it is, the more chances that some people will find issue with those things thus lowering the aggregate rating.

 

We even see that with BG3 now. For example, there is a good case to made that it just doesn't introduce players to the rules and world well enough. This is something that's going to be a breaking issue for some people even if most people can get over it and that will pull the ratings down.

 

But increasingly, we are seeing better methods in games to handle this kind of thing. FFXVI has the pause and word highlights. The Pillars games did something similar. As time goes on, that kind of thing and the right way to do it may become better and future games may not fail in this regard.

 

We can also see this happening in hindsight. While BG3 has these issues the original BG and BG2 were *so much worse* in their interface. These problems absolutely turned some people off from the originals games at the time, but while BG3 still suffers from this, it's light years better and will turn fewer people off from the game as a consequence, thus resulting in higher aggregate scores.

[Xbob42]

20 minutes ago, legend said:

 

I think it's important to bear in mind that a game topping the aggregate ratings doesn't mean it's the best game ever made, it means... well, that it's the most highly rated game on aggregate! But a game can reach that position without actually being any reviewer's favorite game. Aggregation sites are all subject to the complexities of voting theory which is riddled with weird counter intuitive properties. So while topping the aggregate ratings is impressive, I do think it's important to remember precisely what that measure is and isn't  

Oh I get it -- I don't mean the websites themselves, I mean the people who take the rankings of these sites extremely seriously. I also get that there's always weirdos like that out there, but it seems almost semi-commonly accepted among gamers for there to be a few people hanging around who just really care about metacritic rankings.

[Paperclyp]

28 minutes ago, legend said:

 

Well, what I'm saying is it doesn't matter if we do or don't. You don't need to actively think contextually about the timeline and how standards may change to be affected by the current state of affairs. Games being less polished at any given point and time means the unpolished parts are probably going to be something the drives some person nuts. And the more unpolished it is, the more chances that some people will find issue with those things thus lowering the aggregate rating.

 

We even see that with BG3 now. For example, there is a good case to made that it just doesn't introduce players to the rules and world well enough. This is something that's going to be a breaking issue for some people even if most people can get over it and that will pull the ratings down.

 

But increasingly, we are seeing better methods in games to handle this kind of thing. FFXVI has the pause and word highlights. The Pillars games did something similar. As time goes on, that kind of thing and the right way to do it may become better and future games may not fail in this regard.

 

We can also see this happening in hindsight. While BG3 has these issues the original BG and BG2 were *so much worse* in their interface. These problems absolutely turned some people off from the originals games at the time, but while BG3 still suffers from this, it's light years better and will turn fewer people off from the game as a consequence, thus resulting in higher aggregate scores.

I agree for the most part. Especially when it comes to 3D systems heavy / more complex games. 

[Bacon]

24 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

but it seems almost semi-commonly accepted among gamers for there to be a few people hanging around who just really care about metacritic rankings.

I care when it's for dunking on a popular game I don't like

 

[Bacon]

 

[Bacon]

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[Air_Delivery]

4 hours ago, Bacon said:

I swear I've rolled at least 20 nat 1s and a 1 nat 20 since I've been playing it. 

[Bacon]

I was just sneaking and my PC said, "Maybe I should stay crouched forever" and it was so unexpected I busted out laughing.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

The first Baldur’s Gate 3 patch promises ‘1,000+ fixes and tweaks’ | VGC

WWW.VIDEOGAMESCHRONICLE.COM

---

Larian “very enthused” by player feedback to the game…

 

Quote

We're all very enthused by your feedback. It's very rewarding. Our focus now is fixing any issues you report, but we are listening to suggestions. Current roadmap: a) Hotfix 4, b) Patch 1 (+1000 fixes and tweaks), c) Patch 2. The latter will already incorporate some requests.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

For those interested, this D&D tabletop campaign acts as a "prologue" to the events of the game:

 

Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

[Bacon]

I DID

NOT ONE TIEFLING DEATH

Spoiler

 

Large-ish post on how I did this.

Spoiler

Spoiler

So, I got a quest called Kill Kagha. Don't have to ask me twice. I did it once already but over half of all the tieflings died, so I had to come up with a plan. I had to think outside of my own box. So I took a shit and got to thinking. I memorized all of the Death Zones. There was one area where I need to have one member to ensure there were no deaths and that was by the one merchant at the start of the grove. I placed Karlach there.

 

I then built a wall of crates and chests in front of the sanctuary, it wasn't this god barrier but it did funnel people into cloud of daggers. I placed Shart and Gale at the top of the stairs, near my character. I placed silence on top of the wall so they had to go thru it.

 

I took my character into the area with Kagha and entered turn-based mode for my entire party, I didn't the rest of the grove would be moving in real-time. And then I saved.

 

First I did lacerate with my character. The Cutscene happened and I switched to Shart in the middle of it. I was then surprised when 3 bears just spawned over the wall I made. That's some bullshit, but I switched to Gale and cast Cloud of Daggers. I then switched to Karlach as the merchant would be turning hostile due to an incoming group of tieflings. I made quick work of the merchant and this is where the interesting part takes place, Kar doesn't stay in combat since these are all 3 different combat instances. I then went all the way around, down the lift and snuck up behind the druids, and got a free hit in. Karlach was now in the main battle. With Shart, I summoned a Spirit Weapon, an axe thinking it would have cleave, it didn't but I sent it towards the bears in the cloud of daggers. A polar bear had made it thru and I used an upcasted Narcotic strike on it for 31 damage, instantly deleting the polar bear wild shape.

 

I switched back to my character who had taken a hit while I wasn't looking. I Frenzied, attacked, and summoned some ogres. We made short work of Kagha and her lackey. I tricked the ogres that I'd pay them 1k next summon. I won't be doing that LOL. I then repeated what I did with Karlach with my character. We made quick work of the rest of the druids. Two noteworthy parts of that were just using Gale's magic missiles to kill the druid who could turn into a polar bear, and having my character throw a void bulb into the cloud of daggers instantly killing 3 enemies.

 

ALL DRUIDS ARE DEAD

ALL THE TIEFLINGS LIVE

 

 

 

Man, this game is great.

[Air_Delivery]

 

 

I'll admit I didn't buy Diablo 4 because of microtransactions. I'm at the point where I'm just playing less games because of the predatory practices of current gaming. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

 

@Bacon 

[Bacon]

4 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

 

@Bacon 

The best druid build is a coffin. 

[legend]

So, PC Gamer liked it...

Baldur's Gate 3 review | PC Gamer

WWW.PCGAMER.COM

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The new pinnacle of the genre.

 

 

Quote

After spending 160 hours unravelling conspiracies, setting fire to monsters and finding increasingly fancy hats for my Bard, I can now confidently say that Baldur's Gate 3 is the greatest RPG I've ever played. If I wasn't writing this review, I'd be rolling a brand new character and jumping in for another hundred hours. I've got it bad. 

 

 

It's also the highest score they've given a game in 16 years.

[Best]

30 minutes ago, legend said:

So, PC Gamer liked it...

Baldur's Gate 3 review | PC Gamer

WWW.PCGAMER.COM

---

The new pinnacle of the genre.

 

 

 

 

It's also the highest score they've given a game in 16 years.

 

@Xbob42 legend is interested in a review! 

[Bacon]

One of my biggest complaints about BG3 is how beneficial it is to take the pacifistic route in dialogue, but then enter turn-based moded and kill them all anyway. I wish they had made it so you didn't get EXP from situations like that. I get that it is more of a me problem, but it is also a gamer problem that if devs don't prevent it, the players will do it. I will always power game like that because I just can't help myself. It's like when people say "Oh well just don't level up in Elden Ring if you are getting over-leveled." Like, uh, no.

 

That is literally why I rerolled to Durge Barbarian in the first place. It just ended up making far more sense.

 

And that's not the only issue. I talked an enemy into killing itself. It did and I got 20exp. But it was obvious that I got exp from the quest, not the kill. Reloaded and I got an extra bonus 75 exp for killing it normally.

 

BG3 is not the first or last game to have this issue (BioWare/Bethesda games), but I still don't like it. Devs are right that players will optimize the fun out of stuff. I never doubted them. I want them to prevent that for my own enjoyment.

[Xbob42]

42 minutes ago, Bacon said:

but it is also a gamer problem that if devs don't prevent it, the players will do it.

I mean, it's *some* gamer's problem, and I don't see how that's my fuckin' problem. 

[Bacon]

Just now, Xbob42 said:

I mean, it's *some* gamer's problem, and I don't see how that's my fuckin' problem. 

You are a real gamer if you aren't power gaming every little aspect until all joy has left your life.

[Xbob42]

Min-maxing the new MMO based on an alpha test I nolifed 24/7 so I can hit level cap on launch day and bitch about no content. 

[Bacon]

1 minute ago, Xbob42 said:

Min-maxing the new MMO based on an alpha test I nolifed 24/7 so I can hit level cap on launch day and bitch about no content. 

BASED

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Might as well post the OpenCritic scores now that there 50 reviews.

 

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 96 average - 100% recommended

Critic Reviews

Spoiler

3DNews - Мила Пономарева - Russian - 10 / 10

Baldur's Gate 3 is an RPG apotheosis with a great and complex story, amazingly deep character development, and captivating tactic battles. This game is for the ages!

Attack of the Fanboy - Noah Nelson - 5 / 5

I absolutely love Baldur's Gate 3. It's a defining RPG that masterfully blends all that's brilliant about D&D into an equally convenient and engaging video game best suited for four wide-eyed adventurers.

Capsule Computers - Travis Bruno - 10 / 10

Baldur’s Gate III is a rare masterpiece of an RPG with an engrossing storyline, stellar character interaction, and level of choice that makes it a must play for anyone interested in the genre.

Digital Chumps - Ben Sheene - 10 / 10

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a watershed moment for RPGs and gaming. It represents one of the closest approximations of true freedom, creativity, and player choice available, evolving concepts and mechanics that have been tinkered with for decades. Using Dungeons & Dragons as its catalyst, Larian has honored the past and forged a new future for a genre that has allowed increased agency for players to put their thoughts, feelings, hopes, and wants inside of a digital realm and live. Like every other player, my experience with Baldur’s Gate 3 is significantly anecdotal, ripe with unique stories about what happened to me that would take hours to share. But why listen to me when you can become lost in one of the most richly beautiful worlds ever created and make up your own tale?

Entertainment Geekly - Luis Alvaro - 5 / 5

Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t just a return; it’s a renaissance of the RPG genre. Through intricate design, storytelling par excellence, and honoring the legacy of D&D, the game establishes itself as a titan in the gaming arena.

GameCrate - Derek Swinhart - 10 / 10

BG3 is a highwater mark for choice-driven RPGs and the new standard to which basically every other major RPG will be compared. I feel bad for Starfield at this point and for game developers in general. Larian Studios has set the bar incredibly high. Still, I hope other publishers will see it as an example to let developers have time and creative freedom to make incredible games without all the bloated live service and microtransaction bullshit. Also, you can play this game in four-player online co-op or even split-screen locally on a single PC, and in this day and age, that may be one of the most impressive features in BG3. If you love RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play this game.

GameLuster - Nima Dabirian - 10 / 10

Baldur's Gate 3 is a game of epic proportions, and despite its scope it surpasses the expectations. With impressive visuals, memorable performances, and a dynamic world and engaging story, Baldur's Gate 3 is a game to be remembered for years.

Gamers Heroes - Blaine Smith - 100 / 100

Baldur’s Gate 3 is nothing short of a masterpiece. The story is incredible, the world gorgeous and immersive, voice-over and writing of the highest quality, an amazing soundtrack, everything comes together in near perfect harmony. It’s not only the best RPG of the year, it’s the RPG of a generation.

GamesCreed - Daman Shelley - 5 / 5

Baldur’s Gate 3 was well worth the wait. The game truly captures the beauty and insanity of DnD and mixes it perfectly with the gameplay we have come to expect from the series. If you’ve played the first two games, then playing Baldur’s Gate 3 will feel like you’re seeing an old friend, one that has grown greater and better… and slightly more sexually inclined. Baldur’s Gate 3 is very much worth your time.

GamesHub - Leah Williams - 5 / 5

It’s pure magic to bring up a quest line or character, and realise that you, and you alone, have stumbled onto their path by chance. It’s magic to realise just how far the game’s plot can stretch, and how it can account for even the smallest choices made along your path. In the same way Dungeons & Dragons allows you to live out a self-guided fantasy, Larian Studios has managed to capture and bottle a slice of that magic, in rare video game form.

GamesRadar+ - Ali Jones - 5 / 5

Baldur's Gate 3 is the most successful and authentic take on D&D in the tabletop franchise's 50-year history. Its complexity and size might be daunting for novices, but the breadth and depth of Baldur's Gate 3's world make this a once-in-a-generation achievement.

GamingBolt - Ravi Sinha - 10 / 10

Like Divinity: Original Sin 2, Baldur's Gate 3 redefines what a role-playing game can offer in character-building, combat, story-telling and choice. It's a compelling experience that simply shouldn't be missed.

GamingTrend - Ron Burke, David Flynn - 100 / 100

Baldur's Gate 3 is an impossibly good RPG made with a great deal of passion and skill. While there are some last minute issues to iron out, Larian Studios has delivered an adventure beyond our wildest imaginations.

Guardian - Nic Reuben - 5 / 5

Expanding on the basic role playing structure with seemingly limitless reactivity and options, this game is so varied you'd swear it was sentient

Hardcore Gamer - Chris Shive - 5 / 5

Baldur's Gate III had extremely high expectations set for it and has exceeded them.

IGN Spain - Guillermo Proupín - Spanish - 10 / 10

With Baldur's Gate III Larian Studios redefines the meaning of open world and creates a masterpiece that elevates the classic RPG to a new level that will take years to surpass.

Prima Games - Aidan O'Brien - 10 / 10

With a firm grip on GOTY, and a valid consideration for the best RPG of all time, Baldur's Gate 3 excels at every turn and enthralls with every twist.

RPG Site - Quinton O'Connor - 10 / 10

It’s almost ridiculous, then, what’s been achieved here. Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t without its technical wrinkles, but it’s a full-fledged, fully fleshed-out, absolutely massive title with lofty production values across the board. That Larian Studios has intentionally willed something like this into the world at a time when AAA projects in this vein are so scarce only helps it shine, and serves as a fine reminder that the genre doesn’t need to transform, no matter what some publishers may believe - it just needs to adapt, to evolve, and to boldly present a compelling and cohesive vision all its own. And be thought-provoking. And have witty banter. And look really pretty. And let us get told off by territorial squirrels.

Try Hard Guides - Erik Hodges - 10 / 10

Baldur’s Gate 3 easily cements itself as a titan of the roleplaying genre. With incredibly faithful recreations of D&D’s game system and lore, BG3 easily serves as a substitute to Dungeons & Dragons than can be played alone or with friends. If you’ve never played D&D, you’re in for a surprise as you learn just how much freedom and player expression is built into Baldur’s Gate 3’s truly unique experience.

eXputer - Huzaifah Durrani - 5 / 5

Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the greatest RPGs of all time, and a testament to the talent of developer Larian Studios.

INVEN - Suhyung Jung - Korean - 9.8 / 10

It's basically a game that recalls the real joy of RPG that people forgot. In Baldur's Gate3, you can do pretty much everything as much as however you like. At the end of the game, the only thing left there was simply a gratitude to Larian Studios for making this exceptional journey.

GameSpace - Catherine Daro - 9.7 / 10

Recent cRPG releases have revitalized the genre and proven that a great single-player game can gather a huge passionate playerbase, no microtransactions or live service elements needed. If you enjoy narrative-driven RPGs that feature deep roleplaying systems and a cast of great characters, you owe it to yourself to give Baldur’s Gate 3 a chance. I have not felt such a rush of emotions since Dragon Age: Origins.

PC Gamer - Fraser Brown - 97 / 100

Baldur's Gate 3 is an unrivalled RPG that will swallow your life whole.

Gamersky - Chinese - 9.6 / 10

It's hard to imagine how much effort and passion Larian Studios put into Baldur's Gate 3 to create such a groundbreaking masterpiece. As the first sequel in two decades, it successfully continues the legendary story of Baldur's Gate. With exceptional freedom and intricate combat mechanics, it opens up the possibility for more people to enjoy the unique appeal of DND. It overshadowed all the games I've played this year and gave me a CRPG experience like no other.

Hobby Consolas - Alberto Lloret - Spanish - 96 / 100

Baldur's Gate 3 is an outstanding role-playing game, both playable and technical (still with areas to be polished via patch), one that, in addition, is called to become one of the references of the genre by taking some ideas, such as the election system and its reactive world, to a level that others do not even dream of.

But Why Tho? - Adrian Ruiz - 9.5 / 10

Baldur’s Gate 3 deserves the title of Game of the Year, plain and simple. Having sunk around 100 hours into the game since its launch, and with the city of Baldur’s Gate still a distant sight, it’s a challenge to tear myself away from the captivating narrative I’ve woven. Both my impressions from the early access phase and my time with the full release have remained consistent: the game is a masterpiece.

Game Informer - Josh Broadwell - 9.5 / 10

Baldur’s Gate 3 is unforgettable and one of the best experiences I’ve had in games. I may have just finished my lengthy first playthrough, but I’m already eager to delve further and push the boundaries of what’s possible in this exceptional world that Larian created.

NoobFeed - Jay Claassen - 95 / 100

Baldur’s Gate 3 is the long-awaited masterpiece we all need. It might not have all the mechanics from Dungeons & Dragons, but it does have enough for even a newcomer to start getting into it while getting an intensely rich story to experience as well. With its epic character customization, dialogues, and vast world, this is definitely the type of game you’d get lost in for hours on end. Aside from the unfortunate downside to going multiplayer, this game is still best experienced with friends, provided you get along well enough. Or not, the chaos is still great.

Wccftech - Francesco De Meo - 9.5 / 10

With its engaging story, charming characters, extremely dynamic world that constantly reacts and adapts to the player's actions and choice and a solid tactical combat system, Baldur's Gate 3 is among the best cRPGs ever released. A wonky interface, the lack of some quality-of-life features and Larian Studios' trademark save scumming design impact the experience, but they're only minor issues that don't away too much from the whole experience. After years in development, Baldur's Gate 3 definitely exceeded all expectations, and in the best possible way.

ZTGD - Terrence Johnson - 9.5 / 10

The team at Larian Studios are to be commended, Baldur’s Gate 3 is nothing short of a masterpiece when it comes to RPG’s.

Game Rant - Shane Robert Moyer - 4.5 / 5

Baldur’s Gate 3 is something special, though. Its complexity is intimidating, but sticking with it and learning has such a high reward threshold that it's hard to not recommend the sequel to even the most casual gamers out there. It has heart, it has style, and it has the multi-year effort of a studio that obviously loves its source material. The mind-blowing size of the game itself and everything contained within is a testament to Larian Studios' dedication to its craft and commitment to bringing something incredible to the gaming public. The blend of the various Dungeon & Dragons systems into the game is almost flawless in its execution, and the math and storytelling combo does a one-two punch on almost every other RPG game out there. High quality and astoundingly fun, Baldur’s Gate 3 may just become the kind of game that old and new fans can agree is something extraordinary.

Niche Gamer - Brandon Lyttle - 9 / 10

Ultimately, Baldur’s Gate 3 is virtually everything I’d want out of a tactical RPG. Like the Divinity series it ditched the live-combat in favor of more interactive tactical combat, it remains rooted firmly in the lore of Forgotten Realms, and it’s not afraid to be gritty with its depictions of violence, dark magic, and the brutality of life in the near lawless life of a fantasy adventurer.

PCGamesN - Paul Kelly - 9 / 10

Baldur's Gate 3's world is beautiful, layered, and complex, and challenges you to attack it how you want. The story is compelling, giving your decisions a weight rarely seen in games of this scope. It is a marvel, and easily one of the best RPGs ever made.

SVG - Sergio Solórzano - 9 / 10

While nothing matches the energy of sitting around the table with friends, "Baldur's Gate 3" delivers the depth and choice of "D&D" in a massive package.

Twisted Voxel - Ali Haider - 9 / 10

Baldur's Gate 3 is a remarkable RPG milestone. Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons 5e, it offers an engaging blend of turn-based combat, intricate storytelling, and top-notch visuals. The game caters to various players with its character customization, multiplayer options, and unique RNG mechanics. Its exploration, NPC relationships, moral decisions, and diverging paths add to the replay value.

We Got This Covered - Ash Martinez - 4.5 / 5

An excellent follow-up to its decades-old predecessor, 'Baldur's Gate III' sets a new gold standard for RPGs in the modern age. Though it has its fair share of buggy problems, the vibrant world, intriguing storytelling, and captivating gameplay more than make up for its shortcomings.

Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 9 / 10

Baldur's Gate III is everything an RPG adventure should be. It's appropriately epic while also spending time with the small moments. It allows you to feel powerful while also rewarding you for being clever and avoiding trouble. It offers the class fantasy of everything from a stalwart paladin to a hellish abomination, from fast-talking trickster to rage-filled barbarian. It has its quirks and flaws, but they usually add welcome texture to the game. Perhaps most importantly of all, it captures the feeling of sitting down and playing through a D&D adventure with some friends.

EIP Gaming - Passion - 8 / 10

Larian Studios has truly managed to strike gold with Baldur's Gate, managing to satisfy old trends and innovate with new ones. Baldur's Gate 3 may be the RPG with the most player freedom available on the market today, but all that choice does come at a cost.

Eurogamer - Ruth Cassidy - 4 / 5

With excellent stagecraft and meticulous detail, Baldur's Gate 3 conjures the illusion of perfect freedom - and then it disappears.

ACG - Jeremy Penter - Unscored

Video Review - Quote not available

Checkpoint Gaming - Edie W-K - Unscored

Although my time with the game hasn’t been enough to yet form a full critique, I can already tell that Baldur’s Gate 3 is a very impressive feather in Larian Studio’s cap.

GGRecon - Ava Thompson-Powell - Unscored

Larian Studios is on a heck of a hot streak, and Baldur’s Gate 3’s early signs suggest it could be the studio’s biggest success to date. With rich lore and ample customisation for how you approach the world alongside gorgeous visuals, it’s shaping up to be a title that I’ll remember for a long time - and I’m only in Act 1.

God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - Unscored

And yet what I’ve played so far has me utterly enraptured. Now I’ve spent time learning to fight by the game’s rules, learning that if I want to succeed I have to read everything, study every spell, understand the intricacies of the dice rolls both shown and hidden, I am beginning to understand what the game wants from me. It’s gargantuan, intricate, complex and utterly unwilling to treat anyone softly and Larian don’t seem overly worried that this may put people off. Time will tell if it does, but for now I’m both stunned and awed by the potential here, and I’m happy to be intimidated by the adventure that lies before me.

IGN - Leana Hafer - Unscored

On the whole, I really am loving Baldur's Gate 3 so far.

Kotaku - Kenneth Shepard - Unscored

I can try a new playthrough and build things back up and game the system to get the “better” outcome where the dice roll in my favor every time. But there’s something kind of beautiful in a messy playthrough that you can’t experience more than once as each permutation becomes more apparent with each replay. For now, this imperfect outcome is mine, and I want to maintain that memory of my Baldur’s Gate 3 story. At least for a little while longer.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - Unscored

It’ll be a close run thing, and we also haven’t decided whether Badlur’s Gate is deserving of a 10/10 score, but the fact that it’s even a question should give you an indication of just how good this game is.

PC Invasion - Anyka Pettigrew - Unscored

Overall, this review in progress has a long way to go, but I can say for certain right now that fans will be playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for years to come. I’m having a blast with every session, and have found minimal glitches and problems. I blame myself for any glitch I find, since I didn’t realize I should’ve deleted my old Early Access saves due to conflicts. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to share more of my thoughts soon.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Alice Bell - RPS Bestest Bests

Larian's RPG is an incredible world to get lost in, and though it may take you 100 hours, you will want to play again. It's the best Dungeons & Dragons game anyone has made, and probably will ever make. Unless there's a sequel in another 20 years.

Screen Rant - Cody Gravelle - Unscored

Baldur's Gate 3 is imposing in stature and its best moments are truly memorable, but some early issues with scale suggest an uneven experience.

gameranx - Unscored

Video Review - Quote not available

 

[Air_Delivery]

So my last couple hours of saves are now incompatable with the new hotfix? Thats pretty crap.

[Bacon]

16 minutes ago, Air_Delivery said:

So my last couple hours of saves are now incompatable with the new hotfix? Thats pretty crap.

Quote

NOTICE:

 Due to a build error causing new crashes, we’ve rolled back Hotfix 4 for the time being. We'll re-release it as soon as we’ve fixed the cause.

If you’ve saved since updating, you won’t be able to load those saves until we’ve re-published Hotfix 4. You can keep playing on your Hotfix 3 saves, you just won't be able to load saves from today’s Hotfix 4 until it’s pushed live again. Sorry about the inconvenience

 

[Kal-El814]

One of the funny things about this game is that your appearance and your stats are completely unrelated. I’m a male Drow Bard with the “big” appearance so I look absolutely yoked. But I have strength 8 so I routinely heed other characters to carry my shit or lift heavy objects. Also because I’m enormous my hand crossbow looks so so tiny. It’s great. 

[legend]

They expect the hot fix issue that's resulting in incompatible saves to be fixed by end of day EU (so a few hours? Depends on what end of day means to them!). This is really problematic for me as someone who's been playing it every evening and now has the morning off  

[Commissar SFLUFAN]