Platform: PC
Genre: Computer Role-Playing Game Based On Dungeons & Dragons

25 years ago, Bioware created one of the best computer role-playing game series based on the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe and module: Baldur’s Gate. It had you creating your own character with a wealth of options and class choices, had a gripping narrative and tons of side quests with equally fleshed-out tales, a lovely ensemble cast of party members and memorable villains, and real-time/turn-based gameplay that you can pause in and out of at any time. Also, the game’s aesthetics and soundtrack were peerless as far as fantasy RPGs of the Western kind go.

Fast forward to now, and we have Larian Studios of Divinity fame taking up the mantle to create a worthy follow-up to the RPG series. Thus, Baldur’s Gate 3 has graced our presence. While it had quite a head start in 2020 with its Early Access build -meaning tons of feedback plus fixes and changes- it is nonetheless indicative of Larian’s dedication to make this CRPG sequel just as immaculate as the last few games.

15 hours in, and it’s certainly looking that way.

Gate Crashing

Baldur’s Gate 3 starts you off as a random person (or any of the pre-made cast members like Shadowheart and The Dark Urge) being kidnapped by a flying ship filled with Cthulu-faced psionic-powered monsters called mindflayers, who somehow implanted a tadpole into your brain that could turn you into one of the mindflayers at any time. That ship gets invaded by dragons, and thus you managed to break free and plan your escape. After the initial tutorial and once you crash-landed, you now have one objective: remove the tadpole. The kicker? The tadpole somehow is giving you powers and is not turning you into a tentacle-faced mindflayer. Yet. The other kicker? You end up meeting other travelers who also have the same kind of tadpoles in their brains.

But hey: don’t let that life-threatening situation get in the way of your exploration of Faerun, a fantasy world filled with epic stories to uncover and monsters to kill. Right now, I’m given a major decision to either spare a druid’s grove run by an insane second-in-command (by rescuing their leader in a goblin camp) or just flat-out join the goblin army led by a militant drow obsessed with hunts. There’s no right answer as far as a multi-faceted CRPG like this game is concerned: you just have to survive the combat and live with the choices you make.

Combat is turn-based; depending on who rolled the better initiative value, you take turns doing your actions. You can only move around at set distances and attack/cast spells once. However, you can use non-combat abilities like Push or Hide as per the D&D tabletop rules. If you’re a stickler for the recent analog game’s ruleset, you’ll be pleased to know that Larian is using the latest version to determine combat values and outcomes behind the scenes. The game teaches you not only to use the environment to your advantage, but also be prepared for anything. Enemies could be positioned in higher ground, or maybe they can send some grunt to call for reinforcements by reaching the faraway portcullis.

The cool thing here is that you can approach combat in any way you want. Sneak into the fray early and stealth-kill the boss for a better advantage? Sure! Find an alternate route and get better positioning, turning on nearby traps to ambush the enemy group ahead? Go right ahead!

Throughout my 15 hours of play, I’ve been given many options to fight and better plan the outcome in my favour. As a bard leading a fighter, a cleric, and a rogue, we had long-ranged weapons at the ready as we snuck up a bannister atop a giant hallway to get the drop on a group of hobgoblins and their leader. And when they attempt to climb up, we just pushed them off to ensure their demise. In a normal situation, I would have been overwhelmed as I entered the doorway, but somehow I ended up helping the hobgoblin first with a dead mindflayer problem, then earning his trust. To which my party and I took advantage of since he and his other cronies are holding my objective hostage.

Future fights in later areas of Faerun (like the titular Baldur’s Gate) will definitely give you more varied areas to fight in and will make you plan better, though I suspect they will take quite a while to complete. This IS a turn-based game, remember? At least you can save mid-way.

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

Of course, nothing can prepare me for the game’s other results-determining factor in its narrative and heavy decisions: the dice roll. Larian has implemented the d20 system for all conversations and adventure situations. Whenever you’re attempting an action -be it a lie or fixing something- you roll the 20-sided dice to get a number to beat the challenge level presented. If your number is higher, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail: simple to understand, right? Different situations have different numbers: outsmarting a dumb ogre would mean a challenge level of 5 or lower, but navigating through complex machinery and deciphering a scripture of high intellect would mean a 20 or higher. The latter value is clearly hard to nail unless you love to save scum all day.

If you feel that luck is too much on the game’s side, don’t fret: you can have multiple modifiers to help boost your initial number to higher heights. If you’re deceiving someone, for example, your Charisma and other character bonuses related to the gift of the gab (like being a Bard) will help skyrocket your roll. Though if you fail badly -you will eventually get a Critical Fail outcome because this is a D&D game- you can at least press on with the game and continue to the end. It’s just that you may have to either fight your way out of trouble or just be more creative and find other avenues.

And yes, Baldur’s Gate 3 is chock-full of moments like:

• Befriending a vampire.
• Hooking up with a druid who shapeshifts when the mood gets erotic.
• Accidentally killed more bystanders and enemies than intended, and I didn’t pick the Dark Urge as a starter character.
• Make conversations with the dead, which is good for a laugh.
• Made money in populated areas with my music as a bard.

…and many more! Larian Studios promised that the game is about 80 to 100 hours long, and I can believe that. It’s packed with a lot of activities and story moments that are actually fun and meaningful unlike your Ubisoft joints (all filler, no killer as they say). We’re not ready to give it a score just yet; I’ll leave that honour to my colleague Alleef “Comicslord” as he’s also playing the game. But for now, let’s just say the latter half of 2023 is already sorted if you’re looking for a meaty and epic CRPG that’s as similar in scope as 2015’s The Witcher 3. Except with arguably kinkier sex.