Developer: Larian Studios (which has previously made Divinity: Original Sin 2)
Publisher: Larian Studios
Engine: Divinity 4.0 Engine
Release Date:August 3, 2023 (PC), September 6, 2023 (PS5), Xbox release date TBA (December 2023 possible)
Genre: RPG, Turn-based strategy
Story & Setting
Positioned in the Forgotten Realms (a Dungeons & Dragons world), Baldur’s Gate 3 is a sequel that takes place over 100 years after the original, Baldur’s Gate II.
Premise:
They don’t just make you think but make you worry about the parasite inside you that will turn you into a monster. While searching for a cure, you find and recruit allies who have their own enigmatic backgrounds, and you unravel a world-spanning conspiracy that threatens everything in Faerûn.
Key Themes:
Morality and choice
Identity and transformation
Friendship and betrayal
War between realms
🧙♂️ Gameplay Overview
🎲 Compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition:
Turn-based battles (a la Divinity: Original Sin 2)
Decision making with dice (visible to the player)
Character stat based dialogue checks
🧭 Key Gameplay Features:
Origin Characters: Play as one of the six hand-crafted characters provided or create and customize one of your own.
Party System: From 1 to 4 members selected, with deep backstories to explore.
Exploration – Huge interconnected world that you can work your way through the way you want, secrets, puzzles, challenges.
Combat: Tactical turn based fights, combatands have high level of interaction (you can push enemies off bridges or cliffs).
Romance & Relationships: Unlock bonds between the cast, fully voice acted and beautifully animated.
Multiplayer: Online co-op (up to 4 players)/split-screen (console/PC)
🌍 World & Visuals
Explore freely from forests, cities, underground caverns, dungeons and more!
Gorgeous hand-crafted world, teeming with detail
🔊 Sound & Music
Voiced dialogue for every character.
The orchestral soundtrack by Borislav Slavov is awesome.
Atmosphere-drenched sound that includes ambiences that adjust with the game.
⭐ Pros
✅ Deep Story with meaningful choices
✅ Complex, lovable companions
There–Cool–Fine–Great 50 Best iPad games on the App Store 2020 1/3 14.
✅ Vastly replayable (your choices will determine the outcome)
✅ Strong DnD faithfulness
✅ No microtransactions
❌ Cons
❌ Few bugs and performance flaws on low-end computers
❌ Not newcomer-friendly to non-D&D players
❌ Act 3 performance hiccups (at launch in particular).
❌ Complex UI for new players
🏆 Critical Reception
Metacritic: 96/100 (PC), 96/100 (PS5)
Theatrics at The Game Awards 2023 Game of the Year
One of the greatest RPGs of all time and critically acclaimed as the game of the 2015!
