Baldur's Gate 3

Purchased on steam. Play time: 26 hours Graphics: 10/10 Sound: 10/10 Story: 10/10 Mechanics: 8/10 Tilt: 9/10 Total Score: 94/100 Baldur's Gate 3 wastes no time raising the stakes. From the moment the intro cinematic rolled, I was enthralled by the story. The voice acting and sound effects are Hollywood quality and the graphics look great on both medium and high settings, regardless of whether you're zoomed in or in an overhead view. This is the finest realization of D&D since Neverwinter Online released, and that really helps add to the creepiness of the material and give a sense of even further time constraints to a turn-based RPG. To spoil a sidequest: I passed a burning building and could hear a man dying. As I rushed in, I could see realistic smoke and smoldering overrun the house as every turn brought the man closer to being burned alive, trapped under a fallen pylon. I failed a strength check, and was too slow in getting to him my first time. I saw him lose consciousness and die in front of me. But I was still trapped with him, my route in now catching flame. The sense of fear and desperation in a panicked 12-second bashing of a door that wouldn't come loose was real as I succumbed to the smoke and burned alive. Moments like this - of urgency and danger - were consistent throughout the first act available in early access, which lasts a good 20-30 hours. Be warned though - 70% of the story isn't available yet. Mechanically, the camera is a struggle sometimes. Pathing issues regularly caused my party to run through fire or acid. UI bugs like npcs dropping group, missing corpses behind or under terrain, and deactivation of turn-based mode in combat and competing cinematic triggers sometimes caused me to replay up to an hour of story. That said, the game lets you do almost anything you would want to try in pen and paper in combat. Clever combinations of spells with terrain elements and multiple ways to solve every puzzle leave it feeling remarkably open-ended.

beast mode game

Very well crafted. Astounding amount of freedom and player choices that was accounted for. *spoilers ahead* You can play murderous chaotic bhaal spawn and developers accounted for most of the diabolical choices you make. Murdering with accountability thats included in the overall narrative is a hallmark of a well made RPG.

Over 20 years ago, without the internet and with a slow PC, I spent hours playing Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. This wonderful fantasy world with numerous lovingly crafted details and humorous dialogues consumed me. Larian Studios has managed to bring the childhood memories into the modern era with Baldur's Gate 3, infusing it with a lot of attention to detail, love, humor, and charm. I adore this game and find it to be exceptionally well-executed. A definite recommendation!

Absolutely wonderful experience. As a fan of both the original BG games, which I played when they came out, and of Larian's Divene Divinity series, I am enjoying this very much. Bringing BG to the possibilities of 21st century gaming, with an engaging and interesting story and characters which will make you google a lot of Forgotten Realms lore. It not only connects with BG but also brings back memories of Planscape Torment, another Black Isle masterpiece of the time. And all this mixed with Larian's trademark comedy elements and amazing talking animals. It also features a lot of character customisation. It will appeal to both older and younger gamers. The cons? If you manage to get away from your computer and relate to other human beings, you will be thinking how long until I can get back to BG3 again... Grab your wallet now!