I grew up playing the original Baldur's Gate and Fallout series. I've played a lot of RPGs, and I'm getting on a bit now. In my opinion, there isn't another game that comes close to this level of nuanced character relationships, especially coupled with the astounding variance of voice acting tone/delivery. It blows my mind with each and every playthrough. This is but one of the many highlights that I'd like to bring up, but it is so exceptionally well done I believe it transcends all expectations of the genre. It's an EA game, and I knew that coming into it, so the occasional animation and sound jank gets a forgiving pass, but with the last few patches released, it feels like the engine's rough edges are finally starting to look smooth. Larian aren't treating this game with neglect, by no means. If you've read the other reviews commenting on how this is Divinity: D&D edition, then I strongly urge you to take those comments with a grain of salt. Baldur's Gate 3 takes place 100 years after the events in Baldur’s Gate 2 and shortly after the events of descent into Avernus. With the EA you are only teased about the Gate, but, and without spoiling anything, all the stories in BG3 are tangibly connected to this central point. We are also only able to experience a small portion of the first act, with another two to follow after that. It does feature many new creations by Larian, and they are all brilliant. Those of you expecting some kind of "On the last episode of Baldur's Gate" direct continuation of the second game may feel slightly misled, so please head into this with an open mind. I've played through twice solo, and once with the family. My wife also has two solo playthroughs, and each time we are discovering something new, hilarious and always thought provoking. Do not hesitate to take the plunge into this jaw droppingly beautiful game. I highly encourage you to take your time whilst exploring, and make sure you engage with all the fantastic characters.
Aside from the Silent Hill series, this is my favourite spine tingling monster creation of a horror game. The game play and controls are reminiscent of old skool adventure games, particular the ones I remember playing as a kid on the Commodore Amiga. Combat can feel restrictive at times, but it's fair because the protagonist isn't a nimble gun toting madman. It's about patience, strategy and making sure that you spend your stamina wisely. It also reminds me of Stranger Things because of the mystery, intrigue, chompers, engulfing darkness and alien-like growth. I really hope the developers add a new story further down the line, expanding on the Darkwood universe. It would also be amazing if they allow modders to contribute their ideas, similar to how custom campaigns were created for Amnesia. The devs have a great attitude too, because instead of trying to prevent the game from being pirated, they supported the idea, and even seeded a torrent themselves. It's simple, if someone likes a game enough, they will buy it. I did! Thank you Acid Wizard Studio
