I had a blast playing BG3 with family and friends. Every time I play the game, I find stuff, quests, missions, that were not there before, or I expect a quest to go in a certain way, only to find out, that it is completely different. It is fun, exciting and really enjoyable. To really have fun with it though, you best play it with a friend or two or maybe even get a full group of four.
Ok, this game was a triple threat for me. I am a huge fan of Dungeons and Dragons, playing since the boxed sets. I'm also a huge fan of Forgotten Realms. Lastly I love turned-based party games. I can not speak to what others have written about this not feeling like a Forgotten Realms game, as I see elements of the realms in every aspect of the game. I've not played any of the Divinity games, so I can not also speak to common elements between the two.
What I can say is I've enjoyed every minute of the nearly 200 hours I've put into this game. I'm on my third playthrough, and I discovered new content in each one. The game really reacts to how you play the game, with consequences for actions. It is entirely possible to render quests incompletable because you've killed an essential npc, or acted in a manner as to preclude further progress. These don't feel like bugs, like in Skyrim, but rather a natural consequence of the player's actions. Depending on race, background, class, you will be presented with unique opportunities to quests.
I found the writing to be excellent, and the companion stories compelling. You sometimes meet the same npc in the different acts, and their stories have progressed. The whole game feels well thought out.
There are some UI nits to pick. Why can't I put arrows in a quiver, and potions into a bag, and still maintain access to them. Once something has been added to wares it would be nice if it dropped to the bottom of the inventory, or removed from inventory to its' own tab. Selecting targets can be a little finicky, especially if npcs are moving around, and happen to walk in front of the camera as you're clicking. Many awkward conversations start and end with an errant click. These flaws are minor, and in no way detract from the enjoyment of the game.
Game is made for someone who has all day to play games, the difficulty on the easiest setting is ridiculously hard if you're not a static pillbox who has nothing else to do. Refund.
What's good now:
- graphics
- sound
- dialogues (many-many options with your race, class, etc.)
- animations (only in dialogs)
- battle system (it's amazing! Evolution from DOS2 + DnD system.)
What's bad now:
- action animations in cutscenes: ship crash, dragons (worst animation, hello from 00s)
- too few classes now
- too many bugs now
Developers, please, I'm begging you, add the option to hide my helmet in the next patch. I think, it is not very complicated. A helmet in cutscenes is really annoying.