Baldur’s Gate III has finally launched after remaining in early access since 6 October 2020. Users with PCs running on Windows can enjoy the long-awaited full version of the game after its release on 3 August 2024. PS5 and macOS versions are expected to release on 6 September 2024. We will give you a low-down on this role-playing video game to help you determine if it is worth buying.
Baldur’s Gate III Gameplay
Developed and published by the award-winning Belgian gaming company Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate III is an RPG game with cooperative multiplayer and single-player elements. As the name suggests, it’s the third game in the successful Baldur’s Gate series based on the D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) RPG system.
What sets Baldur’s Gate III apart from the other games in the series is that it features turn-based combat like what we saw in the earlier games in the Divinity series.
Playable Characters
Before you explore the game’s story, you can create one or more game characters and form a party with computer-generated characters. You can also choose a character and team up with other gamers online to create a party. Before selecting a character from one of the seven pre-built origin characters, remember they are all connected to varying aspects that make them unique. These include:
- Backstories
- Motivations
- Exclusive quests
- Race
- Class
Remember that the choice you make determines the fate of the original characters. The player can respec to alter the initial class and subclass, skill proficiencies and abilities (stats) to experiment with their character’s build. However, they cannot change their background and race.
With that in mind, here is a table showing all the playable origin characters:
| Origin Character | Class | Race | Primary Ability | Description |
| The Dark Urge | Customisable | Customisable | This will depend on the class you choose | This fully customisable character is tempted by an unquenchable desire for unimaginable cruelties. The Dark Urge has amnesia after the opening scene. You cannot recruit this origin character as a companion. |
| Karlach | Barbarian | Tiefling | Strength | Fury of Avernus is now free of the archdevil Zariel; however, her chest still has an infernal engine. This tiefling barbarian wants to fix this burning engine inside and seeks revenge on the person who sold her away. |
| Lae’zel | Fighter | Githyanki | Strength | This ferocious warrior has devoted her life to defeating mind flayers. She now faces the probability of becoming one of them. She’s a Githyanki warrior on a journey to prove she is worthy, so she can return to her people and not be cast into exile. |
| Wyll | Warlock | Human | Charisma | This living legend is a renowned monster hunter who has a secret. He made a pact but wants to flee before the price becomes unbearable |
| Astarion | Rogue | Elf | Dexterity | This origin character is a vampire spawn free from his brutal master, but only temporarily. He’s an elf rogue on the run from hunters and seeks to live in the light to become more powerful. |
| Gale | Wizard | Human | Intelligence | Gale is a wizard prodigy who used to be a powerful archmage before a goddess cursed him and stole his magic. He’s worried that he poses a danger to people close to him, so he strives to eliminate the dangerous artefact inside him. |
| Shadowheart | Cleric | Half-Elf | Wisdom | This loyal warrior has set out on a journey to take a powerful relic to her kin. The half-elf cleric of Shar agreed to erase her memories for this holy mission and wants to find a solution for the painful magic tormenting her. |
Cross-Saves Supported
If you played Divinity: Original Sin 2, you are familiar with the cross-save compatibility that Larian Studios added between the Steam and Switch versions. The developer pulled the same trick in Baldur’s Gate III. But instead of running cross-saves via Steam’s proprietary system, your saves are now linked to your Larian account. You can access this account on all the platforms where the game will release on, including PlayStation 5 and macOS.
Baldur’s Gate III Story
Set in 1492 DR, Baldur’s Gate III takes place 120+ years after the occurrences in Baldur’s Gate II and a few months after the events of Descent into Avernus. The game features a branching plot of the usual computer role-playing games.
While it features numerous interwoven plots typical of the genre, the threat of the Absolute serves as a main thread that remains constant throughout. The player character, along with their companions, are infected with Illithid that can transform them into mind flayers.
But before this happens, Githyanki warriors carrying silver blades and riding red dragons attack the ship. The ship flees through Avernus and other realms. The protagonist is freed in the middle of the war, and they guide it back to Faerûn.
Overall, the storyline is enthralling, giving your decisions a weight hardly witnessed in video games of this scope. It is a marvel and easily one of the best role-playing video games ever created, as it has raised the bar for the genre.
Baldur’s Gate III Reviews
Source: gamicsoft.com
We combed the web for Baldur’s Gate III reviews to check what players and critics think of this video game. The PC received universal acclaim, with critics praising the narrative, gameplay, detailed environments, player choice and amount of content.
Baldur’s Gate III has an average user score of 9.2/10 based on 190,031 reviews, which is the same score that Baldur’s Gate 2 got. It’s worth noting that the user score for the first game is 8.9. That means Baldur’s Gate is among the highest-rated video game trilogies.
Many users stated they love this game because of the following:
- It has an extensive character-creation system
- The game features stunning graphics
- It grants them the freedom to approach quests and challenges in various ways
- Thousands of different endings
- You can choose how to navigate conversations
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Should You Buy Baldur’s Gate III?
Before its full release in August 2024, Baldur’s Gate II was in early access for over three years. Consequently, this allowed the developers to get feedback from players and squashed numerous bugs. They meticulously polished the design features and gameplay to ensure it provides value for money.
Buying this game guarantees an immersive RPG experience. We cannot deny that the release is solid and worthwhile. It is a mind-blowing adaptation of the D&D 5th Edition ruleset with several choice tweaks. The game excels in all areas, including mind-bogglingly mesmerising gameplay, attention-grabbing story, impressive graphics and epic music. And the fact that you can customise your character with your preferred appearance, stats, race, class, abilities, and more makes Baldur’s Gate III an unequivocal must-buy.
