The countdown is over, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is here at last, at least on certain consoles. Before you jump in and start slaying monsters, however, there are a few things you should know. This Larian Studios title is one of the biggest and most ambitious RPGs ever made. Though it follows in the footsteps of the previous games in the series, it differentiates itself from them in vital ways. Here are the most important things you should know before starting Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time.
8. Baldur’s Gate 3 Plays Like D&D
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an adaptation of Dungeons and Dragons, so it seems silly to point out that it plays like it. It’s a point worth stressing, however, since so many games based on the DnD license don’t feel like the tabletop game. No game since Neverwinter Nights has so successfully captured the feeling of sitting down at a table with some dice in hand. The game even rolls passive skill checks to see if players notice traps and hidden doors. When it’s your turn for action, dice appear on the screen to decide your fate. It’s a transporting experience and worth savoring in itself.
7. It’s a Larian Game
With Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 under their belt, it’s safe to say that Larian Studios makes some of the best RPGs around. That said, their games aren’t for everyone. Larian games are, in a word, complicated. Baldur’s Gate 3 follows in the footsteps of Divinity: Original Sin 2 by exploring various complex, interlocking systems. This complexity serves an essential purpose. BG3, more than almost any other game, captures the feeling of limitless possibility that comes with a good game of DnD. It’s just that the same possibility which frees the player can also overwhelm them. Before starting Baldur’s Gate 3, be ready to learn.
6. It’s Tough
BG3 is not difficult in the way that Escape from Tarkov or League of Legends is. It doesn’t viciously punish newcomers simply for being new. It does, however, expect players to have some common sense in combat. For example, one’s character can be murdered during the game’s prologue, forcing an autosave restart. The early enemies are balanced fairly, but if the player happens to pick a squishy Wizard or Sorcerer to start with, their handful of HP will evaporate in just a couple of attacks. It won’t take an Owlbear to kill you if you’re careless.
5. There Are a Ton of Choices
If one word sums up BG3, it’s choices. Who you are, what powers you possess, who you recruit, and what (im)moral path you follow is up to you. This is arguably most evident in combat. You could shoot the goblin with your bow, but why not shove him off a cliff instead? Maybe it’s better to ignore him, using your action to spread fog or oil across the battlefield so that your next character can take advantage of the transformed terrain. Characters climb, leap, and charge across the battlefield, giving the player a dizzying array of strategic options, even before the inclusion of magic. It’s honestly freeing.
4. Baldur’s Gate 3 Is Your Story
The story of Baldur’s Gate 3 branches again and again and again. Larian has bragged about the absurd number of endings, but focusing on the finale distracts from how many choices there are throughout. No playthrough of this sprawling game will be the same. No playthrough can be. Even if you ran two campaigns with two identically built characters, they would inevitably succeed and fail on different skill checks, taking the story in a different direction. Additionally, the player controls a series of pivotal choices that will make each run unique.
3. You Don’t Need to Play the First Two Games
The earlier Baldur’s Gate games follow a similar pattern, but their story is distinct. Understanding the events of the previous games is by no means necessary to understand BG3. Every game in the series is about a ragtag group of adventurers coming together, taking on monsters, and finding treasure. There is no essential connection between the third game in the series and the others, so it’s fine if you don’t tackle the first two before starting Baldur’s Gate 3. The newest title is its own kind of beast.
2. It’s Multiplayer
Even the best games based on TTRPGs lose something when they’re single-player only. Dungeons and Dragons is a collaborative storytelling experience, after all. Baldur’s Gate 3 aims to please players of all persuasions. It’s a delightful single-player experience, and in no way does the player need friends to enjoy the wealth of content here. That said, if the classic tabletop experience is what you want, the game supports four-player online multiplayer. The kind of wild, improvisational storytelling that results is pretty much impossible to beat.
1. Baldur’s Gate 3 is Inclusive
Inclusivity is always important, a fact that Baldur’s Gate 3 recognizes. During character creation, the player has several inclusivity options, allowing them to customize their character’s race, gender, and presentation to their liking. Whether you want to recreate yourself as closely as possible or play as a murder-worshiping Dragonborn Warlock with a taste for the Eldritch, it’s all possible here. Recognizing oneself in media is vital, and Larian Studios acknowledges that. Frankly, that feels good. The move toward true inclusivity is one many players will certainly reward, hopefully prompting other developers to follow suit.
