If you’re even slightly into video games and are on Twitter, you might have seen some “bear” content over the weekend. The content in question features a dandy vampire getting frisky with a druid, who transforms into a bear halfway through … and the vampire is into it.
No, this isn’t shovelware porn on Steam. This is Baldur’s Gate 3—and before you click away, you need to believe me when I say even this little bit of bear lovin’ is indicative of a game that’s worthy of Game of the Year status.
For the past three years, I’ve been playing BG3 on early access and eagerly anticipating its eventual release date. In that time, I’ve seen its dev studio, Larian, fervently listen to player feedback by fixing bugs, adding new and improved features, and yes, letting us romance the bear druid (wouldn’t you also want to romance a big, strapping elf?). Also in this time, I’ve found a new adventuring partner in our own Alyssa Shotwell, and have discovered the joys of a multiplayer party in doing so.
Now, with the game only one month away from full release, we know more than ever thanks to Larian’s most recent “Panel From Hell.” And from what we’ve seen, Baldur’s Gate 3 truly is shaping up to be—if not GOTY—one of the best RPGs of the 2020s, period.
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Almost endless roleplaying opportunities
People enjoy RPGs because it’s fun to explore unreal possibilities, and the best RPGs get very experimental with this. Fantasy, in particular, is a delightful medium to get inventive with, since you can bend it around so much. This is why so many people play Dungeons & Dragons well into adulthood and beyond, and this is why games based off of DnD tend to do well.
BG3 has certainly been no exception thus far, but Larian is only continuing to form this game into something you can truly be experimental with. In total, there are 12 classes and 46 subclasses, with a degree of multiclassing on top of that. And if you don’t like how you’ve built your character, you will be able to respec. On top of this, the world will react to how you pair your class, race, and background, especially if your character combination is somewhat unconventional—say, for instance, a Githyanki Druid Hermit.
Regarding character customization though, there’s quite a lot to cover! There’s truly an impressive set of options available for players to create their ideal character (I, for one, love the fact that I can make a mixed-Asian-looking half-elf), running an expansive range from facial piercings to even pronoun preference. What’s especially interesting to me is that you have two options for a custom character: you can either go the standard route, with a background you choose and all that, OR you can choose “The Dark Urge.” This is an option that’s also customizable, but with a pre-made origin, essentially that of a murderous being come to life with no memory of the past. As the Dark Urge, you will constantly be compelled toward evildoing, yet it’s up to you whether or not you act on it.
Like other Larian titles, if none of this is your thing, you can choose a pre-made character instead. There are six to choose from, including the five companions we’ve played with through early access and a sixth companion we haven’t spent as much time with. Just like with Divinity Original Sin 2, these characters will have full stories to uncover and explore, yet ultimately you, as the player, will be shaping their fates. For instance, you can play the shadowy cleric Shadowheart as more willing to give up her secrets, or you can play the noble warlock Wyll as a tyrant in service of his patron.
Which brings us to perhaps the most important part of any roleplaying experience: how choice comes into play. And in BG3, you have a plethora of choices for any given situation, all of which tie incredibly well into the story without being too overwhelming or dense (as many found Divinity OS 2 to be). As someone who largely prefers the single-player experience, I had my general formula down to a T: be charismatic and nice to NPCs and get extra dialogue options as a result. But playing with Alyssa was almost more fun, since Alyssa’s approach was to essentially go full Murder-Justice on anyone and anything that got in our way. Even with bad guys, I would try to at least talk to them first to get some information out of them, or maybe lessen the difficulty of a fight. With Alyssa, I learned to hide in the shadows and stack buffs immediately, because our approach quickly became: “stab first, ask questions later.”
And, in case you were wondering: yes, the romance in this game will also be very in-depth. Considering Alyssa was planning on playing a Druid and romancing the vampire Astarion, I’m curious to see whether or not we’ll get to relive that particular scene in our playthrough.
Larian’s dedication to player experience
So. Doubling back to the bear. I really did mean it when I said that even that was indicative of how much Larian cares about its players. I’ve watched this game grow over the last three years, and I’ve consistently seen Larian step up to make this game as fun as possible—including giving players the opportunity to romance Halsin (after watching them pine and salivate over him for years).
Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t have everything diehard fans wish it did, such as expanded races and classes, but it packs quite a punch, and a lot of its newer additions are the result of Larian listening to player feedback. As well as this, it’s a lot more newcomer-friendly than some of the studio’s previous titles. The UI has been overhauled to be ever-so-slightly simpler and more intuitive, and even the animations have been refined over time.
We’ll apparently see even more expansions upon release, including a revamping of Wyll’s character. Honestly, though, Act 1 is already so good, I can’t imagine how Larian will make it even better.
A return to a beloved fantasy formula
There was a period where fans of this genre were concerned about the future of fantasy RPGs. With so many beloved franchises going the microtransactions/multiplayer-only route, we weren’t sure we’d get to see games like Dragon Age: Origins or Oblivion ever again; games that allow for countless hours of exploration and whimsy, pulled together with great writing and fun gameplay.
Now, here is Baldur’s Gate 3, which promises 80 hours of gameplay if you breeze through the main story. 80 hours, base! That’s a lot of video game! Admittedly, I’m a little bit daunted, as I’ll be doing two playthroughs: one with Alyssa, and one on my own. But even then, the game is so well-designed, it’ll give me options so that I don’t burn out. With Alyssa, I’ll focus more on the gameplay and having fun with friends. With myself, I’ll choose the Story Mode option (i.e., less intensive gameplay/strategizing), so I can dive deeper into the plot and characters.
I’ve been looking forward to this game for what feels like forever, and it brings me so much joy that so many people are finally clueing into how good it is. The release day is nearly upon us—are you getting hyped, too?
(featured image: Larian Studios)
