Baldur's Gate 3

A classic role-playing game (CRPG) with an isometric camera, featuring interactive, immersive locations and varied gameplay. Go wherever you want, do whatever you want, and complete quests however you want. The combat system is strictly turn-based, but time moves in real-time during actions. Actions are determined by rolling a twenty-sided die according to the rules of Dungeons & Dragons 5, but the game design does not aim to please hardcore D&D audiences, simplifying everything for newcomers. The storytelling is modernized with numerous cutscenes using the engine and CGI videos.

The Forgotten Realms universe includes almost all elements of classic fantasy and is rich in detail. Magic of various types and elements. Varied combat with one-handed and two-handed melee weapons, bows and crossbows, hidden blades. A diversity of races (elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, etc.) and fantasy creatures (dragons, demons, vampires, elementals). A pantheon of local gods influencing the fates and motives of the inhabitants.

Adventures unfold on the continent of Faerûn, in its warm part with picturesque meadows and dense forests, densely populated villages, and large cities. The action of Baldur's Gate 3 covers significant territories, and the player will visit various places in Faerûn, descend into the Underdark, and touch upon other dimensions. For each location, the designers have chosen the right atmosphere—whether it’s a seaport, a dwarven foundry, a demon dimension, or rotten swamps—everything looks authentic. Some adjustments are made by mods.

The open world is divided into large zones that match the current act of the main story. All levels are handcrafted, carefully decorated, and filled with life. The Baldur's Gate itself—a city of opportunities and failures, saints and sinners—appears only in the last act. This part of the world is grand, and every corner has its own set of stories and activities, with NPCs wandering everywhere, and you can talk to anyone.

The events of Baldur's Gate 3 unfold 120 years after the conclusion of Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition. Those times have become legendary, and the confrontation with the god Bhaal, Faerûn faces different problems, but an ancient evil rises again from the shadows and quietly disrupts the seemingly established order of things. Faerûn is once again threatened with a fall into darkness, heralded by the destructive invasion of squid-like Illithids, a highly advanced race of mind flayers from another dimension.

The setup is far from grand events. By coincidence, the protagonist is captured by an Illithid ship, and a larva is implanted in their brain. It is about to transform the hero into a mollusk with horrific tentacles—and only luck allows them to leave the ship early. With the simple motivation of "getting rid of the parasite," the story gradually develops into an epic adventure, and the significance of the decisions made grows to encompass all of Faerûn.

The plot of Baldur's Gate 3 cannot be unequivocally labeled as dark or positive, tense or devoid of emotions. It all depends on the choices made and the acceptance (or not) of the consequences. Making one choice or another, of which there are more than 17,000, the player shapes a kind of storyline trajectory, and each playthrough will be unique: with different friends and enemies, relationships between characters, dialogues, quests, and endings. Unpredictable twists, which fill the plot, yield diametrically different results.

The story is so complex that even the intentional killing of companions or important NPCs will not break the gameplay. Main, side, and other quests are seamlessly intertwined: moving through the plot opens up secondary quests, and by completing an optional task or discovering an item, one can stumble upon an entire storyline arc. However, the latter can easily be missed. And all this is in addition to unique events and quests that the game provides based on the circumstances.

The narrative of Baldur's Gate 3 spans three acts and delights with its direction. Important moments of the plot and interactions between characters are presented in the form of high-quality animated scenes, allowing for a deeper immersion into the events. As soon as one intrigue closes, another often takes its place, keeping attention. And to see the whole picture of what is happening, it is not enough to just watch — one will have to read all sources. The direction of scenes and the staging of dialogues, combined with voice acting and facial capture of actors, present a lot of text (narrative) in a more player-friendly form compared to other games in the genre.

Baldur's Gate 3 offers both ready-made heroes and the opportunity to create your own. The character editor is vast. Choices include: appearance, physical characteristics, facial and body features, personality, and backstory.

The chosen race and subrace of the hero grant unique features and characteristics. Some see better in the dark, others heal wounds faster, and some are simply physically strong, and so on. Moreover, they directly influence role-playing due to the differences in perception from other characters in Faerûn. A half-demon tiefling may be challenged to a duel where an elf is welcomed with open arms. Thus, the choice of race opens up unique storyline options and dialogues, making the gaming experience even more diverse.

A dozen main classes determine the hero's skills and combat abilities, directly affecting the play style: the Tank absorbs damage, the Paladin charges into the crowd, the Bard provokes enemies, the Druid transforms into a bear, and the Wizard casts spells. There are also subclasses: they provide additional specializations and unique opportunities. The character has six main attributes (strength, dexterity, endurance, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma), one is considered primary, and the other is secondary.

As you progress through Baldur's Gate 3, you will meet various companions, who can be included in the party as per the genre standard. Each is a unique personality with a defined backstory, motivation, moral compass, skills, and abilities. What makes them an important support during checks in decisions made (you can switch to a companion in dialogue), when interacting with the surrounding world or in battle (the check is given to the most skilled companion in this case).

Not all companions can be gathered at once, some even directly exclude others, or do not accept certain choices of the protagonist and will leave the party. Relationships can be influenced by completing often complex personal quests of companions. The more cohesive the party, the better, as the selection of companions will have a strong impact on the course of the story.

The gameplay of Baldur's Gate 3 follows genre canons. We move through the level as a group, immediately engaging in battle with obvious enemies, while trying to negotiate with others through influence, intimidation, or money. Along the way, we explore the level and "vacuum" the location, collecting everything into our and our companions' inventory. Items are divided by rarity and their characteristics affect one of the six basic parameters of the hero, significantly influencing the build by adding abilities and effects to attacks or spells.

How to deal with a specific group of enemies depends on the player's imagination, there are always several options. In battle, friends and enemies perform a certain number of actions per turn, which include movement, basic attack, special actions, and ability usage. The latter can only be used a couple of times per fight, as the combat system lacks a conditional "mana bar." The engine takes into account the "height" position, allowing you to kick or push enemies off ledges.

Interactive objects in the level can turn the tide of battle. You can grab an oil barrel and throw it at enemies or coat a sword and set it on fire, adding fire damage. This encourages the use of the environment and physics in combat, rather than just relying on tactics. Melee classes are designed according to modified rules, becoming no less powerful than wizards. The randomness inherent in the D&D system also looms over Baldur's Gate: any action can have both a successful outcome and a critical failure.

Restoration of strength and abilities occurs in the camp, the design of which reflects the surrounding location. If you stop in the forest, the camp embodies the forest atmosphere; if you enter a city, the camp instantly "dresses" in urban surroundings. There are no other activities in the camp besides communication, inventory management, and party control.

Baldur's Gate 3 offers a set of exciting activities. Solving puzzles and other logical tasks. Gathering resources and recipes to create potions, elixirs, weapon buffs, and other consumables. A stealth mode, always available and allowing you to complete tasks more efficiently. Completing a quest through combat, stealth, or diplomacy often yields different results, and this may come back to haunt you someday.

Progression is also standard: we defeat enemies, complete quests, explore Faerûn, and pass difficult checks — for this and much more, the entire group gains experience. The hero and companions receive the same amount of experience from all sources. Having gained enough experience, characters level up, thus unlocking upgrade points that can be invested in attributes as well as new abilities. Dual class development (multiclassing) is allowed. Replayability is extremely high.

The game remains role-playing, but is not overloaded with unnecessary rules for balancing difficulty; however, a couple of hours may not be enough to get accustomed to it. The best character builds and individual mechanics of the game can be found in our section with guides.

Baldur's Gate 3 can be played in co-op by a party of 2 to 4 people, creating both new unique heroes and taking from another party. Notably, gameplay does not require players to be together all the time; each player here is the main character and is free to do whatever they want within the game world. One can explore a dungeon, another can explore the world, and a third can create chaos in interactions with characters.

However, the co-op is designed to create an experience equivalent to playing D&D with a Dungeon Master. All moves are coordinated, and the incoming information (journal entries, mini-map, discoveries, and recipes) is shared among all players. Each player is rewarded with "inspiration points" for actions that correspond to their role, allowing them to reroll in case of failure in dialogue options.

Friends can see what is happening in the game and what choices other players have made in dialogue options. They can also vote on certain decisions. The host can also retain control over dialogue options. Some scenes, such as romantic ones, will automatically be private, although they can be shared with group members.

There is an alternative "two-player" mode when both players are in the same room. The screen will be split in half, and each will play on their half. The rules are the same as in regular co-op.