Baldur's Gate is not a game, it's a love letter to old-school gamers. It's been years since I finished a game and felt sad that it was over, like finishing a great book. I'll buy everything Larian makes for the next 15 years hoping we can get something like this again.

I can't remember the last time i had so much... fun with a game. I have 3 campaigns going (a solo, and two with friends), 160 hours clocked, and still not bored. That's some good game.

I keep telling my friends. This game is the first game that's made me feel like this in maybe forever. At least in like 13 years. I also consider myself a casual gamer and I just can't stop wanting to play the game and thinking about it while I'm at work.

This is the kind of game I thought I would never enjoy. My steam games are gta v, overcooked 2, judgment, worms reloaded, red dead redemption 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and now Baldurs Gate 3. The reason I added this one is because I remember enjoying Skyrim as a little girl and I wanted to experience a great RPG again and trusted the amazing previews this game had. I talk abou trust because here in Brazil DnD is not the biggest of things, so I was never really exposed to the lore, and I never thought I would enjoy playing a turn based game. And when I started it it felt overwhelming with all spells, characters and aliens and goblins. But from that very first moment of gameplay to now, I can say that I never felt so hooked to a videogame before. This game has messed up my sleepimg scheduale, it feels like reading a great book that I cannot drop, the rich lore that felt so complicated at the start for me, now has me searching for the entire story of the city of Baldurs Gate and stories on Faêrun. From githyankis to mind flayers, from demons to devils, high elves to drows, I am hooked to absolutely everything. I now understand why these amazing people called nerds enjoy DnD and everything within its lore and rules. I even feel bad for turning down an oportunity to play a table top DnD, something not common in Brazil. I am at the very finale of ACT 3, and already missing all the characters because I absolutely enjoyed spending time with them. Specially Shadowheart, I wish I knew her in real life so I could give her a hug. Her childhood story had me crying real tears. I love this game, it made me feel something I did not know was possible to feel playing videogames. It connected me to a whole new world in a way I never thought I would feel again since Skyrim when I was a child. Going back from work to this game feels like teleporting to a whole new dimension. I read the story on Bg1 and bg2 because of it. The lore is so great it feels like it runs in another dimension in real life. And Larian studios did an amazing job presenting this beautiful world to long time fans and newcomers alike. I am very grateful ❤

One time purchase, 100s of hours of content, from the moment it starts it never reminds you it's 'just a game', it doesn't try to sell you anything more and simply let's you mess about in a 99% bug free sandbox on launch. It's the first truly 'Safe Purchase' in years. Thanks Larian staff.

I still can't believe that this game is real and it actually released on top of the huge expectations from us CRPG lovers that have been with the series for over two decades. What Larian has done here is nothing short of a miracle. This is the first CRPG with AAA production values. From the stellar voice acting and realistic facial animations (who else would get 200+ actors to mocap most of the characters in the game and voice them all..only Larian were crazy enough to do that), to the music and all the gameplay elements and reactivity/freedom that you have. The question "can you do this?" usually ends up being yes in most cases for all the weird out of the box thinking that some players might have. I do attest to the fact that if you want a pure CRPG experience like the good ole days the only games you can look forward to are the indie scene and Owlcat who have made two amazing Pathfinder games in that vein like we used to play. And now with Rogue Trader they are taking a shot (and based off what I played in closed beta they are gonna deliver on that) on the 40k first CRPG. And that is a game is am looking forward to in 2024. Baldur's Gate 3 is a game that not only brought D&D to the masses in video game form (I think in mostly part BECAUSE of the full voice acting making it way easier to digest..a thing that unfortunately Owlcat doesn't have the budget to do) and that it also showcased that "content complete" games without bullshit "addons" (MTX, Battle passes etc) is not required to have financial success. I doubt this will make any dent in the industry, because corporations are greedy, but it's nice to see that there are still a few developers out there that haven't given in on the greed themselves and sold themselves out. Thanks for the review!

BG3 has done more for me in the ways of emotional healing than roughly 13 years of therapy has. This may sound strange - BUT through this game I got to follow a character's backstory so close to my own - I got to feel like I was saving my kid self. It was so emotional I cried for about a week straight. No game has ever done that to me before - And I play A LOT of games. I've got roughly 240 hours of this game and I've barely scratched the surface and I cannot wait to play more. I find myself LONGING to play it - like when you were a kid playing playstation after school. This game has changed me, for the better and I cannot thank everyone involved in the game enough.

The background banter between the companions while traveling is such a nice touch. And the score, that damn tune has infiltrated my dreams.

The freedom of decisions and the feeling of consequences and decisions with meaning, I have felt never before. There are some old games, which had similar feeling like D:OS2 (oh, its Larian again) or Dragon Age, but it was still not the same. BG3 really put it to its height -- and is something that is missing from most if not every big studio today. That is just real "Role playing" -- you can decide, how your character should be and play it as you think and see how your personal decisions work out. A truly unique experience.

As I watch other people's videos of their experiences in this game, I'm amazed at how different their playthrough has been from mine. When I do another playthrough, I'm certain it's going to be different and fresh. This game is special. It will be cherished for decades to come. Can't wait to see what Larian is going to do next.

Last night I was slinking around the goblin camp looking for a misplaced Druid. I saw some bars in a pit. That looks promising I thought and jumped in. No Druid; spiders! Hmm… can’t jump out. This can’t be good. Ended up making friends of the crawlers and then found an entrance to a very interesting place. And *then* found another place that seemed like a bad idea to jump. So I jumped and found a lovely item on a lonely skeleton. I was rewarded for pursuing three sketchy ideas. It is a fabulous game with amazing depth.

I have 162hrs on PC and 46hrs on PS5, I can't remember the time a game made me feel like this, so incredibly excited to jump into this world, it's made me feel like a kid again, when I got my first console with a bunch of new adventures ahead.

It’s that sense of verisimilitude- that you ARE a daring adventurer, travelling with your friends in a vast world - that truly sets Baldur’s Gate 3 apart. Amazing, amazing game!

I didn’t plan on purchasing this game. But got the deluxe and early access on PS5. I work a full time job and do a side hustle in a cover band. All this to say this game has given me the gift of nostalgia. I’m suddenly reminded of the times before money, bills, staying up till 6am playing games or drawing. It just makes me feel like I’ve gotten a piece of childhood back. Subscribed! This was presented beautifully!

The biggest thing for me is the companions. These companions are just so good. I care about all of them, though the one thorn in my side to everything now lies dead in Act 2. I feel so many things about them, as if they are friends, from disappointment at things they do or say, to happiness when they overcome something. To me, that is the most fulfilling thing about this game. I just did the final quest for one of my companions in Act 3, and it was absolutely remarkable. All of the actors just nailed it, absolutely. If I can get teary about an emotional scene in a game, I count that as money well spent.

More than anything, BG3 is a love letter from Larian to the fans. This was a passion project done right. The thought and effort they put into this game is incredible. Larain created something truly magical, truly special.

The Mass Effect trilogy are the only games that I can say have a similar level of companion/character depth, voice acting, and companion role-play. Karlach's ending is one of the few that made me feel emotions on a level of Mordin's death or choosing the Geth over Tali, or betraying Wrex with the genophage (not that I purposefully did all those, but if you see the way they react it will kill you inside, it's that good). There are no other games outside of Baldur's Gate and Mass Effect that made me feel so connected to my companions as if they were real-life friends. I am so thankful for Larian for giving me that feeling in a game again. Truly the best game released in the last 10 years, since The Witcher 3 probably and that was also only a AA studio at the time as well.

When your creativity asks yourself "can I do this?" Larian says "yes." That's the real love letter to us.

Favourite combat moment was against the goblin chief in the camp, where he has 6 or 8 goblins standing around in front of him just before a pit with spiders in it. Karlach and Lae'zel just proceed to chug a haste potion each and pick up and throw two goblins each into the pit, followed by pushing two more on their bonus action... Spiders kill them easily on top of their fall damage. By the time it was the boss turn he was alone and a joke... lol Yes BTW, you can pick up enemies and throw them, or use them as a melee weapon against another enemy if you have the strength... It's amazing. Nothing funnier than Karlach beating the shit out of a goblin using another goblin...

Background. I am an older person. I have been playing games since they were words on the screen hooked to a mainframe. I am a role player and have role played since the white box of the original D&D. I have moved on to make my own RPG but every new edition of D&D I go back and try it anew. I have played every style and genre of RPG tabletop and video game. I was a huge fan of Baldur's Gate I and II. Baldur's gate III surpasses all video games. It rivals what happens in TT RPGs when emergent game play allows for things no one thought of. While I still prefer TT RPGS over video games, Baldur's Gate III is the best RPG experience on the computer ever. It isn't the gold standard. It is a new standard of what is possible. Play it. Live it. Enjoy it.

The passion put in this game is what makes it so great. It’s not a product, it’s not a game. It’s a work of art

Well said. I truly believe this game is a classic and will be talked about in 20 years just as we talk about BG1 and 2 today.

Last time I fell in love with a game that much was 19 years ago, WoW...I never thought that I'd like round based games, I always said "nah that's not for me the last couple of years" and now I'm close to 260h into the game and it's the most magical experience I've had in years. I have multiple games at the same time running, because there's so much to try out such a magical game and I'm glad we're here to be able to play it.

12:00 Absolutely obsessed with this game and I agree. I'm a hoarder- in my first playthrough, I grabbed every ingredient I saw, extracted ingredients, made potions, aaaand then didn't use them. Unrelated, but this game has also made me so, so excited to finally try tabletop D&D with friends in the future.

Larian reminds me of how Bioware used to be. Hell Bioware made BG2 if I remember correctly. It reminded me why I love gaming. I’ve put more hours in this game recently than I have in a long time. Not since the Mass Effect Trilogy originally came out. So thank you Larian for being the fresh air many of us needed.

The ‘characterization’ in BG3 is so phenomenal. The graphics don’t have to be top tier when so much intrigue exists. None of the side characters feel stiff or phoned in. I have been curious about certain quests, and any time I look for context clues about how or why a situation is the way it is, I’m never disappointed by what I find. It’s honestly amazing that this game exists as it is. I read the comments, people saying they are 200 hours in and not close to done. I’m in that same boat. I was a part of EA, and still can’t believe how much content is inside this world. I have like 170hrs in, still on my ‘good’ play through…I’m so excited to see how things go when I play evil. I can see how differently things could go, my curiosity almost made me start a fresh play through before I even get to the end of my first

I agree fully with this review. I haven't been this engaged with a game in over a decade! I'm 60 hours in and still in act 2. I want to go everywhere and do everything and feel rewarded for doing this. It's not that the main story isn't drawing me in, I want to move forward. It's just that everything else feels like it is contributing towards that total story and I don't want to miss any. Great job Larian. I'm a fan now

This game has quickly become my favourite game. I am currently on my second play through (a total of 172 hrs between the two) and I am planning at least 2 more. This is probably the best game I’ve ever played. The writing is amazing. You actually care about the others in your party some you like and some you don’t like. But even the ones you don’t like you still care about and they are so well written. Like I personally don’t like lae’zel or Astarion. But I am also super invested in their stories (I killed astarion, and missed Lae’zel in my first play through). The game has it’s issues. But nothing is ever perfect. This is just a good game.

What sold me this game was when my friend said this was along the vein of dragon age: origin. And oh boy it did that and more, I honestly love the feeling of adventure. What's more is that even before finishing my first playthrough, I'm already thinking "maybe I'll be a bard in my next playthrough to deal with this situation". It really is a labor of love from the devs, hope they can iron out more of the act 3 bugs.

I haven't felt this much joy and love for a game, since the Ultima series. I so agree with you about this game. It's beyond special or well done. It is an amazing experience!

One thing I’d love to see in dialogue is the ability to consult team members when making decisions, since there is a correlation in some options to what someone might approve or disapprove of. I think that would add quite a bit to the already awesome dialogue trees

Environmental story-telling has really been under utilized since "open world" games have become so ubiquitous. I like open world, but a meaningful open world. I felt the Witcher 3 did that well too (one of my other faves). Where you would go across an area, and old battlefield where corpse eaters were now inhabiting, or a road with people hanging from trees as a message... it was sad to see, but it told a story of a land ravaged by war. I am only in Act 1 of BG3 (PS5) and it is so dense, I love going up the risen road or mountain pass and finding caravans ransacked, following the blood and bodies to nearby gnolls. It illustrates what the tieflings fear in leaving the grove... the roads are dangerous. There are many signs of this... I love environments where thought was put into it, it's not just an open map to go from point A to point B. It's Faerun. It's a living world, where things occur whether you involve yourself or not. It feels alive and real, despite being fantasy. You don't feel like you are important just because you are the player. You feel like a cog in the gears of their world... albeit a big and powerful one... but still only a piece of the greater puzzle. It's a unique experience in gaming, and truly enriching!

It's so true what u said about doing other stuff while playing other games. I'm like that too, bg3 is the first game I can recall that did this to me, that made me want to play it without any other distractions, without listening to music on spotify and etc. It really is something special

Someone that truly understands how I feel about BG3, I can't get enough of it. I'm at work and I can't wait to get home to play the game with my friend.

I can safely say this is my favourite game of all time. Before that it was Skyrim, so goes to show how LONG it's been. I'm a huge D&D nerd so to have a faithful experience encapsulated into a game with epic graphics, scale, writing, music... ah. Honestly, life has been pretty hard the last few years. But this game has helped me capture true joy again.

Thank you for this review. Your comment at the end, about how this game has inspired you to bring more to what you do - I feel the same way. My GMing has already felt more dynamic and confident thanks to the inspiration from BG3's writing, acting, and production. There are so many layers to this, and it speaks volumes about the quality of the writing, acting, and animation that came together to make such an amazing experience that touches so many of us.

A great video essay here, this needs to be a TED Talk, your love and enthusiasm shows. I have started playing BG3 last weekend on PS5 after playing a lot of action focussewd games in recent times, so it is a real change of pace. I am slowly warming to it as I learn the controls and meander around the map finding all sorts of strange and random nooks and crannies to invesitage, and then die horribly in. The Matriach Phase Spider was a surprise I did not need. I have barely scratched the surface of the game, and can see that it's depth is almost endless. Also, ha! I started my first playthrough is with a Monk - he seems ok so far... time will tell.

I haven't felt so genuinely obsessed with a game to this extent - Minimal sleep for weeks now and keep restarting to try different builds. Modding will be wild too - can't wait to see how it grows

I’ve lost that feeling you’re describing with games and you absolutely sold me on this game. Thank you for the review.

Even though BG3 isnt following BG2 and BG1 the way I expected, the new path they took and the way the created the game was awesome.

This video is amazing, you singlehandedly convinced me to delve deep into everything Baldur's Gate 3, thank you! Your passion for it all is infectious, I'm looking forward to more videos from you!

This is the first ever game where I felt connected to the story so immersive. I always try to tag along with the storylines of other games but never got grafted in because with this game "Choices" matter! There was a test I had taken online which gives you the best choice of character to create and usually I would choose something that seemed the coolest but personality wise this test said a Cleric would fit my personality so thats what I chose. The strategy that goes into the combat and the decision making that has to be made on your part keeps me engaged to find out what would happen next due to my personality choices is phenomenal. I was on the edge of buying this game because turn base I love playing because I loved Xcom2 but story driven games don't intrigue me that much because I get bored easily and I'm more of a fast paced type of gamer but with this being such an immersive experience it has kept me fascinated on what could happen next. As far as I know this game has set the bar high for rpg's and thats a good thing because now developers have to get on there J.O.B aka S.H.I.T. This game is a must buy for any true gamer!

wow, got first! thanks, Legendary Drops...love your content. Edit: Nah, you're spot on over the starfield dialogue! I tried watching some of the videos up of the playthroughs and I was sitting there with a grimace on my face.....it left a bad taste!

I've been in a dissapointment state with games for the last 5 or 6 years. I bought Diablo 4 and haven't been able to finish it because I get soooo bored after just 20 minutes playing. I never heard about Baldur's Gate until a couple of weeks before release so I started looking for gameplays and man, since launch this game is the only thing I play and think about. It's so amazing how a game can bring you back the joy for videogames. I finished the game and now I'm in a second playthrough with a couple of mods on it and I feel like I'm playing for the first time again, feeling great to know that after I finish this one I'm gonna have another one with the same feeling because new mods will be avaible and there are new choices to make or even secrets to be discovered. Thank God for Larian doing this with love. Thank you for your content.

Luke, your writing is amazing! I love your content. I am also a casual gamer. I also try to "multi-task" while gaming, but the immersion in Baldur's Gate 3 makes that difficult. The facial mocap on this game adds so much to the immersion. I am generally a "1-and-done" gamer and rarely see value in replaying a game or new game+. However, I feel I may replay BG3 a few times, just to see how the game reacts to different character types and the different ways I tackle each encounter.

The thing that I personally find the biggest upside about BG3 is that.... for once, I am not putting a video on in the background to listen to while I play for fear of missing something important.

Dude, you are seriously good at these videos, talking seriously but objectively. The gaming world needs more like you, keep it up! And about BG3, I’m just 15 hours in (PS5) and this is just so freaking fun.

I love your videos brother and watch every one you put out. Please keep making great content and once the BG3 train slows down, I’d love to explore other CRPG’s you have enjoyed.

I’m glad you mentioned sound, music, and especially Alfira. That has been one of the highlights of the game for me so far. I was smiling through that whole scene

First game in decades where I actually sat through the cutscenes and dialogue. So insane

I'm very glad to see such a positive reception of Baldur's Gate 3. I have been immersed in this setting for two decades, both from numerous Forgotten Realms novels and from BG1-2 and a few other games. I hope that those who have felt the immersive power of BG3 will have the courage to play those older games (if they have not already), because Larian got their inspiration from somewhere. The mechanics, ruleset, and experience are different, and it means there will be a bit of a learning curve (as there is with just about any game). If folks can brave those waters though, they'll be rewarded with at least one more game (Baldur' Gate 2) with the same incredible depth of characters, writing, dialogue, and story that they've fallen in love with in BG3. Indeed, you'll even see some faces you recognize.

This is a game to savor and indulge for years to come! The voice acting and stories are so phenomenal I’ll never get bored of them. Especially the narrator. Omg, I want Millie to narrate my everyday life. I didn’t realize until after watching your video, but I really enjoy being a part of this collective story, where it’s not just about my character. It feels like … having friends. Larion is an international treasure. Hope they never change.

Good video. It feels good to find someone else who has experienced this game in the same depth that I have. And I'm very happy to see Larian achieve that high status in the industry that he deserved so long ago. For God's sake, just think about the future Larian games we'll have in the next few years... Great review! It touched my heart, which is where Baldur's is located.

That is a great intro, and i 100% can relate to that. For me it was more than just one game tho. Like Sim city 3 and 4, Ratchet and clank on ps2, ssx3, final fantasy 7 and 9, and world of warcraft. I could get so lost in those games. Bu after that not so much. In Baldurs gate 3 I can get lost, I can get that same feelin, and it is amazing

I have been a gamer since 1979 and I'm proud of it. Many games I've played just came and went. Few left memories. The first 3D FPS that came out (cannot remember it's name) just sticks in my mind, I remember the gameplay like I played it last month. Unreal when FPS games were anything but real world like, had you walk up a slope and at the very top you were driven to look to the right and be amazed at the most realistic and beautiful waterfall ever. And now Baldur's Gate when I went to unlock the lock that held a prisoner up and instead of showing him they switched the camera around and as his body fell everyone in the party followed him with their head to the ground. The love and passion put into this game will be something to make it stay around for a long time.

I feel like I just sat down and poured over my love for a game with a good friend. Wonderful video, I'm very happy to have found you. :D

This was a Loveletter and i am so dammit happy for Larian and this brilliant Team who bring this Game to Life,that they get all that Love back they put in BG3. And BTW,not 1 stupid Sidequest like "kill 10 Rats"or long Ways to hand in Quests to make the Game "longer"

You were talking about the game feeling like 'us' instead of just 'you.' It's true and I do like having the other characters get into conversation. I try to roleplay as those characters, say what they would say rather than what my avatar would say, and that sometimes gets me in trouble. The only problem with that I find, is if I say something rude as Astarion, the other characters will disapprove of me rather than the character. In other words they'll react like I said those words or made that decision and not the character I was playing as. It makes me not want to have conversations as different characters and just stick with my avatar. For example, just recently, I made some decisions as Astarion that Astarion got mad at my avatar for making. I'm like, but I didn't make those decisions, you did lol

I think they know about it and the fixed in in patch 2 because I am running out of camp supplies and not alot of potions in the wild. I had to not rely on supplies in chests and boxes, and had to look for the minute items like wine bottles, fruits, and also started making potions because they no loner sell them in camps

I felt the same as Ian in EverQuest 1999 and the early 2000s. I walked into a new area, and the words "What is THAT?!" come flying out of my mouth. And it wasn't just the land. *Take this example:* You play a druid. Maybe a Halfling. Your adventures take you to Freeport. The guards like you and everything's chill. You gain a few levels and you can turn into a wolf. Because you move much faster, you stay in wolf-form all the time. Your adventures take you to Freeport--where the guards f*cking KILL YOUR ASS. Why? Because you're a !@%$! wolf! What else would they do? "Oh, we have women and children in this city. Let's allow this wild wolf to run in. NOT!" Compare that to Age of Conan, which is graphically a far superior game. You play a Stygian Necromancer. You go to Conarch, a Cimmerian village. Cimmerians are northern barbarians who fear magic and strangers. You show up there with a small army of zombies following you, and the guards...don't react. "Right, in you go. Our women and children love the recently deceased." If EQ designers had made AoC, you would not have set one black toenail in Conarch Village! I have never felt so afraid in an MMO as with EQ back in the day, because it was *hard* and death sucked! No maps except what you printed out. No "!" above a quest-giver's head. Game Designers today are so afraid of losing subscribers they make their game as easy as possible. Do a 5-minute quest, and get a full epic suit of armor. Two of the greatest moments I had in EQ was getting the materials for J-boots for my necro, and my bard's epic instrument. To this day, the music crushes me.

First time I've came across this channel. Feels so detailed and professional. Will definitely check out more.

I have spent 94 hours on 3 play through a and I’m not out of act 1. I haven’t had a game that made me want to start over and try new things since Knights of the old republic. This is a love letter to games of the past. It deserves to be played by all

at about 21 mins into the video what you were saying made me ask: What would could Cyberpunk have been with a studio like Larian behind it and a few years of beta to iterate refine and fix their ideas. It might well have been the magnum opus we all thought it would be. Love the vid and man its cool to see how much you love this game. instant like and sub.

BG3 has awakened in me a desire to play turn-based games. I always wanted to play the old final fantasies but could never get into them but now I definitely feel like I could and that I would enjoy them because BG3 has made me enjoy the slower methodical game play.

Idk why but that intro pulled on the heartstrings a bit 😢 ocarina of time was my second story game I ever played through start to finish. As a kid it literally felt like it was the perfect game made for me. The memories that game brought to me are irreplaceable.

I was having so much fun with my friend in this game that I legitimately cried tears of joy. It's been so long since a game has given me such a pure sense of joy and fun. I felt like a kid again and it brought back memories of the days when me and my brothers would play fun, complete games together without a care in the world. BG3 will hold a special place in my heart for years to come.

The point you're making about the side quest is, in my opinion, by far the biggest win of this game: Side quests in Baldur's Gate 3 don't feel like side quests. Larian somehow managed to make them feel just as important as the main quest. I can't really describe in words how strange and unusual but absolutely beautiful this is. The game is amazing. 100/10

Very true about how special it is that each companion has a story that is maybe even more important than your own and is extremely deep and layered. Thanks for the raw (well delivered) review that really gets at the feelings this game elicits.

I love so much about this game. I can’t bring myself to fight the final boss because i don’t want the adventure to end. I can play through again and I know it will have many differences from my first play through, but the wonder of playing through the first time and realizing just how involved I could get into the world can’t be replicated…

You have done a fantastic job in doing the impossible. Capturing the essence of this game, something I have found difficulty with when trying to explain to people just how fantastic this game is. Well done!

i have started watching you a few weeks ago and you really rose to be one of my favourite creators on here. definetely passed the vibe check. keep it up and yeah, as musician myself i was dying with every new song that Larian threw my way (Raphaels Final Act T.T) Edit: it really surprised me that your companions in this game actually go through an arc and are more or less completely different at the end of act 3. in most games (starfield) your companions start out as a blank slate and end up as a blank slate Edit2: yeah monks stare but their stare alone can kill the endboss :D most busted class and i love it

Really enjoy hearing your perspective on games. Keep up the great work 🤙

It's just the best. For a game so outside of my realm, it captured me. Not immediately, but after a few encounters and realizing what all this game was doing and pulling off, simply makes it one of my most favorite experiences in any genre. And, I love it too. 😀

Easily in my personal top five games of all times, with titles like Dragon Age Origin, Asheron's Call, and Cyberpunk 2077 (ignoring release/bug issues). The game is basically an open canvas to do whatever you want and it is refreshing to have that while still getting excellent companions to interact with. Similar to how it was in DA:O, I would find myself stopping to just listen to what NPC or companions were saying about random things in the world. It is immersive and it just works.

i love all the rpgs you mentioned to death but the only game that ever reached this level for me so far was oddly enough... life is strange. it came to me in a very vulnerable time in my life and really touched me. baldurs gate 3 might become such a game for me again to the music part... i totally agree, its a masterpiece. i particularly like the balduran song and how much context it gives you technically but you only notice after you found out...

I'm on my 4th playthrough (170h together) and I still get surprised by new things/locations/NPCs I find. Also old stuff still surprises me, like the first meeting with Raphael being in 3 completely different areas and timing (broken bridge south of the gnolls, my camp and inside the goblin fortress)

The design goals of 5th edition D&D was for players to never get magical items. That may be why Baulder's Gate 3 did not include the need for potions, or elixirs either. Those are found in the Dungeon Master's Guide under magical items.

You could not have said it better, and I totally agree with you. Just started playing on PS5, and this is the first game in AGES that is stirring emotions in me. The pure dedication really shines through, and makes it more than a game, its a LIFESTYLE! Brilliant review. 👌

wholeheartedly have been enjoying this game. One of the things I love is that there arent 'rules' in some ways. If you can think of something completely daft (e.g a combat strategy) then give it a crack as it probably works. Throwing goblins - check, improvised detonation packs stock full of smokepowder and alchemist fire - yep that works. engaging someone in dialogue whilst nicking the stuff they are trying to sell you - OH YES. Stacking crates to get over walls - DONE. It is in some ways forcing me to dream up dumb stuff to try. It seems the developers are also onto some of these things since the dialogue responses you get when you try some of them is also pretty funny. Seriously such a good game.

Speak on it! Allowing room for proximity and my bias, as ive played ttrpg since AD&D. this game is gripping, captivating, intriguing. because its so encapsulates the "if you think it you can (probably) do it vibe. I find myself half scared im going to push a main character off an edge, or miss an interaction because i poisoned the wrong camp. It truly hands the character the reigns. it captures all the allure of a D&D session with the task of getting the stars to align with your friends who now kids ands high demand careers etc. just as you mentioned, theres a "care" for what happens to your company, its not " i dont care if you dont like it im the hero" theres actual emotional investment. I have a hard time shutting up about this game, but i have to cause Ive got a city to save LMAO real talk, you hit the nail on the head. it just is, That. Good. I think the "anti crowd" was largely just not willing to give it a chance. and many are just antithetical, and oppose things people stan for, to be objectively defiant. at any rate, you know i love ya mayn, keep that authenticity. this is a uniquely vulnerable video in a sea of swipe righters with a 30 second attention span, and frankly refreshing. you gain inspiration and advantage. may the moon maiden light your way

BD3 feels like the most amazing dream ever; you were so happy, surrounded by interesting people, people who care about and love you. You experienced so much together. Then your heart aches when you realize it was just a dream. It's almost impossible to go back to sleep and have that dream again, but at least with Baldur's Gate 3 I can just turn up PC and get right back at it! No, I haven't eaten or slept much in two weeks. Yes, my eyes are permanently red now 😭💀

I know the feeling you describe for the first RPG game that really gets you. For me it was Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger on SNES. Obviously i am a tad older, but it’s exactly the feeling of exploring and Story focused gaming as well as building your party up.

I totally agree. This game has brought me so much joy. I’ve been slowly playing it in fear of it ending. Then I realize, it doesn’t matter. Once I re-roll there’s more to be had.

There are also the fact that even when you "fail" a dialogue skill check you still advance the story somehow, be it another character intervention, a new dialogue option or by just fighting and I agree 90% of the quests are related to the main scenario, I think in Act 1 the Gnolls quests is the only one that is not related to Main, in Act 2 is the vengeance/revenge guy that summon the woman spirit and in Act 3 the Artist and probably the Hag that you meet in Baldur's Gate.

I really enjoy how the character relationships evolve. It isn't just "go here and save X character because it is the right thing to do". Maybe they did something nice for you, maybe you know how much they mean to other characters, or maybe they were a jerk so you let them die. Very few characters feel like place holders because you learn very quickly these random NPCs could be far more important than anticipated. There is an interconnectedness and intentional design that really shows the level of love and care that went into it. My husband doesn't enjoy the style of turn based combat games, but he has been watching me play BG3 and is just as invested in the story as I am. He has been so adamant that some story beats happen for role playing purposes and it amuses me because he rarely shows this sort of passion for story line. I already know of several different runs and playstyles I would like to try. I want to create a different main character with their own vibe to romance each available character. I have been doing nothing but getting off work, playing this game, and going to bed too late since I got it. I feel kinda like a teenager again. 😅

Having work all night tonight i stayed up all night to finish my first full playthrough knowing how close i must be. Coming from karlachs huge breakdown and as my pick in a partner, to some of the hardest choices woth real consequences. Sometimes it was so difficult it would take me minutes to decide. Finishing it finally at 9am the following morning and falling asleep on sofa after reminded me truly my love for gaming rekindled when it was fading away after 30 years. When the ending happened i almost cried from the sadness/bittersweet/happy moments and not giving in to the temptation for the easy way out. I tried not to save scum as much as possible for the most natural 1st playthrough and legit had a though provoking experience. My mrs plays it too and she is near end of act 2. Not wanting to spoil things or what choices i made and sometimes the game pushes it or occasionally things go wrong and people died in quests who i wanted to live etc. BG3 despite its performance issues in act 3 and bugginess never took me out of immersion outside of 1 crash. I am so glad I decided to push through the initial PC hotkey bar and getting overwhelmed of the choices and never been a fan of MMO looks and i wanted to use controller. Something that is doable if just a little more clunky and the UI issues were there in glitches for the wheels. HOWEVER patches can and likely will sort most of any issue i had judging by the companies actions and patches. BG3 if you can get into the genre or like RPGs etc. Is incredible. I recommend doing multiplayer at some point, but maybe not the first time to really have the weight of the choices as yours. The game is incredible and practically every quest ive talked about to people intrigues or amazes. I know I rambled here. It's quite possibly my favourite game of all time, and i never expected that even seeing videos of the game leading to its release. It single handedly made me excited for gaming once more in a sea of modern BS.

Wonderful sentiment. Thank you for sharing! I sat out of Early Access but *could not wait* to pick it up on launch so I can experience all three Acts

Spot on in every way. This game grabbed me and pulled me in to the point that I felt I was part of it, not just playing it. How they implemented the characters and their stories is just incredible. I have spent the day playing Starfield and although I am enjoying that game, it is light years away from what BG3 has done.

Playing Baldur's Gate 3 now makes me feel like I did playing Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect over a decade ago. I remember rushing home so I could play them, spending weekends and holiday breaks in my room obsessing over them, falling in love with the worlds and rich lore and the amazing characters. I feel that its a high that I've spent so much time chasing, but no games could ever scratch that itch. Just like back then, I look forward to getting home from work every day and playing Baldur's Gate. I haven't really gone out on my weekends because I want to keep playing and exploring. I'm playing one character and still thinking about all the other character and class possibilities and dialogue permutations that I'm missing out on.

You’re opening monologue reminds me of my days playing EverQuest back in the early 2000’s. Those where the days my friend.

It's a game people are talking about. When did you really talk about a game and mechanics, music and so on. It's no game... its art. The music, the style, the gameplay, the story, and for sure the way it's presented by the wonderful artists.

This is the review that I keep coming back to in order to sell someone on it. Because it captures the amazement I personally feel while playing it, and want to express to others. Thank you for your passionate, heartfelt review and the love for storytelling.

I'm a seasoned gamer, my first computer based games were the "Pool of Radiance" series put out by SSI in the late 80's and my first truly online game you could play with other humans was Quake - I've played so many different kind of games from FPS's, RTS's, RPG's and MMO's - I had never really gotten into turn based games much - until now! BG3 is hands down the best CRPG I've ever played and one of my top games of all time. Larian has turned me onto to a whole new mode of gameplay I didn't know I would love - This game has become an instant classic and has quickly become a touchstone of what gaming could and should be.

Excellent points! Completely agree with the feelings and the attention to detail! On my first play-through I went in completely blind playing dark urge and wanted to romance only Karlach. Well, I did a few things out of order, because I simply didn't know, so I couldn't romance Karlach at all. Then some of my party members died midway. It sucked, but I wanted to see the end of the story so I deliberately skipped Lae'zel content (like the whole Monastery section) and a lot of missions in act 3. I played during the weekend non-stop, 4 hours of sleep so that I can see what happens next and boi it was worth it. Man I am never going to forget that first play-through trusting the dice and doing what my character thought was right. Now on my second play-through I am doing the exact same things fixing the mistakes I did on the first one and exploring the story of Lae'zel. Romanced Karlach (finally!) and I know exactly what ending I will make happen. Still not save scumming, just built my character now knowing how important talking can be. Gonna fix everything that bothered me from the first run, but I will never forget that first run. How chaotic it was and I somehow felt compelled to think, not as an omnipotent player outside the game world, but as my character would and how it would react. Third play-through will be like that again. Let the chaos come!

I just found your channel, but this Hands Down is by far the best review I've seen. Bravo. This game is something so special that we get to hang onto via memories and play until we're all grey haired(please Larian release something new before then) this game should be celebrated and shared with everyone. I'm excited to hear more about your journey with BG3. Enjoy your success with your recent videos and most importantly please continue to make content. 🍻

I play Ranger and I was able to use my Raven twice to interact and help and complete quests. This game truly embraces creative freedom.

I whole heatedly agree about the music. There is a song that plays when you start a fight with an optional boss that I just love plus the boss fight is just a lot of fun.

My first playthrough was with 2 other friends and I'm so glad we were able to play this way. It was hard to find so much time (95ish hours total) but we still managed to 100% everything. Did every side quest, every companion quest, and got the best secret outcomes that I won't dare spoil. My biggest secret tip is to embrace failure, some checks you are suppose to fail but you won't know. Anything important you mess up on I promise there is another way out.

I've started multiple playthroughs, one with my wife, one with my father-in-law, one with some buds, and one solo. I haven't gotten out of Act 1 in any of them yet, and not a single playthrough has been the same. And we're talking fairly drastic differences both in gameplay, and in terms of how events played out. My wife and I ended up assassinating various character in the goblin castle and it was really fun and challenging. With my father-in-law we ended up double-crossing the bad guys, and having a massive epic battle back at the druid grove. Because of that one of the factions became the "real heroes" as they helped fight off the goblin horde. Just an insane level of detail when it comes to storytelling in a video-game, my jaw drops on the regular. In my solo game I ended up stealthing in and finding my way into the prison. From there I found a secret path which led to where they were storing one of the bad guys spider pets. With a lucky Animal Handling check I actually released the spiders into the castle and found yet another drastically different approach to the whole thing. I'm certain there are many others still - and this is just one part of Act 1. They not only made an awesome video game, but they clearly understand what D&D is at its core and put so much love and attention into transcribing that TTRPG experience into BG3. As a huge fan of D&D, a DM myself, and long-time BG player (played the first one when it was brand new and ran through BG2 multiple times), they not only lived up to the Baldur's Gate franchise but truly brought it into a new era of gaming and surpassed all expectations I had. GotY without a doubt.

Thank you for your videos. I hope Larian sees this. And also some other developers and publishers. I am still "only" in act 1, but I enjoy every minute. It really delivers on so many levels. To me game of the year. I expected a more transparent display of the rules, which is where Pathfinder WotR delivers more, but the main part is the story, world, story telling and atmosphere. Here probably no other game of the past 10 years delivers as well as Baldurs Gate 3. The companions feel alive. They have even more their own motivations than in e.g. Me2, where the companions and voice acting also impressed and immersed me. For me Larian could make KotOR 3 now... Just as an idea. 😎