Baldur’s Gate 3

Turns out i like turn-based RPGs. Turns out I like DnD based games. When I first saw this game, I didn't have a single bit of interest. I gave it shot, and now I'm completely enthralled. This review is for the skeptical people who wouldn't normally play these types of games. It's a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you're unfamiliar with DnD! It's worth the learning curve!

This game returned a piece of me that I hadn't felt in a long time. It gave me so much comfort. When I'm sad I'll load this game up and lose myself in it. I could sit there for days, play it, and not leave my room. It's given me a beautiful story full of characters written with so much care and detail, characters who have felt the same things I have, love, joy, abandonment, betrayal, hope, and so on. The endless possibilities, finding new things every run, seeing how beautiful this game really is. I've never felt so connected to any game before, and I don't think I ever will.

I bought Baldur's Gate 3, like many others, caught up in the wave of hype surrounding its release. At first, it didn't grab me.
With no prior experience playing Dungeons & Dragons and not being a fan of turn-based combat, I struggled to connect with the game. The mechanics felt foreign, and I found myself drifting away to play other titles.
But something about Baldur's Gate 3 kept pulling me back. I gave it another shot, and then, it clicked.
I started to enjoy the combat, figuring out how to use the environment to my advantage, and I realized just how much influence you can wield outside of battle. Conversations, choices, and strategies became just as important as swinging a sword or casting a spell.
I became invested in the characters, more than I have in any other game. Well, most of them — I don't like Wyll. His story just felt underwhelming compared to the others. Each companion had depth and complexity that kept me hooked. The freedom the game offers is truly unparalleled. I could shape my own story in ways that felt meaningful. I found myself losing track of time, wanting to know what would happen next.
Fast forward 150 hours(!), and I’ve just finished my first playthrough. Without a doubt, this is the best game I’ve ever played, and I’ve played a LOT of games. The sense of emptiness it leaves behind is almost painful. All I want to do is dive back in and start a new run. (Taking suggestions on what character or class to try next)
In summary, yes, I wholeheartedly recommend Baldur's Gate 3. It’s an unforgettable experience that sets a new standard for storytelling and player agency in games.
PS: Be warned, though; after playing Baldur's Gate 3, other games may feel linear and their characters shallow in comparison.

As someone who has never played a game like this before, I debated a long time before forking over the cash for it. I know zero about D&D, have never played any kind of strategy game before.
I haven't finished the game yet, but can tell you without a doubt it's one of my favorite games I've ever played. It's story-rich, the gameplay is incredibly fun, the characters are very well written. It's a 10/10 for me! Best game ever!

As someone in my mid-30s with three decades of video game experience, I write these overviews with a focus on how games fit into an adult life full of responsibilities. The criteria are deliberately subjective - check out my other reviews to see what resonates with you. These ratings are practical descriptions, not meant to be converted into numbers.
━━Resonance Score━━
☑️ Left a lasting mark
⬜ Will definitely revisit
⬜ One and done
⬜ Didn't finish
⬜ Wouldn't purchase again
━━Breakdown━━
Initial Feel
☑️ Instantly hooked
⬜ Grew on me
⬜ Took time to appreciate
⬜ Never quite clicked
Mechanical Flow
⬜ Perfectly polished
☑️ Satisfyingly smooth
⬜ Takes getting used to
⬜ Never feels quite right
⬜ Actively frustrating
Schedule Flexibility
⬜ Perfect for micro-sessions
⬜ Easy to pause and resume
☑️ Needs dedicated time blocks
⬜ Requires long uninterrupted sessions
Hook Level
☑️ "Where did my evening go?"
⬜ Regularly loses track of time
⬜ Balanced engagement
⬜ Natural stopping points
⬜ Easy to walk away
Mental Engagement Required
⬜ Podcast Game
⬜ Split Focus Friendly
☑️ Active Focus
⬜ Full Concentration needed
Learning Curve
⬜ Intuitive flow
☑️ Rewarding challenge
⬜ Steep but fair
⬜ Frustratingly complex
Break-Friendly Design
⬜ Easy to remember mechanics
☑️ Needs refresher time
⬜ Steep re-learning curve
⬜ Like starting from scratch
Aesthetic Impact
☑️ Sensory Masterpiece
⬜ Artistically Cohesive
⬜ Distinctively Styled
⬜ Mismatched Elements
⬜ Notably Lacking

BG3 is one of those genre defining games that comes along every console cycle. With a rich story, infinite replay ability, and a game play system that encourages experimentation, there is always something new to discover. The map size across the first act is enormous, and while the maps do tend to shrink in subsequent acts, they do not lack for content. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that Larian isn't making a follow up or releasing any DLC. CRPGs may not be for everyone, but this is a great starting point to anyone curious about CRPGs or even DND 5e rules.
---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS
---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't
---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf
---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma
---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☑ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer
---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☑ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data
---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls
---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☑ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding
---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☑ It'll replace your life
---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☑ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond
---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money
---{ Bugs }---
☐ Never heard of
☑ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

A simply must play experience, one of the greatest video games and a work of art.
I can think of no greater compliment than that my life would be worse off without this game.
Thank you Larian Studios.