Baldur's Gate 3

[DKDetective]

This is totally my type of game. I need to sort out all my outside work work so I can focus on this and Starfield.

I feel like 2023 is going to be an upside down version of 2002 where Bethesda's Morrowind was a game changing breath of fresh air compared to Bioware's ably made, but uninspired DnD licence party based RPG, Neverwinter Nights, that didn't realize innovate over what they did with the first two Baldur's Gate games.

This time Baldur's Gate 3's polish and crazy freedom and creativity is going to crush Bethesda's same old thing approach to Starfield.

 

[Iceman]

I feel like 2023 is going to be an upside down version of 2002 where Bethesda's Morrowind was a game changing breath of fresh air compared to Bioware's ably made, but uninspired DnD licence party based RPG, Neverwinter Nights, that didn't realize innovate over what they did with the first two Baldur's Gate games.

This time Baldur's Gate 3's polish and crazy freedom and creativity is going to crush Bethesda's same old thing approach to Starfield.

Haha, I’m a little more optimistic than you on Starfield after that Direct after the Xbox showcase, but BG3 is blowing away all my expectations, absolute must-play. Larian is a very underrated studio. The level of freedom and number of pathways really is something else and just nice to get all this packaged with such high production standards. I’m so happy the game has had so much care and talent thrown at it.

 

[Gee]

I get the impression that this game in more like the original BG games where you don't keep every possible companion in your camp. I mean there are companions who are much more combative with each other than say the Dragon Age games or other more recent RPGs. Other than missing their content, is there any harm in just dismissing characters you don't like?

I am hoping to do a Good guy playthrough and I feel like keeping Astarion, Lae'Zel, etc. in my party doesn't really fit with what I'm going for with my group.

You can leave the companions at your camp if you want. If you actually want to kick them out permanently, I think you can have that option if it shows up at some specific point.

Spoiler: Astarion

That first night at camp when he wants to bite you, there is the option to kick him out.

Spoiler: Gale

When he first reveals you his *special* condition, you have the option to kick him out and to never return.

I guess depending where you are now in Act I, it's probably too late now. Another alternative would be to get them killed and to never revive them via that old skeleton man.

Haha, I’m a little more optimistic than you on Starfield after that Direct after the Xbox showcase, but BG3 is blowing away all my expectations, absolute must-play. Larian is a very underrated studio. The level of freedom and number of pathways really is something else and just nice to get all this packaged with such high production standards. I’m so happy the game has had so much care and talent thrown at it.

Yep, Larian must be very happy with the success. BG3 is now the 9th game in Steam's history to have the highest concurrent players with 875k (just slightly behind Hogwarts Legacy).

97 on MC and 96 on OC. The PS5 release is in a couple of weeks so hopefully the strong WOM keeps going. A GOTY contender for sure. Oh and no ****ing MTX and no ****ing season pass.

 

[DeadlyWest]

I'm a little overwhelmed currently, but my experience so far can only be summed up with:

It is going to take a while for me to break free of 20 years of CRPG programming and fully engage my creativity, but they seriously brought the pen and paper DnD experience to the digital world. I am stunned.

....okay I've been seeing a lot about this game but

it's WHAT?

I'm buying it right now lmao

 

[DKDetective]

....okay I've been seeing a lot about this game but

it's WHAT?

I'm buying it right now lmao

It's ridiculous how much you can do with the world. Wanna grab 20 box and stack them as steps to get over the castle wall, you can do it! Combat encounters have the freedom and flexibility of one of the recent Hitman games.

Baldur's Gate 3 review
PC Gamer is calling it the pinnacle of the genre and other developers are scared by just how good and polished and imaginative it is that they are trying to explain away why it shouldn't be the new standard:

 

[DKDetective]

@Gee
Baldur's Gate 3's chaotic Dark Urge origin is 'potentially the most heroic playthrough,' says lead writer


Yup, I deleted my character and re-rolled.

 

[DeadlyWest]

It's ridiculous how much you can do with the world. Wanna grab 20 box and stack them as steps to get over the castle wall, you can do it! Combat encounters have the freedom and flexibility of one of the recent Hitman games.

Baldur's Gate 3 review
PC Gamer is calling it the pinnacle of the genre and other developers are scared by just how good and polished and imaginative it is that they are trying to explain away why it shouldn't be the new standard:

As someone who lives and breathes by stealth games, including Hitman

@Gee
Baldur's Gate 3's chaotic Dark Urge origin is 'potentially the most heroic playthrough,' says lead writer


Yup, I deleted my character and re-rolled.

Also this sounds very similar to how I play Mass Effect. I run the "Renegade" background but play super paragon as Shephard's way of making amends for Torfan. It makes the Suicide Mission in ME2 genuinely the greatest "culmination" of this arc I've ever seen. Definitely gonna be doing something similar

 

[Gee]

IGN gave this a 10.

It's ridiculous how much you can do with the world. Wanna grab 20 box and stack them as steps to get over the castle wall, you can do it! Combat encounters have the freedom and flexibility of one of the recent Hitman games.

Yeah the game does have immersive sim elements. I had to stack up some crates to reach and loot a chest. Also as a barb, I love how you can just grab some enemies and throw them off a cliff.

Baldur's Gate 3 review
PC Gamer is calling it the pinnacle of the genre and other developers are scared by just how good and polished and imaginative it is that they are trying to explain away why it shouldn't be the new standard:

I saw that. The discourse is interesting. I recommend watching Jimquisition's recent video on BG3 (lots of swearing so I can't post it here ).

@Gee
Baldur's Gate 3's chaotic Dark Urge origin is 'potentially the most heroic playthrough,' says lead writer


Yup, I deleted my character and re-rolled.

Damn, I'm still in Act 1 and no way I'm gonna re-roll a new character... I can't wait to check out other classes and races, though! And eventually play the Dark Urge origin character.

As someone who lives and breathes by stealth games, including Hitman

Well the rogue class should suit you fine then. The game offers different ways to do things. You could definitely sneak behind a goblin camp through a cracked wall and surprise attack the goblins for a damage bonus.

 

[DeadlyWest]

Damn, I'm still in Act 1 and no way I'm gonna re-roll a new character... I can't wait to check out other classes and races, though! And eventually play the Dark Urge origin character.

Well the rogue class should suit you fine then. The game offers different ways to do things. You could definitely sneak behind a goblin camp through a cracked wall and surprise attack the goblins for a damage bonus.

I actually went for Stealth Monk with Dark Urge! I felt like the melee aspect would play well with the Dark Urge, emphasise the MC's resistance to kill. Going well so far.

I actually didn't need to sneak into the goblin camp, I wound up just using intimidation to get in lmao

My one small complaint so far is that I'm not a big fan of the resting mechanic. Having like two fights as an adventurer and needing to basically call it a day seems a bit...harsh

 

[DeadlyWest]

So uh

beat a boss by literally just shoving them down a hole when they were like 4 levels above me and beat another via 5 person firing squad from the rafters...followed by shoving them off a ledge

This game is ****ing fantastic lmao

 

[DKDetective]

IGN gave this a 10.

Yeah the game does have immersive sim elements. I had to stack up some crates to reach and loot a chest. Also as a barb, I love how you can just grab some enemies and throw them off a cliff.

I saw that. The discourse is interesting. I recommend watching Jimquisition's recent video on BG3 (lots of swearing so I can't post it here ).

Damn, I'm still in Act 1 and no way I'm gonna re-roll a new character... I can't wait to check out other classes and races, though! And eventually play the Dark Urge origin character.

Well the rogue class should suit you fine then. The game offers different ways to do things. You could definitely sneak behind a goblin camp through a cracked wall and surprise attack the goblins for a damage bonus.

I've read PC Gamer since I was a kid in the 90s and I dare say them giving this a 97 is more momentous than a 10 from IGN. IGN has given out a lot of 10s, some of them were arguably bought. PC Gamer has never given out a perfect score and you can count the games that they have given 96-98 to on one hand, stuff like Civilization II, Alpha Centauri, Half-Life 1/2, only the biggest watershed moments of the medium (with the sole error in judgment being the original Crysis).

In fact, given what a big deal their review is, their editer-in-chief has authored editorial letters justifying the review/score and discussing what a big deal this is:

Baldur's Gate 3 is PC Gamer's highest scoring game in 16 years. Here's why
By Tymora, it's time we recognised Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the greatest video game events ever
Like me, as one of the old, old school of PC gamers, they didn't expect Larian to knock it out of the park so well.

 

[DKDetective]

I actually went for Stealth Monk with Dark Urge! I felt like the melee aspect would play well with the Dark Urge, emphasise the MC's resistance to kill. Going well so far.

I actually didn't need to sneak into the goblin camp, I wound up just using intimidation to get in lmao

My one small complaint so far is that I'm not a big fan of the resting mechanic. Having like two fights as an adventurer and needing to basically call it a day seems a bit...harsh

Nice! Sounds a bit Batman-y.

Have you met Alfira and has she joined your camp yet?

 

[DeadlyWest]

Nice! Sounds a bit Batman-y.

Have you met Alfira and has she joined your camp yet?

Haven't met anyone called Alfira yet, just cleared the Goblin Camp and found the Nightsong area underground before heading to bed

Wound up losing an eye but I can now see invisibility so, silver linings

Also yes, of course I'm gonna go full Batman, who do you take me for?

Although honestly I'm kinda playing my character closer to Superman at the minute with the amnesia. I'll let him get full grimdark who just wants to help once the Dark Urge gets a bit more apparent

 

[DeadlyWest]

Nice! Sounds a bit Batman-y.

Have you met Alfira and has she joined your camp yet?

...so yeah I met her

This is about to be the greatest redemption arc of all time

 

[Gee]

Yeah the Alfira encounter was heartfelt even though, as a cold-hearted barb, I told her the lyrics were awful.

I actually went for Stealth Monk with Dark Urge! I felt like the melee aspect would play well with the Dark Urge, emphasise the MC's resistance to kill. Going well so far.

I actually didn't need to sneak into the goblin camp, I wound up just using intimidation to get in lmao

My one small complaint so far is that I'm not a big fan of the resting mechanic. Having like two fights as an adventurer and needing to basically call it a day seems a bit...harsh

Spoiler

Forcing that goblin to eat **** was great.

I think I'll play a monk for my second playthrough. Punching my way through sounds like a lot of fun.

I've read PC Gamer since I was a kid in the 90s and I dare say them giving this a 97 is more momentous than a 10 from IGN. IGN has given out a lot of 10s, some of them were arguably bought. PC Gamer has never given out a perfect score and you can count the games that they have given 96-98 to on one hand, stuff like Civilization II, Alpha Centauri, Half-Life 1/2, only the biggest watershed moments of the medium (with the sole error in judgment being the original Crysis).

It's true IGN has given 10s before but I reckon a 10 from them for this niche genre is quite big. Hopefully the amazing WOM translates over to PS5 players and there will be an overwhelming success there as well.

Wound up losing an eye but I can now see invisibility so, silver linings

Spoiler

Was that with Auntie Ethel? Naive of you to trust an old lady... Heh, I met her during the early access and gave her one of my eyes. On my current playthrough, I'm going in a different path this time though.

 

[DeadlyWest]

Yeah the Alfira encounter was heartfelt even though, as a cold-hearted barb, I told her the lyrics were awful.

uhhhhh yeah I'm almost certain Dark Urge slightly changes how this goes, all I'mma say

Spoiler

Was that with Auntie Ethel? Naive of you to trust an old lady... Heh, I met her during the early access and gave her one of my eyes. On my current playthrough, I'm going in a different path this time though.

Actually no,

Spoiler

The bard you can find in the goblin camp essentially drove an ice pick through my eye trying to get to the worm and popped the eye out, but gave me a prosthetic that essentially forces everyone using invisibility to use a perception check within 9 metres of me. I'll take the upgrade tbh lmao

 

[DKDetective]

Yeah the Alfira encounter was heartfelt even though, as a cold-hearted barb, I told her the lyrics were awful.

Spoiler

Forcing that goblin to eat **** was great.

I think I'll play a monk for my second playthrough. Punching my way through sounds like a lot of fun.

It's true IGN has given 10s before but I reckon a 10 from them for this niche genre is quite big. Hopefully the amazing WOM translates over to PS5 players and there will be an overwhelming success there as well.

Spoiler

Was that with Auntie Ethel? Naive of you to trust an old lady... Heh, I met her during the early access and gave her one of my eyes. On my current playthrough, I'm going in a different path this time though.

uhhhhh yeah I'm almost certain Dark Urge slightly changes how this goes, all I'mma say



Actually no,

Spoiler

The bard you can find in the goblin camp essentially drove an ice pick through my eye trying to get to the worm and popped the eye out, but gave me a prosthetic that essentially forces everyone using invisibility to use a perception check within 9 metres of me. I'll take the upgrade tbh lmao

Yeah, that is not the Alfira encounter to which I was referring.

Yeah, there are some very unique events and content in a Dark Urge playthrough. It really feels like it is the canon playthrough.

I get the impression that the WOM is reaching console gamers. PS5 gamers I think are also really happy to get this before XBox given that they ha e lost all future Bethesda games and Starfield is a Microsoft exclusive next month.

 

[DKDetective]

Was organizing my character's inventory in BG3 and discovered this hilarious surprise when I sorted for "weapons":

Spoiler

 

[Gee]

Was organizing my character's inventory in BG3 and discovered this hilarious surprise when I sorted for "weapons":

Spoiler

View attachment 67446

This one put a huge smile on my face (found in one of the Traveler's Chest at the camp):

Spoiler

Larian has a studio in Quebec City, so it makes sense.

 

[DKDetective]

This one put a huge smile on my face (found in one of the Traveler's Chest at the camp):

Spoiler

Larian has a studio in Quebec City, so it makes sense.

I saw that one! I was like "they have poutine in Belgium?!?" The fact that they have an office in Quebec City makes a lot more sense now. Also, the Canadian connection is another nice link to the original two games given BioWare's fall from grace.

I still can't believe that EA has them turning Dragon Age 4 into a God of War clone. Given EA's relentless chasing of trends, maybe they will direct BioWare to re-tool Dragon Age 4 into a "Baldur's Gate" clone given how much money Larian is making with this one.

 

[DeadlyWest]

So uh, build update
I decided to respec into Strength Monk with tavern brawler (still Shadow Monk with lighter armor, just compensating for my lack of dex with the Gloves of Dexterity)

This build is ****ing insane lmao

(Act 1 Spoilers)

Spoiler

So I'm at the Githyanki Outpost with Lae'Zel, at level 5 and I'm locked in the infirmary. I lockpick the door and come to find like 6-7 Githyanki Soldiers waiting to ambush me on the other side. All having around 50-90 HP.

Here's the issue.

I can do two things (i.e. hits) in my first action. Along with Flurry of Blows for a bonus action, so as long as I can get within range I can hit someone FOUR TIMES per turn. AT LEVEL 5.

I do roughly 10-15 damage per hit.

So just imagine this scene, of this dude clad in a black hood and cape, sprinting out of that infirmary against 7 Githyanki

And he, by all accounts, does the D&D equivalent of this


Literally just this guy beating 7 members of this warrior race purpose bred and raised for combat, who are clad in armor, wielding swords and magic. Through nothing but making them just catch an unholy amount of these hands

It was equally as hilarious as it was genuinely incredible and the fact that this game gave me that moment, completely organically from the build I made is actually unbelievable

 

[DKDetective]

https://www.thegamer.com/bioware-layoffs-baldurs-gate-dragon-age-lukas-kristjanson/

"Stunned to learn BioWare also let go of Lukas Kristjanson," says David Gaider, a former BioWare writer who left in 2016. "We used to call him Old Man Luke and Writer Alpha - there since BG1, the writer behind Minsc and [Mass Effect's] Joker and so many more."

BioWare sacked the lead writer of the original Baldur's Gate, It really, really isn't BioWare anymore. I'm so glad Larian is around to carry the torch of what BioWare used to be.

 

[DKDetective]

Larian responds to Baldur's Gate 3's 'cut content' theories, says next patch will give Karlach 'the ending she deserves'
This, BioWare, is how you respond to criticism about ending options in an RPG. You don't just flush out the same poor endings, you add new ones taking into account player feedback.

The speed with which Larian is rolling out major patches and improvements and responding to player feedback is pretty awesome. I love the fact that this stuff will be rolled out before I even get to Act 3, which I understand has the most performance and lack of polish in the game.

 

[Iceman]

Looks like I’ll have to fully transfer my BioWare fandom to Larian going forward.

 

[DKDetective]

Looks like I’ll have to fully transfer my BioWare fandom to Larian going forward.

Larian and well, Beamdog. Beamdog is made up of BioWare expatriates and has been working on remastered classic BioWare games like Baldur's Gate I/II and Neverwinter Nights. They are like how the remnants of the old braintrust at Westwood Studios regrouped as Petroglyph Studios after EA drove the studio into the ground.