Is Baldurs Gate 3 worth it?

Off-Topic Games, Gaming and Hardware
1

I recently had my PC upgraded and Im now told I could play this game. It seems to have good reviews, is it something I should try as an old WoW MMO player?

Only real Fantasy non MMO I’ve played before is Skyrim, which I liked but got bored with after a few weeks.

EDIT: I had a better look at it and I don’t think it would be my sort of game. I’m too accustomed, I think, to certain types of games - the big MMOs like WoW and the single player games like Civilization, Skyrim, etc. Baldurs Gate seems a bit different and although it looks beautiful I don’t know that I’d play it for very long.

2

It’s not like WoW. If you like stories and choice, yes. If you like strategy and cause/effect gameplay, yes.

It’s a great game and highly regarded for good reason. But again, it is not like WoW at all.

I would watch a Gameranx “Before you buy” video on it.

4 Likes
3

It may be my favorite game of all time and I’m old enough to have played BG1 when it first came out. The game is a party cRPG with party turn based combat. Skyrim is a RPG with first person combat. If you like games like Pillars of Eternity, Xcom, DA Origins, Divinity Original Sin (the closest game to BG3) then obviously it’s something to look at. The writing and production values are fantastic but if Skyrim combat bored you it may not be up your alley. If the lack of quest structure and companion stories bored you, it may be something you like. Divinity Original Sin 2 (or Dragon Age Origins) is often on sale and may be a cheaper way to see if you like these type of games.

4

in the past 10 years or so a few games have truly captivated me and become my greatest hits:

Cyberpunk 2077
Baldur’s Gate 3
Elden Ring
Clair Obscur Expedition 33

i think everyone should play these games or at least give them a shot

1 Like
5

I put BG3 in the same category as Vanilla WoW, Skyrim & Witcher 3 as the pinnacle of their respective category for RPG/MMORPG.

Cyberpunk 2077 - own it, played 30 minutes and just never had time to get back to it. It’s on my to do list but…
Elden Ring - played it, not my cup of tea
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 - probably my next purchase which means I won’t be getting back to CP2077 anytime soon

1 Like
6

Interesting story, I tried Elden Ring 3 times.

I first purchased the game when it came out originally years ago on PS5 for my son, who played it but was too young to really appreciate it and so he quit almost immediately. I tried it to attempt to get my money’s worth, but died about 2 hours straight on the easiest of enemies and shelved the game for over a year.

Fast forward to earlier this year, my son is 13 at this point and his friends are playing the expansion on PC and he wanted to play with them, so I had to buy it on PC since it does not have platform crossplay.

Anyway, I watched him play and it seemed like he was having so much fun. So I dusted off the PS5 and was playing it downstairs while he was playing on his PC.

This time I approached it with a different attitude, and got really far. I still didn’t really know what I was doing, bad build, bad weapons, beginner strategies, etc. Ended up getting stuck on a mid-game boss that was a brick wall for me. Rage quit for 2 days, then decided to buy it on PC myself so that I could summon my son to help me. But, the game doesn’t support cross saves either so I had to start over again.

This is the third time I tried Elden Ring, and by now, I felt a lot more confident. I ended up clicking everything together, and just blew through all of it. I got to the same boss that gave me trouble last time, and curb stomped him. Essentially, I “got good” and it felt so great. Eventually, my stupid father-son competitive nature kicked in, and I told myself I had to beat the game and expansion before he did. I was able to defeat the final expansion boss before him, but he managed to get Melania (an optional end game boss, but one renown for great difficulty) down before me. But in the end, it became one of, if not the single, best game I’ve ever played.

Right now I have 4 playthroughs and 500 hours. It also opened the door to Souls games for me, and I’ve played DS1/2/3, Bloodborne, Lords of the Fallen 2.0, and Lies of P, and Steel Rising.

I just wanted to give a little background because at first I also had a hard time getting into it and it took me several attempts before it became fun. I raged on about how bad the game was and how it was just rage bait. But I eventually came to love it. So perhaps try giving it another shot and take it a little slower or maybe just a little differently. The game also has a lot of different ways to adjust difficulty, between different builds and gear to summons that can turn the tide.

1 Like
7

I have the same feeling about CP2077 (and Elden Ring). I know they are good games and I’m sure once I put in the time I’ll enjoy them more. Thing is, I rarely have the time and the list of games I know I will like keeps increasing ahead of them. I still need to pick up Clair Obscur & Avowed. I bought Titan Quest 2 EA on sale. There’s also Path of the Exile 2, before you know it Solasta 2, Outer Worlds 2, Witcher 4 are all coming out. Larian will announce Divinity Sin 3, a new Cyberpunk is coming. Diablo IV will have an expansion in there somewhere.

1 Like
8

Thanks for the input. Is there like an Easy mode for someone like myself who is older and slower than many younger players?

9

The game doesn’t have difficulty options or modes, except that the game includes various tools and mechanics that can drastically alter the difficulty level of encounters. It also is structured in such a way that you have freedom on how or when you engage in most encounters.

Here’s a relatively spoiler-free example. When you first begin the game, there is an enemy called a Tree Sentinel. It’s right out of the gate, and is scaled up to be very difficult. It’s more difficult than any enemies in the entire region, and is meant as a “check.” You have a few ways you can deal with this enemy. You can continually fight the enemy, learn its move sets, and overcome it with trial and error. You can go around it, collect more gear and levels, and fight it again with a numerical/statistical advantage. You can utilize “spirit summons,” which are companions you summon that fight alongside you. You can even choose to enlist friends online to come help you in boss fights and the world. Or, you can even choose to simply ignore it.

In later major boss fights, the game allows you to have NPC companions, beyond or in addition to, your summons. You can choose in these scenarios to allow them to help you fight the boss, which can make the fight easier. It also adds RP flavor to certain fights. Or you can go it alone. It is truly up to you.

The game allows you to explore much of the world at your own pace and to tackle encounters in whatever way you choose. And it gives you many ways to challenge them.

And to circle back to summons, spirit summons are a very powerful mechanic because one of the biggest challenges in boss fights is not getting hit - spirit summons often will tank for you allowing you to either observe movesets to learn, or attack without worrying as much about getting hit. Eventually, you even gain access to the Mimic Tear, which is an AI companion that clones your exact character, from equipment, stats, and spells, only, it eventually will have nearly four times the health as you. In effect, it more than doubles your power level.

Now, a lot of players gatekeep the game due to its difficulty, saying things like, “if you use these xyz overpowered weapons, or used summons, or multiplayer, you didn’t really beat the game,” but they are silly. It’s mostly a single player game and if you had fun, you won.

Personally, I first played the game with summons and powerful gear. As I got better at the game, I stopped using summons, and then used self-imposed limitations (only starting gear, no spells, etc. etc.) just for fun. It was great for role play. But it’s totally optional and up to you how you want to play.

The game is just soooo good.

1 Like
10

There’s a youtuber named babe1babe2, and its a stream where he and his father play the game. The father has to be in his 60s, and it’s really fun to watch them beat the bosses together. The son mostly just coaches the dad, and it’s great.

As for myself, I’m in my mid-40s, and while I’m not as good at the game as my son is, I can still manage. The DLC is noticeably harder, but there are definitely ways to beat all the bosses, even the tough ones, if you want to cheese them. Or just ask for help, and someone will come along and solo her for you.

1 Like
11

I’m a fan of D&D and I honestly didn’t like it. The systems are fine. It was my first time playing a CRPG. It’s just the characters aren’t as interesting as the internet would make them out to be and you’re stuck with them.

12

i suppose a big following are people who have a history of playing old school CRPGs. People who played the original Baldur’s Gates, Planescape Torments, etc.

If you’re used to actual tabletop then you’re used to the freedom that comes with it, and while BG3 is one of the most expansive choice-driven game out there (due to the nature of having to write for every scenario being impossible) it’s still not the same as impromptu tabletop.

14

Alot of people liked it. I did not. I played alot of D&D and has some pretty high expectations from what I’d heard. It did not meet them. But that’s just my experience, you may have a different one.

16

I think it’s fantastic and my almost 200 hours of play on steam atests to it. But I like RPG games and I grew up play ttrpgs since the 80s .

But it’s not as true to 5e as I’d like and a lot of d&d folks I know have that to say about it. But it’s a fantastic game imo.

17

I think I just went in with too much expectation. I think if I had never heard of it or anything about it, I may have enjoyed it more. But I definitely don’t begrudge anyone who does/did enjoy it.

1 Like
18

Baldur’s Gate 3 is amazing, but I have to take it slow because I’m not adept at D&D.