Why Baldur’s Gate 3 Is One Of The Greatest RPGs Of All Time

When you think of RPGs, the likes of DOTA 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Diablo 4 come to mind at once, all riddled to the brim with microtransactions and whatnot. Don’t get me wrong, though, all of these games are appreciable in their own place but Baldur’s Gate 3? This one is on a whole another level, breaking records soon after release, and even claiming the eighth spot on Metacritic’s list of best video games of all time. 

The title has seemingly proven how sincere, passion-filled development can go a long way in elevating an IP to insurmountable heights. This might sound unbelievable more or less, but Baldur’s Gate 3 has no microtransactions. Considering the day and age one lives in today, this is nothing but a marvel to sink our teeth into. Watch on and read ahead to know as to why we believe it’s one of the greatest RPGs of all time. 

What Type Of A Game Is Baldur’s Gate 3?

First things first, we need to build some premise on Baldur’s Gate 3 and give you a brief rundown of the game’s history and the legacy it’s about to leave after a new project adopts its mantle. For starters, this is a completely different beast we’re talking about here in the context of its predecessors. Where the first two Baldur’s Gate titles ran amok in terms of gameplay, Baldur’s Gate 3 keeps things real and hard, with no pause button in place. 

Moreover, the developing head behind this mammoth IP is Larian Studios, a developer who has taken on this responsibility for the first time ever for a Baldur’s Gate game. Make no mistake though, Larian is no newbie in the industry—it’s known to have worked on the likes of Divinity: Original Sin, and its sequel—both A-grade games. That is why you’ll observe some combat-centric similarities in Baldur’s Gate 3.

The latter has seemingly carried over from the developer’s expertise on the Divinity IP. Still, Baldur’s Gate 3 is painted in the colors of Dungeons and Dragons, the tabletop game’s 5th edition, to be more precise. When you pick up the game and start running with it, you can’t help but notice the sheer accuracy of the various aspects of the cRPG that the developers have gotten correct with regard to Wizard of the Coasts’ Dungeons and Dragons.

This is inclusive of the actions you can take when it’s your turn to rain death on your enemies, not to mention the usable spells, the design of the classes you adopt, and even the minutiae of certain characters. For instance, the Fighter and Barbarian classes, as per the ruleset of Dungeons and Dragons formulated by its owner Wizards of the Coast, get to attack two times instead of one when they’ve reached Level 5.

That is what happens in Baldur’s Gate 3 as well, so you know how origin-accurate this title is going to be. You’ve also got your dodge rolls, Intimidation, and Charisma skills replicated with great attention to detail.  Enough said, if you’re a fan of the tabletop game in question, and have been meaning to pick up Baldur’s Gate 3, let this serve as a beacon of light, guiding you toward the purchase quicker than Savitar—the God of speed—himself.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s Fantastic Lore

Another part of what makes Baldur’s Gate 3 an exceptionally stand-out venture of Larian Studios is the lore it carries with itself, which apparently stems from a generation-spanning IP. I’ve emphasized Dungeons and Dragons to a good extent here, so it’s about time you know why acquainting yourself with the basics of it will help you reap the best of times with the game in question.

First off, you should know that Baldur’s Gate 3 is Larian’s first officially licensed project, with the license coming from the Dungeons and Dragons rule set. Moreover, the D&D universe is absolutely gigantic, so one game alone with fairly limited resources to a certain extent cannot possibly encompass all that it has to offer. That is why Baldur’s Gate 3 is set in the land of the Forgotten Realms—a popular D&D setting among games and novels. 

The devs have streamlined the overarching lore of Dungeons and Dragons and narrowed it down to just the part that concerns the Forgotten Realms for Baldur’s Gate 3, and in doing so, they’ve remained pretty successful. This is the reason you’ll find bosses, characters, regular enemies, stages, and other landmarks precise to the setting in question in-game. Kudos to Larian yet again for staying lore-accurate. 

To get one thing out of the way, though, despite having such a titanic background setting and, of course, the source where the game’s writing is coming from, Larian Studios has been incredible at introducing new players to Baldur’s Gate 3 in a way that does not overwhelm them. Most core concepts are instilled into the player gradually as they start to acquire a grasp of how the different mechanics operate in Baldur’s Gate 3. 

The game exposes the player to the various, branching concepts of cRPG in just the right amount that’s neither too slow nor entirely fast-paced. And then arrives the deluge of veteran, D&D seasoned players who know what they’re getting themselves into. Enjoying one of the finest campaign settings of Dungeons and Dragons portrayed in such fine fashion is no less than a treat for franchise experts.

A Proper RPG For The Years Ahead 

Now, the best part is that Larian didn’t have to craft the lore, or the background of the game from the ground up, so guess where all that effort actually went into? The writing. Baldur’s Gate 3, straight off the bat, has superbly written dialogues for each of its main NPCs. One voice actor has even come forward to elucidate how they recorded “well into 4 digits” of dialogue. That’s no small feat, even for an RPG. 

The gist of it is that the NPCs in Baldur’s Gate 3 have exceptional voicework. Each character speaks with depth and seeps into your conscience in the context of the actions you take. You get elevated for doing good deeds, especially the ones that align with the characters’ morals and values, but on the flip side, their reactions are to strictly watch out if you partake in a questionable activity. 

I mean, it’s really amazing. You have to experience it to believe it. Larian appears to have outdone itself by making Baldur’s Gate 3 a remarkably stand-out cRPG that sells itself like no other modern-day video game. And even more so, it’s not as if there’s some single script that each character that interacts with you follows. Things start getting put into variation the moment you select your race, class, or even the background. 

In addition, the smallest details matter as well as they possess the power to alter the course of your actions when you’re out and about in the Forgotten Realms, trying to either do good or empower the people around you with sheer tyranny. And not to spoil anything from here on out, but you’ll start making decisions from the very start of the game, and the initial ones will not kick into effect until fairly later into the game.

Furthermore, there are systems designed and put in place that offer an unparalleled level of freedom when you’re coursing through the main campaign. For instance, not every hostile situation has to turn into a fight, considering that you’ve got the charm to handle it, and similarly, the interactions you think that are friendly can also turn into aggressive conflicts in the blink of an eye—it all depends on the course you’re trying to tread on. 

Corroborating all of the latter is Adam Smith, Baldur’s Gate 3 Lead Writer who lately sat down in an interview with GamesRadar to explain some of the fundamentals of the game. The writer explained how the title’s endgame variations should be referred to as a “big spider web,” meaning that although the main ending of the title remains identical for all, how you arrive at that concluding point is where the whole fun’s at.  

It’s not that you start at point A, and then you keep branching and branching and branching. That’s often how people think of it, but the problem with that would be that if I make a choice, then I branch over here, and suddenly I’m over here and I can’t get back [to the trunk].” He continued, “[Baldur’s Gate 3] is more like this big spider web – the end of the game is [the centre], and the start of the game is [the outer edge]. So you’re always heading towards the same point, and what happens when you get there is very different. But it interweaves, so you’re kind of dancing between plots.”

Adam couldn’t be more spot on really, as we’ve put the title to its paces and we’ve wound up God knows where just as well. Different members of the team over at eXputer have had wildly different interactions in their respective playthroughs. Talk about pure gameplay diversity—something that’s been missing from the gaming space as a whole for a while now.

The Success So Far

At this moment in time, Baldur’s Gate 3 sheer prowess has translated well in terms of overall success and sales. It’s a critical hit right now, selling millions of copies across the board, and almost 1 million players have been clocked by the game on Steam (via SteamDB). There’s no questioning here how the RPG set in the expansive universe of Dungeons and Dragons has resonated extremely well with players around the globe. 

In addition to that, if you round up the reviews of the game from major media outlets across the world, you’ll find nothing but top-notch ratings, all of which go on to explain in their own unique way how Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Our very own Huzaifah Durrani paints the title in those colors and calls its a “testament to the talent of developer Larian Studios.” 

Wrapping Up

To conclude the entire write-up in simple words, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the epitome of AAA games right now. Even though it comes from a developer who isn’t as experienced in the industry as some of the other top-notch developer studios out there, it’s still managed to impress the whole wide world with its remarkable brilliance, and showcased what determination and effort can do to boot.

The fact that this particular title comprises zero microtransactions and offers an RPG experience that’s as enjoyable as it gets is fascinating in 2023—an era where high-budgeted, greatly anticpated titles often disappoint, unfortunately, looking at the likes of Redfall. Baldur’s Gate 3 had all the hype in the world as well, that’s no concern, but how it has executed itself with superior delivery is something that goes out of this realm straight-up. 

No, there are no in-game purchases in our game. We believe in providing a complete and immersive gaming experience without the need for additional purchases. Enjoy the game to its fullest without any additional costs or microtransactions,” says Larian Studios.