Baldur’s Gate 3: Reviewing the 2023 Game of the Year
When The Game Awards were held last year, no one was surprised by the winner of the most prestigious prize. Baldur’s Gate 3 was a sure bet for best game of 2023, and there are MANY reasons why. While I was only able to play the game recently, I’m here to tell you about my journey with Baldur’s Gate 3, while reviewing multiple aspects of this truly incredible game.
Baldur’s Gate 3 begins with a VERY detailed character customisation screen (seriously, you could spend years here), in which you pick your fantasy race and appearance from options like elves, humans and dragonborn (humanoid creatures with dragon features). After this, you pick your class, which determines the kind of play style your character will use. These classes include stealthy rogues who can sneak around undetected, sorcerers who can fire powerful magical spells, barbarians who fly into a primordial, furious rage in battle, and many, many more. My first playthrough was as a tiefling (infernal heritage) sorcerer named Cynthia.
Cynthia the tiefling sorcerer (Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios, 2023).
Story: ★★★★★
Once you actually start playing the game, you find yourself kidnapped by a race of tentacle creatures known as mind flayers who insert a tadpole into your brain (in a horrifically detailed cutscene no less), in order to turn you into a mind flayer yourself. Your goal is to find a way to remove the parasite as you travel the land, finding useful companions and uncovering the secrets of a mysterious cult you have unknowingly become part of.
Without spoilers, the story of Baldur’s Gate 3 is special. While I don’t want to point out specifics, Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of twists and turns, with numerous branching paths, consequential side quests and incredible writing. Your companions who journey with you are also extremely well written, each with their own major storyline that can leave you with a warm feeling in your heart - or fill you with a sense of great sadness. For example, you may choose to let your companion Shadowheart fulfil her destiny but lose herself to a deity, or convince her to follow her own path, at the cost of watching her suffer the consequences of defying a god.
Based on your actions, the final ending of the game will also be different. At its most basic, there are good and evil endings, depending on your decisions during pivotal moments. However, with so many major storylines to uncover and actions to take, each playthrough results in an ending unlike any other player’s. This multitude of endings encourages players to play the way they want to, instead of being bound as a hero. After all, why be a hero when you can be a villain?
Cynthia and Shadowheart sharing a kiss, featuring Jaheria's side eye (Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios, 2023).
Romance: ★★★★★
While I haven’t explored all the options for romance in Baldur’s Gate 3, there are many. All companions are canonically pansexual, meaning no one is locked behind your choice of body type, race or pronouns. For my first playthrough, I pursued the Cleric of Shar, Shadowheart. At first, she was focused on her goal of becoming a dark justiciar. As we got to know each other better, she began to open up, even sharing a night under the stars with Cynthia after saving a grove of druids under attack from a horde of goblins. Interestingly, depending on your relationships with your other companions, some may deliver their lines with a tinge of jealousy, showing just how complex Baldur’s Gate 3 truly is.
Example of combat UI (Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios, 2023).
Combat: ★★★★☆
Baldur’s Gate 3 utilises a turn-based system of combat, much like Dungeons and Dragons, the game system it is based on. Once you enter a place with enemies or choose to fire an aggressive ability against a potential enemy, combat begins. Your character automatically determines the order of actions which can be seen in the top bar of the screen. Each character can move and perform some kind of action on their turn, with each class having different abilities, strengths and weakness.
Combat is Baldur’s Gate 3 is smooth, rewarding and most importantly, gorgeous to look at. There are also always multiple solutions to each battle. You may choose to brute force encounters with powerful attacks, or, my preference, use the environment around you to gain an advantage. One instance saw me set fire to nearby exploding barrels from the safety of a mountain, allowing me to attack from range and stay safe, while keeping my limited abilities ready for any surprises. These actions are complemented by amazing sound effects that really help to convey the power of these moves. I particularly enjoyed Cynthia screaming her chants to summon fireballs that could incinerate multiple enemies at once. If the combat struggles in any way, it’s the level of complexity which can be overwhelming at times, especially to newer players. In saying this, the game does introduce new mechanics slowly, with helpful hint boxes whenever a new interaction occurs, allowing players to feel confident managing various abilities simultaneously.
Cynthia, Karlach and Jaheria surveying the land from atop a hill (Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios, 2023).
A Beautiful Game:
Combat isn’t the only time this game is pretty to look at. While the flashy effects on spells are amazing, I also found myself just standing in the wilderness, watching the blades of grass sway gently in the breeze, while Cynthia and my poor, long-suffering party of adventurers prepared for bed. While fighting is inevitable, I really enjoyed exploring taverns with bards playing songs from long ago, sneaking around goblin hideouts and even manoeuvring in swamps with squelching sounds underfoot. Here are some screenshots from my playthrough for those interested in Cynthia’s journey (spoiler free!).
My party of adventurers relaxing at the Elf Song Tavern (Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios, 2023).
Exploring the sewers under Baldur's Gate (Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios, 2023).
Cynthia overlooking a campsite of refugees fleeing to Baldur's Gate (Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios, 2023).
Baldur’s Gate 3 offers thousands of hours of potential content, and that is not an exaggeration. Countless romances, varied endings, emotional cutscenes, and millions of choices await any gamer brave enough to enter the world of Baldur’s Gate 3. With engaging, complex combat, beautiful texturing, and nearly infinite ways to play, there’s a reason it won game of the year, and a reason it’s one of my favourite games of all time.
Overall: ★★★★★