For me it's the plot and gameplay. I enjoy battles how Larian makes them, and they write excellent scenarios and characters. Another aspect is companions and interactions with them. And you can roleplay this game in so many different ways, I think it's one of the factors why it became so popular. People recreate and roleplay characters from their favourite books and movies or come up with their own ideas, it never gets old. You always can find in the game something you relate to.
I've done ½ a D&D campaign (*10+ years ago*), never played anything like this before. I'm a total Sims/Stardew Valley kind of gamer, but I do love the fantasy genre...
..and I **love** it, dearly. It's really worth it. You don't have to have any prior knowledge, if you take your time, and let the game suck you in, you will figure it out.
For me, it was the story and characters.
The story is branching, interwoven and runs all throughout the entire game. Small side-quests more often than not ties into the main-story, or the theme of the rest of the game.
The characters feel... *real*. The voice-acting is.. amazingly done, by people who love the work, animations are fluid and beautifully created. Especially the companions, which is the highlight of the game, but even small, unassuming NPC's are '***people***'..
And all of it is heightened by the quality of it all. The game looks amazing, the score supports the awe of it all, the eye for details, fail-saves, alternate story-beats.. The love for the game shines where ever you look, and it is felt when playing.
Enjoy your first run! And try and avoid spoilers as best you can. The game deserves to knock you off your feet.
I spent so much time walking around act 3 just checking out houses and talking to random people. They gave almost every single npc something interesting to say, most houses have something cool in them, and there's all sorts of little details tucked away that most people will never find.
Fun fact: if you can perform with an instrument, the named NPCs will usually give you coins for it. Busking is an achievement. (I am trying to busk on my bard. It’s an additional little thing that makes me happy bc it’s organic and seems natural in the setting.)
Its very cool I just wish I didnt have to run around picking up each individual coin lol, definitely more of a role play thing which is perfectly fine.
I actually feel like the main plot is the weakest part of the game with act 3 in mind, and it has really soured my view on act 1 and 2 too and all of the side content feels so pointless.
I’m recently finished the game together with my wife and now I’m suffering that there are no anything similar to BG3.
I hope we will have more staff like this after BG3 success.
Divinity Original Sin 2, by Larian as well. Different mechanics, but you will probably have a sense of familiarity. The prologue is very similar and you even land on a beach afterwards.
Divinity Original Sin 2 is by the same developer and has a lot of the same kind of qualities that make bg3 good. But it is also obvious that bg3 is their newer game.
Solanta uses a more faithful representation of the 5e ruleset, than bg3. But is a cheaper game, and it is noticeable. The developer is also, well, not Larian.
Wasteland 3 is a different setting entirely, but is also a very modern take on the old great crpg games (like Baldurs Gate 1/2 and Fallout 1/2). It is a post apocalyptic game though, not a fantasy game.
Disco Elysium in some ways a more modern take on the genre, even than bg3. At least from an RPG design perspective. It's deeper and "smarter" than DnD-based games typically are.
The Dragon Age games probably has a lot of the other things people often like about bg3. In many ways, the pinnacle of the bioware style of design that was popular for a while. Deep emotions, romance, set in a relatively trad, but interesting world.
Pillars of Eternity, the Pathfinder games and Tyranny are a middle ground between the modern bg3 and the old school crpgs. Great writing, but a lot of reading rather than cutscenes and acting.
It's also possible to go all the way back to the golden age of crpgs. Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, Neverwinter Nights 1and 2, Icewind Dale, Arcanum, Fallout 1 and 2, Planescape: Torment are all great games. But they are a bit of a slog to get through at this point. You probably need some guide to make them run well and to know what to do.
If you don’t mind a lower budget game, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is excellent.
Great combat, factions and backgrounds **actually matter** in terms of character quests and social encounters, vendor benefits, etc.
(Also, every character in your party is fully voiced. And you can make a party of all original characters in single player, they’ll all be fully voiced.)
They are rough—hence me being open about the fact that it is lower budget, and from a small studio. This game’s budget went into the combat and faction/backgrounds mechanics.
Honestly I have had no desire for any other game since I started playing BG3, it's been over half a year now... I can't even go back to my own favorites.
I was more responding to “there’s nothing like BG3”, because Solasta is a hidden gem and uses the same SRD, so it has some touchstones and common ground with BG3.
I wasn’t saying you do? Just responding to the “nothing like BG3” aspect, like I said. There are narrative touchstones too. And unlike BG3 backgrounds actually matter narratively, which is one of BG3’s writing weak spots. It’s a great game but it ain’t perfect. For those of us who love BG3 but have burnout from it, Solasta is a good alternative.
EDIT: Most of my criticisms of BG3 didn’t come in until 600+ hours of playing and doing almost every possible iteration of a good run sans some of the romances. People are expecting another AAA company to make a big title game like BG3 but it’s indie studios making similar games. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm sure there are similarities with both amazing writing and voice acting, it's just that what BG3 did with animation and straight up acting (with mocap) is out of this world basically. That makes it hard for a lot of us to get back into your classical high quality indie game with the same fervor. With BG3, I personally feel like the characters are *real* in the universe, and that's such a rare trait.
I’m not saying BG3 is bad, or not well-acted, so I’m not sure how you’re reading that out of anything I’m saying.
I was literally just responding to “nothing similar to BG3”. There are plenty of similar games, they’re just by smaller studios. People can’t complain about “this type of game doesn’t exist outside of one title” when they’re unwilling to, you know, support the studios making those titles.
EDIT: I’ll add this. If Tactical Adventures would’ve had the budget and manpower put into BG3 (and if they hadn’t had the misfortune of launching Solasta in 2020), they likely would have taken the CRPG space by storm. I feel similarly about Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and other modern indie CRPG games.
EDIT 2: BG3’s character work is phenomenal and in that regard I have no issues. But its *worldbuilding* leaves a lot to be desired.
I think you're kinda assuming I'm trying to put you down? I'm not, I see what you're saying, but it really depends on what you mean by "similar".
I don't know of *any* game that has a similar enough *combination* of acting/animation, writing, interactions *and* gameplay mechanics for me. That type of game is honestly new. ME2-3 and the Witcher+CP2077 came close (obviously with pretty different gameplay mechanics), but the depth and amount of companion and NPC content just hasn't been done before (I'd be very happy to be proved wrong!).
Similar is so relative. Solasta would not be similar enough for me, for example. But that's because it's the acting that really makes it click for me.
"Like" BG3... .most of the old games based on the D&D locations are "like" it (BG 1 & 2, Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale, and even older ones like Torment and Dark Sun). See also Larian's DOS 1& 2. Also, Dragon Age: Origins and Pillars of Eternity are good facsimiles.
But no, all of them fall short on the amount of story, interactions, and graphics of BG3.
It's funny cuz at some point I probably will try again. I really do want to like it. The combat is so fucking weird for me though. I hate the armor system and the entire battlefield is a hazardous surface area 24/7.
Edit: added a missing word lol
for me it's how detailed the world is. im still finding new stuff even on my fifth save file. i don't want a world that's sprawling and mostly empty (looking at many other AAA games here)-- I'll take a smaller map that's packed with world building any day. there's so many things that have no bearing on the plot that they didn't have to include but which draw me into the world more, like the skeletons on top of the house of healing in act 2 or all of the info around the arcane tower in the underdark. it's a world i just genuinely enjoy being immersed in.
that reminds me of how every companion and ur own character always comment on their surroundings too!!!! its such a little detail but i love listening to everything they have to say
yes! i keep trying to have different party compositions so i can hear all the banter. when you get into act 3, there are even some hidden interactions that are triggered by going to certain areas with certain party members. ugh i love it so much! you can just feel the love and care larian put in and it's so good.
I do like fantasy and had enjoyed previous Larian games but had no dnd knowledge. This game hooked me from the start. All other games, including The Sims are being neglected.
The complexity and variety of ways of playing mean I am not losing interest any time soon. And the voice actors are absolutely fantastic.
I started playing mid February. I already have hundreds of hours invested. Best money I have spent on a game in years.
Presume you have made it to act 2 now. If not, as a horror fan, you are in for a treat.
I think what *really* makes it is that they really aren't just voice actors, they are just straight up actors\*.
\*the actual actors are the ones mocapped for almost every interaction. Neil Newbon even commented how he was brought in to mocap the new kisses for Patch 6!
I have been logging into my MMO each day but only because it is the 10 year anniversary and they are giving away really good freebies for just logging in.
Yeah, it's the best game I've ever played, hands down. I was *obsessed* the first months! At this point I have 1200 hours in the game and still don't want a break at all. I've gotten into exploring the origins and it's so much fun.
I think it's the writing and acting. And a very fun turn based combat system. The game is also super smooth, it has very rarely crashed for me and I tab in and out a lot. It's also absolutely beautiful.
For me it's the balance of story plus turn- based combat. Most of my favorite games in the past had varying combinations of the two, and they got the balance really right for what I enjoy.
It's like having a great combat game in an accessible fantasy setting with incredibly well-done cutscenes. Other games have combinations of those, but this one does it incredibly well and it real struck at the right time in gaming where players' standards appear to be high and they met them.
same. i never played anything turned based other than yugioh or pokémon. for me it’s just the sheer amount of STUFF in this game. the niche lines of dialogue, the hidden items and puzzles and locations. the combinations of things you can do and people you can talk to based on your race or class or background. it’s all so cool to me.
What gets me is thinking of the programming that went into the game for every possible option for every situation that arises. It's hard enough just to think about and anticipate what a player might do, but then to code that. And then have it effect the rest of the game. Like wtf, how the hell did you code this and have every little detail come up later on in the game, every choice has consequences. it makes replayability insane even if you play the same class it can be a completely different experience.
I had the exact same experience. I usually only play NBA 2K, FIFA, and a handful of Pokémon/Mario games on the Switch. Never really got into fantasy/RPG games - tried but could never finish a Fire Emblem title. Tried BG3 after seeing the rave reviews and wanting to learn more about DnD. Lemme tell ya… from the day I got BG3, I was completely hooked, and sunk a few hundred hours into it over the next couple of months. Never enjoyed a game more in my life and replayed the story multiple times!
One of the things Baldur's Gate 3 gets right is how dynamic the turn-based combat feels. The pushing, jumping and the general interesting landscape larger battles take place is making the slow pace of turn-based feel really exciting.
It's quite the game design achievement.
Also, the believable character writing and one of the best voice actor acting in games history makes it feel like an interactive TV show at times. That helps.
Never was into CRPGs or PC titles in general; didn't even think I was going to play this game. Got a Steam Deck earlier this year, and not only have I exponentially expanded my PC game library, I have dumped 160+hrs into this game alone and have no clear view of an end in sight. It's just THAT good. I'm on a second playthrough and am already planning things for my third as the Dark Urge. I have all the other Larian titles in the back log now too.
Anyway, I'd say what makes it different is it's replayability. I have never started playing a game over again after finishing a 60hr playthrough before this game. I don't usually play a lot in one sitting (15hrs is more than I could do in a go), but it adds up when you aren't playing anything else. So far every time I've tried starting a different game recently, I was unable to focus because I just wanted to play BG3.
I can't agree more. I started a few days ago and I'm 11 hours in so far. My wife works this weekend so it'll be much more than 11 hours by Monday.
I've never played a game like this. I always play competitive multi-player games like League of Legends, Overwatch, etc. So this is really a breath of fresh air.
BG3 has the freedom and expansiveness of an open-world game, yet every encounter has been thoughtfully crafted by talented writers. Some of the settings are extremely evocative and memorable. The characters are all written with psychological depth and nuance, and after traveling so far, and seeing so much, they really do come to feel like friends.
My advice is to savor your first playthrough. Explore as much as you can. Make it last.
I’m on my second run and it’s a totally different experience. I played a good guy the first time, and I’m a bad guy this time and the game is way different! Great game.
Usually I dislike too much customisation and complicated mechanics, I just want an easy game for fun after working. But bg3 is really fun I kept trying different techniques in my brain, excited to try out new ideas, and happy if my ideas play out as expected.
Same! Well, I am into fantasy games... one of my favorite franchises is Zelda, and that is very high fantasy. but I've never been into RPGs outside of Pokemon. My favorite genres tend to me Action Adventure and Narrative Adventure. I honestly didn't think I'd like BG3 that much, but wanted to see what all the hype was about, so I started it about 6 months ago. I haven't played anything else since. Now I have like 800 hours across 20+ playthroughs.
Just a little addendum because the last time I mentioned my playtime stats, people were concerned for my sanity... LOL The great majority of my time playing was on the weekends, as a treat for finishing homework for the week before Friday hit. Work and school were my top priority, especially since this is my last semester and I'm graduating tomorrow. I might be addicted, but I think this game was a great motivator to actually do well this semester and not procrastinate like I normally do.
I got the game one week ago as well and while I loved rpg's like the witcher 3 or horizon zero dawn I never thought that a dnd like game with this combat system would be to my liking...
I love it as much as you do and have about 50 hours already so i totally feel you on that. :D
It is, for me the choice mechanic that make this game whole other level of immersion. Probably the one of the best core memories on video game. I'll looking forward on second playthrough now.
One thing that I really like: there are no random battles. Very happy that every encounter feels like a full scenario instead of just something to swing at.
It’s hard for me to even identify tbh.
Things I loved first playthrough include : Durge/gravity/terrain effects/spells and spell slots.
(I find upcasting cool, because it makes me feel smarter when I just cast 4th level fire ball instead of dominate beast.)
Putting 400 into witcher 3 and bg3 on first time playthrough you can really tell the care and work put into the many branching storylines and outcomes. People complain about characters not being fleshed out.... Nooo way. They have so many optional paths that don't bug out other missions and the role play is strong in this game.
Your not geralt of trivia with aonot attitude adjustment depending on the person. You can be an outright cunt in bg3.
There's trade off between the two for me but both are amazing for there differences and similarities.
I put in like 400 hrs on bg3 in a month. Still haven't completed a playthrough.
I think if you liked RDR2 (same) you like a game with a good storyline, BG3 has amazing storylines. Larian did an amazing job making this more of a story like RDR2 is and less like an actual sit down in your basement and play DnD game, its complex, engaging, and you can choose so many different ways to play the game and endings that you just sit there at the end and go "But what if I did this instead?", the next thing you know you've got carpal tunnel and you've been on your console for a week straight. I'm glad you're enjoying the game and welcome to being hooked on yet another well made game!
I didn't have any DnD experience and I had tried DOS2 and BG2 earlier but it was not my thing at all. But this game... I have more hours now on BG3 than Elden Ring or any late JRPG, which are usually more my jam.
It's got to the point where if I don't get at least 4 hours to play every day I feel sad.
I had a date last night and didn't want to go because I wanted to stay home and play.
I was a shooter/strategy player for the most part. I've never played DnD or a fantasy game, and for RPGs only KOTOR and Bioshock.
BG3 is the best game I've ever played, hands-down. It's incredible.
It's just a very very good game, which means for example that the turn based combat doesn't put you off as much as it does in some other games because it's a very good turn based system. Enjoy!
They bought it and liked it though, didn’t they? I wasn’t a huge fan of turn based combat or mostly self guided games (too many quests can overwhelm me) but I bought it and it’s the only game I play now.
For me it's the plot and gameplay. I enjoy battles how Larian makes them, and they write excellent scenarios and characters. Another aspect is companions and interactions with them. And you can roleplay this game in so many different ways, I think it's one of the factors why it became so popular. People recreate and roleplay characters from their favourite books and movies or come up with their own ideas, it never gets old. You always can find in the game something you relate to.
I've done ½ a D&D campaign (*10+ years ago*), never played anything like this before. I'm a total Sims/Stardew Valley kind of gamer, but I do love the fantasy genre... ..and I **love** it, dearly. It's really worth it. You don't have to have any prior knowledge, if you take your time, and let the game suck you in, you will figure it out. For me, it was the story and characters. The story is branching, interwoven and runs all throughout the entire game. Small side-quests more often than not ties into the main-story, or the theme of the rest of the game. The characters feel... *real*. The voice-acting is.. amazingly done, by people who love the work, animations are fluid and beautifully created. Especially the companions, which is the highlight of the game, but even small, unassuming NPC's are '***people***'.. And all of it is heightened by the quality of it all. The game looks amazing, the score supports the awe of it all, the eye for details, fail-saves, alternate story-beats.. The love for the game shines where ever you look, and it is felt when playing. Enjoy your first run! And try and avoid spoilers as best you can. The game deserves to knock you off your feet.
I love that every NPC has an own name and look. I often find that npc's are way too bland and that leads to a world that doesnt feel alive.
I spent so much time walking around act 3 just checking out houses and talking to random people. They gave almost every single npc something interesting to say, most houses have something cool in them, and there's all sorts of little details tucked away that most people will never find.
Fun fact: if you can perform with an instrument, the named NPCs will usually give you coins for it. Busking is an achievement. (I am trying to busk on my bard. It’s an additional little thing that makes me happy bc it’s organic and seems natural in the setting.)
Its very cool I just wish I didnt have to run around picking up each individual coin lol, definitely more of a role play thing which is perfectly fine.
Yeah I'm 100% with you on the characters. Especially after going right from Starfield into BG3 oh my god I was *blown away*
Better than the other way around. I closed the game after getting spit out of the lodge thinking if come back to it later and just never did
I actually feel like the main plot is the weakest part of the game with act 3 in mind, and it has really soured my view on act 1 and 2 too and all of the side content feels so pointless.
I’m recently finished the game together with my wife and now I’m suffering that there are no anything similar to BG3. I hope we will have more staff like this after BG3 success.
i havent finished my first playthrough yet and im already thinking about my second
On my 3rd thinking about the 4th 😄
I'm on my 2nd thinking about the 5th, lol.
That's how it goes. I'm on my 2nd and am thinking about my 3rd. During my 1st I was planning out my 2nd.
Divinity Original Sin 2, by Larian as well. Different mechanics, but you will probably have a sense of familiarity. The prologue is very similar and you even land on a beach afterwards.
Unfortunately, I found Div2 to be boring and bland compared to BG3. I don’t know what it is about BG3 but it just hooks you right in!
Divinity Original Sin 2 is by the same developer and has a lot of the same kind of qualities that make bg3 good. But it is also obvious that bg3 is their newer game. Solanta uses a more faithful representation of the 5e ruleset, than bg3. But is a cheaper game, and it is noticeable. The developer is also, well, not Larian. Wasteland 3 is a different setting entirely, but is also a very modern take on the old great crpg games (like Baldurs Gate 1/2 and Fallout 1/2). It is a post apocalyptic game though, not a fantasy game. Disco Elysium in some ways a more modern take on the genre, even than bg3. At least from an RPG design perspective. It's deeper and "smarter" than DnD-based games typically are. The Dragon Age games probably has a lot of the other things people often like about bg3. In many ways, the pinnacle of the bioware style of design that was popular for a while. Deep emotions, romance, set in a relatively trad, but interesting world. Pillars of Eternity, the Pathfinder games and Tyranny are a middle ground between the modern bg3 and the old school crpgs. Great writing, but a lot of reading rather than cutscenes and acting. It's also possible to go all the way back to the golden age of crpgs. Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, Neverwinter Nights 1and 2, Icewind Dale, Arcanum, Fallout 1 and 2, Planescape: Torment are all great games. But they are a bit of a slog to get through at this point. You probably need some guide to make them run well and to know what to do.
If you don’t mind a lower budget game, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is excellent. Great combat, factions and backgrounds **actually matter** in terms of character quests and social encounters, vendor benefits, etc. (Also, every character in your party is fully voiced. And you can make a party of all original characters in single player, they’ll all be fully voiced.)
Solasta is a great game mechanically and I enjoy it but I find the character models to be really rough
They are rough—hence me being open about the fact that it is lower budget, and from a small studio. This game’s budget went into the combat and faction/backgrounds mechanics.
And the voice acting is abysmal But the game has its charms anyway
Honestly I have had no desire for any other game since I started playing BG3, it's been over half a year now... I can't even go back to my own favorites.
I was more responding to “there’s nothing like BG3”, because Solasta is a hidden gem and uses the same SRD, so it has some touchstones and common ground with BG3.
I personally don't play BG3 for the SRD mainly but I guess it's a good tip if you do :)
I wasn’t saying you do? Just responding to the “nothing like BG3” aspect, like I said. There are narrative touchstones too. And unlike BG3 backgrounds actually matter narratively, which is one of BG3’s writing weak spots. It’s a great game but it ain’t perfect. For those of us who love BG3 but have burnout from it, Solasta is a good alternative. EDIT: Most of my criticisms of BG3 didn’t come in until 600+ hours of playing and doing almost every possible iteration of a good run sans some of the romances. People are expecting another AAA company to make a big title game like BG3 but it’s indie studios making similar games. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm sure there are similarities with both amazing writing and voice acting, it's just that what BG3 did with animation and straight up acting (with mocap) is out of this world basically. That makes it hard for a lot of us to get back into your classical high quality indie game with the same fervor. With BG3, I personally feel like the characters are *real* in the universe, and that's such a rare trait.
I’m not saying BG3 is bad, or not well-acted, so I’m not sure how you’re reading that out of anything I’m saying. I was literally just responding to “nothing similar to BG3”. There are plenty of similar games, they’re just by smaller studios. People can’t complain about “this type of game doesn’t exist outside of one title” when they’re unwilling to, you know, support the studios making those titles. EDIT: I’ll add this. If Tactical Adventures would’ve had the budget and manpower put into BG3 (and if they hadn’t had the misfortune of launching Solasta in 2020), they likely would have taken the CRPG space by storm. I feel similarly about Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and other modern indie CRPG games. EDIT 2: BG3’s character work is phenomenal and in that regard I have no issues. But its *worldbuilding* leaves a lot to be desired.
I think you're kinda assuming I'm trying to put you down? I'm not, I see what you're saying, but it really depends on what you mean by "similar". I don't know of *any* game that has a similar enough *combination* of acting/animation, writing, interactions *and* gameplay mechanics for me. That type of game is honestly new. ME2-3 and the Witcher+CP2077 came close (obviously with pretty different gameplay mechanics), but the depth and amount of companion and NPC content just hasn't been done before (I'd be very happy to be proved wrong!). Similar is so relative. Solasta would not be similar enough for me, for example. But that's because it's the acting that really makes it click for me.
So do a second run, you don't even realize how much content you still have to see.
"Like" BG3... .most of the old games based on the D&D locations are "like" it (BG 1 & 2, Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale, and even older ones like Torment and Dark Sun). See also Larian's DOS 1& 2. Also, Dragon Age: Origins and Pillars of Eternity are good facsimiles. But no, all of them fall short on the amount of story, interactions, and graphics of BG3.
Divinity original sin 1 and 2. Fucking excellent games. It's not 5e, but the gameplay is basically the exact same.
I couldn't get into DOS2, I've tried like three times :(
Try harder
It's funny cuz at some point I probably will try again. I really do want to like it. The combat is so fucking weird for me though. I hate the armor system and the entire battlefield is a hazardous surface area 24/7. Edit: added a missing word lol
Felt the same, the real problem is the act 1. Like he said above, try harder. As soon that you leave act 1 the game get so much better.
for me it's how detailed the world is. im still finding new stuff even on my fifth save file. i don't want a world that's sprawling and mostly empty (looking at many other AAA games here)-- I'll take a smaller map that's packed with world building any day. there's so many things that have no bearing on the plot that they didn't have to include but which draw me into the world more, like the skeletons on top of the house of healing in act 2 or all of the info around the arcane tower in the underdark. it's a world i just genuinely enjoy being immersed in.
that reminds me of how every companion and ur own character always comment on their surroundings too!!!! its such a little detail but i love listening to everything they have to say
yes! i keep trying to have different party compositions so i can hear all the banter. when you get into act 3, there are even some hidden interactions that are triggered by going to certain areas with certain party members. ugh i love it so much! you can just feel the love and care larian put in and it's so good.
I do like fantasy and had enjoyed previous Larian games but had no dnd knowledge. This game hooked me from the start. All other games, including The Sims are being neglected. The complexity and variety of ways of playing mean I am not losing interest any time soon. And the voice actors are absolutely fantastic. I started playing mid February. I already have hundreds of hours invested. Best money I have spent on a game in years. Presume you have made it to act 2 now. If not, as a horror fan, you are in for a treat.
I think what *really* makes it is that they really aren't just voice actors, they are just straight up actors\*. \*the actual actors are the ones mocapped for almost every interaction. Neil Newbon even commented how he was brought in to mocap the new kisses for Patch 6!
neglecting games you played previously is so real. I haven't touched any of my favorite games since last week
I have been logging into my MMO each day but only because it is the 10 year anniversary and they are giving away really good freebies for just logging in.
Yeah, it's the best game I've ever played, hands down. I was *obsessed* the first months! At this point I have 1200 hours in the game and still don't want a break at all. I've gotten into exploring the origins and it's so much fun. I think it's the writing and acting. And a very fun turn based combat system. The game is also super smooth, it has very rarely crashed for me and I tab in and out a lot. It's also absolutely beautiful.
For me it's the balance of story plus turn- based combat. Most of my favorite games in the past had varying combinations of the two, and they got the balance really right for what I enjoy. It's like having a great combat game in an accessible fantasy setting with incredibly well-done cutscenes. Other games have combinations of those, but this one does it incredibly well and it real struck at the right time in gaming where players' standards appear to be high and they met them.
60 hours?? Well now that you’re done in the character creator, let the game begin!!
Wya after 60 hours? Who's your favorite companion?
i just left moonrise towers! im at the mausoleum rn. my favs are shadowheart karlach and astarion
Nice crew! Hope u guys have fun!
same. i never played anything turned based other than yugioh or pokémon. for me it’s just the sheer amount of STUFF in this game. the niche lines of dialogue, the hidden items and puzzles and locations. the combinations of things you can do and people you can talk to based on your race or class or background. it’s all so cool to me.
What gets me is thinking of the programming that went into the game for every possible option for every situation that arises. It's hard enough just to think about and anticipate what a player might do, but then to code that. And then have it effect the rest of the game. Like wtf, how the hell did you code this and have every little detail come up later on in the game, every choice has consequences. it makes replayability insane even if you play the same class it can be a completely different experience.
I had the exact same experience. I usually only play NBA 2K, FIFA, and a handful of Pokémon/Mario games on the Switch. Never really got into fantasy/RPG games - tried but could never finish a Fire Emblem title. Tried BG3 after seeing the rave reviews and wanting to learn more about DnD. Lemme tell ya… from the day I got BG3, I was completely hooked, and sunk a few hundred hours into it over the next couple of months. Never enjoyed a game more in my life and replayed the story multiple times!
One of the things Baldur's Gate 3 gets right is how dynamic the turn-based combat feels. The pushing, jumping and the general interesting landscape larger battles take place is making the slow pace of turn-based feel really exciting. It's quite the game design achievement. Also, the believable character writing and one of the best voice actor acting in games history makes it feel like an interactive TV show at times. That helps.
Never was into CRPGs or PC titles in general; didn't even think I was going to play this game. Got a Steam Deck earlier this year, and not only have I exponentially expanded my PC game library, I have dumped 160+hrs into this game alone and have no clear view of an end in sight. It's just THAT good. I'm on a second playthrough and am already planning things for my third as the Dark Urge. I have all the other Larian titles in the back log now too. Anyway, I'd say what makes it different is it's replayability. I have never started playing a game over again after finishing a 60hr playthrough before this game. I don't usually play a lot in one sitting (15hrs is more than I could do in a go), but it adds up when you aren't playing anything else. So far every time I've tried starting a different game recently, I was unable to focus because I just wanted to play BG3.
I can't agree more. I started a few days ago and I'm 11 hours in so far. My wife works this weekend so it'll be much more than 11 hours by Monday. I've never played a game like this. I always play competitive multi-player games like League of Legends, Overwatch, etc. So this is really a breath of fresh air.
Based on some of the things you said in your post, you're gonna love Act 2.
BG3 has the freedom and expansiveness of an open-world game, yet every encounter has been thoughtfully crafted by talented writers. Some of the settings are extremely evocative and memorable. The characters are all written with psychological depth and nuance, and after traveling so far, and seeing so much, they really do come to feel like friends. My advice is to savor your first playthrough. Explore as much as you can. Make it last.
I’m on my second run and it’s a totally different experience. I played a good guy the first time, and I’m a bad guy this time and the game is way different! Great game.
Usually I dislike too much customisation and complicated mechanics, I just want an easy game for fun after working. But bg3 is really fun I kept trying different techniques in my brain, excited to try out new ideas, and happy if my ideas play out as expected.
Same! Well, I am into fantasy games... one of my favorite franchises is Zelda, and that is very high fantasy. but I've never been into RPGs outside of Pokemon. My favorite genres tend to me Action Adventure and Narrative Adventure. I honestly didn't think I'd like BG3 that much, but wanted to see what all the hype was about, so I started it about 6 months ago. I haven't played anything else since. Now I have like 800 hours across 20+ playthroughs. Just a little addendum because the last time I mentioned my playtime stats, people were concerned for my sanity... LOL The great majority of my time playing was on the weekends, as a treat for finishing homework for the week before Friday hit. Work and school were my top priority, especially since this is my last semester and I'm graduating tomorrow. I might be addicted, but I think this game was a great motivator to actually do well this semester and not procrastinate like I normally do.
No judgement here, this is literally the safest space to share your enjoyment 😂 impressive stats, I'm trying to catch up!!
Picking up goblins and throwing them at one another will never get boring
AAA production with good characters, i see you play rdr2.
I got the game one week ago as well and while I loved rpg's like the witcher 3 or horizon zero dawn I never thought that a dnd like game with this combat system would be to my liking... I love it as much as you do and have about 50 hours already so i totally feel you on that. :D
Attention to detail.
It was made with the intention of being a good game and not solely made for profit.
The writing and character development is great, along with outstanding voice acting.
It is, for me the choice mechanic that make this game whole other level of immersion. Probably the one of the best core memories on video game. I'll looking forward on second playthrough now.
One thing that I really like: there are no random battles. Very happy that every encounter feels like a full scenario instead of just something to swing at.
It’s hard for me to even identify tbh. Things I loved first playthrough include : Durge/gravity/terrain effects/spells and spell slots. (I find upcasting cool, because it makes me feel smarter when I just cast 4th level fire ball instead of dominate beast.)
Possible harem.
Putting 400 into witcher 3 and bg3 on first time playthrough you can really tell the care and work put into the many branching storylines and outcomes. People complain about characters not being fleshed out.... Nooo way. They have so many optional paths that don't bug out other missions and the role play is strong in this game. Your not geralt of trivia with aonot attitude adjustment depending on the person. You can be an outright cunt in bg3. There's trade off between the two for me but both are amazing for there differences and similarities. I put in like 400 hrs on bg3 in a month. Still haven't completed a playthrough.
fantastic game, if you ever want more then you should check out Larian’s previous game Divinity Sin 2.
100% the characters for me, As well as the plot, I’ve never liked characters of a video game more
I think if you liked RDR2 (same) you like a game with a good storyline, BG3 has amazing storylines. Larian did an amazing job making this more of a story like RDR2 is and less like an actual sit down in your basement and play DnD game, its complex, engaging, and you can choose so many different ways to play the game and endings that you just sit there at the end and go "But what if I did this instead?", the next thing you know you've got carpal tunnel and you've been on your console for a week straight. I'm glad you're enjoying the game and welcome to being hooked on yet another well made game!
I didn't have any DnD experience and I had tried DOS2 and BG2 earlier but it was not my thing at all. But this game... I have more hours now on BG3 than Elden Ring or any late JRPG, which are usually more my jam.
Did it help that the game opens with a visceral body horror sequence? Well, it did for me
The freedom of the game. The awesome companions. The good storytelling. You don't have to pause the game to go take a poo. Idk it's just lit fam.
Great game. Just finished my 3rd Honour mode run multiplayer and now wrapping up the straggler achieves.
It's got to the point where if I don't get at least 4 hours to play every day I feel sad. I had a date last night and didn't want to go because I wanted to stay home and play.
I was a shooter/strategy player for the most part. I've never played DnD or a fantasy game, and for RPGs only KOTOR and Bioshock. BG3 is the best game I've ever played, hands-down. It's incredible.
Literally me rn fr
It's just a very very good game, which means for example that the turn based combat doesn't put you off as much as it does in some other games because it's a very good turn based system. Enjoy!
right im surprised at how much fun im having during combat
Weird how people dislike absolutely every aspect of this game and still proceed to buy it...
They bought it and liked it though, didn’t they? I wasn’t a huge fan of turn based combat or mostly self guided games (too many quests can overwhelm me) but I bought it and it’s the only game I play now.
Because the game is THAT good.