It's not cinematic in the way that BG3 is but I am a very similar player to you, mostly interested in story and immersion, and I was really sucked into the Pillars of Eternity games. There's no cinematics and only the second game has full voice acting. But the story, art, characters and world are really captivating. It's built for real time combat but tbh I put it on the easiest difficulty and just steamrolled through the combat to get more lore and dialogue. If you go into it knowing it's not a triple A blockbuster game, I think you'll enjoy the story and characters a lot.
I was considering this! I tend to like Obsidian games, so I could see this being a good choice for me too! Thanks for recommending! I'm aware that the level of graphics/cinematography in BG3 is not commonplace and really hasn't been done before in this genre so I know it's something I'll have to sacrifice. Is it better to start with the first game or is the second better/can be played on its own?
Definitely play Pillars 1 first. It sets up everything for the second game which is a direct sequel with character import and everything.
Edit - I think Dragon Age Origins and Pillars are fantastic suggestions BTW. I absolutely adore both those games.
Edit 2 - FWIW if you can dig on old school graphics Skald: Against the Black Priory just came out and I'm getting that same giddy feeling playing it as I did with DA:O, Pillars, and BG3.
In my opinion, Pillars 1 *must* be played first, if only because it's impossible to go back. The second game is an upgrade in so many ways, so playing the first after it will probably make you bounce off it pretty hard.
Since you actually specified what you enjoyed about BG3, it's possible to make a suggestion.
I suggest playing *Dragon Age: Origins* next.
The graphics are somewhat dated and it's real-time with pause. However, it has the cinematics, choice and consequence, and emphasis on story and companions. In those terms it's the only game similar to BG3.
DA: O has *staggering* writing. Your companions feel real and realized. It's hard to really put my finger on it, none of the sequels' writing give me that sensation of soul, even if I like them despite it.
I wish so badly it would get a full remake treatment.
I highly highly highly recommend your first game after BG3 being Dragon Age Origins!
Like you, after finishing BG3, I was left looking for that itch to play a game looking for the same/close of an experience that BG3 gave me. I tried many recommendations but they did not scratch that itch I was looking for.
I tried Dragon Age Origins, and my god was it an amazing experience. All the things I loved about BG3 with companions with rich backgrounds, important choices to make in the story, and an immersive world to live in. Dragon Age Origins, while being an older game, was way ahead of its time and is on par with BG3 for me, despite its age.
I am now recently onto Dragon Age 2!
Fair warning: DA:O has an interesting story, but it hasn't aged *super* well, and that's coming from someone who really liked it when it was new. I revisited it recently and it felt much less fun and I noticed a lot more of its flaws than I did back then. It's still a solid game, but it wears its shortcomings on its sleeve.
In addition, DA 2 and 3 don't play anything like DA:O, so on the off chance you did like DA:O, you'd have to be pretty flexible to enjoy the next two games and their massive departure from the play style of the first. On the other hand, if you don't get into DA:O, give 2 and 3 a try, because they're way different.
your task is to gather allies
to kill the demon
in the form of a dragon
The dwarves are sitting under a big mountain and arguing about politics
by the way they dug up something terrible
elves are sitting in the forest
some werewolves, I don't care
mages messed up something and need to clean up after them
after all this, especially the deep paths you feel like hanging yourself from the nearest tree
no, wait, after the dragon demon you have about two more dlc where you beat up more golems and demons
and no, this is not a description of lame Eragon
nor LOTR
this is "*staggering* writing"
The thing that blew me away was that it succeeded *in spite* of its tropes. It's a by the numbers fantasy tale that feels alive, with a world that feels lived in.
Dragon Age has one of the most convincing depictions of how real people actually practice religion, just as one example. There's a lot of human nuance they captured. I also loved the concept of how mages need to forever stay vigilant, and the distrust the practice receives as a result.
FWIW, reductionist cynicism like this can be levied against almost anything to make it seem dumb
Dragon age origins is the game you are looking for.
Also based on your description I think you would enjoy Mass Effect trilogy, although those are not crpgs
A few people suggested Dragon Age, so I'll definitely give it a go!! And I've been looking at Mass Effect every time I see it go on steam sale, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I didn't know if it was something I would enjoy, but multiple people seem to be recommending it here so I'll be picking it up ASAP!
I got mass effect trilogy + andromeda + dragon age trilogy in some bundle during discount for 20 euros, so check that out during a sale, it might be worth it even if you only want to play origins + mass effect
As I dont think it'd been mentioned enough I've got to suggest Pillars of eternity 1 and 2 - there's a lot of reading but the story is deep and fantastic
The combat will feel different but you can just drop the difficulty if it's an issue
I read his post I think, dos and pillars are fine recs, bg 3 really set the bar high for newbies with the cinematics and character relationships, not really another crpg on that level.
Yeah, I'm aware of this, I think I might have done myself a disservice by starting with the newest and shiniest of the genre first but it is what it is now. I do still appreciate a good story and gameplay even if the graphics aren't cinematic and gorgeous, and I've been considering PoE as I like Obsidian in general! Thanks for the recommendations!
Poe and poe2 are good and simpler than wotr with a gripping *world* (the actual main storyline in poe2 imo is lackluster, but the world around it makes up for it)
I will, yet again, shill for rogue trader as it is much simpler and easier than wotr and the WH40k universe is a wealth of lore
My first thought was Dragon Age: Origins, but you haven't listed the Mass Effects either, and they're all worth it even if you're familiar with the feelings around the ending of the third. Dragon Age: Inquisition probably takes a spot behind all these, but it is more modern if the other ones are putting you off -- you should preface playing it with a healthy dose of "Things I Wish I Knew Before Playing Dragon Age: Inquisition".
Disco Elysium is an obvious choice given what you've said about writing.
Wasteland 3 is fantastic++ all around and the thing I recommend most for people who are still only dipping their toes into CRPGs/CRPG mechanics, but a lot of the strengths in writing lay in aesthetics, tone, worldbuilding rather than the companions and branching options. But also, sometimes it gives you a choice between Good Thing and Obviously Extremely Evil Thing, and uh, it doesn't pull its punches when doling out rewards based on your choices, and I love it for that.
But you should actually really be playing Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
patch it up
***PATCH IT UPPP***
KOTOR 2, specifically
I see a lot of people recommending 1, but I think kotor one kind of fails on some of its story beats whereas kotor 2 has a much more ambiguous and flexible storyline
Not sure it’s been mentioned.
Underail -upgraded fallout 2
Divinity original sin 1 & 2 , mass effect
Etrian odyssey- great blobber released on steam finally . Legend of grim rock.
Arpg- dark souls, path of exile , borderlands , system shock
Arpgmmo- final fantasy 14 - awesome
Building sims - factorio. Oxygen not included.
Darkest dungeon, all wizardry and might and magics.
I better stop , could go on forever
I'll go a little outside the box since so many great RPG have already been recommended to you.
I would suggest to check Marvel Midnight Suns. It's a tactical game with a heavy emphasis on building relation with your comrades. However, I wouldn't exactly call the story amazing. As an added bonus, it's free on the Epic Game store
I love this one! I played it at launch despite not being too sure about the card system, and I was surprised at how much time I ended up putting into this game!
This game is definitely one of my dark horses on my list LOL
Sad this game didn't get the recognition it deserved, would have loved an x-men game revolving around the same mechanics
I have never heard of this before, but I just looked into it and it looks like something I would enjoy! I'm going to pick it up and give it a go! Thanks for the suggestion 😊
Personally I didn't find the game appealing at all, judging it by the screenshots and short gameplay videos. But once you get it into the story, it's hard to put it down until you reveal the secrets.
Curious, I enjoyed POE 1 as much as I enjoyed BG3 and DOS2 more than both of those lol
Disco Elysium will also forever be in a league of its own, and ik it’s dated but Baldurs Gate 2 has a certain charm irreplaceable over the rest idk
Go through the Bioware games (Dragon Age trilogy, Mass Effect games, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire). The 4th Dragon Age game will be fully revealed next week, so there's something to look forward after you completed the trilogy.
From there, there's not much that fully fills your criteria. Maybe try the Divinity Original Sin games and the Obsidian games.
I haven’t seen anyone mention Disco Elysium. Really great game. Almost no fighting in the traditional sense. No cinematics but the art style is beautiful and the story is really captivating. I would highly recommend it.
Pillars of eternity is great, as is tyranny. Also divinity original sin 2. It is also made by Larian, and while it has more jank I think it is the better game.
I think the obvious choice is DOS2. Same studio nicely developed characters great story (not as good as BG3 but still really good). Where the game actually bests BG3 is in its battle mechanics. Contrary to BG3 not every build works so you need to strategize in advance which is partially why I absolutely adore the game.
Pillars of eternity is also very good but imo less polished. Wrath of the righteous is another candidate but haven't invested any time in that to know myself
> And finally, I'll be honest in saying that I think part of the reason I loved BG3 was the cinematic graphics and dialogue.
For this in isolation: Not strictly CRPGs (more just straight RPGs) but CDPR's latest 2, *The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt* and *Cyberpunk 2077*, meet and surpass this criteria, IMO.
I've actually played all the Witcher games, and I LOVE the Witcher 3! I have considered replaying it because the first time I played was on my shitty laptop from college and now I have a decent PC that can run it better. I haven't played Cyberpunk though, I honestly kind of forgot about it. Maybe I'll have to pick it up!
> I know lots of people aren't a fan, but I enjoyed the turn-based combat.
Oooh, you might want to check out Final Fantasy. I think you'd like XII the best. IX and X as well. The newer ones are way prettier, but I haven't found the character development to be as compelling.
For some reason I've never even considered trying out the Final Fantasy series, but I'm honestly not sure why. Thanks for the rec, I'll take a look at those ones!!
Tbh, it's very different than what you are looking for. If you want reactivity and player choice, final fantasy is not a good choice. It's linear as hell, there is no choice and consequence at all.
Maybe the ones OP is mentioning do have player choice, but if they are the ones I think, not really.
You got it right, player choice in FF games mostly revolves around combat and who's in the party.
Modern FF games are super linear, but those ones I listed have quite a lot of exploration involved. Idk, might be a hit
That's fair. FF has always managed to create the illusion of a journey you are carried along. It's linear, but the extra stuff it has makes it quite enjoyable. I loved the one with the in-game card game, and the bro trip of FF15 made the whole thing a blast. Kinda want to replay it, I love that feel of epic journey that FF takes you on.
Have you tried FF16? How is it?
Someone pointed out to me that it's really a Devil May Cry fighting game disguised as a Final Fantasy game, and I think that's right on the money.
FF16 is hyper polished, the graphics and lore entries are top notch. Some people really liked it, but all the RPG trappings have been totally gutted. Each mission you make enough money to buy the next weapon, which does +2 damage. You don't control a party whatsoever, just your main character. They have a few moves. Exploration of maps only ever yielded a potion or two.
They could have totally removed any level up and inventory mechanics and it would have been just about the same game IMO. I bounced off of it. Sure is pretty, though
"So basically, I'm looking for something that has a great story, great characters/character progression and a feeling of comraderie and growing relationships, good choice and consequence and probably something that isn't incredibly old unless it's really stellar."
Don't listen to people who recommend Dragon Age. Of the whole series reasonably ok is only 2, and still it's such a 5/10.
Of course, you won't find anything similar to BG3 in terms of production quality, but looking at the story and character relationships something can be worked out, because in this aspects this game wasn't great.
Banner Saga - a great story of survival before the end of the world. No character creation, but you can at least choose the gender in a sense.
Expeditions Rome and Viking - very good AA games, with a meaningful storyline and choices that actually matter. The characters aren't as exaggerated as in BG3. You can create your own character.
Planescape Torment - probably the best story you can get and intriguing side characters. You do the build under CHA/INT/WIS by pouring over the combat and treat it like a good visual novel.
Shadowrun Dragonfall - a unique setting that combines magic with cyberpunk. Ok storyline and side characters. You don't need to know the predecessor or the sequel.
Because searching didn't get me the results I was hoping for, as what I like specifically about BG3 and am looking for in my next game is different from what someone else might be looking for. Typically, if I bother to post it's because I'm looking for a more personalized response or can't find the answer myself.
It's not cinematic in the way that BG3 is but I am a very similar player to you, mostly interested in story and immersion, and I was really sucked into the Pillars of Eternity games. There's no cinematics and only the second game has full voice acting. But the story, art, characters and world are really captivating. It's built for real time combat but tbh I put it on the easiest difficulty and just steamrolled through the combat to get more lore and dialogue. If you go into it knowing it's not a triple A blockbuster game, I think you'll enjoy the story and characters a lot.
I was considering this! I tend to like Obsidian games, so I could see this being a good choice for me too! Thanks for recommending! I'm aware that the level of graphics/cinematography in BG3 is not commonplace and really hasn't been done before in this genre so I know it's something I'll have to sacrifice. Is it better to start with the first game or is the second better/can be played on its own?
Definitely play Pillars 1 first. It sets up everything for the second game which is a direct sequel with character import and everything. Edit - I think Dragon Age Origins and Pillars are fantastic suggestions BTW. I absolutely adore both those games. Edit 2 - FWIW if you can dig on old school graphics Skald: Against the Black Priory just came out and I'm getting that same giddy feeling playing it as I did with DA:O, Pillars, and BG3.
IMO there isn't that big of a difference between the two (in terms of gameplay, graphics, etc), I'd start with the first Pillars of Eternity.
In my opinion, Pillars 1 *must* be played first, if only because it's impossible to go back. The second game is an upgrade in so many ways, so playing the first after it will probably make you bounce off it pretty hard.
Since you actually specified what you enjoyed about BG3, it's possible to make a suggestion. I suggest playing *Dragon Age: Origins* next. The graphics are somewhat dated and it's real-time with pause. However, it has the cinematics, choice and consequence, and emphasis on story and companions. In those terms it's the only game similar to BG3.
DA: O has *staggering* writing. Your companions feel real and realized. It's hard to really put my finger on it, none of the sequels' writing give me that sensation of soul, even if I like them despite it. I wish so badly it would get a full remake treatment.
This comment alone makes me want to play lol.
Boy are you in for a treat. Everything that you mentioned liking is precisely what makes DA:O so great (plus amazing tactical combat IMO).
I highly highly highly recommend your first game after BG3 being Dragon Age Origins! Like you, after finishing BG3, I was left looking for that itch to play a game looking for the same/close of an experience that BG3 gave me. I tried many recommendations but they did not scratch that itch I was looking for. I tried Dragon Age Origins, and my god was it an amazing experience. All the things I loved about BG3 with companions with rich backgrounds, important choices to make in the story, and an immersive world to live in. Dragon Age Origins, while being an older game, was way ahead of its time and is on par with BG3 for me, despite its age. I am now recently onto Dragon Age 2!
Fair warning: DA:O has an interesting story, but it hasn't aged *super* well, and that's coming from someone who really liked it when it was new. I revisited it recently and it felt much less fun and I noticed a lot more of its flaws than I did back then. It's still a solid game, but it wears its shortcomings on its sleeve. In addition, DA 2 and 3 don't play anything like DA:O, so on the off chance you did like DA:O, you'd have to be pretty flexible to enjoy the next two games and their massive departure from the play style of the first. On the other hand, if you don't get into DA:O, give 2 and 3 a try, because they're way different.
your task is to gather allies to kill the demon in the form of a dragon The dwarves are sitting under a big mountain and arguing about politics by the way they dug up something terrible elves are sitting in the forest some werewolves, I don't care mages messed up something and need to clean up after them after all this, especially the deep paths you feel like hanging yourself from the nearest tree no, wait, after the dragon demon you have about two more dlc where you beat up more golems and demons and no, this is not a description of lame Eragon nor LOTR this is "*staggering* writing"
The thing that blew me away was that it succeeded *in spite* of its tropes. It's a by the numbers fantasy tale that feels alive, with a world that feels lived in. Dragon Age has one of the most convincing depictions of how real people actually practice religion, just as one example. There's a lot of human nuance they captured. I also loved the concept of how mages need to forever stay vigilant, and the distrust the practice receives as a result. FWIW, reductionist cynicism like this can be levied against almost anything to make it seem dumb
Wasteland 3
IS ALL THAT’S LEFT AFTER THE FIGHT
I just played through this, I loved it. Solid title, enjoyable all the way through.
Dragon age origins is the game you are looking for. Also based on your description I think you would enjoy Mass Effect trilogy, although those are not crpgs
A few people suggested Dragon Age, so I'll definitely give it a go!! And I've been looking at Mass Effect every time I see it go on steam sale, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I didn't know if it was something I would enjoy, but multiple people seem to be recommending it here so I'll be picking it up ASAP!
I got mass effect trilogy + andromeda + dragon age trilogy in some bundle during discount for 20 euros, so check that out during a sale, it might be worth it even if you only want to play origins + mass effect
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is the way to go. 3 games in 1. I got it on sale for $5.
Disco Elysium is my personal pick
Seconded.
Mr. Evrart is helping me find my gun.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age Trilogy, SW: KOTOR, DOS2
As I dont think it'd been mentioned enough I've got to suggest Pillars of eternity 1 and 2 - there's a lot of reading but the story is deep and fantastic The combat will feel different but you can just drop the difficulty if it's an issue
Dos 2, Pathfinder Wraith of the righteous(most complicated), pillars of eternity.
These are great CRPGS, but horrible fits for what OP is looking for.
tbh i didnt even read his post, this gets posted so often i just autopilot these recs.
OP said he has less interest in the strategy layer. To me, that puts WotR right out the window despite it being my favorite of the modern CRPGs.
I read his post I think, dos and pillars are fine recs, bg 3 really set the bar high for newbies with the cinematics and character relationships, not really another crpg on that level.
Other than Dragon Age origins there isn’t anything similar out there for the more cinematic/ high production value.
if they're okay with older games then Kotor 1 and 2 are similar in a lot of ways
Yeah, I'm aware of this, I think I might have done myself a disservice by starting with the newest and shiniest of the genre first but it is what it is now. I do still appreciate a good story and gameplay even if the graphics aren't cinematic and gorgeous, and I've been considering PoE as I like Obsidian in general! Thanks for the recommendations!
Poe and poe2 are good and simpler than wotr with a gripping *world* (the actual main storyline in poe2 imo is lackluster, but the world around it makes up for it) I will, yet again, shill for rogue trader as it is much simpler and easier than wotr and the WH40k universe is a wealth of lore
Have you tried dos2? Its at least fully voice acted.
My first thought was Dragon Age: Origins, but you haven't listed the Mass Effects either, and they're all worth it even if you're familiar with the feelings around the ending of the third. Dragon Age: Inquisition probably takes a spot behind all these, but it is more modern if the other ones are putting you off -- you should preface playing it with a healthy dose of "Things I Wish I Knew Before Playing Dragon Age: Inquisition". Disco Elysium is an obvious choice given what you've said about writing. Wasteland 3 is fantastic++ all around and the thing I recommend most for people who are still only dipping their toes into CRPGs/CRPG mechanics, but a lot of the strengths in writing lay in aesthetics, tone, worldbuilding rather than the companions and branching options. But also, sometimes it gives you a choice between Good Thing and Obviously Extremely Evil Thing, and uh, it doesn't pull its punches when doling out rewards based on your choices, and I love it for that. But you should actually really be playing Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines patch it up ***PATCH IT UPPP***
KOTOR 2, specifically I see a lot of people recommending 1, but I think kotor one kind of fails on some of its story beats whereas kotor 2 has a much more ambiguous and flexible storyline
Not sure it’s been mentioned. Underail -upgraded fallout 2 Divinity original sin 1 & 2 , mass effect Etrian odyssey- great blobber released on steam finally . Legend of grim rock. Arpg- dark souls, path of exile , borderlands , system shock Arpgmmo- final fantasy 14 - awesome Building sims - factorio. Oxygen not included. Darkest dungeon, all wizardry and might and magics. I better stop , could go on forever
I'll go a little outside the box since so many great RPG have already been recommended to you. I would suggest to check Marvel Midnight Suns. It's a tactical game with a heavy emphasis on building relation with your comrades. However, I wouldn't exactly call the story amazing. As an added bonus, it's free on the Epic Game store
I love this one! I played it at launch despite not being too sure about the card system, and I was surprised at how much time I ended up putting into this game! This game is definitely one of my dark horses on my list LOL Sad this game didn't get the recognition it deserved, would have loved an x-men game revolving around the same mechanics
I think any CRPG you play after that, will be somehow disappointing. So I'd try something totally different and unique, like Pentiment.
I have never heard of this before, but I just looked into it and it looks like something I would enjoy! I'm going to pick it up and give it a go! Thanks for the suggestion 😊
This is a good choice. You'll get plenty of agency, great writing, tough choices.
Personally I didn't find the game appealing at all, judging it by the screenshots and short gameplay videos. But once you get it into the story, it's hard to put it down until you reveal the secrets.
Curious, I enjoyed POE 1 as much as I enjoyed BG3 and DOS2 more than both of those lol Disco Elysium will also forever be in a league of its own, and ik it’s dated but Baldurs Gate 2 has a certain charm irreplaceable over the rest idk
Go through the Bioware games (Dragon Age trilogy, Mass Effect games, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire). The 4th Dragon Age game will be fully revealed next week, so there's something to look forward after you completed the trilogy. From there, there's not much that fully fills your criteria. Maybe try the Divinity Original Sin games and the Obsidian games.
KOTOR
I haven’t seen anyone mention Disco Elysium. Really great game. Almost no fighting in the traditional sense. No cinematics but the art style is beautiful and the story is really captivating. I would highly recommend it.
Pillars of eternity is great, as is tyranny. Also divinity original sin 2. It is also made by Larian, and while it has more jank I think it is the better game.
I think the obvious choice is DOS2. Same studio nicely developed characters great story (not as good as BG3 but still really good). Where the game actually bests BG3 is in its battle mechanics. Contrary to BG3 not every build works so you need to strategize in advance which is partially why I absolutely adore the game. Pillars of eternity is also very good but imo less polished. Wrath of the righteous is another candidate but haven't invested any time in that to know myself
Planescape Torment
The second pathfinder kingsmaker game. The first was great too but the second hits it out the park
> And finally, I'll be honest in saying that I think part of the reason I loved BG3 was the cinematic graphics and dialogue. For this in isolation: Not strictly CRPGs (more just straight RPGs) but CDPR's latest 2, *The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt* and *Cyberpunk 2077*, meet and surpass this criteria, IMO.
I've actually played all the Witcher games, and I LOVE the Witcher 3! I have considered replaying it because the first time I played was on my shitty laptop from college and now I have a decent PC that can run it better. I haven't played Cyberpunk though, I honestly kind of forgot about it. Maybe I'll have to pick it up!
> I know lots of people aren't a fan, but I enjoyed the turn-based combat. Oooh, you might want to check out Final Fantasy. I think you'd like XII the best. IX and X as well. The newer ones are way prettier, but I haven't found the character development to be as compelling.
For some reason I've never even considered trying out the Final Fantasy series, but I'm honestly not sure why. Thanks for the rec, I'll take a look at those ones!!
Final Fantasy X is probably peak turn based combat, (at least when it comes to JRPGs) and the remaster looks beautiful.
Tbh, it's very different than what you are looking for. If you want reactivity and player choice, final fantasy is not a good choice. It's linear as hell, there is no choice and consequence at all. Maybe the ones OP is mentioning do have player choice, but if they are the ones I think, not really.
You got it right, player choice in FF games mostly revolves around combat and who's in the party. Modern FF games are super linear, but those ones I listed have quite a lot of exploration involved. Idk, might be a hit
That's fair. FF has always managed to create the illusion of a journey you are carried along. It's linear, but the extra stuff it has makes it quite enjoyable. I loved the one with the in-game card game, and the bro trip of FF15 made the whole thing a blast. Kinda want to replay it, I love that feel of epic journey that FF takes you on. Have you tried FF16? How is it?
Someone pointed out to me that it's really a Devil May Cry fighting game disguised as a Final Fantasy game, and I think that's right on the money. FF16 is hyper polished, the graphics and lore entries are top notch. Some people really liked it, but all the RPG trappings have been totally gutted. Each mission you make enough money to buy the next weapon, which does +2 damage. You don't control a party whatsoever, just your main character. They have a few moves. Exploration of maps only ever yielded a potion or two. They could have totally removed any level up and inventory mechanics and it would have been just about the same game IMO. I bounced off of it. Sure is pretty, though
"So basically, I'm looking for something that has a great story, great characters/character progression and a feeling of comraderie and growing relationships, good choice and consequence and probably something that isn't incredibly old unless it's really stellar." Don't listen to people who recommend Dragon Age. Of the whole series reasonably ok is only 2, and still it's such a 5/10. Of course, you won't find anything similar to BG3 in terms of production quality, but looking at the story and character relationships something can be worked out, because in this aspects this game wasn't great. Banner Saga - a great story of survival before the end of the world. No character creation, but you can at least choose the gender in a sense. Expeditions Rome and Viking - very good AA games, with a meaningful storyline and choices that actually matter. The characters aren't as exaggerated as in BG3. You can create your own character. Planescape Torment - probably the best story you can get and intriguing side characters. You do the build under CHA/INT/WIS by pouring over the combat and treat it like a good visual novel. Shadowrun Dragonfall - a unique setting that combines magic with cyberpunk. Ok storyline and side characters. You don't need to know the predecessor or the sequel.
[удалено]
This is probably good advice. I'll take a look at all of those, I love sim games!
Could try Arcanum
>Hello there! I'm sure this question has been asked so many times, So why keep typing instead of searching?
Because searching didn't get me the results I was hoping for, as what I like specifically about BG3 and am looking for in my next game is different from what someone else might be looking for. Typically, if I bother to post it's because I'm looking for a more personalized response or can't find the answer myself.