Baldur's Gate III review

Exceptional

by AB

I don't much more can be said to praise how well done this game is. It is not only one of, if not the, best Dungeons and Dragons adjacent games but also one of the CRPG games. It has incredible systems to allow for so much variety to keep things fresh and really let you experiment with ways to approach situations. There is enough leeway with respec that you can tweak your character if you think something isn't working like you want it to. The story is great with plenty of depth and twists you don't see coming. Where this game really sets the bar is it's writing and characters. The characters are incredible, yes some are better than others but they are all unique and have great writing to them. You can have great synergy or be at complete odds depending on your character. I had a weird playthrough as I chose to play a Githyanki fighter, later swapping to a Paladin of Vengeance, because a Gith was never an optional race in any of the other D&D games I've played. In this game they are pivotal to the story. I was always at odds with Lae'zel and her brainwashed mentality. There was such a good balance to your relationship and responses to your actions that it really felt like a personal experience. You can really get attached to the characters and their struggles and there are a few very power scenes, one of which no doubt was credit to Neil Newbon's award for Best Supporting Performer. On top of this is the music. The soundtrack is incredibly beautiful beyond words. The three main songs are so good and so well composed it just pairs perfectly. The only issue with the game I had was when proceeding to Act 2, there is another path you can take that the game does not make clear will be skipped if you go the other way, whereas if you go that way you still travel to the other path. This makes it difficult to look up without spoilers in most cases. Choice is part of the design so I understand that but basically skipping an area for nothing, and one that is a big part of a companions story, kind of sucks. Also Gale not being able to jump more than 5 feet lol.  Overall this is an incredible achievement that really shows just how incredible the Larian is as a developer and highlights the incredible importance and talent of the voice acting community.