Baldur’s Gate 3 is complex, cryptic, niche and a huge success
Baldur’s Gate 3 shows multitudes and tells little. The complex role-playing game sounds like a niche product, but it’s been a massive success. It shows that mainstream can still be found far from «the mainstream».
At peak times, over 800,000 people were playing Baldur’s Gate 3 simultaneously. This puts the role-playing game in second place on Steam behind perennial favourite Counter-Strike: GO. The latter is free-to-play while the fantasy epic is a full-price game. A sensational, surprising result. Baldur’s Gate 3 does pretty much everything different from other smash hits. But that’s exactly what makes it so special.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the continuation of the eponymous series, which began in 1998 and came to its supposed end in 2000 with part two. Even then, the success of both games was a surprise. Canadian studio Bioware was known to very few. Then out of nowhere, it released a role-playing game that was second to none. A monumental game full of decisions and with well over 100 hours of playing time was hidden on a fabulous five CDs. It hit like a bomb. With its tactical battles, it was the antithesis of the action-focused Diablo, which came out a year earlier. And more than 20 years later, Belgian studio Larian manages the same feat.
Source: Larian
Dungeons and Dragons through and through
Baldur’s Gate 3 relies on the complex rule system of Dungeons and Dragons. The ultra-nerdy pen-and-paper game that most probably only know from Stranger Things. Just like the original, the game also offers an incredible amount of gameplay freedom. Especially in this respect, Larian comes up trumps. In Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll create your own party and meet new companions throughout your adventure. Or not, if like me you make the wrong decisions and wipe out entire settlements.
How the game develops is up to you. While the story follows a rough outline, the paths you take can vary wildly. I can talk about it for hours with my friends, as we usually experience completely different events. Combine that with the fact that we can even play it together. Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a co-op mode for up to four players. They don’t just help in combat, but also determine the outcome of dialogue and decisions.
Source: Larian
After more than 50 hours, I’ve at least reached the outskirts of the legendary city of Baldur’s Gate. It’s so detailed that performance is affected, even on high-end gaming PCs. However, the technical and content highlight of the game is currently still somewhat buggy. This could be due to the PC launch being moved up – the PS5 version won’t be released until 6 September. But even that doesn’t seem to tarnish the overall impression decisively.
Each character is painstakingly animated and voiced
Despite its enormous size – the main game easily takes 80 hours to finish – Baldur’s Gate 3 delivers detailed graphics, expressive facial animations and is voiced down to the last character. All the characters you can have a conversation with have unique expressions and offer more engaging voice performances than many other games. The fact that a seasoned Hollywood actor like J.K. Simmons provides a rather shoddy display says a lot about the quality of the voice acting.
Source: Larian
Baldur’s Gate 3 has already been available for three years – at least part of it. Larian released the Early Access version in the autumn of 2020, which they steadily improved and expanded with the help of community input. At that time, the game reached over 500,000 concurrent users. However, what ultimately released as the final version in August 2023 exceeded even the expectations of hardcore fans. Baldur’s Gate 3 is the first game to truly capture the feel of a real IRL D&D game. Something that was previously only possible with a die-hard group and an experienced Dungeon Master.
Hopefully an example
Larian completely dispenses with paid add-on content or other cosmetic frippery. You get the complete game in one go, simple as that. At a time when many studios and publishers swear by live service, in-game purchases, and season passes, this is balm for a battered gamer soul. Larian CEO Swen Vincke](https://twitter.com/LarAtLarian/status/1692069164670734702?s=20) agrees: «But the greatest thing about all of this is that we can continue to make games like this. Yes, they are risky and ambitious and stuff sometimes goes wrong but it’s what the studio was created for. Bg3’s reception shows there is room for this type of game.» Let’s hope Swen’s right.
Source: Larian
Bethesda, of all studios, could provide the next milestone with Starfield. It’s promised similar standards of quality and content. I’m dreading diving into my next 100-hour role-playing monster. But a success would be a clear signal to the industry that you can also do without live service and in-game purchases. Since you can play Starfield a few days earlier for an additional charge, it’s not quite the perfect example, true. But the point still stands.
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Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
