Baldur’s Gate 3: Comprehensive Player’s Guide | In-Depth Review

Baldur’s Gate 3 created and released by Larian Studios is the anticipated game in the popular Baldur’s Gate series. Taking place in the world of the Forgotten Realms this role playing game (RPG) is heavily inspired by the mechanics of the tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) specifically following the ruleset of its edition. This guide offers a look at the game from a players viewpoint discussing aspects such as its announcement, gameplay, storyline, character customization and more.

Table of Contents

Game Announcement and Release History

Baldur’s Gate 3 was officially revealed to the public on June 6 2019. Fans were excited to hear that the game would be built around the edition of D&D bringing an upgrade to the series gameplay. The game first entered Early Access on October 6 2020 giving players a chance to test it out and share their thoughts during its development phase. The full version was released for PC on August 3 2023 followed by launches, on PlayStation 5 on September 6 2023 MacOS on September 22 2023 and Xbox Series X/S on December 7 2023.

Gameplay Overview

Core Mechanics

Baldur’s Gate 3 stays faithful to the style of its predecessors while also integrating contemporary gaming features. Players have the option to embark on their adventure solo leading a group of four characters or join forces online with, up to three companions. The gameplay follows a turn based format mirroring the combat mechanics of D&Ds edition.

Storyline and Setting

The story takes place in the year 1492 DR, over a hundred years after the events of Baldur’s Gate II, Shadows of Amn. It starts with the character getting captured by mind flayers, who insert a tadpole into their brain posing a threat to turn them into one of these horrifying creatures. The protagonist manages to escape from a crashing nautiloid ship and lands back in embarking on a journey to get rid of the parasite. Along the way they encounter survivors, each, with their own unique backgrounds and missions.

Critical Acclaim

Baldur’s Gate 3 has received praise from both critics and gamers winning Game of the Year accolades from respected groups like the Golden Joystick Awards. The Game Awards 2023 D.I.C.E. Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards and BAFTA Games Awards. Impressively it stands out as the game to sweep all five award ceremonies in a single year.

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Plot Details

The storyline of the game tells a story about survival, friendship and the battle against an approaching darkness. Players in the role of the character are challenged with the turmoil of either fighting against or accepting the corruption introduced by the mind flayer parasite. The story progresses through engagements with a range of characters all while dealing with mystical dangers that haunt the Forgotten Realms.

Key Characters

Shadowheart: A half-elf cleric with a mysterious past.
Gale: A human wizard with a perilous secret.
Astarion: A high elf rogue with a vampiric curse.
Lae’zel: A githyanki fighter on a mission.
Wyll: A human warlock with a pact to honor.
Karlach: A tiefling barbarian with a burning vengeance.

Character Creation

Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a standout feature with its character creation system. Players have the choice of 12 classes and 11 races from the D&D Player’s Handbook. Whether creating a one of a kind character or picking from made characters, with compelling histories there are plenty of customization options available.

Classes

Barbarian
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Fighter
Monk
Paladin
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Warlock
Wizard

Races

Dragonborn
Drow
Dwarf
Elf
Githyanki
Gnome
Half-elf
Half-orc
Halfling
Human
Tiefling

Backgrounds

Gamers have the option to choose from backgrounds that offer chances for role playing and skills like:

Acolyte
Charlatan
Criminal
Entertainer
Folk Hero
Guild Artisan
Haunted One
Noble
Outlander
Sage
Soldier
Urchin

System Requirements

To ensure a gaming experience with Baldur’s Gate 3 a powerful system is needed to handle its top notch visuals and intricate gameplay features.

PC Requirements

Minimum:

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel I5 4690 / AMD FX 8350
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 970 / RX 480 (4GB+ VRAM)
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 150 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD required

Recommended:

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel i7 8700K / AMD r5 3600
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia 2060 Super / RX 5700 XT (8GB+ VRAM)
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 150 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD required

Mac Requirements

Minimum:

OS: macOS 10.15.6
Processor: 2.6GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon 460 4GB
Storage: 150 GB available space
Additional Notes: Minimum specs can run the game on low to medium settings. M1 Chip requirements: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Mac mini with Apple M1 chip and 8GB of RAM. SSD recommended.