An event game

Larian Studios whispers the existence of Baldur’s Gate 3 ahead of E3 2019 just before making the game official and at the same time son title at the Stadia conference held in early June. The announcement has the effect of a bomb with the fans of the saga and tabletop role-playing game enthusiasts, especially Dungeons & Dragons insiders. Indeed, the game systems and universe of the franchise are historically based on successive editions of D&D, and the same is true for this third installment. What’s more, the return of Baldur’s Gate comes with a big reveal.

There saga formerly developed by BioWare (Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), is now in the hands of Larian Studios. Since its creation in 1996 and the release of son first game in 2002, these studios strive to design the best possible RPGs, and are notably at the origin of the “Divinity” series. Divinity: Original Sin (2014) and Divinity: Original Sin II (2017) are among the best role-playing games ever made with respectively scores 88% and 93% on MetaCritic. The presence of Larian Studios at the helm of Baldur’s Gate III can only reassure fans chilly at the idea of ​​witnessing the resurrection of a video game series dear to their hearts.

The first act made available to players since October 2020 via the launch of early access is edifying proof of the know-how of the teams at work on this project of disproportionate ambitions and scope. There will be a before and after Baldur’s Gate III in the world of RPGs and even video games in the broad sense. Attending such an event is rare. It would be a shame to miss it, especially since Larian Studios is tending main to neophytes. Small flat, early backups access are not compatible with the version final of the game. We will therefore have to start all over again.

Baldur’s Gate 3 releases on PC on August 3, 2023, then on PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2023.

The continuation of a saga worship

Baldur’s Gate III… This title alone suggests that you must have played the two previous main games to be able to enjoy the third. In reality, it is not necessary to have explored the Forgotten Realms from top to bottom to embark on the adventure imagined by the Larian Studios teams. The latter begins 120 years after the events of Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn and several months after those of Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus. The developers made the wise choice to “disconnect” the story told in BG3 from those that made the glory of the saga in the past.

Larian Studios had made a similar decision with Divinity: Original Sin 2 a few years earlier. In effect, this RPG released in 2017 situates son plot more than twelve centuries (1238 years to be precise) after that of Divinity: Original Sin. Moreover, the events narrated in this second episode have very few links with those of the first. They exist, but they are in no way a sine qua non for understanding a complex scenario with multiple ramifications and twists. Divinity: Original Sin 2 can be done without having played Divinity: Original Sin… Ditto for Baldur’s Gate III which can easily be enjoyed without having done your homework first.

Since the beginnings of saga, players travel to the heart of the Forgotten Realms and regularly change zones. Baldur’s Gate first of the name focuses on a region located on the western shore of Féérune (Faerûn in English) while Baldur’s Gate II mainly reveals the country of Amn, located on the same continent. Baldur’s Gate III unsurprisingly returns to the fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms in order to explore in depth Féérune on the planet Abeir-Torilles. Here is the synopsis of Baldur’s Gate III:

The ultimate role-playing game

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a role-playing game. This genre, which is not necessarily the most accessible for the grand public, involves intertwined gameplay mechanics, and an unsuspected playful depth. The numbers speak for themselves regarding the new title from Larian Studios. According to the statements of the developers, the carefully crafted adventure features 17,000 different endings, 174 hours of cutscenes and dozens of hours of gameplay. It would take no less than 80 hours of “gameplay controllers in hand” to see the end of the story, or 254 hours (10 days and 14 hours) at total. BG3 is titanic, and it doesn’t stop at the “simple” lifespan.

The RPG based on the Dungeons & Dragons universe is based on a formula well known to fans of the genre and especially Belgian studios. Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a gigantic open world, turn-based combat, extensive avatar customization and a storyline that is intrinsically linked to player decisions. If you are comfortable with role-playing games (same paper) and/or have explored the lands of saga Divinity: Original Sin, the discovery will be smooth. And even if BG3 turns out to be your very first journey within the genre, Larian Studios is not in the habit of parachuting you alone and unarmed into unknown lands.

Baldur’s Gate III accompanies players throughout their epic, and takes care to introduce all gameplay mechanics. There is no question here of integrating a feature and/or a novelty without presenting it in good and due form. Moreover, the title of Larian Studios is fully playable alone, but can also be experienced with several people. BG3 has an online multiplayer mode inviting 2 to 4 players to collaborate. he is also possible to take advantage of this potential offline game of the year in 2 on the same machine (PC or PlayStation 5) in split screen. If you dare not cross the doors of Baldur’s Gate 3 alone, you have the possibility of calling on companions to make your journey through the lands of Faerun much safer and more memorable.