Baldurs Gate 3 is the Final Form of RPGs | Video Essay

Baldur’s Gate 3 is Larian Studio’s new masterpiece, a sublime work of art, and a new evolution in video game storytelling. While BG3 boasts the best combat ever seen in a CRPG, where Baldur’s Gate really excels is in the writing, design, performances and animation of the companion characters and NPCs, as well as the extraordinary opportunities for deep role-playing that Larian provides with its infinitely branching story paths. In a mind-boggling achievement, Baldur’s Gate is the first RPG I’ve experienced where there is almost no filler. No filler fights, no filler side-quests, no filler characters. Every quest, every character and every detail is poignant, tying back in some way to the main story and quest of the game. And all of it is at a level that most AAA game studios can only dream of.

However, it must be said, that for all its glory, Baldur’s Gate 3 is another in a long line of AAA releases that have stumbled at the finish line, releasing a game that is still riddled with game-breaking bugs. Almost 150 hours into my playthrough, my save files were corrupted, and worse, I lost the ability to make any new saves. This meant that my game was over, unless I literally played the entire climax of the game (spanning almost 12 hours) in a single sitting, without losing any fights or crashing the game. It was a truly nightmarish ordeal, and yet somehow, it took what was already an extraordinary game and turned it into the most memorable gaming experience of my life. Because the save corruption forced me to confront my worst gaming habit: Save Scumming.

If you’re someone that has any interest at all in RPGs or just good fantasy storytelling, you owe it to yourself to give this game a shot. It’s simply the most expansive, detailed, fun and well written adventure you can get in the world of video games. Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Timecodes:
00:00 - Intro
03:35 – Godlike Gameplay
21:24 – Story and Quests (Spoilers)
38:13 – The Companions
49:11 – World Building Done Right
1:01:06 – How Baldur’s Gate 3 Almost Broke Me (The Save File Fiasco)
1:10:34 – Conclusion

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