Baldur's Gate III

BKtje

I have a few hours free tonight, I plan to pour me a glass or two of whiskey and get a good few hours in to "relax". Really looking forward to it.

brady12

How is it on console?

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121170365#Comment_121170365

Haven't had any issues. Some inventory stuff can be a bit clunky compared to PC, but I think if you haven't played the PC version it shouldn't be that big an issue, you get used to it fairly quickly.

Penn

Finished the campaign, with about 95 hours on the clock.

Satisfied with the ending, though was faced with a choice in the last section to which there were no good solutions, and therefore no real brilliant ending. Still though, that's all part of it, the culmination of your previous decisions.

What an amazing game though. Will undoubtedly be my GOTY. Really looking forward to giving it another playthrough in a few months.

johnny_ultimate

The finale of Act 2 is really a multi-evening epic! Dramatically ups the scales of the main story, but also a perfect example of how your choices and the game’s character work layer on top of each other to have outcomes that feels earned and individual (even if obviously it’s all pre-scripted). While I’m not an expert on classic western RPGs (I was very much a JRPG kid), I definitely can’t recall any RPG that succeeds so well in really following through on big, sprawling, diverging decisions and actual role playing.

blackwave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121181147#Comment_121181147

Will you do a second replay as the dark urge? I am in act but already want to try a dark urge playthrough as it seems like a lot of fun.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121181470#Comment_121181470

Only looked into it in a little, but possibly. I know myself that as much as I'd aim to make different decisions, be more of a prick to everyone, have a bit more fun etc, I know I'll likely end up making most of the same decisions again just with a different build. So maybe the Dark Urge will force me to play completely differently.

johnny_ultimate

Loving how overwhelming Baldur's Gate itself is - exactly what arriving in a busy, landmark environment in an RPG should feel like. A bunch of interesting threads to explore, a real sense of scale and activity, and all the stuff you've been doing throughout the game (big and small) coming to fruition. I'm having momentous choices thrown at me left, right and centre - a real potent sense of disparate factions vying to manipulate and use your party for their own ends.

Above all, it truly is revelatory to play an RPG of this size that's 'all killer, no filler' - for a 70+ hour game, not having any fat on its bones is a serious achievement.

Fionn1952

In Act 3 now, biggest thing for me is that it actually feels like D&D. It is the closest I've ever felt to tabletop play, including some of the potentially ridiculous scenarios that just seem like 'ehh.....I'll allow it' rule of coolesque DM decisions.

johnny_ultimate

Deep into Act 3 now. Making progress but it's bloody massive! Have been ticking away at side quests before tackling any of the really big story encounters, but there are so many continuations and follow-ons from stuff earlier in the game - not to mention new stuff - that I've probably spent a dozen-odd hours already digging into them! But again: it's all really good stuff, so happy to chip away and move ever forward towards the end game :)

Have hit level 11 and my characters are really feeling agile and powerful now. Another bonus attack for Lae'Zel is making her an absolute tank. I've really come back around on Astarion too - still a bit limited in the bonus action front, but a stealth attack is now pretty devastating, and the mounting bonuses have made lockpicking and trap disarming almost trivially easy (think I'm guaranteed a minimum of a 11-12 roll at this stage, maybe even higher with bonuses - usually hits 18-20+ easy).

Glebee

On Act 3 myself but sort of burnt out of Baldurs Gate, have not played in well over a week.

johnny_ultimate

Act 3 spoiler:

Spoiler Warning

Played through House of Hope and the incredible Raphael boss fight last night - foolishly thought it'd be a quick hour or two jaunt, but ended up going to bed much later than intended as I had to do a few takes of the fight. What a boss battle! Just a great example of having to use all the tools available - bumping up resistances to survive the initial onslaught; taking advantage of holding and distraction spells to hold back a powerful enemy's attacks; and taking advantage of stacked movement and attack surges to clear environmental obstacles as quickly as possible.

Glad they give you an extra fighter for that battle though - Hope's robust healing skills, bespoke banishment skill and divine intervention once-off long rest were invaluable in having the resources necessary to make it through that.

That music too - gotta love a good unique boss battle theme, sung by the boss himself :P

SK1979

Rolled the credits on this there the other day. PS5 says 105 hours on my save but that doesn’t include reloads so probably at least 120+.

can’t argue with that in terms of value. Honestly though, the quality did dip a bit in Act 3. I read Johnny’s spoiler above and actually didn’t do that part. Kind of raging now as I think the biggest complaint I have about Act 3 is that it was too easy. Rarely if ever was challenged in combat and I was a complete ARPG novice!

I’d definitely replay the game if Larrian tightened up the final Act. Just felt a little muddled, but again with the scope involved it’s hard to be too critical.

overall though, an incredible experience.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121264025#Comment_121264025

Do you have a save pre ending where you could go back and dust off that side quest? Definitely worth it IMO.

Penn

Yeah it was one of my favourite parts of Act 3. Did my best to not really talk about it here because it's just well worth experiencing naturally.

SK1979

I definitely have a save that I could go back to I’m sure. I think I finished up with about 300 quick saves. :-)

Vicxas

This gave me a chuckle

johnny_ultimate

Finally think I'm in the end game. All companion quests completed other than two that are dependent on story quests. Only two or three minor sidequests left. Just need to get Orin's stone and think it's the finale then?

There are some great encounters in Act III, mostly non-mandatory and several related to companion quests. Still amazed by the size of it - maybe I've been particularly thorough (and even then I know I've missed at least one significant side quest) but I'd say it has taken maybe half of my entire 70ish hour playthrough to get through Act III alone.

johnny_ultimate

Had the opportunity to finish this over the long weekend. An exceptional, genre-defining RPG all-in-all - a sprawling, reactive piece of pure design, backed up by superb writing and characterisation across the board. From lovely little character moments, to goofy little asides and massive setpieces, it manages to be intimate and sprawling at the same time. Definitely sets a new benchmark for the writing of companion characters in RPGs - the bland AF ones you find in the likes of Bethesda studio games really can't cut it compared to this odd, lovable, demented group of weirdos.

Act III was massive for me - as said above, maybe half of my game time in total. I got a few patches worth of fixes, and for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed its epic scope and culmination of everything leading up to it. But it's unquestionably the buggiest part of the game - just a fair bit of jank and some hilariously broken bits (the sidequest 'Free the Artist' was insanely glitchy for me in particular). But a lot of it boils down to the ambition and scope of the thing - even at its jankiest, it's always a pleasure seeing the systems and RPG elements coming together so wonderfully.

Quite liked the ending overall, even if the mission itself was very much the big spectacular video game ending. Still, some proper epic fights to close things out, and I liked the character endings for the most part.

I'm surprised there's such an outcry

Spoiler Warning

over Karlach's ending online - I do understand it has been fleshed out since release, but at the same time the choice between death and a 'life' in hell was a powerful, tragic way to wrap her story up (I chose the former, because it was the only one that felt right). I get some players want to be able to guide everyone to a happy ending, but sometimes tragedy is the most poetic and apt thing.

Alipiama

Definitely the game of the year. As a huge fan of Dragon Age:Origins, BGIII impressed me a lot

Glebee

Haven just gotten started on Act 3 and just hit a wall with BG3, completely burnt out of it. Not touched it in weeks.

FutureGuy

Soooooo

Downloaded the trial and 2 hours went by in a flash. Can't see the game listed on Smyths OR in CEX. Where can I buy a physical copy?

DeSelby83

Just picked this up on Xbox. Anyone got any starter tips or should I just dive in and wing it and see how it all plays out.

Varik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121478435#Comment_121478435

2024

Varik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121478717#Comment_121478717

If you lose a dice roll it isn't the same as losing in another game, it just means the events take a different route. It can mean that you get something else or another route through presents itself that in the end might be better or get you something better.

Compared to the likes of a bioware game were getting the "good ending" means winning a lot, in BG3 it could mean losing a bit too. A few times I'd managed to convince people of something but you don't realize till later there's also negatives from that or there was a secret bit of info you could have used.

So don't feel the need to reload after ever dice roll loss, now there are times where the game gives you choices that you probably shouldn't have pick and they've got game ending rolls attached but other than that just see where the game goes.

Mike Litoris

Just finished there this morning. Lots of memorable moments but right at the end.....

Spoiler Warning

The killing blow on the Netherbrain was with a thrown shovel! Karlach had run out of attacking moves except for enraged throw so I hopped the trusty shovel at it! It was the first time I actually used the move in the game. What an epic way to finish it off!😁

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121478717#Comment_121478717

Just wing it. There's really no bad choices, just your choices. Just explore as much as you can, do whatever you want, and have fun.

One thing I will say for the first few hours though, the combat can be tricky to get the hang of, especially getting used to your own abilities, the abilities of your party, and you'll probably lose a good few fights at the start until you get used to not just your powers and movement, but what your enemies can do. It's not always explained that well either. So for the first while at least, there's no real harm in reloading a save and trying a fight again from the start. Just do it for fights rather than decisions, it's a much better game if you live with your decisions and dice rolls.

DeSelby83

Thanks for the suggestions both, so I'm pretty much going to wing it then and see how my story plays out. I probably will save scum before fights alright if I can until I get a good feel for it and understanding of my party and all the abilities.

KilOit

I'm new to DnD style games but is every enemy encounter supposed to be difficult? you can't just blow through some minor enemies, playing on hard and getting through it slowly. I can't help but scum save some encounters to try different things, most people doing this?

I am enjoying the difficulty of it but a lot to learn

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121481798#Comment_121481798

Yeah even minor fights can be pretty tough, particularly if the rolls don't go your way, or they're spread out or mob you. Also tends to be a case where you're trying not to unnecessarily use spell slots too. I can only imagine it's worse on Hard difficulty.

The minor fights do get easier as time goes on as you have a better grasp on your own party and tactics, but at the start, there really aren't any minor fights. Most fights are challenging because you have to learn the game systems to optimise your attacks.