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BALDUR'S GATE III (PS5)
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Publisher: Larian Studios.
Developer: Larian Studios. Released: September 2023. Genre: RPG. Other versions: PC; XSX. Posted 26th March 2025. By Shane Battams © 2025 |
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Long-awaited sequels are a fascinating phenomenon. Seeing one of your favourite games finally get their return to the spotlight can be satisfying, but time can also dull what made those games special and consequently force a complete change. Baldur’s Gate III would finally arrive in 2023, after some two decades and multiple attempts which would see cancellation. Larian Studios, who earned acclaim for their prior Divinity games, would be trusted to bring this new entry to life, and after just shy of three years of Early Access development, the final product would arrive along with a PlayStation 5 port. For those desperate for a new role-playing game to sink their teeth into, BG3 is simply a must-play.
Baldur’s Gate III concerns a band of characters infected with the mind flayer parasite. After a Nautiloid crash landing, the quest across Faerûn begins to reveal a way to remove the parasite, though you soon discover that something bigger is brewing that could spell the end of everything. How you progress is rather open, with several branches offering different ways to open new quests and find potential cures. This benefit comes from the unique setup, as a myriad of disparate protagonists are brought together through the common goal of finding a cure. They all have different beliefs, dispositions and quirks, such as the first character you meet: Lae’zel. As a Githyanki, a race of green-skinned humanoids, she showcases a vicious demeanour that puts her race’s honour code above all else. This contrasts with Asterion, a vampyric rogue focused purely on his own needs. The contrasts create some great moments of tension, conflict and growth as you interact with these companions.
Baldur's Gate III is a remarkable RPG, exhibiting extraordinary depth, superb storytelling and excellent gameplay
It helps that in terms of writing and voicework, Baldur’s Gate III may be peerless. Hugely dense with dialogue, it’s captivating and engaging without seeming bloated. The narrator is a great example of this, deftly switching vivid descriptions of the mind flayer horrors with a lighter, more jovial delivery for comedic moments. Motion capture is outstanding and sees every character tick brought to life, while the voicing is generally strong. Interactions feel layered and rich with detail, making it a joy to probe your companions for more backstory. Dialogue options and choices eschew black-and-white morality for something more complex, as decisions which seem righteous on the surface, can have catastrophic consequences you’d struggle to foresee. Even characters outside of your camp offer deep conversation, such as a group of refugees whose fate you can determine throughout the course of the game. The world is overflowing with lore to uncover via books, optional conversations and good old-fashioned exploration as you wander the map. Needless to say, it becomes very easy to lose yourself in this depiction of Faerûn.
Before you can jump in, your character selection comes first. The options feel almost endless, allowing you to tweak everything from size to race and background. You can opt to either use a custom character or utilise one of the existing characters, offering unique scenes you’d otherwise miss. Customisation also plays a key role in shaping your character’s capabilities in combat. 12 classes allow you to focus on weapons, magic or even distraction with The Bard, and subclasses allow you to choose different abilities. As you earn levels on Balanced difficulty, you can even create hybrid classes, further deepening the well of possibilities. Your choices can also affect how you can progress quests, with brutish Barbarians gaining intimidation points. These skill checks come in the form of dice rolls where you can gain bonuses depending on your class and background, and while failing a skill check due to bad luck can be frustrating, it feels faithful to the tabletop Dungeons & Dragons experience and can encourage improvisation with chaotically fun results.
Before you can jump in, your character selection comes first. The options feel almost endless, allowing you to tweak everything from size to race and background. You can opt to either use a custom character or utilise one of the existing characters, offering unique scenes you’d otherwise miss. Customisation also plays a key role in shaping your character’s capabilities in combat. 12 classes allow you to focus on weapons, magic or even distraction with The Bard, and subclasses allow you to choose different abilities. As you earn levels on Balanced difficulty, you can even create hybrid classes, further deepening the well of possibilities. Your choices can also affect how you can progress quests, with brutish Barbarians gaining intimidation points. These skill checks come in the form of dice rolls where you can gain bonuses depending on your class and background, and while failing a skill check due to bad luck can be frustrating, it feels faithful to the tabletop Dungeons & Dragons experience and can encourage improvisation with chaotically fun results.
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Dice rolls play a major role in combat, in perhaps the biggest departure from previous games. Opting for turn-based combat closer to Divinity than Baldur’s Gate, this does admittedly result in slower-paced encounters. However, there’s an immense amount of depth at play here, and challenging encounters keep you guessing. Much like questing, battles can be approached in multiple ways, such as sneaking to earn a bonus strike as foes stand surprised. Spells range from explosive bombardments to temporarily turning foes into sheep, allowing you to warp battles to your favour. Aspects such as fall damage can be utilised, with a shove move gifting space and possibly knocking foes to their death. All these elements can be used against the player, so it’s important to prepare defence as well as attacks. Intelligent AI forces you to make considered choices and, especially on higher settings, rushed attacks will lead you to your doom. Quick saves at least allow players to experiment with minimal downtime. While battles with a large number of foes can start to drag, combat in BG3 is tactical and challenging, yet rewarding.
The presentation is also fantastic. Visually, the game is crafted with immense care, populated with gorgeous environments that are a joy to explore. From the unsettling horror of the initial Nautiloid scene, to the bright forests of the Emerald Grove, it appears detailed and beautifully lit. Characters look even better, with stellar facial expressions and animations that hook you into conversation. Aspects such as the visual flair of spells, a lack of loading times when fast travelling in the same region and smooth performance throughout most of the game are welcome. That being said, some technical woes can bog the experience down, be it occasional pop-in, slowdown during crowded areas and even a couple of unfortunate crashes. Nevertheless, continued updates (including an additional difficulty and epilogue set six months after the game’s ending) could see these woes mitigated.
The presentation is also fantastic. Visually, the game is crafted with immense care, populated with gorgeous environments that are a joy to explore. From the unsettling horror of the initial Nautiloid scene, to the bright forests of the Emerald Grove, it appears detailed and beautifully lit. Characters look even better, with stellar facial expressions and animations that hook you into conversation. Aspects such as the visual flair of spells, a lack of loading times when fast travelling in the same region and smooth performance throughout most of the game are welcome. That being said, some technical woes can bog the experience down, be it occasional pop-in, slowdown during crowded areas and even a couple of unfortunate crashes. Nevertheless, continued updates (including an additional difficulty and epilogue set six months after the game’s ending) could see these woes mitigated.
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Baldur’s Gate III offers considerable potential for lifespan, considering all the aforementioned customisation. New playthroughs allow you to explore each backstory, attempt to carve a different path or stumble across something you may have missed. Dozens of quests are available, and many offers multiple outcomes depending on your actions. And the craziest part? The entirety of this game is fully playable in four-player co-op online, and two players via the same console. All the freedom remains, meaning the chaotic nature of social play can leave your companions running faster than light to get away. It’s perhaps not the ideal way to enjoy a first run, but it’s still an impressive technical achievement and absolutely worth experiencing.
Ultimately, Baldur’s Gate III is simply a role-playing masterclass. Overflowing with depth, offering immense freedom and backed by incredible world-building and storytelling, it’s a stellar experience rich with memorable moments both scripted and moulded by the player’s hand. With tactile combat, immense lifespan bolstered by co-op and a stunning presentation backing this up, it’s simply an incredible game. While some technical woes are a shame, and the divergence from previous entries may upset some, these feel like small dents on a nearly perfect armour. To sum it up in simple terms: if you have the even the tiniest interest in role-playing games, check this out with haste.
Ultimately, Baldur’s Gate III is simply a role-playing masterclass. Overflowing with depth, offering immense freedom and backed by incredible world-building and storytelling, it’s a stellar experience rich with memorable moments both scripted and moulded by the player’s hand. With tactile combat, immense lifespan bolstered by co-op and a stunning presentation backing this up, it’s simply an incredible game. While some technical woes are a shame, and the divergence from previous entries may upset some, these feel like small dents on a nearly perfect armour. To sum it up in simple terms: if you have the even the tiniest interest in role-playing games, check this out with haste.
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VERDICT"Overflowing with depth, offering immense freedom and backed by incredible world-building and storytelling, Baldur’s Gate III is simply a masterclass in the role-playing genre." OVERALL: 10/10 |
OTHER CLASSIC GAMES OF THE 2020s REVIEWED
Ghost of Tsushima (2020, PlayStation 4)
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Hades (2021, PlayStation 4)
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