It's Party Time: Baldur's Gate 3 Available Today on PC

[TheLostSwede]

An epic RPG six years in the making and more than twenty years in the waiting, Baldur's Gate 3 is out today on PC via Steam, GOG, and NVIDIA GeForce Now. The game releases at 8am PDT - see the attached map for the release time in your region. Baldur's Gate 3 is a next-generation RPG from the creators of Divinity: Original Sin 2, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons and providing a level of breadth and depth unprecedented in a modern RPG.

More than twenty years after the release of Baldur's Gate 2, it's finally time to return to the Forgotten Realms. Your choices shape this tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power.




Choose from 12 classes and 11 races from the D&D Player's Handbook and create your own identity, or play as an Origin hero with a hand-crafted background. Or tangle with your inner corruption as the Dark Urge, a fully customisable Origin hero with its own unique mechanics and story. Whoever you choose to be, adventure, loot, battle and romance your way across the Forgotten Realms and beyond.

Gather your party and take the adventure online as a party of up to four. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, together you will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.

On releasing Baldur's Gate 3 after three years in Early Access, Larian Studios director Swen Vincke says:

"It's hard to express how much love went into creating Baldur's Gate 3. For over six years, more than 400 of us poured our hearts and souls into making this, helped by over 2.5 million Early Access players who spent countless hours giving us feedback.

The result is a beautiful, rich universe where you can escape from your daily worries, experience adventure and wonder, and have many many cool and exciting encounters. It's a place where your identity and choices matter, where surprise lies around every corner, and where your agency is truly rewarded.

I'm super proud of what our team accomplished and I hope you will have an incredible amount of fun exploring what we prepared for you."

Baldur's Gate 3 releases on PS5 on September 6, or September 3 for owners of the PS5 Digital Deluxe Edition. A release on Mac is also targeting early September. Additional platform support is TBD.

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[Space Lynx]

graphics surprise me, very nice looking.

 

[Zaqq]

Still waiting for true Baldur's Gate 2 spiritual successor, Pathfinder games are only one that came close... This "Baldur's Gate" 3 plays like Divinity: Original Sin 3: Forgotten Realms.

 

[AsRock]

graphics surprise me, very nice looking.

Always are, was the same with Divinity 1/2.

Been out 20 hours ago, glad they have finally finished it of been waiting years .

 

[arczi19]

Still waiting for true Baldur's Gate 2 spiritual successor, Pathfinder games are only one that came close... This "Baldur's Gate" 3 plays like Divinity: Original Sin 3: Forgotten Realms.

I havent played Pathfinder games, but Pillars of Eternity felt like a very close successor to Baldurs Gate.

 

[Space Lynx]

I havent played Pathfinder games, but Pillars of Eternity felt like a very close successor to Baldurs Gate.

I played a bit of Pillars of Eternity and I thought it was a very "pretty and atmospheric" game. I didn't like the combat, but overall I liked the game. Maybe I need to be a bit more open minded about cRPG combat mechanics, and just try to roleplay/get lost in it more.

 

[SN2716057]

'Played' the 'create your own character' yesterday.

 

[Dahita]

Divinity Original Sin 3 with a BG touch. Combat system sucks big time (turn by turn, can't just let it happen with occasional pause using the space bar). This game is not the follow up of BG 1 and 2. Thank you Laryan for focusing on what was important, adding a third non-binary option to male / female genre....

 

[FeelinFroggy]

Divinity Original Sin 3 with a BG touch. Combat system sucks big time (turn by turn, can't just let it happen with occasional pause using the space bar). This game is not the follow up of BG 1 and 2. Thank you Laryan for focusing on what was important, adding a third non-binary option to male / female genre....

So you were expecting Laryan to break away from their formula that has worked fantastically from their previous games? Did you really think this game would not be a DOS game with a BG skin and story?

 

[phanbuey]

Divinity Original Sin 3 with a BG touch. Combat system sucks big time (turn by turn, can't just let it happen with occasional pause using the space bar). This game is not the follow up of BG 1 and 2. Thank you Laryan for focusing on what was important, adding a third non-binary option to male / female genre....

Divinity Orignial Sin 1 and 2 were amazing games that crushed it in this genre DOS2 is the top dog still in copies sold afaik and DOS1 -- They dominate CRPG because the majority of people that like CRPG games really like this combat system over the "spacebar pause" lol. It shows you the rolls meaningfully and let's the fights play out more tactically, letting you use ground, environmental, and positioning effects.

Spacebar pause can work "fine" if you're early BioWare, not the current BioWare (which to your complaint about the important focus...) everyone else who tries to do it ends up with a half-assed tactical/action attempt that feels like it belongs in the early 90s and doesn't have a reason for existing. Dragon Age 1 was the last good spacebar pause interface I played.

Im glad larian sticking to thier core strenths - you can see that in the popularity of games like Pathfinder/ Pillars - when you try to clone something you're not that great at, the games are meh. If the last pathfinder came out using the BG3 combat system I would 100% replay that game.

 

[Dahita]

Divinity Orignial Sin 1 and 2 were amazing games that crushed it in this genre DOS2 is the top dog still in copies sold afaik and DOS1 -- They dominate CRPG because the majority of people that like CRPG games really like this combat system over the "spacebar pause" lol. It shows you the rolls meaningfully and let's the fights play out more tactically, letting you use ground, environmental, and positioning effects.

Spacebar pause can work "fine" if you're early BioWare, not the current BioWare (which to your complaint about the important focus...) everyone else who tries to do it ends up with a half-assed tactical/action attempt that feels like it belongs in the early 90s and doesn't have a reason for existing. Dragon Age 1 was the last good spacebar pause interface I played.

Im glad larian sticking to thier core strenths - you can see that in the popularity of games like Pathfinder/ Pillars - when you try to clone something you're not that great at, the games are meh.

This is your take on it, not a universal truth. Since when "early 90s" mechanics don't have a reason to exist anymore?! We should get rid of Diablo IV, Path of Exile, any hack and slash really. What about shooters, platform game out there, the list goes on and on. What an an interesting theory!.

We're talking about Baldur's gate follow-up here, not Divinity Original Sin. You're actually proving my point that this game is a followup of DOS1 and 2. I don't have anything against people enjoying this "tactical" combat system. However, that is not what BG was loved for, so there's no reason to denaturate the game. Make a DOS 3, call a cow a cow, and if you're going to make a BG3, make it the way we like it.

 

[phanbuey]

This is your take on it, not a universal truth. Since when "early 90s" mechanics don't have a reason to exist anymore?! We should get rid of Diablo IV, Path of Exile, any hack and slash really. What about shooters, platform game out there, the list goes on and on. What an an interesting theory!.

We're talking about Baldur's gate follow-up here, not Divinity Original Sin. You're actually proving my point that this game is a followup of DOS1 and 2. I don't have anything against people enjoying this "tactical" combat system. However, that is not what BG was loved for, so there's no reason to denaturate the game. Make a DOS 3, call a cow a cow, and if you're going to make a BG3, make it the way we like it.

This is the market's take on it... which makes it more true than yours -- you're in the minority. All of the games you mentioned have evolved their mechanics, to what people want.

Also Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance was a full ARPG and was more successful than the original BGs -- just because an IP got released on one mechanic doesn't mean it's tied to that forever.

 

[Dahita]

This is the market's take on it... which makes it more true than yours -- you're in the minority.

Also Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance was a full ARPG and was more successful than the original BGs -- just because an IP got released on one mechanic doesn't mean it's tied to that forever.

This is the market's take now? How interesting! Explain to me how you're comparing Baldur's gate 2 sales to Divinity Original Sin 2 given the totally different landscape in the PC market today?
This is your take, and it's not a very good one.

Furthermore, you're still missing the point of a serie. Let's make every shooter license a Call of duty X, every hack and slash a Diablo X, but why stop there. Let's make every action movie a Transformers X or Mission Impossible X, since that's what sells. You don't understand the concept of making "a follow-up".

 

[phanbuey]

This is the market's take now? How interesting! Explain to me how you're comparing Baldur's gate 2 sales to Divinity Original Sin 2 given the totally different landscape in the PC market today?
This is your take, and it's not a very good one.

Furthermore, you're still missing the point of a serie. Let's make every shooter license a Call of duty X, every hack and slash a Diablo X, but why stop there. Let's make every action movie a Transformers X or Mission Impossible X, since that's what sells. You don't understand the concept of making "a follow-up".

Let me explain it to you: More people like the tactical combat system than the spacebar pause combat system, and thats why those games sell better. Also more people like the ARPG system than the space bar pause, and that's why those sell better. Can you do spacebar pause well? yeah.,.. but less people think that's fun. Do you get it?

You seem to think that a "follow up" has to be exactly the same as the original, which isn't even an argument -- it's never been true. Your argument is "it's not a TRUE follow up if it's not exactly the same as BG1 and BG2 using exactly the same mechanics" (ignore all the other Baldur's gate games and content here please otherwise your argument really falls apart).

 

[Dahita]

Let me explain it to you: More people like the tactical combat system than the spacebar pause combat system, and thats why those games sell better. Also more people like the ARPG system than the space bar pause, and that's why those sell better. Can you do spacebar pause well? yeah.,.. but less people think that's fun. Do you get it?

You seem to think that a "follow up" has to be exactly the same as the original, which isn't even an argument -- it's never been true. Your argument is "it's not a TRUE follow up if it's not exactly the same as BG1 and BG2 using exactly the same mechanics" (ignore all the other Baldur's gate games and content here please otherwise your argument really falls apart).

Where have I ever said that a follow up needs to be an exact copy? I've pointed out this game feels more like DOS 3 than BG 3, which you confirmed in your statement.

Can't wait to listen to the new Lizzo-inspired Metallica album, it's going to be a blast!

 

[phanbuey]

Where have I ever said that a follow up needs to be an exact copy? I've pointed out this game feels more like DOS 3 than BG 3, which you confirmed in your statement.

Can't wait to listen to the new Lizzo-inspired Metallica album, it's going to be a blast!

Conversely, I would much rather listen to a Metallica cover of Lizzo than Lizzo.

 

[FeelinFroggy]

This is your take on it, not a universal truth. Since when "early 90s" mechanics don't have a reason to exist anymore?

Thank goodness games have evolved since the early 90's. Just look at the evolution of games in the last 10-15 years. Go to Oblivion and look how empty it looks compared to today's games.

The same goes for movies. How many movies made today do not use sound? How many movies are made in black and white? Sure there are camera tricks that are still used today just like some game mechanics. But this evolves over time and there is a reason Laryan was chosen to make BG3, and that is because of the success and money that was made in DOS. Why would they change that formula?

 

[phanbuey]

We have this discussion everytime a big studio with their own style takes over an IP from another -- remember the fallout 3 fallout (I'm here all week)... people lost their minds. Then New Vegas came out and everyone loved it.

The fans of the original will always be like "You should call this something else because this is not the meaning I associate with this name" and they have a point - they were the first fans and their definition of the game existed first, so I get it. Gamer Appropriation.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Thank goodness games have evolved since the early 90's. Just look at the evolution of games in the last 10-15 years. Go to Oblivion and look how empty it looks compared to today's games.

The same goes for movies. How many movies made today do not use sound? How many movies are made in black and white? Sure there are camera tricks that are still used today just like some game mechanics. But this evolves over time and there is a reason Laryan was chosen to make BG3, and that is because of the success and money that was made in DOS. Why would they change that formula?

Game mechanics are not the same thing as graphics or NPC density.

A much more accurate representation would be movies in the 90s using real props and sets VS modern movies using all green screen and CGI.

We have this discussion everytime a big studio with their own style takes over an IP from another -- remember the fallout 3 fallout (I'm here all week)... people lost their minds. Then New Vegas came out and everyone loved it.

The fans of the original will always be like "You should call this something else because this is not the meaning I associate with this name" and they have a point - they were the first fans and their definition of the game existed first, so I get it. Gamer Appropriation.

New Vegas was made by the team that made 1 and 2, 3 survived on just the novelty of being 3d.

 

[MentalAcetylide]

Divinity Original Sin 3 with a BG touch. Combat system sucks big time (turn by turn, can't just let it happen with occasional pause using the space bar). This game is not the follow up of BG 1 and 2. Thank you Laryan for focusing on what was important, adding a third non-binary option to male / female genre....

AD&D has always been turn-based and I've played both Baldur's Gate II & Divinity Original Sin II. I actually prefer the combat system of DOS-II. The only thing I didn't like about it is their insistence on having oil, poison, fire, & shit that goes "BOOM" all over the place and sometimes fighting the environment more than the NPCs.

 

[Anymal]

Another hack and slash nonsense.

 

[MentalAcetylide]

Another hack and slash nonsense.

That all depends on what you think constitutes "hack and slash". Imo, games such as Grim Dawn and the Diablo series are hack & slash while Baldur's Gate series lean more towards strategic.

 

[AsRock]

AD&D has always been turn-based and I've played both Baldur's Gate II & Divinity Original Sin II. I actually prefer the combat system of DOS-II. The only thing I didn't like about it is their insistence on having oil, poison, fire, & shit that goes "BOOM" all over the place and sometimes fighting the environment more than the NPCs.

But when we play it kinda isn't, if playing with another player you both can take turns at the same time. I believe i remember a option in DOS2 that did that and cannot find how to disable this crap in. so everyone has to wait their turn.

 

[MentalAcetylide]

But when we play it kinda isn't, if playing with another player you both can take turns at the same time. I believe i remember a option in DOS2 that did that and cannot find how to disable this crap in. so everyone has to wait their turn.

That would be odd and just completely ignores any meaning to dexterity/speed with regards to who gets to throw the first punch in an encounter unless you're able to sneak up on every enemy & dispatch them with one shot(which isn't always possible unless you're exploiting with moveable storage containers).