Astarion is one of the most popular companions in Baldur's Gate 3. You'll likely meet him early in your adventure, a Rogue whose tongue is as fast as his sword. One thing's for sure: you want to keep Astarion aroun??d.

Astarion has one distinct advantage as a Rogue over other Baldur's Gate 3 characters. Whether you're playing?? as him or bringing him along as a companion, Astarion can choose up to four feats as he levels up, while others only get t?hree. These feats come at Levels 4, 8, 10, and 12 for Rogues.

But which ones should you be taking for your playthrough? We're going to take a look at the best feats for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, to make sure ??you get your Rogu?e build just right.

Best feats for Rogue Astarion in BG3

When looking at the best feats for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, we'll highlight the four you should take throughout your playthrough. There are so many BG3 feats that these four aren't the only ones you can take, so we'll also include some honorable m??entions that als?o work pretty well for an Astarion run.

Here's a quick summary of the four feats we recommend taking for Astarion that focus on maximi?zing his damage as a stealthy sharpshooting rogue:

• Ability Improvement (Dexterity)
• Sharpshooter
• Dual Wielder
• Mobile

The priority with these feats is to create a ranged Astarion BG3 build. In the late game, this can result in som??e pretty crazy damage with the right fe?ats in place.

Ability Improvement feat for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

With four feats to choose from, you should always be taking Ability Improvement. Usually, for a Rogue, you'd dump the extra tw??o points here into Dexterity, allowing you to take a?dvantage of Stealth skills and giving you a bonus for abilities such as Sleight of Hand. Once you combine this with various items later in your playthrough, you'll start having noticeably high Initiative and success with stealth kills.

We'd recommend taking Ability Improvement for your Level 4 feat in Baldur's Gate 3. Astarion will reap the benefits if you take this one as early as you possibly can. Ability Imp??rovement is one of those skills that will almost always help you, particularly in the early game when you hav??e limited access to build-defining equipment.

Sharpshooter feat for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

Any Astarion build in BG3 isn't complete without taking the Sharpshooter feat. It makes him an absolute menace from range, and removing penalties from low ground is just overpowered. Make no mistake - if you choose Sharpshooter as one of your feats for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, you should switch primarily to ranged attacks.

You should take Sharpshooter as your Level 8 feat for Astarion. The -5 penalty to Attack Roles can be negated by high Dexterity if you took Abili??ty Improvement earlier, and the extra 10 damage is an enormous buff in exchange.

Dual Wielder feat for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

When you're really starting to hone your Astarion build in Baldur's Gate 3, we'd definitely recommend Dual Wielder. This feat wi??ll allow you to dual-wield crossbows, which, when combined with your previous two feats, makes Astarion a? damage-dealing machine. The +1 bonus to Armour Class isn't too shabby, either.

Dual Wielder is a Baldur's Gate 3 fea?t you should take for Astarion at Level 10. The previous two are so beneficial early that you'll see more rewards from taking them first. Dual Wielder is great, but it's quite a specialist feat.

Dual Wielding is also helpful if you pick up rare or legendary weapons later in your playthrough. Throughout BG3, particularly in Act Three, you'll have numerous opportunities to pi??ck up valuable items that synergize will with each other. Being able to dual-wield these will eliminate the struggle of choosing while enabling these synergies. As a bonus, it's a fun option if you want to turn Astarion into a cool-looking Gloomstalker Rogue or a stealthy thief.

Mobile feat for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

The Mobile feat is one of the best for players who enjoy the stealthy aspects of a Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion playthrough. It's commonly used alongside Dash to avoid Opportunity Attacks as you maneuver around the battlefield, then Cunning Action: Hide ??to go into Stealth mode.

Regardless of Astarion's subclass and build, Mobile gives you a way to go in and out of combat with minim?al risk. While it's usually best to stick to the backlines and fire away at your enemies, they'll often Misty Step next to you unexpectedly. Having a way to quickly run away and slip back into the shadows can help in a sticky situation. Similarly, if you need to step up to the frontline for an attack, you can dash back into t??he backline without disengaging.

When using Mobile as part of that combination, Astarion can pop in and out of stealth during combat, dealing massive damage before slipping away into the night. Even for ranged characters, Mobile is great for simply repositioning quickly without taking tons of damage. Grab this feat at Level 1?2 - it shouldn't be an early priority, but it??'s worth having.

Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion feats - honorable mentions

The four feats above aren't the only viable ones for an Astarion playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3. Here are some honorable mentions you can use, even if you're n??ot embracing the range-heavy build we recommended above.

Although these? feats are primarily used in specific builds or in niche situations, they still ?have their uses even in more popular Astarion Rogue builds. Let's talk about each feat in more detail.

Alert feat benefits

When playing Astarion as an Assassin Rogue, Alert is a fantastic skill for gaining?? Initiative and avoiding surprise. By default, his Initiative is already high with his Dexterity, but Alert gives you that extra edge that almost guarantees he goes first. Considering an Assassin Rogue's purpose is to get quick kills on surprised opponents, this feat works perfectly with it.

Crossbow Expert feat benefits

Remember when I mentioned dual-wielding crossbows earlier? Rather than taking Sharpshooter to remove High Ground penalties, grabbing Crossbow Expert can provide just as many, if not more, benefits. Any time you? attack with a crossbow in melee range, you'll no longe??r have Disadvantage, making you much more likely to land your shots. The feat also buffs Gaping Wounds, causing your enemy to take additional Piercing damage.

Lucky feat benefits

Another risky but interesting choice is Lucky. Every time you Long Rest, you'll gain three charges of Luck Points, which you can ?spend to gain Advantage on Attack Rolls, Ability Check??s, or Saving Throws. If you're having a tough time in combat, you can also use it to make an enemy reroll their Attack Rolls.

Ideally?, if you have a strong build for Astarion using other feats, you won't be in too many situations where you have to reroll your dice. Sometimes, though, it's nice to have another shot at increasing your damage or potentially saving yourself from cer??tain death. If you often fall victim to low rolls like I do, having that little luck boost can be handy, especially if you accidentally fumble a sneak attack or need to save an Honour Mode run.

Savage Attacker feat benefits

Savage Attacker is for anyone who prefers Astarion as a melee, dagger-wielding assassin who lurks in the shadows. If you have a weak fro?ntline and need additional support from someone who can slip in and out of combat, Savage Attacker on Astarion lets you roll twice for every melee attack he initiates. Although a ranged build is generally safer for most Rogue builds, melee can do some wild damage with the right weapons and feats.

Tough feat benefits

Last but not least is Tough, a feat that gives you more health per level. This one is the simplest of the?? bunch: Astarion will gain HP every time he levels up, making him slightly harder to kill. Typically, Astarion focuses on stealthy combat and maneuvering in the world, making him less likely to receive damage than your frontline or anyone that can taunt a cro??wd.

However, this one is slightly more effective in a melee Rogue build, especially if you pick up feats like Savage Attacker and Dual Wielder. If you're going full Assassin Astarion and want to prioritize sn??eak attacking, other feats that complement this build will help you more.

Astarion's role in combat

As a Rogue, Astarion has two primary purposes depending on his role: stay in the backline and snipe down foes from afar, or sneak behind enemy lines and quietly eliminate their backline. Whether you go a ranged or melee build will significantl??y influence this.

Generally speaking, ranged is the way to go, especially if you're focusing on an Assassin Astarion build. Using feat benefits from Sharpshooter and wielding two ranged (or melee) weapons using Dual Wielder will help you one-shot most enemies, especially as you advance later in Baldur's Gate 3 and improve your Dexterity. Astarion also has high Init??iative to start, allowing you to act much earlier than most enemies. You can hop in, snipe someone, and then hi??de in the shadows without anyone knowing where you are.

Swapping to a melee build changes this dynamic slightly. Nonetheless, it's still viable, with your main purpose being to slip into their backline and defeat any spellcasters that can weaken or one-shot your party. Your frontline can absorb most of the damage, while Astarion focuses on getting quick kills and di??sengaging when the enemy notices his presence. This strategy is much riskier but can make for a unique and uncommon playstyle.

Tips for maximizing Astarion's stealth abilities

Since Astarion is all about stealth, your playstyle, feats, and subclass will reflect tha?t. If you want to focus solely on dealing as much damage as possible without getting pulled into the?? middle of the action, you'll want to change Astarion to an Assassin subclass starting at level three.

Selecting this subclass gives you Advantage against enemies who haven't taken a turn yet, and you'll always ??deal Critical Hits to Surprised opponents if your attack roll is su?ccessful. You'll also restore your action and bonus action when combat begins, pairing especially well with feats like Alert and Ability Improvement to raise your Dexterity early on.

Alt??ernatively, swapping to Thief or Arcane Trickster is also viable if you want to focus more on utility. While you'll deal less damage overall with these two subclasses, it gives you options both within and outside of combat that Assassin's all-in approach doesn't tackle. In the case of Arcane Trickster, you can easily set up illusions to help you and your team?, while Thief's main purpose comes from the out-of-combat benefits of sneaking around the map more easily.

It's worth experimenting with your Astarion feats in Baldur's Gate 3. If you think you've made the wrong choice for your playthrough, you can respec your class via Withers and choose your feats all over again. This will set you back 100 gold each time, which isn't much at all when you get into the latter stages of Baldur's Gate 3.

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Upon returning to the Guildhall at the very end of the Aid the Underduke quest in Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3, you're present?ed with a choice. A fight is about to break out, and y??ou must pick a side: the Zhentarim or Nine-Fingers Keene and the Guild.

It isn't immediately clear which one you should side with at this crucial moment, so we're going to lay your options out on the table. Should you side with the Zhentarim or Nine-Fingers Keene in Baldur's Gate 3? Let's find out.

Siding with the Zhentarim

If you're roleplaying an evil character in Baldur's Gate 3, then you should definitely consider siding with the ?Zhen?tarim. They're involved in a coup of the Guild, only wanting control for their own selfish reasons.

If you've sided with the Zhentarim, its leader, Roah Moonglow, claims you'll have a "private army at your beck and call" when the time comes to fight the Absolute. This is useful during the conclusion of Baldur's Gate 3, where you'll be able?? to summon two assas?sin mercenaries during the final battle.

Siding with Nine-Fingers Keene and the Guild

Nine-Fingers Keene and the Guild are essentially Robin Hood-esque figures in BG3. Their actions aren't completely justifiable, but they aren't mustache-twirling villains like the? Zhentarim, either. For good-aligned p?laythroughs, the choice should be clear.

In terms of rewards, Nine-Fingers Keene pledges the Guild's support?? against the Absolute. Functionally, this is exactly the same as the Zhentarim reward, with two summonable warriors to aid in the fight.

However, there's one big reward that gives Nine-Fingers Keene the edge here. Upon looting ??the Zhentarim corpses, Roah Moonglow will have a pouch with 10,000 gold inside. This starts the Return Rakath's Gold quest. You can choose to return the gold to complete the quest, which has its own rewards, or you can simply keep the 10,000 for yourself. You're under no obligation to return it, ?after all.

Should you side with The Zhentarim or Nine-Fingers Keene?

Now that you know what happens when you c?hoose both sides, which one should you actually decide to fight a??longside?

Ultimately, I'm going to suggest you side with Nine-Fingers Keene during the Aid ??the Underduke quest. Morally, it's the more upstanding option, and given both sides will fight alongside you against the Absolute, there are no ?differences there. Siding with Nine-Fingers also nets you that 10,000 gold, which should always be considered.

There is ??a third option which I haven't discussed yet: killing everyone. When push comes to shove, you can simply decide that no one is worthy of your support, instead choosing to murder both the Z??hentarim and Nine-Fingers Keene/the Guild.

Besides the mountain of loot, there's no benefit of doing this. You lose the support against the Absolute, although you do gain the moral high ground of destroying two large criminal groups, turning yourself into a Baldur's Gate 3 vigilante.

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There's a lot to love about Baldur's Gate 3, the combat included. But nothi??ng is perfect, and that's where the game's impressive mod?ding community comes in.

We're going to take a look at the 10 best Baldur's Gate 3 combat mods currently available ??on Nex??us Mods, to see how modders have innovated on and changed one of the most important features in Larian's CRPG.

Combat Extender

Combat Extender gives you complete control over combat difficulty. Want to give yourself more Actions? Sure, go ahead. Want to add spells to your enemies to make things harder fo??r yourself? Why not, you can do it. You're in charge.

Combat Extender is all about putting the power in the hands of the player. Yes, you can use it like ??a total cheat code, but you can also do the complete opposite. Having the choice is all that mat?ters.

More Actions

If Baldur's Gate 3's combat encounters take a little bit too long for your taste, then MagusTheMagician's More Actions should be able to solve your issue.

It's a mod as simple as its name. You get more Actions, Bonus Actions, Reactions, and Inspiration to use during combat. This should allow you to cut through your opponents in much fewer turns. However, this will make BG3 combat much easier, so be aware.

Trials of Tav - A Roguelike Mode

Trials of Tav - A Roguelike Mode is by far the biggest mod on this list. It changes Baldur's Gate 3's entire genre, transforming it from a CRPG to a neverending roguelike. Placed in random locations from across the base game, fighting random enemies while picking up random loot, this is for people who truly love Baldur's Gate 3's combat and wish the?? entire game was like that.

There are 80 maps in total, with "100h of new gameplay" accordin?g to creator Hippo0o. You face waves of enemies, each harder than the last. It's just a totally new experience, and it even works in multiplayer. There's even a new scori??ng system called RogueScore, which allows you to unlock more powerups as the waves progress.

Brawl - Real Time Combat

It's hard to believe, but not everyone loves turn-based combat. Crazy, right? Brawl - Real Time Combat is the perfect remedy if this sounds like you. There are limits that even modders can't bypass, so don't expect to install this mod and suddenly be playing Dragon Age.

However, it will make each action, in turn, happen instantaneously, which speeds up the combat ?enormously. Fi??ghts that previously took minutes now take seconds, and it's incredible fun. You've got to think much faster with this mod, which changes the combat dynamic entirely. There's an option to pause if you need a moment, too.

Aether's No Party Limits

Admittedly, Aether's No Party Limits affects much more than just combat, but it's here that you'll most notice its impact on your BG3 playthrough.

This mod extends the party limit to 16, allowing you to bring all your Baldur's Gate 3 companions along for the adventure. And yes, they can all fight at once, making combat all a bit one-sided, considering the game was designed for parties of fun. It's a blast that you should definitely try out ?at least once.

Absolute Wrath

Finding Baldur's Gate 3 combat too easy? Install Absolute Wrath. With almost 2,000 new Affixes (buffs and debuffs) and hundreds of new Absolutist elite enemy types to fight, it's one of the most comprehensive refreshers of combat in BG3 that you can download.

All the new Affixes are dynamically applied by the mod automatically, "aligning them with their innate traits, classes, and levels." According to creator Grimpreacher, this "ensures that every encounter is both thematic and unforeseeably chaotic." Absolute Wrath is a real breath of fresh air for BG3 veterans.

Combat Auto Saver

There's nothing more frustrating than biting off more than you can chew in a Baldur's Gate 3 combat encounter. With this mod, you'll never have to worry about?? ??that ever again.

Combat Auto Saver saves the game automatically whenever you enter combat.?? Now, if you lose a fight, you don't have to be annoyed that your most recent save is going to cost you 30 minutes of progress. Quality of life is the name of the game here.

Critical Miss Has Consequences

Hitting a Critical Miss in BG3 feels a little pointless. It's frustrating, sure, but it doesn't really matter. Critical Miss Has Consequences addresses this perfect?ly by, well, giving Critical Misses consequences.

Now, when a Critical Miss is hit, the target makes a f?ree Attack of Opportunity against the initi?ator. Ranged attacks and cantrips are supported with this mod, so it's not just for melee players. It's a great and easy way to make the Critical Miss system feel much more important.

Automated Summons

If you do lots of summoning during combat in Baldur's Gate 3, keeping on top of your su?mmons can become a huge nuisance, especially when controlling your co??mpanions, too.

Automated Summons adds a new passive ab??ility that allows the AI to tak??e control of your summons during combat. Let them do their own thing! This is toggleable, so if you decide you want control again, you get it at the push of a button.

Combat Console Commands

Unfortunately, Baldur's Gate 3's combat has ??a few frustrating bugs that are just an accepted part of the experience. Turns occasionally get stuck, with the only so??lution in the base game being to reload a save. No longer.

Combat Console Commands adds a few commands that can be used to forcibly end combat turns in different ways, effecti??vely fixing the aforementioned bug.?? Why wouldn't you have it in your load order?

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Most Baldur's Gate 3 players discover early on that Lae'zel is one of the most useful companions in the game during combat. Thanks to her big damage, the Githyanki companion is essential for ma??king the early game bearable and the late game easy.

Because Lae'zel is a Fighter by default, you can choose four feats for her across a Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough. Most classes only get three, although there are a few other exceptions. Lae'zel's feats unlock at Levels 4, 6, 8, and 12, ??which make her extremely powerful during the first half of the game.

If you're unsure which are the best feats for Lae'zel in Baldur's Gate 3, we've got you covered. These ??are the ones you shou??ld be choosing to make the most of the Githyanki Fighter's strengths.

Best feats for Fighter Lae'zel in BG3

When considering the best feats to take as Lae'zel in Baldur's Gate 3, it's essential? also to think about the order in which you take them. This will help you build properly as you progress through the game.

The end goal here is to cre??ate a Lae'zel build that dishes out as much damage as possible. This is her big st??rength right from the moment you recruit her, so that's what we'll be leaning into here. We've also included some honorable mentions so that you've got a bit of choice for your build.

Ability Improvement feat for Lae'zel in Baldur’s Gate 3

Ability Improvement is as safe as a Baldur's Gate 3 feat gets. You get two more Ability Points, which for Lae'zel, should be used on Strength and Dexterity. Alternatively, doubling up on S?trength is a valid choice, too. Number goes up, Lae'zel gets stronger �simple.

You might as well reap the benefits of Ability Improvement for as long as possible, so you should take this BG3 feat at Level 4.

Savage Attacker feat for Lae'zel in Baldur’s Gate 3

Lae'zel's attacks are incredibly powerful out of the box, and of all the companions, she's probably the strongest during those early periods of Baldur's Gate 3. Savage Attacker ensures those attacks will almost always be ma??ssively powerful due to the damage dice being rolled twice.

This is another feat worth grabbing early. You can't really go wrong with maximizing your damage as you fight your way through Acts 1 and 2 of Baldur's Gate 3.

Great Weapon Master feat for Lae'zel in Baldur’s Gate 3

Great Weapon Master is a must-have feat for any of your companions who you're relying on to deal melee damage. Karlach, Lae'zel, you name them - they've got to h??ave this feat. It gives you another turn during combat, which, when combined with Savage Attacker, guarantees you're going to hurt your opponents badly.

??Since Lae'ze?l gets an extra attack by default at Level 5, there's no great rush to grab Great Weapon Master. We'd recommend taking it at Level 8, at which point you should be at a place where the game's difficulty starts to really ramp up. The extra attack and damage will prove essential.

Polearm Master feat for Lae'zel in Baldur’s Gate 3

More damage! Polearm Master lets yo??u get ANOTHER attack with your bonus action, so long as you're holding a glaive, halberd, quarterstaff, or spear. With the right weapon, you should be getting a total of four attacks every turn if you also took Great Weapon Master. All will fall before you.

It's worth noting that Lae'zel has a gr??eatsword by default, which is why we recommend grabbing Polearm Master at Level 12. It's the last feat you'll take, so it gives you plenty of time to find one of the weapon types affected by this one.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Lae'zel feats: honorable mentions

If you're looking to be as efficient as possible, the above feats are the way to go for Lae'zel. However, you can also use these honorable mentions if you want to change up your playstyle a little rather than being hyper-efficient with your Lae'zel build in Baldur's Gate 3.

Choosing your feats is a big deal in Baldur's Gate 3, and sometimes, you get it wrong. If your build isn't working for your playthrough, you can respec Lae'zel from Level 1 at Withers for 100 gold. This shouldn't break the bank, so long as you're not frequently wasting your money in BG3.

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Karlach is one of the best companions in Baldur's Gate 3. Her personal storyline is one of the most interesting, and her prowess in battle makes h??er essential to have along for the ride??.

As a Barbarian, Karlach only has access to three feats in Baldur's Gate 3, compared to other classes like Rogue and Fighter, which get four. This mea?ns that you've got to pick your Karlach feats carefully when you unlock them at Levels 4, 8,? and 12.

So, which ones should you take? To help you decide, let's look at the best feats for Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3 to make the strongest build possible.

Best feats for Barbarian Karlach in BG3

There are 41 feats to choose from in Baldur's Gate 3, so narrowing it down to just three is tough. We've picked out wh??at we think are the best feats for Karlach, as? well as a few honorable mentions that you can't completely rule out.

With any Barbarian build in BG3, the aim should be purely about dealing as much damage as possible while being able to take a hit or tw?o. You'll be right in the middle of the action, so this is crucial. These feats will help you achieve that.

Great Weapon Master feat for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Great Weapon Master feat is absolutely essential for any party featuring Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3. With this, you can take an extra attack each turn using your bonus action. Your attacks are going to be deadly as a ??Barbarian anyway, so getting to take two will result in enormous damage, especially if you're using a Heavy melee weapon you're proficient in.

We'd recommend taking Great Weapon Master as early as possible, ideally making it your Level 4 feat. Doing this kind of damage so early in the game will make combat encounters a breeze with Karlach in your?? party.

Savage Attacker feat for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3

It should be pretty obvious why you should pick the Savage Attacker feat as Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3. She's capable of dealing enormous amounts of damage, so getting to roll the dice twice and use the highest result is com?ically overpowered.

Grab Savage Attacker at Level 8, after taking Great Weapon Master. That way, you'll always get the +10 damage buff too - a potent combination that will ensure Karlach plays an important role in your party throughout Baldur's Gate 3.

Tough feat for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3

BG3's Karlach can already take tons of damage compared to the other companions. The Tough feat takes that up a notch by gi?ving her plenty more HP. When combined with the previous two feats, you create a resilient melee monst??er by taking the Tough feat.

You should take the Tough feat for Karlach last, once you reach Level 12. As you hurtle towar??d the end of the game, the extra health will make Karlach extremely tough to kill. If you're really struggling earlier in the game, don't be afraid to take the Tough feat earlier, though.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Karlach feats: honorable mentions

While we can heartily recommend taking the above feats for Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3, there are plenty of ways to build this Tiefling Barbarian. We've added five more honorable mentions for the best feats for Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3 that you can use to switch up your playstyle.

If you find you've made the wrong choice with your feats, you can always respec Karlach by paying 100 gold to Withers at camp. You're not locked into one specific ?build, so why not try out a few different feat selections throughout your playthrough?

The post Best feats for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) appeared first on Destructoid.

Throughout Baldur's Gate 3, choosing your character'??s race is one of the most important decisions you'll make. It affects tons of dialogue throughout the game, and changes how so?me characters treat your Tav.

As with every aspect of the game, Baldur's Gate 3 has tons of mods adding new races. Some are based on D&D lore, while others are homebrewed by fans. If you're starting a fresh Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough, why not consider one of these rac??e mods?

Flutter and Whimsy (Fairy Race)

Flutter and Whimsy (Fairy Race) might be the most polished mod on this list. You can play Baldur's Gate 3 as a Fairy, complete with customizable wings. F??airies have their own custom cantrips and spells, includ??ing Tinify, which shrinks you down to size.

If you use other Baldur's Gate 3 customization mods, Flutter and Whimsy (Fairy Race??) has you covered, including compatibility patches for many of the most popular downloads on?? the Nexus.

Half Angel (Aasimar 5E)

Half Angel (Aasimar 5E) takes inspiration from the 2016 Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook, Volo's Guide to Monsters, to bring the Aasimar race to Baldur's Gate 3. This winged race features three unique ??subraces fit for various playthroughs, each with extensive lore??.

If you enjoy sitting in Baldur's Gate 3's character creator for hours, deliberating over every detail, you'll get lots out of Half Angel (Aasimar 5E). Creator DarthRen has added 25 halos and hor?ns, as well as 10 wings and tails. That's not to mention the unique hairstyles and heads!

Ghastly Ghouls - Playable Undead Race

If there's one thing Larian's previous game, Divinity: Original Sin 2, has over Baldur's Gate 3, it's the ability to play as the undead. No longer. Ghastly Ghouls - Playable Undead Race solves this with four subrac??es: Lich, Ghoul, Wight, and Mummy. Each has?? custom heads and bodies, meaning you can tinker with your Undead's appearance to your heart's content.

This mod makes my immersion-obsessed heart happy.?? It uses the vanilla "Undead" tag for your Tav, affecting how various spells affect you. You'll be immune to some, while others, such as "Turn U??ndead," make you more vulnerable.

The Dunmer - Playable Dark Elf Race

Adding a race from The Elder Scrolls isn't exactly lore-friendly, but The Dunmer - Playable Dark Elf Race was simply too extensive to leave out of this list. I mean, let's take a look at what this Baldur's Gate 3 race mod includes.

Six subraces, "themed after the Great Houses, House Dagoth, and the Ashlanders." Seven new spells, all of which have custom visual effects. 11 unique heads, 50 skin tones, and 19 hand-drawn tattoos. And there are custom piercings based on The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. A must-have mod, really.

Half-Dragon

Half-Dragon? is based on an original homebrew TTRPG system by author johauna's husband. Four races are added, and numero?us subclasses are meticulously designed to create a fun gameplay experience.

The highlight here is the ability to take the form of a Dragon. It's cool every single time and is reason enough to try this Baldur's Gate 3 mod. It feels like it should've been part?? of the base game all along.

Spirited Seasons - Playable Fey Eladrin

There's a lot to love about Spirited Seasons - Playable Fey Eladrin, especially to enjoy creating stunning Tavs that look great in a screenshot. This adds t??he Eladrin race, with four subraces based on each season, extensive customization options, and unique spells to match.

The only drawback is that you can't change seasons throughout your playthrough, as the Eladrin can in Dungeons & Dragons. This is due to the technical limitation of changing subraces mid-playthrough. Don't let that put you off - this is one of the most polished Baldur's Gate 3 race mods out there.

Whispers of the Fey - Goblins Race

Goblins exist in Baldur's Gate 3, so why can't we play as them? Whispers of the Fey - Goblins Race solves this issue, adding two new subraces: Greenskin Goblin and? Dankwood Goblin. You can customize your Goblin as you would a regular Tav. There's even a?? custom Hireling named Ol' Shiny to bring along on your adventures.

If that hasn't convinced you, playing as a Goblin gives you access to a baby ?sq?uirrel companion that will accompany you throughout Faerûn. I, for one, am sold.

Playable Myconid Race

Remember the Myconids? Those fungus folk that you meet in Baldur's Gate 3's Underdark? You probably never considered the fact that you couldn't play as one, but with Playable Myconid Race, now you can. Who asked for this? Who cares!

Understandably, customization is limited with this race mod, so you're restricted to picking from the models already available in Baldur's Gate 3??. Creator porridge77 admits it's a little janky, but for the novelty factor alone, this is hard to beat and is well worth a slot in your load order.

Hearts of the Forest - Playable Dryad Race

Much like the previous mod, Hearts of the Forest - Playable Dryad Race takes a race already in the game and makes it playable. Considering their humanoid form, it's a little surprising they're not playable in the vanilla ga??me, but regardless, this mod solves this.

Creator EmeraldTechno has gone the extra mile, creating new male Dryads. This isn't lo?re-friendly, but the end result looks great, s??o they get a pass here.

Wine and Revelry (Satyr Race)

Using Wine and Revelry (Satyr Race) is a way to guarantee a unique Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough. The main ??highlight here are the digitigrade legs, which obviously aren't possible in the vanilla game.

Creator labotor has added many customization options to flesh out Wine and Revelry (Satyr Race), including various tails, h??orns, and ear options to give you to??tal flexibility with your Satyr Tav.

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It has been over a year now since the launch of Baldur's Gate 3, and its modding community is starting to come into its own. No aspect of the game remains untouched as talented modders aim to perfect Laria??n's legendary CRPG with additions of their own.

This includes the weapons. Sure, Baldur's Gate 3 has a lot of weapon variation throughout the game, but there can always be more. Use these 10 BG3 weapon mod??s to real??ly spice up your adventure through Faerûn.

Elven Weaponry - Longbows and Quivers

Elven Weaponry - Longbows and Quivers is the first in a long line of mods on this list by creator kharneth, and there's a reason for that. This mod takes the base game's lackluster longbows and transforms them, adding new ones with edited and custom models of their own. According to kharneth, the objective of this mod is to put longbows on par with crossbows in Baldur's Gate 3, and it certainly achieves that.

Drow Weaponry - Rapiers

With Drow Weapon - Rapiers, kharneth has added a ton of new rapiers into Baldur's Gate 3. They've tried to make it as lore-f??riendly as possible, placing them only in areas where Drows are located. All these weapons take an offense-first approach, meaning you'll often sacrifice safety for damage. However, the rapiers found in this mod are caster-friendly, which, according to kharneth, "makes them good weapons for mixed martial-caster classes."

Half-Orc Weaponry - Clan Weapons

Half-Orc Weaponry - Clan Weapons is another kharneth banger. This mod is all about adding custom new Half-Orc weapons to the game, from Uncommon rarity all the way to Legendary. Much like the rest of kharneth's mods, these have been carefully placed throughout the game, to make them feel like they're a part of the vanilla Baldur's Gate 3 experience.

Dwarven Weaponry - Hammers

Dwarven Weaponry - Hammers. Everything you need to kno?w is in the name, really. A bunch of new warhammers and handhammers are included in this mod, with options for all rarities. Like all kharneth mods, you'll only find these new hammers in immersive locations, so they're not just carelessly placed around the world.

Dwarven Weaponry - Drakefire Flintlock

Over the next few years, I've no doubt that several games will be marketed as "Baldur's Gate 3 with guns" to win fans over. But what if Baldur's Gate 3 did have guns? Dwarven Weaponry - Drakefire Flintlock answers that question by adding a pint-sized flintlock pistol to the game, complete with a custom model and textures. You can dual-wield them, too, allowing you to go full Lara Croft-akimbo mode across Faerûn. It's the kind of thing that makes you fall in love with modding again.

Underwood's Weapon Pack

Compared to what we've seen so far, Underwood's Weapon Pack is a little more low-key. It adds 24 new weapons and a shield around the world, and it even lets you dual-wield axes and hammers. The weapons themselves fit in perfectly with Baldur's Gate 3's aesthetic, and you may find yourself using items from Underwood's Weapon Pa??ck without eve?n realizing it.

UnholyBerserk

This one's for the BG3 Berserkers out there. UnholyBerserk adds a new greataxe titled Nor to the game, which is made to complement a Berserker playthrough. Found in Act One's Blighted Village, Nor can be upgraded by players using Soul Coins and Memory Shards, dealing big AOE damage to everyone (yes, even your companions). It's a little overpowered, but it features one of the most awesome custom models I've ever see?n, and it couldn't miss out on this list.

Dark Urge Demonic Blood Swords

When a mod is called Dark Urge Demonic Blood Swords, you already know you're in for one of the coolest things you've ever seen. And that it is. This mod doesn't overcomplicate things, adding an awesome set of dual-wieldable swords and a demonic shield to the game. The visuals alone make this one of the best Baldur's Gate 3 mods and worth a spot in your load order.

Elven Weaponry - Blades

Elven Weaponry - Blades is the last kharneth mod on this list, I promise. They're just too good at what they do. The creator claims it was born from scimitars feeling "lackluster as main weapon for combat characters," adding a few new custom models and modifying the game's existing scimitars to make them more viable for a complete playthrough. Here, kharneth has done a great job creating unique-looking weapons that won't feel overpowered as you hack and slash your way through Baldur's Gate 3's story.

Lightsabers - Star Wars Mod

Did you really think I would make a list of the best Baldur's Gate 3 weapon mods and not include Lightsabers - Star Wars Mod? There's no way. In any game that extensively features melee combat, a lightsaber mod usually follows, and Baldur's Gate 3 is no exception. Choose your lightsaber color, and give t??he world of Fae?rûn a taste of a galaxy far, far away.

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If you're like me, Baldur's Gate 3 has made you fall in love with modding again. L?arian??'s epic CRPG is a world filled with possibilities, expanded even further by a dedicated modding community looking to improve every aspect of the game.

Customization is one of Baldur's Gate 3's biggest strengths, and that only gets even better when envoking a little fanmade magic in the Character Creator. There's no aspect of your Tav you can't change, and by using this pick of 10 awesome custo??mization mods, you'll have more choices?????????????????????????? than ever.

Tav's Hair Salon

If there's one thing to be said about Baldur's Gate 3, it's that the hair options are slightly limited. Not to worry - Tav's Hair Salon is precisely what you need to fix this. Adding plenty of new hair options for Elf, Half-Elf, Drow, Human, and Tiefling characters, Tav's Hair Salon should be sufficient for roleplaying any type of character in Baldur's Gate 3, with plenty of different styles represented. In my experience, this is the single most impactful customization mod for Baldur's Gate 3 for the average player.

Horns of Faerun

Let's face it: horns are cool. And yes, Baldur's Gate 3 has horns, but why not more? Horns of Faerun does exactly what it says on the tin, allowing you to add various new horns during character creation. The only restriction here is that Dragonborn characters can't use these options, which?? is a shame but is understandable. It doesn't replace any vanilla horn options either, so you can still pick those if you want. But when Horns of Faerun's options look s??o great, why would you?

Faces of Faerun

If there's one recurring theme throughout this list, it's options. More options are always a good thing, and Faces of Faerun delivers in this regard. Aloija's mod adds lots of new heads for character creation and, crucially, doesn't replace any vanilla options. There are some stunning choices here, almost all of which are a marked improvement over what the base Baldur's Gate 3 has to offer. With this mod, your Tav's face card will never decline.

Astralities' Skintone Expansion - Natural Tones

Astralities' Skintone Expansion - Natural Tones is a simple mod that probably should have been a part of the vanilla game. It adds a wider variety of skin tones to Baldur's Gate 3, expanding on the color families included in the base game as well as adding a few sepa?rate opti?ons, too.

Mari's Tattoo

One of the most interesting ways to spice up any Baldur's Gate 3 character is to add tattoos. If the base game offerings were a little bland for your taste, then Mari's Tattoo should have what you'r??e after. This mod r?eplaces the base game's tattoos with a few more exciting choices. What more is there to say? Ink up.

Eyes of the Beholder

If you thought the eye options in Baldur's Gate 3 were lacking, then Eyes of the Beholder is the customization mod for you. This mod allows you to replace your Tav's eyes with something a little more e?xciting, replacing the base game textures to allow for more extensive options. As said, this is a full replacer, so you don't get to switch out these options while us??ing the in-game character creator. You'll have to install an entirely new preset to do that, but we think it's well worth the time.

Flutter and Whimsy (Fairy Race)

Forget customization mods for just a second. Flutter and Whimsy (Fairy Race) is one of the best Baldur's Gate 3 mods, full stop. It gives you the opportunity to play as a fairy, complete with custom-made animated wings of various shapes and sizes. Mod author labotor has considered everything here, with custom traits and spells based on the Monsters of the Multiverse sourcebook for Dungeons & Dragons. Fl??utter and Whimsy (Fairy Race) feels like a natural evolution of the vanilla game, and you'll wonder how you ever created a new character without it.

Wine and Revelry (Satyr Race)

Just like the previous mod, Wine and Revelry (Satyr Race) comes from modder labotor. With inspiration from the Mythic Odysseys of Theros sourcebook, it adds?? the ability to play as a satyr, including custom options for tails and goat ears. Of course, the goat legs are the most unique thing about this mod, although it does cause a few animation issues at the moment. Still, we think that Wine and Revelry (Satyr Race) is great for immersion, and if occasional janky animations are the price to pay, then I'd say it's worth it.

P4 Dragonborn Scale Colours

The Dragonborn race in Baldur's Gate 3 is probably the game's most unique race, and as the default choice for a Dark Urge playthrough, it is extremely popular among players. P4 Dragonborn Scale Colours improves the customization options for the race massively, giving you 190 new colors to play with during character creation. Sure, the number of choices in the base game is fine, but this is a wh??????????????????????????ole new world, and you won't be able to return. You'll certainly never be lost for choice with this mod in your load order.

Vessnelle's Hair Collection

I'm ending this list where I began it: with another hair set. Vessnelle's Hair Collection is simply too good to miss out, offering tons of stunning new hairstyles for you to use throughout your playthrough. If you're someone who already spends hours in Baldur's Gate 3's cha?racter creator, then cycling through the options in Vessnelle's Hair Collection is sure to add a considerable amount of time to your experience.

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Just over a year after its release, the Baldur's Gate 3 modding community has already established itself as on??e of? the most dedicated in the gaming space. Since launch, fans of Larian's critically acclaimed CRPG have expanded on the game in various exciting ways, which, of course, means you can face the Mind Flayers ahead looking on point.

In a title where player customization is important, many of the best Baldur's Gate 3 mods have added to the ?game's armor and clothing options. If you could only choose 10 from the plethora of options available, these are the ones you should go for.

Basket Full of Equipment

Basket Full of Equipment is the most extensive armor and clothing mod on this list. It adds over 800 pieces of new equipment to Baldur's Gate 3, some of which is brand-new, while other bits are in the game but inaccessible to the pl??ayer. Orin's outfit? You got it. Gortash's robe? Sure, go ahead. You should use Basket Full of Equipment as a base mod to complement the rest of your load? order.

Cloaks of Faerun

Baldur's Gate 3 has a few cloaks to choose from, but more options never hurt anyone. Cloaks of Faerun adds a total of 33 new cloaks into the game, from Common all the way to Legendary. Mod author Araelynn has placed them carefully throughout the game, to help make them feel like a vanilla part of the vanilla Baldur's Gate 3 experience.

Faerun Colors (Dye and color sets)

Faerun Colors (Dye and color sets) is, no exaggeration, one of the best Baldur's Gate 3 mods ever. Mod author techroot has added over 80 new stunning dye colors to the game, each "based on deities and famous entities from Faerûn." It's lore-accurate, it adds more armor and clothing customization options, and it expands the roleplaying possibilities for players who love to embrace that side of Baldur's Gate 3. What's not to love?

Modular Equipment

Modular Equipment is a mod that only a few players can use, as it's only compatible with "tall slim femme characters," according to mod author wesslen. If that fits the description of your Tav, then it's a must-download, adding various armor and clothing pieces designed to be interchanged with one another. These pieces are cleverly made to complement many vanilla items, so you can even use individual items to enhance an outfit comprised mostly of base game clothing and armor pieces, too. There's even dye support, which works well (for the most part - some items don't necessarily look like they're? supposed to).

Druu's Clothes and Armours

Druu's Clothes and Armours adds a couple of new outfits for your Tav. It's not a massive selection like something like Basket Full of Equipment, but I loved these outfit options so much that I had to ??include them. They've got physics support, and even allow you to use custom dyes from mods like Faerun Colors (Dye and color sets). Not every player will find a use for Druu's Clothes and Armours, but I'm confident these outfits?? are perfect for plenty of playthroughs.

Dye Support For Shields

It doesn't make much sense that you can't dye shields in Baldur's Gate 3. Well, with Dye Support For Shields, now you can. There's not much to say about this one - all the base-game?? shields can now be dyed, a cool quality-of-life change that s?hould have been in the vanilla game.

Helms of Faerun

Helms of Faerun is the kind of Baldur's Gate 3 mod that'll make you fall in love with modding ?again. Frankly, it's utterly bizarre, but unapologetically so, with 1??2 new helmets added to the game to choose from. While some options look awesome, others, such as the Thrall Helmets, will make your Tav look a little odd, to say the least. Ever wanted to look like you're wearing an intelle?ct devourer? Then this is right up your alley.

Bladesong Garment

I've tried to avoid adding individual armor and clothing sets to this list, but Bladesong Garment is simply too good to miss out. This set of clothing is in?tended to complement a College of Swords bard roleplay, although a creative player could have other uses for each piece, too. Once installed, you can purchase the Bladesong Garment set from Arron in the Emerald Grove during Act One, or you can pick it up from? the tutorial chest on the Nautiloid if you want it right from the start.

Aether's Black Dye - Item Shipment Framework

Aether's Black Dye - Item Shipment Framework is a mod that is somewhat surprisingly not in the base game. It's not exactly complex - it just adds a black dye to Baldur's Gate 3, so you can embrace d??arkness no matter your outfit. This black dye has infinite uses, too, so you can turn your group into a party of goth adventurers if you so desire.

Faerunian Carnival

Last but not least, there's Faerunian Carnival. This mod adds a collection of carnival masks to the game, allowing you to look anything from mysterious to ridiculous as you adventure across Faerûn. There are plenty of interesting desig?ns here, and I have no doubt someone more c?reative than me could produce some fascinating roleplay ideas for a playthrough using Faerunian Carnival. Some of these masks are exclusive to either male or female characters, so bear this in mind when creating your Tav.

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Baldur's Gate 3 has finally launched on PS5. Much like its PC counterpart, it? has received near-unanimous praise, though console players haven't been without problems. Some PS5 players have been dealing with the frustrating problem of game crashes.

Larian Studios has acknowledged the issue, and a Tweet explains that the bug is likely connected to PSN. Developers are working on it, but in the meantime, you're advised to disconnect your console from the internet when playing Baldur's Gate 3.

A fix will hopefully be out soon, as Larian Studios has a patch scheduled for September 21, and it'll finally bri?ng the game to Macs. Larian Studios?? still has plenty of work ahead, as there is also an Xbox Series X/S port on the way.

Critically acclaimed but not flawless

Though BG3 has been basking ?in the spotlight, players have also been struggling through quite a few issues. Act 3's performance taxing even the most capable PCs is the most glaring problem, and PS5 players haven't been spared either.

Larian Studios has been mending many of these issues with major BG3 patches, including one which featured over a hundred fixes. Fortunately, these minor hurdles haven't been enough to stop the game from reaching over 800,000 concurrent players on Steam and drawing adoration f?rom both critics and players.

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Surprising absolutely no one that's been keeping up with the gaming industry over the past couple of months; Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 is dominating both the zeitgeist and t??he review charts, now having become 2023's best-reviewed game.

Indeed, even though 2023 has already had a surprisingly rich roster of top-tier titles, like Nintendo's very own The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3 has successfully mopped the floor with all of its considerable competition. According to Metacritic, Larian has ostensibly created the best game of the year, handily beating Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 6, and the Dead Space remake - just to list a few additional examples of?? well-reviewed video games in 2023.

[caption id="attachment_396210" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Larian Studios[/caption]

Baldur's Gate 3 is the Best Game of 2023?

The fact that Baldur's Gate 3 is an impressive CRPG hasn't come out of nowhere, naturally. Larian Studios initially launched the title via Steam Early Access in October 2020, only to take the next couple of years to produce a truly staggering amount of content and a roster of Dungeons & Dragons-inspired features and gameplay systems to match. The end result is predictably high-quality, but the unpredictable bit comes from the game's popularity, surprising even the develop??er itself.

It is a perfect storm for something like this to happen. Baldur's Gate 3 ticks a few key boxes that stand in direct opposition to some of the most commonly critiqued industry trends. The game is an immense role-playing experience with no live-service elements or microtransactions, and its Early Access tenure means that it launched in a fairly polished state. Baldur's Gate 3 also commands remarkably widespread appeal, what with being a D&D-based continuation of an old classic, now having been blo??wn wide open for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

Though there's no denying the immensity of what Larian Studios has accomplished here, some caveats yet remain. Firstly, the Tears of the Kingdom may yet overtake it, as many Baldur's Gate 3 reviews still haven't been fully wrapped up. Secondly, Bethesda Game Studios' long-awaited Starfield is due to launch early in September, meaning that Larian is up against some of the most competent games seen in years. If Starfield doesn't end up fall?ing flat on its face, that is.

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Well, the time has arrived. As you're reading this, Baldur's Gate 3 is live, after years of Early Access held only a select slice of its first act. And I'm here to tell you that, especially if you're a returning Early Access player, you shouldn't just blitz through the w?hole starting area right away.

I've had a little bit of time, roughly a few days, to play the launch version of Baldur's Gate 3. It's nowhere near enough to write a full review—that will arrive much later, after I've sunk the requisite dozens of hours into seeing this journey through. For the most part, I've largely been retreading similar paths to what I played in the Early Access, dealing with the s?immering tension around the Druid grove, tiefling refugees, and nearby goblin camp.

So what I'm here to give you today is a tip, a piece of advice, from one Early Access player to some of the others who might be reading this: don't just speed your way through to? Act 2.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TmGocqpY0Y

Acting up

Even from the very beginning, Baldur's Gate 3 is noticeably different between its Early Access and launch state. Those who might want to avoid some surprises or light spoilers may want to skip down to the next header section; I won't go deep into story specifics, ????but there was one particular difference that caught my eye almost immediately.

And that was the role of your other created character. In the Early Access, the creation screen would task you with choo?sing and designing your avatar (which can also be one of the Origin characters now, in fu?ll release). Then, it would bring you to another character creation screen and ask, "Who do you dream of?" Larian Studios essentially asks you to tell on yourself, and then uses that avatar to tempt you later on.

Well, that entire set-up is gone. In its place, there is the dream guardian. At first, I didn't see much of them after I designed them; but over time, they began to reveal themse?lves, and with it a greater threat to both the party and Faerûn. Or so they say.

The more you talk with this guardian, the more it seems like Larian has built out this plot. In fact, the most intriguing part of the early goings for me has been the illithid power?s and how they tie in. Before, it felt like a gamble. Do you want to use? the tadpole in your brain to force a skill check? Do you listen to the temptations living in your dreams?

With the guardian, and the framing of the tadpole that's shifted since Early Access, that relationship feels like a greyer area, full of more unknowns and mysteries, and it's much more interesting to explore. This aspect really feels most interesting to Early Access players because they're so familiar with the prior version. Why did this change? How does it shift the story, an?d your relationship with your newfound illithid powers? I'm really, really curious to see how.

Either way,?? it's an early twist that made me realize I wasn't just playing back through a section I'd seen a few times over in Early Access. And the changes continued.

Crash into me

The entire introductory section aboard the nautiloid ship has also been?? reworked and redone. Many of the beats remain the same, including who you work with, and who you can assist or not. But the actual sequence itself feels trimmed down to its core pieces and faster, almost like Larian knew that players had seen this part many times already.

Then, of course, the ship crashes and we're into the journey proper. Baldur's Gate 3 from here feels very familiar. It's a CRPG running on Larian's homebrew of the Dungeons & Dragons 5E ruleset. There are Wizards and Warlocks, Monks and Barbarians. Fights are turn-based, using a looser range system rather than grid tiles, and filled with i??nterlinking systems of actions and reactions.

Igniting barrels to cause explosions, combining spells for devastating effects, or just kicking a goblin into a chasm, it's all here. At one point, I st??ruggled with a particularly hard encounter, until I lured my foes onto a rickety bridge and took out the supports. I might not be able to loot them for valuables, but it was an efficient way of solving the problem.

All of that is the same as it's been in Early Access, with some enhancements. If you've been away a while, you might be surprised by s?ome of the neat touches Larian has made over the yea?rs. The reaction system for abilities like Hellish Rebuke and Reckless Attack is straightforward and easy to use. Menus and interfaces have seen revamps, making most of them pretty clean and easy to get through. There's a lot of info and cursor hovers to help explain basics as you go.

I do think there's a bit of assumption that Larian makes, that the player will buy in and either arrive pre-knowledgeable about how D&D works or willing to seek t??he information out. There are tutorials, but they're brief. Once the adventure starts, you're in it.

Gather your party

The adventure feels pretty good, though. As?? I said before, the first area surrounding the grove and goblin camp will feel familiar at first. But a combination of new interactions, new scenes, and new characters makes everything feel a bit different.

Karlach, the final addition to the Origin roster (alongside the Dark Urge), is a big piece of this. She's got a great storyli?ne, and it ties closely into the re??written plot beats for Wyll. Having a cheerful, optimistic Barbarian with a heart of gold and fire is a great addition to the camp.

But all the little details keep pulling me in different directions. I had thought, going into Act 1, that I'd be speedrunning through it. Instead, I'm replaying old quests to see how my new members react to them. I'm testing out my updated powers, exploring areas that feel a bit tuned and tweaked. Certain items are just where I remember them being in Early Access, but getting back there still feels fresh. It's not all sunshine and roses; I found times where Baldur's Gate 3 hitches on itself a bit, hit a few glitches and bugs, and I've especially noticed som??e pre-release lighting oddities that I hope Larian patches out soon.

This is good news for those who want to replay Baldur's Gate 3, at the least. Even the thought of that seems so far off, though. I'm still on my own run, with my own created Tav, exploring the things I want to explore. What's reassuring about Baldur's Gate 3 today is that, even after years of this Ear??ly Acces?s being available and players digging into its available content, it's still fun to roll a new character.

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The Crusaders embark for a new realm

Owlcat Games' Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is making the leap to consoles. The giant RPG will launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One both physically and digitally on Sept. 29, a??s well as Nintendo Switch via cloud.

Wrath of the Righteous will also be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, via backward compatibility. Once the console version launches, the Enhanced Edition of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous will become the standard version, and PC owners will all get that version for free on Sept. 29.

Owlcat has also announced that The Treasure of the Midnight Isles, the third DLC for this Pathfinder, launches on August 11. This new adventure heads to the Midnight Isles, where horrors and terrors abound. There's both a standalone rogue-like mode and campaign option available, allowing players to ex??periment with builds and party compositions if they'd like. Even if a party dies, its progress can help future playthroughs?.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlJzR7vcmFs

The Treasure of the Midnight Isles will be available either as a separate purchase, or as part of the sea??son pass.

Many stories to tell

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is, by all accounts, a massive RPG. It's got a somewhat-daunting amount of content, not all too dissimilar from other isometric RPGs. But if you're looking for a console RPG to eat up your time, you could probably do worse. Impressions of the PC version seem mostly positive, and th?ere's even more on the way wi??th the Midnight Isles DLC.

Owlcat, meanwhile, is also forging on to a new franchise. Last month's Warhammer Skulls festival showcase confirmed that Owlcat is creating a Warhammer 40K CRPG, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.

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Role-playing in the 40K universe

A new Warhammer 40,000 game was announced today, with a bit more of a role-playing vibe. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a classical, isometric-styl?e RPG from Owlcat Games.

The trailer, shown as part of today's annual Warhammer Skulls festival, is packed with RPG signposts. It's got an isometric style, and the trailer declares Rogue Trader is the first "classic CRPG" set in the Warhammer 40K universe.

Behind this RPG is Owlcat Games, a studio that's previously worked on several Pathfinder RPGs. Both Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous seemed to do well by those who dig isometric games. And now, the team will tackle the 40K universe.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4VUmndj9rw

The story will follow a Rogu?e Trader, who controls their own merchant empire and is allowed to explore space with the blessing of the Emperor. This means powers, the ability to go where you want, and a giant voidship.

The RPG side will let you meet potential allies and enemies, and make choices that will affect the lives of others. Companions can include the likes of a Space Marine, an Aeldari Ranger,?? or a Sister of Battle. And once battle kicks off, they'll play out in a tactical, turn-based format.

Playing the classics

It sounds like a pretty interesting universe for Owlcat Games to explore for its next RPG. While plenty of Warhammer games have been announced, especially over the course of today's festivities, many of them are a bit more action-oriented. While shooting, blasting, and Space Marine-ing through hordes is all good fun, sometimes you want to kick ??your feet up and play an RPG.

The potential for RPG storytelling in the Warhammer 40,000 universe seems ripe. Those who want to see what Owlcat does with it earlier can pre-order to get Alpha and/or Beta access to the game, depending on what tier you pre-order. No release date has been set yet for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, but it is targeting both PC and consoles.

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Fistful of relics

Weird West eases pla?yers into the weird. It starts out with familiar western tales, of bounty hunters and lawless desperados. Shootouts will have bullets whizzing overhead and slow-motion dives, with revolvers and rifles sending rounds blazing across the screen.

Then there's ghouls, ghosts, and ravenous hordes. Hints of something greater begin to emerge, as characters talk to your avatar with an alarming familiarity. Witches meet you at the crossroads, offering moral quandaries and games in exchange for power. Weird West is an immersive sim, and it aims ??to immerse players deep into its wonderfully weird world.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3sqhIczLcQ

Weird West (PC [reviewed], PS4, Xbox, via Game Pass)
Developer: Wolfeye Studios
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Released: March 31, 2022
MSRP: $39.99

Weird West is an immersive sim from Wolfeye Studios, and the debut project from a studio founded by former Arkane developers. Rather than a 3D first-person approach, Weird West looks further back. Its isometric viewpoint and overworld travel map reminded me right away of the first two Fallout games.

The setting of Weird West is goin??g to be the main draw because it ??is, simply, the weird west. Cowboys and bounty hunters clash with sirens and pigmen. Long-forgotten specters roam the land, haunting homesteads. A Spanish mission is occupied by werewolves.

Overlapping oddities with fami??liar western paraphernalia is a major appeal, and thankfully, it's not just skin deep. The bizarre world of?? the west manages to not feel like it's strange for strangeness' sake, but it's telling a story about average people trying to make their way through an uncaring, even hostile world—the ugliness, and also the importance of our own empathy and care, even when the world doesn't naturally reciprocate it.

These tales are framed through five journeys, as the player is led through five different people getting by in the West. The first, about a retired bounty hunter seeking vengeance, is odd but straightforward. Yes, man-eating monsters are involved, but the bounty hunter relies on conventional tools of the trade. Her quests led me through the basics of living in the Weird West: th?e saloon, the gun store, the stables, and the bounty board, to name a few.

I made a living, hunted down a few criminals, and eventually managed to finish my quest. A post-conclusion screen showed me all the choices I made, with bullet po??ints that indicated I could've taken it a few different ways. I even reloaded later, just to shake things up and see what changed; more on that in a moment.

Because when I started the second journey, I was a pigman. A monster I had only heard about in missives and loading screen legends. With no ??memory of who I was b??efore, I was now a monster made of man and pig flesh.

Stores didn't want me darkening their doorstep. Sheriffs warned me that I'd be ran out of town if they saw me walking around in daylight. My closest companion was a fellow monster. My means of getting resources and surviving had to shift, and fast. My method for making it in the Weird West was completely up-ended, and I loved it.

Weird West has many strengths, but it excels in those moments where narrative and gameplay overlap. Often I would feel like I was getting away with something, only to later feel like it was just another option laid out by Wolfeye for me to progress. Helping someone out might get me some key information, or I could just as easily steal it, or learn it through a note somewhere, or find it organically. Yes, those cracked rocks can be broken open with dynamite, or TNT barrels. And I could absolutely overcome terrible odds by summoning a tornado and lighting it on fire. At one point, I spent a long time trying to stack barrels and jump over a gate, only to realize I could've just shot the switch to o??pen it from the other side.

Each of the journeys feels rewarding, because they each encourage their own approach. While some perks persist across characters, each new face has their own abilities to master using ancient relics. The pigman could use his power bar to make bullets bounce off his skin or execute a powerful charge through enemy ranks. The warrior of the Lost Fire nation, meanwhile, could summon the help of a ghost-bear. Ther??e is even a werewolf character, who felt like two characters combined into one.

The story is compelling too, even though it sometimes gets a bit messy. I really enjoyed the overall arc and the greater questions Weird West poses to the player, even though the last chapter felt weaker than the others. Individu??al story arcs like the pigman's were the most compelling, as were the sections that let me explore a world firsthand. Seeing how different characters approached this world, comparing factions like the future-protecting Oneirists with the pious wolves, was engaging, and kept me locking into everything happening around me.

At times, I was impressed by how Weird West reme?mbered my choices and carried their consequences through stories. Letting one outlaw escape led to headlines of rampant pillaging. But other times, it felt like they didn't translate one-to-one. A character who I left alive, for example, was later described as dead by another in dialogue. It was a minor hiccup, but a few times I noticed points where my decisions hadn't lined up perfectly with descriptions of the game world.

The main frustration with Weird West is in the glitches. Some are being addressed in a?? day-one patch, but there were enough that I made a habit of?? quick-saving very, very often. Sometimes dialogues wouldn't trigger. And in general, stealth was finicky. Enemies would sometimes spot bodies I had left in bushes, where it seemed like they should've been fully hidden.

Weird West's isometric camera will also be a point of contention for some. As much as I appreciated the nostalgic feel and some of the clever use of foreground-background layouts, it was also difficult to make distant objects out or line up long-r?ange shots. Contextual abiliti?es, like the slow-motion dodge roll, also take a little while to get used to.

Getting used to both the co??mbat and stealth takes a moment because of that, though it also makes battles feel frantic in a good way early on. Panicking as a bear bears down on you feels about right, and the way that ?certain environmental factors can overlap and cause chain reactions lets the combat feel chaotic and constantly evolving. Melee weapons always felt a little more awkward than the rest, but that's about the worst of it.

Though the world can feel opaque and daunting at first, Weird West does create an amazing frontier to explore. It's a brisk journey from character one to character five, and I saw the credits roll at a little under 20 hours, but there's a lot to do if you just want to spend time in the world. Side quests an?d bounties provide a lot of extra objectives to pursue, and t?here's also the allure of seeing how some stories could pan out differently. I did kill some story-critical NPCs to see what happened, and yes, Wolfeye lets you do it and adjusts accordingly. Even the narrator, who is excellent and sets a perfect tone for the story, responds in shock to your actions. It's very good.

Weird West draws players in with its setting, and then builds a world that asks interesting questions about what they want from it. It's extremely nostalgic in ways, but also feels like it could kindle some fire for more exploration of these older sty??les of RPG. Ones where you need to comb over every inch of an area to scrounge supplies because your character made enemies with all the local towns, or gets caught up in an ambush because they were caught traveling alone without a posse to back them up??.

Weird West presents a bizarre world to tell a story about real, human struggles. It might have some hitches and messiness, but it's a journey wor??th taking if you've ever been nostalgic about the good ol' days. Or you just like the idea of charging into a group of enemies as an unstoppable fantasy monstrosity, shotgun barrels blazing, with electric western riffs ringing out in the distance. Saddle up, pigman. That's your cue.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Playing your role gets more rewards

Baldur's Gate 3 has been carrying in Early Access, and today, Larian Studios announced the changes coming in Patch 5 of the RPG. Arriving on July 13, the patch will change up more about Baldur's Gate 3's dice rolls, as well as its AI and the role-playing rewards for your character. The first notable update is the Baldur's Gate 3 Active Roll system.

The usage of dice rolls has been a frequent topic of discussion around Baldur's Gate 3, and the Active Roll looks to enhance and?? clarify your die rolls a bit more. Active Roll will let you??, or your party members, cast spells and apply bonuses to their rolls, as well as see modifiers and status effects directly within the UI.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7_lnDAvd9s

Background Goals are another big update. Character creation already includes selecting a background, but now, there will be small opportunities to play into your role for rewards. So being folksy and heroic, for example, will benefit pl??ayers who chose the Folk Hero background.

The Camp syst??em is also getting changed. Rather than always heading out into the wilderness, Mini Camps will allow you to have context-dependent alternatives for camp, like the Chapel or the Underdark. There are also Camp Resources, so when you go to sl?eep, you'll have to choose what to eat, determining whether you'll have a shallow or full rest.

There's even more granular changes,? like being able to break concentration and separating jump from disengage. Characters are also getting some "point-and-click" dialogue for navi?gating the world, and there will even be a Non-Lethal Attack Mode, for the pacifists out there.

The full patch notes will arrive on patch day, July 13, but it's a pretty hefty update, and Larian founder Swen Vincke says at the end of today's update video that the studio is already working on Patch 6. While a full launch is still a ways off, each update of Baldur's Gate 3 has been pretty exciting to follow. I think next Tuesday will be a nice day to start a new sa??ve.

For more on how Larian Studio has been approaching the development of Baldur's Gate 3, check out our interview wi?th Vincke from earlier this year.

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Goblins! Goblins! Goblins!

Maybe Dungeons & Dragons just isn't some??thing that can be enjoyed without friends.

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X)
Developer: Tuque Games
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Released: June 22nd, 2021
MSRP: $39.99

To answer a question that some may have, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is a spiritual sequel to Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. While there are stark differences that make this one distinct from its two predecessors, the dropping of the Baldur’s Gate name probably has more to do with the upcoming Baldur’s Gate III and wanting to avoid confusion.

Otherwise, the idea’s the same: a more action-oriented take on the pen-and-paper RPG. It’s once again set in the Forgotten Realms campaign, this time using characters from the Legend of Drizzt series. It takes place soon after R. A. Salvatore’s pulp novel, The Crystal Shards.

For what that's worth, anyway. The plot isn’t exactly dense, involving a few factions getting their hands on magic gewgaws that you don’t want them to have. Still, y?ou get a chance to see some of D&D’s more prolific characters in action. There’s Drizzt, Wulfgar, Catti-Brie, and Br??uenor, each with their own powers, roles, moves, and loot.

The problems with playing single-player become apparent pretty quickly. The AI in Dark Alliance is absolutely daft. I spent most of my playtime as Catti-Brie (which was probably a ??bad choice in retrospect) and was perfectly capable of standing on a ledge to soften up groups o?f enemies. They can’t work ledges, period. Rather than mull about trying to get to you, they just act like you’re not there while you take potshots. They’ll even continue conversations while you try to interrupt them by feeding arrows into their groin.

Not that you even nee??d to find a ledge to stand on. You ca??n just go outside the rather tight range that enemies have and they’ll act like you aren’t even there anymore. They’ll just return to their neutral state. Then you can, once again, lob projectiles at their crotches until they fall over.

Or you could, you know, not cheese every encounter. It’s just really damned tempting. Even when I for?ced myself into direct combat, the enemies just aren’t that aggressive. There were many times where they just stood there as I lined my crosshairs up with their face or slashed up their friends. When they do attack, they’re simply predictable. Usually, the only way I’d die in combat was when I’d get trapped in a swarm of enemies. Other times, I had the difficulty too high and someone would?? lay me flat with a single swing.

Playing solo is just a drag. The characters prattle on the worst one-liners, and the story isn’t much to speak about. The fights are repetitive and slow, and the difficulty is all over the place. Looting is fine. It’s one of those things?? in video games that never really gets old, but it will only carry you so far.

I’m just not digging Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance right now. It feels rickety at best and annoying at worst. Monotonous, bland, uninteresting. However, I know that multi-player can offset some of the problems I had. I wouldn’t judge Left 4 Dead or Gauntlet based on their single-player, so it seems unfair to set my criticism in stone until I’ve sampled what Dark Alliance can offer. I’m not hopeful, but it’s worth giving it that ch??ance. Though, if you were planning to?? be a solo adventurer, maybe reconsider.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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This CRPG is still changing shape

Putting a game out early to the public can be tricky, but Early Access is not new to Larian Studios anymore. The RPG studio utilized a staggered launch with Divinity: Original Sin and its sequel to their success, and now with Baldur's Gate 3, it's looking for a third win.

That doesn't mean there haven't been growing pains, though. Baldur's Gate 3 is a different kind of game from Original Sin 2; it has a diffe??rent combat s??ystem, a more cinematic approach, and is firmly rooted in the old tomes of Dungeons & Dragons.

Following the recent addition of the Druid class and another Panel From Hell, we reached out to Larian to see just how its Early Access has been progre??ssing. On a call with studio founder Swen Vincke, the studio head says they've been receiving a lot of feedback from the community, through both analytics and vocal feedback on forums like Reddit, and there have been a few course corrections.

"I know that the community wants us to go faster than we can," Vincke tells me over a video chat. "It does take time to implement things, especially for a game that's as vast as Baldur's Gate 3—also a game that we're still developing&mdas?h?;so we have to balance the two things to each other."

Yet overall Vincke is happy with the reception thus far. Reviews have been positi?ve, and problems that are being flagged by players are things already being charted on the roadmap. So what does the road ahead look like, then?

There are several areas that Vincke says the team has identified, though it's important to separate the good feedback from the bad. There are certain pillars Larian is trying to establish with Baldur's Gate 3, and some of them are going to be different from the Divinity series that L??arian fans are more familiar with. Real-time with pause is one concept Vincke says Larian won't be implementing.

In other places, the studio is standing firm on its ?pillars. The use of dice has been a particular wrinkle that Larian is still trying to solve; it's core to Dungeons & Dragons, but for those n??ot looking to do some traditional roleplaying, it can be frustrating.

"It brings back memories, actually, of Original Sin 2 where it was about other topics, wh??ich was the armor system, which was als??o polarizing, right?" Vincke recalls. "Or god forbid durability, which was a fight where we had to swallow our pride and say, 'Okay, well, this is the end of durability as we know it.'"

Baldur's Gate 3 has kept its dice, but the solution has been a mechanic the studio is calling "Loaded Die:" a pseudo-RNG system that will try to balanc?e out all those one-rolls you keep getting. It's still being tinkered with, as Vincke says the studio took a very conservative approach to start, but it's reflective of Larian's approach to feedback.

"So we? nee?d to figure out, are people playing the game that we want them to be playing? Or is the game somewhere failing at communicating it?" Vincke says. That's the goal they're looking at, through an enormous cloud of player feedback. And yes, that cloud is enormous.

What's helping Vincke and the team at Larian track everything is not just vocal player feedback, but the data it's collecting from playtime. An upside of Early Access is that you have a lot of players engaging with your content, and while that can help for ferreting out bugs, there are deeper problems you ??can root out with enough data.

It might sound strange, but story has been one area where the data has been a boon. At one point during our talk, Vincke pulls up an image to show me what's essentially a graph of the paths players have taken through a specific story dialogue, and what outcomes they received. Vincke?? estimated it covered about 30,000 dialogues' worth of data, with some results being clear majority and others, ones that might require use of certain mechanics o??r knowledge, having fewer players reach that conclusion.

Vincke describes these analytics tools, which the studio built up after the success of Divinity: Original Sin 2, as?? a "gold mine." It helps the studio i?dentify what players are doing and make inferences, and potentially adapt if they're seeing a choice being taken too often or not often enough; or even, if the choice is one they want to feel special and earned, keep it that way.

"I call it a very modern way of doing game development, because you finally have the da?ta p??rocessing to be able to do these kinds of things," Vincke says. "And it's, it improves it, literally, I mean, there's nothing to be done about it. It makes the games better. They just need time, they need to cook."

Story is certainly of importance, because Baldur's Gate 3 leans much heavier into a cinemat??ic approach. Conversations occur in framed, animated shots rather t??han talking heads, and every companion has their own lines of dialogue to pore over, both on the road and back at camp.

Currently in Early Access, there's only the first hub "act" of the game. And while there have been updates adding new content, including a new class for players to pick in character creation, there's ?still a fragile balance between showing enough to get good feedback and not revealing all of what Larian is working on.

Vincke says the studio is trying to be very conservative with what they launch in the Early Access period. That doesn't mean there won't be anything more, but there's also the concern of releasing too much and watching players burnout; he says there are already people who played 300 to 400 hours of Baldur's Gate 3 in Early Access.

??"You could argue that it would be a lot easier to just throw everything into Early Access, and then just work with all that feedback and then just release it at the end of the exercise," Vincke says. "And at the same time you can say well, if I do that, and I haven't dealt with ?everything and players happen to have a bad experience there, then that's their entire impression of the game: that it was a bad experience."

Laria?n is still working on the game, too. Vincke says the studio doesn't have the con??tent of the end of the game ready yet. Even if it did, Vincke doesn't think they'll put it all in Early Access; the studio has a "large army of testers," and the Early Access is not its testing ground for QA. The Early Access is there for community feedback on systems, systems that are present there and will be throughout the rest of the game.

That reasoning helps give context to why the Druid was the next class in line to ?hit the Early Access. Druids play a pretty major role in the first hub, but when I asked Vincke why it was the latest class to enter the Early Access build, the answer surprised me a bit.

"It was one of the hardest classes to get right," Vincke tells me. "So we wanted to put it in there to force ourselves to go through the entire process of that class, and at the same time to see what people we??re going to be doing with it, because we are going fairly far with what you can do with Wild Sh??ape."

Vincke says that Larian ha?s ambitions, still, for what it's go??ing to add. Druid provides a very different experience compared to the other classes, so it's an interesting question mark to address now, rather than later.

"So we're not going to necessa??rily put the classes that are easiest to make first into [Early Access], we're putting the one??s that are interesting for us also, to see what the community does with it," Vincke says.

Throughout Early Access, these decisions have been made: what to show now, and what to wait on. Vincke tells me that the process of determining just where the Early Access cuts off was simply trying to find places that made logical sense, but even that is tricky. Not every path has a natural climax, so Larian had to find cuts ??that felt reasonable, even if they're also artificial.

One way this can already be seen is in Baldur's Gate 3's companions. Of the traveling adventurers you can ??recruit to your cause right now, there are a number of fascinating characters: the enigmatic Shadowheart, the intrigu??ing Astarion, and the fairly direct Lae'zel, to name a few.

The player fights alongside them during the day, but upon returning to camp, they can interact with these characters and have conversations that shed more light on their backstorie??s. Already there are theories about what certain dialogues mean, or ??could imply for future story arcs in the full release, and Vincke says we're only seeing fragments of their storylines right now.

"It's interesting to see what people?? write about them and making their opinion, especially if you know stuff that comes later. So it's really, it's cool to see. But it also tells you, Yeah, okay, well, they're completely seeing this person like that, and that's actually not what we? meant from the get-go, we wanted them to seem like that."

Baldur's Gate 3 is also pretty open-ended: the first area basically (literally) drops you into the first hub after its big opening sequence, and then it's up to you to decide where to go, who to talk to, and what leads to chase in terms of getting that pesky Illithid tadpole out of your brain. Vincke says it's vastly more complex than Divinity: Original Sin 2 was in terms of permutations.

But there's also parts we haven't seen yet; significant changes in ??the main storyline that weren't ready or included yet, even in this first act area. Vincke says the team is very iterative in its process, so things change.

Of course, there is combat, and Vincke says the team is working on that aspect as well. H?e says they think it's a little bit too random still, in cases where they'd like it to be more tactical. They're also tooling with the RNG in some areas, and are looking for ways of s??treamlining it to have a "more modern experience."

Martial classes are a particular area he highlights, as having a party full of just fighters can be tricky, which I found pretty interesting. In my own experience, I've been loving the ability to push, shove, and throw things to manipulate the wor??ld with my Githyanki Warrior, and those mechanics are something he says he's happy people are grappling with. He tells me in a recent meeting, some of the studio members were discussing ways in which they had defeated an encounter using their own ingenuity and exploiting systems in unexpected ways, something Vincke says is one of the core pillars of what Larian is trying to do.

"I mean, that's why we put those mechanics in there," Vincke says. "So the cr??eative use of the mechanics for the players is the thing that we try to maximize. D&D is about your agency, your creativity. We're trying to give you the same tool set still, in a fairly accessible way."

While development is proceeding, Larian Studios has not been immune to the effects of the global pandemic. The team made a swift move to w??ork?ing from home, and while adapted rapidly thanks in part to its experience working with teams across the globe, the missing component was direct communication.

Leads being able to directly communicate with their teams has been one of the harder points of the pandemic, Vincke tells me. Having to do sound mixing online versus in-person is one area he highlights, as well as doing motion capture for cinematics, which has become more prominent in Baldur's Gate 3 than previous Larian games. He does envision t??he studio returning to the office once it's safe, joking about meeting the new hires they've made in the last year or so face-to-fac??e rather than over video.

The name "Baldur's Gate" has also been looming overhead. Vincke recognized the pressure that came with the name early on, and that incorporating more cinematics into their ?games was a "big gamble." The reception has been good though, and Vincke says the studio hasn't compromised on the amount of choice it offers to players in the game.

When?? I asked whether Vincke and Larian Studios knows when version 1.0 is coming, I compared it to a train pulling into the station. Vincke says they know where, but don't know when. They know where the ending is, and they have a pretty good overview of what's ??left to do, and that they need to do them right.

"So we still have quite some work ahead of ??us," Vincke says. "But we do know what we're making and when we're going to be… we'll know when we're at the end, so it is visible. It's just still? a lot of work."

As we wrapped up our conversation, I remarked that I was eager to jump back in afterwards and maybe make a new character, to try some of the Druid abilities out for myself. Vincke's response surprised me, and ended up being my biggest takeaway: to not burn myself out on Baldur's Gate 3.

He advised to "try and keep some surprises for yourself," because things are still changing. Baldur's Gate 3 is still changing, and there are aspects of this game that might be different in some way I could overlook, thinking I had seen them already in the Early Access. The worst that could happen is that when Baldur's Gate 3 finally launches, I'll skip through a scene?? or not try out a choice because I think I've already seen and know it. That's not what Larian is planning on.

"You won't know it,?" Vincke says. "It will be different, and so that's the promise."

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