While Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 are not needed to understand the story of BG3, having played them will result in knowing some characters beforehand and understanding the world better.

Gameplay - 9.5/10 - The gameplay loop is solid and rewarding, you are sufficiently rewarded every single time you go off the main trail in a quest, whether its with some new loot, unique weapons or accessories or sometimes entire new zones that are entirely optional. Very rewarding.

Artstyle - 9/10 - while there are other games in the genre that look better, its hard to find a game that looks as unique as this one. All major characters are visibly and audibly distinct allowing you to easily memorize who is who, and often times you can tell where someone falls morality wise simply from their visuals. The landscapes and zones are all distinct and gorgeous, even in the darker areas there is still a sense of beauty.

Loot - 9/10 - While knowing what is good and whats not good is difficult at the beginning for someone who doesnt play this genre often, its not hard to understand and you can quickly learn how to differentiate between good and bad. Theres tons of unique items, whether its weapons, armor, or accessories theres always something to find somewhere.

Story - 9/10 - I'm going to avoid spoilers here. Its good. From what ive seen people that played BG 1 & 2 have mixed feelings on how it ties in but they still like it regardless. As someone largely new to the franchise other than games that dont tie in directly, it was great, fully recommend it for the story alone.

Combat - 8.5/10 - I left this out of gameplay because it deserves its own section. For someone new to turnbased combat with dice rolls on damage and such, the combat probably seems like a downside, but its very easy to get the hang of it and learn the ins and outs. Having the ability to pick up things like explosive barrels and just carry them in your pocket lets you save stuff for when its needed for say a boss fight or a massive group fight allowing instakills of bosses or deleting groups. Each class has something unique that they bring to the table allowing you to truly play how you want to including solo with no party being entirely possible, even if it is difficult.

In summary Id fully recommend this game to anyone and everyone and im hoping the xbox release comes soon for some friends. 9/10 overall and easily my pick for game of the year.

While Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 are not needed to understand the story of BG3, having played them will result in knowing some characters beforehand and understanding the world better. Gameplay - 9.5/10 - The gameplay loop is solid and rewarding, you are sufficiently rewarded every single time you go off the main trail in a quest, whether its with some new loot, unique weapons or accessories or sometimes entire new zones that are entirely optional. Very rewarding. Artstyle - 9/10 - while there are other games in the genre that look better, its hard to find a game that looks as unique as this one. All major characters are visibly and audibly distinct allowing you to easily memorize who is who, and often times you can tell where someone falls morality wise simply from their visuals. The landscapes and zones are all distinct and gorgeous, even in the darker areas there is still a sense of beauty. Loot - 9/10 - While knowing what is good and whats not good is difficult at the beginning for someone who doesnt play this genre often, its not hard to understand and you can quickly learn how to differentiate between good and bad. Theres tons of unique items, whether its weapons, armor, or accessories theres always something to find somewhere. Story - 9/10 - I'm going to avoid spoilers here. Its good. From what ive seen people that played BG 1 & 2 have mixed feelings on how it ties in but they still like it regardless. As someone largely new to the franchise other than games that dont tie in directly, it was great, fully recommend it for the story alone. Combat - 8.5/10 - I left this out of gameplay because it deserves its own section. For someone new to turnbased combat with dice rolls on damage and such, the combat probably seems like a downside, but its very easy to get the hang of it and learn the ins and outs. Having the ability to pick up things like explosive barrels and just carry them in your pocket lets you save stuff for when its needed for say a boss fight or a massive group fight allowing instakills of bosses or deleting groups. Each class has something unique that they bring to the table allowing you to truly play how you want to including solo with no party being entirely possible, even if it is difficult. In summary Id fully recommend this game to anyone and everyone and im hoping the xbox release comes soon for some friends. 9/10 overall and easily my pick for game of the year.