At this point it shouldn't be a surprise that one of the most popular game releases of the year is getting another positive review. Baldur's Gate 3 is in many way an example of what CRPGs can be. Much has been said about how unfair it is to compare other CRPGs to BG3 due to Larian's unique combination of experience, manpower, funding and independence. While it's certainly true that not many developers can realistically make games that match BG3 in terms of sheer production value, that doesn't mean BG3 isn't full of great lessons to be learned that don't require a bottomless wallet. While big expensive features like the great graphics and top-quality voice acting certainly contribute to BG3's success, it would be short-sighted to focus on those things. At least to me, things like the great attention to detail, the quality of the writing, and the thought-out layout of the world that make the game stand out, things that even much smaller games can make use of.

And while none of this is on its own a reason to buy the game, the fact that this game invites such discussion is in itself a glowing recommendation of how uniquely good it is. I won't pretend that Baldur's Gate 3 is a perfect game or that everyone will enjoy it without reservations, but all things considered I do believe that it's one of the highest-quality games from recent years.

Ironically, it's often the game's strengths also create some of its more frustrating moments. In a game that gives me a wealth of options at almost every turn, it only becomes more annoying whenever a seemingly obvious option is missing. In a game that wows me with its attention to detail, the parts where this falters even slightly become eyesores. In such a polished, high-value game, every bug stands out. In a game with such well-written characters, it's disappointment when I'm presented with an oversimplified black-or-white dialogue option. Baldur's Gate 3 is certainly not a perfect game and anyone who goes into it to look for flaws will certainly find them. However, none of this detracts from the overall experience enough that I won't give it a glowing, unreserved recommendation.

At this point it shouldn't be a surprise that one of the most popular game releases of the year is getting another positive review. Baldur's Gate 3 is in many way an example of what CRPGs can be. Much has been said about how unfair it is to compare other CRPGs to BG3 due to Larian's unique combination of experience, manpower, funding and independence. While it's certainly true that not many developers can realistically make games that match BG3 in terms of sheer production value, that doesn't mean BG3 isn't full of great lessons to be learned that don't require a bottomless wallet. While big expensive features like the great graphics and top-quality voice acting certainly contribute to BG3's success, it would be short-sighted to focus on those things. At least to me, things like the great attention to detail, the quality of the writing, and the thought-out layout of the world that make the game stand out, things that even much smaller games can make use of. And while none of this is on its own a reason to buy the game, the fact that this game invites such discussion is in itself a glowing recommendation of how uniquely good it is. I won't pretend that Baldur's Gate 3 is a perfect game or that everyone will enjoy it without reservations, but all things considered I do believe that it's one of the highest-quality games from recent years. Ironically, it's often the game's strengths also create some of its more frustrating moments. In a game that gives me a wealth of options at almost every turn, it only becomes more annoying whenever a seemingly obvious option is missing. In a game that wows me with its attention to detail, the parts where this falters even slightly become eyesores. In such a polished, high-value game, every bug stands out. In a game with such well-written characters, it's disappointment when I'm presented with an oversimplified black-or-white dialogue option. Baldur's Gate 3 is certainly not a perfect game and anyone who goes into it to look for flaws will certainly find them. However, none of this detracts from the overall experience enough that I won't give it a glowing, unreserved recommendation.