Baldur’s Gate 3: Early Access Impressions

We’ve got our hands on the Early Access of Baldur’s Gate 3 and have already played over 20 hours of it. But our adventures are far from over, and here are our initial thoughts on the game.

Keep in mind that this is in the Early Access stage. Things are subject to change, items are being refined, and there is the occasional glitch here and there. After playing the buggy disaster that was Pathfinder Kingmaker, I was worried about how smooth this would feel. But I should not have worried at all! This game is nearly seamless, a load of fun, and a brings incredible innovation to the industry.

The story is impactful, drawing you in immediately and keeping you intrigued by trying to put clues together and figure things out. The hook of the story is that you were captured by the evil Mind Flayers and have their tadpoles in your brains. This is how new Mind Flayers are created per D&D lore, with a few days gestation period and then the host is transformed with no memories of their former life. However, you are not being transformed, despite days passing. Why? And how can you remove this tadpole before the worst really does happen?

The graphics in Baldur’s Gate 3 are gorgeous, the spell effects are dazzling, and the environments are fully realized. The controls are easy to master, despite a bit of a learning curve with the camera controls. There are some bugs, of course, but they are rare to come across and usually have very minimal impact on gameplay. The world feels like it lives and breathes around you, and you can interact with it using everything at your disposal.

The dialogue is in-depth and character-driven. There is some much attention to detail you can even cast a spell to speak to animals or talk to the dead to learn things. Choices have consequences, and you can easily make both allies and enemies. Combat feels smooth and quick. The multiplayer is innovative, allowing you to even chat in-game with the other player’s character. Character creation is everything you want and more, with many customization options.

Overall, despite it being Early Access, there is nothing to complain about in Baldur’s Gate 3. We can only look forward in excitement at the full game that is to come. You can purchase it here.