I wanted to write a review of Baldur's Gate 3... but it's so hard to do so. I'm sitting here struggling for an opening line which is shocking because I do nothing but talk all the time. This game is so good I cannot put it into words. I will, nonetheless, try.

Baldur's Gate 3 is described as an RPG, Adventure game where your choices matter and impact the story. This is shown in almost every single conversation. Steam has given this the tag "Story Rich" which is far from enough to explain just how detailed this game is. I keep calling Baldur's Gate 3 a game but if I can be honest I think it's more than that, it's an experience. First of all, it's made me cry a collection of 4 times. I rarely, if ever, cry at media so it came as a huge surprise. Second of all, you'll find it hard to dislike every character truly. I know it's popular to hate on a certain Githyanki but the truth is that their story and their personality do nothing but improve as the game progresses... and that's applicable to everyone.

I want to share a personal story of this game. When I played it for the first time I disliked Astarion as a character, players will understand why, but as I played the game and progressed in the story, investing the time to get to know him and do his personal sub-quest (Every party member has an optional sub-quest that you can progress without even thinking about sometimes) he came to be one of my favourite characters. Speaking of sub-quests, there are so many brilliant, intricate and interesting sub-quests each with their own story to tell and some even tying into others, the best part being they're completely optional. You can go straight from the beginning to the ending without killing a single enemy, albeit with some difficulty, and I think that that's extraordinary. It would make my jaw drop for someone to complete every sub-quest on their first, blind play through.

Yes, I said first play through because I would be astounded if you did one play through and felt satisfied. There are 12 classes to choose from, 11 races and 31 subraces! Talking about customisation, it would be a crime to not bring up how beautiful the in-game character maker is. My personal favourite playable race is the Dragonborn, with 2 body types, 4 head types and 4 tail types, already the combinations are great in number and that's not including the vast amount of hair types, eye colours, skin tones, genital customisation and chin types... and yes, there's genital customisation for those curious. That brings up another point. Never before have I seen clothing and body types done this well. Now, I'll admit, I've played no other race than Dragonborn because I love their unique dialogue options but I haven't seen a single armour piece where I've questioned the real-world applicability. If your character is dressed like they're ready for a "good night" they're going to struggle in battle. If your character is clad in full plate armour with a helmet to match, so long as your character can use that armour effectively, you'll be at a great and believable advantage. One final note on customisation, we are all unique. All of us. I have never, in my 15 years of gaming, seen a game reflect this as well as Baldur's Gate 3.

Speaking of equipment, there's great storytelling there. Not every character can just pick up a weapon or piece of armour and just use it, they have to be trained or "proficient" in it. Astarion for example, is great with bows, daggers, rapiers and crossbows but can't use a glaive to save his life... bringing me to another point of equipment, the diversity. There are many weapons, longswords, shortswords, hammers, bows, glaives, spears! There is a weapon for everyone and they're not just basic, run of the mill, slicers and smashers. My current favourite weapon is a hammer that stops the target from healing! It's brilliant but there are far, far more magic weapons than that.

I've been typing for so long now my mind has gone blank and my legs have gone numb. The ultimate question is: "Is Baldur's Gate 3 worth the price tag that's been put on it?" The answer is yes, a thousand times yes. So much love, effort and adoration went into making this game and I love every part of it. If you have the money to spare and want the one game that could dethrone my previous favourite game, get Baldur's Gate 3... and I hope you enjoy it as I did.

I wanted to write a review of Baldur's Gate 3... but it's so hard to do so. I'm sitting here struggling for an opening line which is shocking because I do nothing but talk all the time. This game is so good I cannot put it into words. I will, nonetheless, try. Baldur's Gate 3 is described as an RPG, Adventure game where your choices matter and impact the story. This is shown in almost every single conversation. Steam has given this the tag "Story Rich" which is far from enough to explain just how detailed this game is. I keep calling Baldur's Gate 3 a game but if I can be honest I think it's more than that, it's an experience. First of all, it's made me cry a collection of 4 times. I rarely, if ever, cry at media so it came as a huge surprise. Second of all, you'll find it hard to dislike every character truly. I know it's popular to hate on a certain Githyanki but the truth is that their story and their personality do nothing but improve as the game progresses... and that's applicable to everyone. I want to share a personal story of this game. When I played it for the first time I disliked Astarion as a character, players will understand why, but as I played the game and progressed in the story, investing the time to get to know him and do his personal sub-quest (Every party member has an optional sub-quest that you can progress without even thinking about sometimes) he came to be one of my favourite characters. Speaking of sub-quests, there are so many brilliant, intricate and interesting sub-quests each with their own story to tell and some even tying into others, the best part being they're completely optional. You can go straight from the beginning to the ending without killing a single enemy, albeit with some difficulty, and I think that that's extraordinary. It would make my jaw drop for someone to complete every sub-quest on their first, blind play through. Yes, I said first play through because I would be astounded if you did one play through and felt satisfied. There are 12 classes to choose from, 11 races and 31 subraces! Talking about customisation, it would be a crime to not bring up how beautiful the in-game character maker is. My personal favourite playable race is the Dragonborn, with 2 body types, 4 head types and 4 tail types, already the combinations are great in number and that's not including the vast amount of hair types, eye colours, skin tones, genital customisation and chin types... and yes, there's genital customisation for those curious. That brings up another point. Never before have I seen clothing and body types done this well. Now, I'll admit, I've played no other race than Dragonborn because I love their unique dialogue options but I haven't seen a single armour piece where I've questioned the real-world applicability. If your character is dressed like they're ready for a "good night" they're going to struggle in battle. If your character is clad in full plate armour with a helmet to match, so long as your character can use that armour effectively, you'll be at a great and believable advantage. One final note on customisation, we are all unique. All of us. I have never, in my 15 years of gaming, seen a game reflect this as well as Baldur's Gate 3. Speaking of equipment, there's great storytelling there. Not every character can just pick up a weapon or piece of armour and just use it, they have to be trained or "proficient" in it. Astarion for example, is great with bows, daggers, rapiers and crossbows but can't use a glaive to save his life... bringing me to another point of equipment, the diversity. There are many weapons, longswords, shortswords, hammers, bows, glaives, spears! There is a weapon for everyone and they're not just basic, run of the mill, slicers and smashers. My current favourite weapon is a hammer that stops the target from healing! It's brilliant but there are far, far more magic weapons than that. I've been typing for so long now my mind has gone blank and my legs have gone numb. The ultimate question is: "Is Baldur's Gate 3 worth the price tag that's been put on it?" The answer is yes, a thousand times yes. So much love, effort and adoration went into making this game and I love every part of it. If you have the money to spare and want the one game that could dethrone my previous favourite game, get Baldur's Gate 3... and I hope you enjoy it as I did.