Baldur’s Gate 3 is a story-rich, party-based RPG set in the universe of Dungeons & Dragons, where your choices shape a tale of fellowship and betrayal, survival and sacrifice, and the lure of absolute power.
Players can create highly customized characters by choosing from 12 classes and 11 races, with over 46 subclasses and 600 spells and actions. The character creator allows for an incredible level of detail, ensuring that each protagonist and narrative experience will be distinct.
The open-world design encourages exploration, as players can sneak, climb, shove, dip, and jump to reach new areas, discover secrets, and interact with the environment in dynamic ways. This open-ended approach rewards creativity, allowing players to solve problems using a variety of means, from diplomacy to deception to outright violence.
Combat adheres closely to the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition ruleset, with a turn-based system that emphasizes tactical decision-making. The integration of advantage, disadvantage, and other mechanics creates a deep, challenging, and rewarding combat experience that requires careful consideration of party positioning and actions.
The game's strong emphasis on player choice and consequence ensures that no two playthroughs are ever the same. Decisions made in dialogue, exploration, and combat have a tangible impact on the ongoing narrative and the relationships between characters.
The cooperative multiplayer mode, which supports up to four players, encourages party synergy and strategic coordination. The ability to split the party and pursue individual agendas adds an extra layer of complexity and unpredictability to the co-op experience.