I am just going to stick to the facts. None say the game is bad. The worst reviews still recognize its potential but recommend waiting for release.
Gog.com 4.3/5 (Verified Owners)
Steam 88% Positive
GameSpot 6/10 "Reviewing Baldur's Gate 3 at this point in time is a delicate proposition. It shows a good deal of promise, yet there are plenty of warning signs it may not fulfill its potential. But predicting the future is not really the task of an Early Access review. To some extent, it is fascinating to play Baldur's Gate 3 today with the knowledge you will be able to follow its progress over the coming months--and possibly years--with a kind of academic interest in how AAA RPGs are built. You'll be able to witness first-hand how rough cuts are beaten into shape and finally polished. And for some small section of the audience, that alone will be worth the price of admission. For the rest of us, however, there's no rush. Baldur's Gate 3 isn't done yet. It's okay to wait until it is."
Collider B- "Baldur's Gate III is understandably rough around the edges, but it's hard to ignore some of the issues with the game's foundation. Still, it's chock full of content even in its early phases and can be tackled with a myriad of playstyles."
IGN 7/10 "The technical issues are understandable for Early Access, but if you want a polished and pain-free experience, I have to recommend waiting for the full release. There is enough here worth being really excited about that I feel Baldur’s Gate 3 deserves to be enjoyed with fresh eyes when it’s done, or at least much further along. You’ll find numerous moments of genuine storytelling greatness, an exciting and effective turn-based combat system, and freedom to use the abilities of the various classes in outside-the-box ways. I had fun with what's here – but if I had it to do over again, I probably would have waited."
Digital Fix 6/10 "Solid, varied gameplay and an expansive, interesting world are tainted by stiff, glitchy animations, gameplay bugs and other technical issues. With time, this could become a great game. At the moment, it's in dire need of updates before I can recommend buying it, but the potential is there."
DualSHOCKERS 7.5/10 "Coming off Divinity: Original Sin 2, it’s no surprise that Baldur’s Gate 3 already shows a ton of promise not only to build off Larian’s predecessor, but as a worthy successor to an iconic RPG series. The caveat of course is that it isn’t quite there yet, instead showing players a foundation for what’s to come through its complex but satisfying systems of exploration, combat, and player agency and immersion. In its current state, the Early Access release of Baldur’s Gate 3 is an entertaining but buggy one-shot versus a fully-polished experience. But even in that form, Baldur’s Gate 3 looks like the beginning of a grand campaign for the ages."
The Digital Fix 6/10 "Solid, varied gameplay and an expansive, interesting world are tainted by stiff, glitchy animations, gameplay bugs and other technical issues. With time, this could become a great game. At the moment, it's in dire need of updates before I can recommend buying it, but the potential is there."
CGmagonline "I can’t encourage players enough to check out Baldur’s Gate 3"
CNET "If what I've seen so far represents how Larian will bring forth Dungeons & Dragons' Faerun setting through the rest of Early Access and into the final game, I can easily imagine myself putting 200 hours into Baldur's Gate 3"
Critical Hit "While what’s on offer currently is a great deal of fun and an excellent start to the journey, it’s difficult for me to recommend it as it currently stands. If anything, the current build of Baldur’s Gate 3 is an excellent indication of what we can expect down the line, a beautiful projection of the excellence that is to follow."
Game Rant "What's most telling that this will be a great game: only about 20 hours of unpolished gameplay are available to play—and yet when those hours are over, there's an immediate desire for more. If roughly one fifth of a game with limited character creation and so many bugs can do that, then the game in question is going to be something special when finished. The only real struggle will be waiting for the next chunk of Baldur's Gate 3 to hit Early Access.
Gamers Heros "Baldur’s Gate 3 is already a fantastically good time with an intriguing story, colorful characters, and a masterfully created game world. It’s in its very early days, but this is one of the most exciting Early Access titles to hit Steam in years."
GamesBeat "I could say much more about Baldur’s Gate III, but I want to leave a great deal of it for you to discover (I will note of my favorite entities from the Realms makes an appearance). But we do get a good look at where Baldur’s Gate III is going, and I think many of you are going to want to jump onboard."
GameSpew "It was at that point that I decided to hold off on playing Baldur’s Gate 3 further for a while. I’d seen enough. I’m confident that at some point this is going to be an absolutely phenomenal game – all the ingredients are there. But with the graphics to be further improved, more content to be added, the gameplay tweaked and the player character to be given a voice, to play it any further in this Early Access state would possibly only serve to ruin it"
GamesRadar "There’s no arguing with the fact that, by playing Baldur’s Gate 3 now, you’re embarking on a journey you can’t yet finish. Yet there’s something positive in that: the limited scope is an invitation to play - really play, to muck about and test the possibilities - rather than simply push to complete yet another RPG. This one’s worth hanging around in."
PC Gamer "Baldur's Gate 3 isn't an attempt to resurrect an old series. It's something new that pushes the systems and creative mayhem from Original Sin and combines them with the rules D&D. And they're perfect together. It's very promising and seems to be heading in the right direction, but should you buy in now? There's a good 25-30 hours of adventuring to be had, full of memorable fights and characters, but you won't be seeing the game at its best. It's already fun, but it's a bit janky, save wipes are guaranteed and, more importantly, you can't yet make a gnome illusionist, so really what's the point?"
Rock Paper Shotgun "If it were not for this job, and having the self-control of four year old at a birthday party (or games journalist presented with a plate of miniburgers at a press event), I would would want to see this enticing story play out in full. Don’t feel pressured to gather your party and venture forth, but based on what I’ve seen, I think that party is in for one hell of a ride when they do."
