Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback My final EA review

-"The story starts with the mistake many new DM's make: it goes too big and completely over the top from the start. It throws mind flayers, intellect devourers, spelljamming vessels, Githyanki and even that kitchen sink at the player. As the player, you are thrown in a story that goes way over your head with a ticking time bomb attached to it. It is just too much to swallow with no build up or backstory for yourself."

That's exactly how I see it as well, the story is way "too much" and it really gives me "on rails" / "themepark" feeling no matter what I try on the map. The story felt like as if I was playing DnD with my friends in middle school. Storywise, I feel like there are far too many similarities to DOS2. Gale feels like Fane without being an undead. It's almost like Larian thought "hey DOS2 was a great success, let's just apply the same story formula into Forgotton Realms setting".

Character races / backgrounds: I always play high elf, and love high fantasy, and diversity but even for Forgotten Realms the characters are "way too much". Vampire high elf, half elf priestess of Shar, Githyanki, another Fane copy (Gale) from DOS2, and so on.. we are not in Astral Plane or Seldarine where everyone's related to elves.

Map: Feels too much like a themepark, nothing like in BG 1&2, Icewind Dale, NWN, Dragon Age, etc. It's just like DOS2; once you're done with a few playthroughs it loses its charm; because at that point the player is aware of all the "gotcha" traps, I really tried to shake this feeling away but couldn't do it as of my 2nd playthrough.

Another thing that bothers me is how maps are laid out; it's like a maze full of things going on. Almost feels like an MMO quest hub with all the quest markers filling the minimap, everywhere. Exploration shouldn't mean players should run into dozens of things with each step.


Combat: I know this is a DnD game, been playing DnD easily over 20 years; but here combat feels slllloooooowww.... and very very annoying. I think combat is the weakest part of the game. There are times I feel like I should just cheese the fights, which ties into my first point - the story. From a level 1 DnD player you can't help but ask yourself: "hey shouldn't mindflayers appear maybe a liiiittle bit later?" The story wouldn't surprise me if it forced players to deal with a black dragon in Underdark in Chapter 1.. I found myself saving the game all the time, because some dice rolls are plain PITA and make the game PITA in return. Yes, I ended up save scumming several times just to experience what it's like to play a character that can at least wipe his a$$, at least for once!

Getting to higher ground due to combat mechanics is .. sooo DOS2. I get it; it's nice but it somewhat devolves combat into "check your surroundings, get to high ground, miss, miss, critical miss, load to try the same strategy as game is obviously telling you to burn the oil barrels next to enemy NPCs"

Cutscenes: Do we really need them for every single thing? I mean; I don't have to see NPCs nodding after I ask them to see their wares. From a player's perspective, it gives me that "hmokthxbye" feeling everytime I see awkward cutscenes.


Once the game comes out, I will start and finish it (hoping combat won't be as painful) but I can't see this being as replayable as BG 1&2, NWN series, etc.