For me, it feels like the better parts of BG2 and ToB. I loved those games and they are probably in my top 3 most played series, so I'm not writing any of this lightly.
IE was good for its time, but battles got hectic really quickly and if you were trying to play smart, you were pausing every half second anyway, at which point it may as well have been turn-based. The combat in BG3 feels focused and like a thoughtful tactical battle than a frantic melee of fireballs and web spells.
People are right that the older games felt more 'open' and closer to a Skyrim than BG3. But if we're being honest, that's because there was a lot of empty space on the maps then a smattering of kobolds or a bear, then more empty space. BG3 keeps the empty space to a minimum, and when it does have it, it is purposeful. Empty space gives you room for battle prep, or may be a puzzle that you don't realize is there yet.
BG3 has the relationship building and character moments that BG2 did (and animates them).
In that same vein, I feel more attached to the characters, both party members and other NPCs. BG3 brings them to life in a way that wasn't possible 20 years ago. They didn't even have different faces for the characters moods, which is a staple of VNs built on far simpler code nowadays. The writing did a lot of heavy lifting, and it was solid and made me care about Aerie, Jahiera, or Viconia on my various playthroughs. Minsc's voice lines made me smile and I still hear them in my head. BG3 brought Gale to life though, spending the moment learning magic with him was touching and intimate in a way that the IE could never accomplish.
It has better character building and progression, there are choices to make here that are more meaningful than a handful of points to spread through the Bard/Thief skills or putting one more + next to a weapon.
There are a lot of cool items, which is a carry over from BG2, but so far they are more 'interesting'. By that I mean, there aren't just robes of fire/cold/lightning or good/neutral/evil. ToB and to a lesser degree BG2 did a good job of opening up lots of variety once you hit higher levels, but BG3 does it at level 2. Things aren't just +1 and Acid damage as you stack heads on your flail. They are 'if you crit, get a spell slot back' or 'builds lightning charges' which can be spent on a variety of different complimentary item abilities that synergize.
I could go on, but for me, No BG3 does not feel like BG1 + BG2. It feels better.
Last edited by benbaxter; 22/07/23 01:00 AM.
