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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Aug 2023
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I am making this post in hopes that even if nothing is done to remedy the situation that people will be more informed when making purchasing decisions. I like many others was very excited to play this game and even bought the game early despite not playing early access because I wanted to come in completely blind.
Act 1 is setup beautifully with all the choice and consequences you can do however, the veil is quickly lifted once you make it to act 3 and see that none of your choices matter. My first playthrough I tried very hard to not use any of the tadpole powers at all, hell I did not know that there was a skill tree for it. When you get close to the ending you are presented with three choices, make yourself a mindflayer, make orephus a mindflayer or make Karlach a mindflayer. Regardless of what choices you make this will always will be the case.
Secondly, this topic of discussion about cut content. Look we all know games have cut content this is nothing new but It is very clear the job of executing what was cut was done very poorly. When you find the letters in Auntie Ethel's Grove about other Hags yet never find any other hags in the game. Where you save the Gnomes from the steel watch factory who can help fix Karlach but retreat to the upper city which is also cut so you cannot finish her quest. This is more seen when you confront the Emperor the final time in which he summons the "Guardian" to fight you when it was clearly stated that these were 'illusions" yet this fight and these enemies DO NOT follow the DnD ruleset about illusions. All in All I think Larien for some reason or another were very dishonest about the upper city as well as the 17,000 permutations for the ending they so happily announced... I personally do not believe them on there standard for quality because any good writer would not set up good plot points just to have them go nowhere and not even have the ability to be finished. This game is nowhere near as good as it's being praised as so I hope this does not go to their head and they do some self-refection. I cannot even give this game a numbered score or recommend it to any family/friends because it is just unfinished.
Last edited by The Red Queen; 03/09/23 05:21 PM. Reason: Corrected spoiler tags
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2023
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Some of this might be a little harsh, but, well, it is very true.
The thing is, this is sort of what Larian does. They make games where the first act or so feels very polished, with lots of content, and makes you fall in love with it. And then, at some point, things fall off a cliff. This is why I think BG3 is simultaneously:
1. The best, most fun game they've made yet;
2. The game where I am absolutely going to stop giving Larian the benefit of the doubt. I will *never again* buy their games on release. I will outright *refuse* to buy their games at all until I hear from many reliable sources that the game's quality doesn't go plummeting off a cliff at some point.
The thing is, what they do - make very polished first halves and then skimp on the back half of the game - it's an effective strategy. Most reviewers will play just the first half of the game, so it helps to drive the hype for it. And yeah, I know they're not like, a big studio, so they have to work with what they got, and for a game or two, this could be forgivable from a smaller studio. But you watch it happen 3 times in a row, and it stops feeling so innocent. It starts feeling like a deliberate strategy, or an outright unwillingness to learn from past mistakes.
Maybe this is uncharitable. I mean look, I love the opening of BG3. (Even if I really, really don't like Larian's storytelling). The gameplay is some of the most fun I've had in a video game in a long time. But I can't help but feel, knowing the full state of the game, that they *really* don't deserve some of the praise they're getting. They deserve to face some consequences for this repeated strategy of "Amazing first half, rushed and crappy second half" that they *keep engaging in*. But they keep getting rewarded for it.
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member
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member
Joined: Jul 2023
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1. The best, most fun game they've made yet;
2. The game where I am absolutely going to stop giving Larian the benefit of the doubt. +1 Maybe this is uncharitable. I think it's fair. In a way it feels like being in early access again. Now looking forward to some kind of Definitve Edition with a better fleshed out and more rounded ending.
- You are one of us now. - Yes, I suppose I am.
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Sep 2023
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It feels like the extended development period might have strained their resources. It's a bit disappointing to see a game that had so much potential release as if it's still in early access. While I understand that development can be challenging, it's hard not to feel a bit misled when the ending feels incomplete. I genuinely hope they provide a more conclusive ending and expand on areas like the upper city. There's a noticeable gap in the overall game experience.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2023
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It feels like the extended development period might have strained their resources. You cut your coat according to your cloth. I more than agree with the criticisms. All through EA with every Community Update and PFH they have told us about this ever expanding game and its marvels and wonders. Six years in development and it has been out for a month yet people are already talking about a Definitive Edition saving the day in a year's time. The only thing that will save this game are mods.
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jan 2023
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The thing is, what they do - make very polished first halves and then skimp on the back half of the game - it's an effective strategy. Most reviewers will play just the first half of the game, so it helps to drive the hype for it. And yeah, I know they're not like, a big studio, so they have to work with what they got, and for a game or two, this could be forgivable from a smaller studio. But you watch it happen 3 times in a row, and it stops feeling so innocent. It starts feeling like a deliberate strategy, or an outright unwillingness to learn from past mistakes.
Maybe this is uncharitable. I mean look, I love the opening of BG3. (Even if I really, really don't like Larian's storytelling). The gameplay is some of the most fun I've had in a video game in a long time. But I can't help but feel, knowing the full state of the game, that they *really* don't deserve some of the praise they're getting. They deserve to face some consequences for this repeated strategy of "Amazing first half, rushed and crappy second half" that they *keep engaging in*. But they keep getting rewarded for it. You're absolutely right. I don't feel this is uncharitable at all.
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2020
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I don’t disagree with everything, but regarding the tadpoles: I played through first time not enhancing my tadpole abilities at all. The Emperor offered me a special tadpole to become half illithid. I refused, job done.
Then I read everywhere that using tadpoles makes no difference at all, and was a bit disappointed, because I thought it would.
Now on my second playthrough and I’ve popped a couple of tadpoles way back (probably would have taken more, but kind of forgot about them). I’ve just had the scene with the Emperor where he offers to enhance me, only this time I have a wisdom 21 check to resist my own tadpoles making the decision for me and turning me into a freak. Not sure if the check gets harder, the more you use? I managed to pass with shadowheart’s guidance and burning through all 4 inspirations, but I might not have.
So despite what everyone is saying, their really IS a consequence for using the tadpoles. Granted it’s a consequence you can save scum your way through if you are that way inclined, but it’s not the no consequence everyone makes it out to be.
When it comes to the ending, I’ve been similarly happy to accept what everyone else has said that whether you are partial illithid or not makes no difference, but I’ve not actually tried it myself so now wondering if it might play out a similar way?
Turns out people complaining on the internet aren’t a 100% reliable source of information.
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