I want to start this post by congratulating Larian Studios on their launch of Baldur’s Gate III on the PS4 platform. Now Playstation players will have the chance to go on a grand adventure that PC players have enjoyed for a few weeks now. Welcome to the party, folks!

Before I get too far along here, this blog post will contain spoilers for Baldur’s Gate III, so be advised.

Absolutely everyone who has helped produce this game should be proud of their work. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this amount of heart and soul put into a game, and it shows. But before I get into the specifics on why I love it so much, I want to give you the genesis of how BG3 came into my life.

How It Started

About a year ago, I got into the BG3 early access. I was afraid that my aging PC wouldn’t be able to deliver a decent experience. While it creaked along, I was able to play through Act 1 a few different ways. There were many nights that I didn’t get much sleep. I thoroughly enjoyed my time back then, but once I exhausted all the content, I put it down. My interest remained, however, and I’ve been listening to the music from the game ever since.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to rebuild my gaming rig for a while yet. This put me in the unenviable position of having to wait to play this landmark game. I saw on NerdImmersion’s channel that Larian recommended that you uninstall the game and delete all your saves just so that there would be no problems with the new install.

A few days after the launch date for PC, I booted up BG3 to do just that. I had been hesitant to do so only because seeing it all again would just reinforce that I was going to have to wait until I get a computer setup that could handle it.

To my surprise, Steam had already done that for me. The full version of the game was just sitting there, waiting. I wasted no time diving in. I found, to my surprise, that my existing PC could actually handle the game, perhaps even a bit better than it had during early access. Consequently, I have been playing my merry little heart out the last few weeks. Once again, I find myself burning the midnight oil to visit Faerûn.

And there are some good reasons for that.

The Immersion

Larian did an outstanding job of fusing story, setting, and stakes into one coherent whole. Besides the incredible volume of things you can go and do, as well as the dozen or more ways you can approach each situation, BG3 makes me care — about the world, the characters, and the aftermath of the choices I make. I think the last game that gave me that sense of place was Ghost of Tsushima, which will forever have a special place in my heart.

This game just hits all the right notes, and does so with a minimal amount of bugs and crashes. Your mileage may vary, but I’ve only encountered a handful of glitches.

Beyond that, BG3 presents us with a variety of weighty themes, including mortality, the uses and justifications of power, standing up for what you believe in, owning up to your choices, and (in places) showing us that the quality of mercy is not strained.

While the combat is certainly thrilling, and I do love it, I also enjoy being able to talk my way out of a fight while receiving XP without undue bloodshed. It’s just one of the ways that Larian has served up an RPG that gives us the feeling of being there.

The Dramatis Personae

Perhaps the most compelling and endearing aspect of the game is the way that BG3 presents the companion characters. This cast of characters, all incredibly well written, are what set this game apart. When I talk about the heart and soul of the game, the characters are what I mean.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t give the voice cast of this game a huuuuge shout-out here. They played their parts so well that I really felt it when something unfortunate happened to them, and elated when some bit of good luck came their way. I knew I would be invested in these characters, but I was not prepared for just how much that would be the case.

So, (in no particular order) I’d like to thank Amelia Tyler, Jennifer English, Devora Wilde, Neil Newbon, Tim Downie, Theo Solomon, Dave Jones, Emma Gregory, Samantha Béart, and so many others for bringing such life into these characters. The performances here are ones for the ages.  

A few times, the screen got awfully blurry as the events unfolded before me. The end of Shadowheart’s story line, and the heartrending choice she has to make, springs immediately to mind. Karlach’s speech after seeing her tormentor defeated totally wrecked me. I thought about that one for a few days afterwards.

Then, there’s the whole cut-scene where the Nightsong takes flight that gave me strong vibes of King Arthur riding across the land to one last battle while Carmina Burana plays in Excalibur. There are so many perfect moments that it’s hard to believe it’s all in one game.

The Music

I have been listening to the BG3 OST for more than a year now. I write to music, and any time I’ve needed to get into a fantasy mood, this has been my go-to score. Heck, I’ve used it to write science fiction or in just my regular writing. In fact, I’ve been listening to it as I write these words. It’s excellent for all occasions.

When it’s playing in tandem with the game, it is, well, magical. This may be the best game soundtrack since Skyrim, which was transcendent. The composer, Boris Slavov, has really given us a musical experience that propels BG3 up among the stars.

This game would have been marvelous even if the musical score had just been so-so, but the haunting beauty, passion, and poignancy it delivers is akin to throwing rocket fuel on an already blazing bonfire.

I’ve heard music sometimes described as ‘speaking all those things that cannot be put into words.’ Of course, it’s hard to capture the essence of what I’m talking about just through text. So, I thought I might point you in the direction of the music so you can experience it for yourself. Here is a sampling  of some of the tracks that have moved me the most:

• The Power
• I Want To Live
• Harpy Song
• Down By The River
• Nightsong
• Nightsong’s Prison & The Shadowfell – (Not on the official OST, but one of my favorites.)
• The Road to Baldur’s Gate

I encourage you to check out Boris Slavov’s YouTube channel for a full track listing. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

Final Thoughts

Love — that’s what I see when I play this game. There’s such an incredible amount of care, time, and attention put into every aspect of Baldur’s Gate III that it has redefined the video game RPG genre for me. So, when I say it’s a game-changer, I mean it quite literally. It has recontextualized what a game could and can be.

Ultimately, this game is about a bunch of broken, morally grey people (though some are definitely greyer than others), being forced together by circumstances beyond their control to become the point on which the fate of millions turns.

They’re from all walks of life, from many different places, and most of them of had some pretty horrible things to contend with in their lives before the tadpole arrived. Half of them barely tolerate the other half.

But when it counts, despite their differences, they come together anyway, knowing that time is short and that they should act while they still can.

And you know, I think there’s something really beautiful about that.