Baldur's Gate 3's first patch, aptly titled Patch 1, is officially live. This brings the BG3 version number to 4.1.1.3669438, so make sure you're on the proper version when you play next! It's important to do so because Patch 1 addresses over 1,000 bugs as well as introduces some balance changes and fixes some flow issues while playing.

According to Larian Studios, this patch tackles some visual bugs while adding some more post-launch polish. Enemies should no longer spot you when they shouldn't be able to, and random items should no longer defy gravity and float. Perhaps most importantly, romancing Shadowheart has been fixed meaning those who could not reach the conclusion of romancing her should now be able to. Thank Shar, am I right?

Larian also confirmed that Patch 2 is right around the corner and will feature significant performance improvements.

Finally, we got some more fun stats about player decisions in Baldur's Gate 3 so far. The most played class is Paladin followed by Sorcerer, and the least played is Cleric. Humans and Elves are the most chosen race followed by Half-Elf. On the flip side, Dwarf, Gnome, Githyanki and Halfling are the least played.

Looking through the patch notes, I see quite a bit of love being given to Act 3 which is honestly where it's needed the most. It's great to see Larian putting in the effort to make Baldur's Gate 3 even better when it's already so insanely good.

[caption id="attachment_398869" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Larian Studios[/caption]

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 1 highlights

Larian has provided some highlights from the Patch 1 patch notes, which we've included below minus the spoilery ones. If you want to view the full patch notes you can do so here.

Showstoppers

• Fixed a bug where listening in on a conversation as Player 1 and then exiting the dialogue prematurely could result in not being able to interact with anything anymore.
• Fixed an issue causing the Reaction UI to not work correctly and potentially block progress in combat if you save the game in the middle of a reaction.
• Fixed loot in corpses sometimes not appearing in multiplayer until an item is dragged onto the corpse.
• Fixed a bug causing you to get a Game Over screen after helping Downed party members.
• Fixed the Helm of Arcane Acuity crashing the game. The condition is now capped to 7 stacks.
• Attacking an NPC during a dialogue after being Downed will now get you arrested rather than giving you a Game Over screen.
• Fixed an issue where characters could get stuck in an infinite falling loop.
• Fixed an issue with Marcus being resurrected by players hitting him with a dual-wield attack - the second hit will no longer revive him.

Story Flow and Logic

• Shadowheart should more easily follow up on her proposed romance moments in Act III.
• Jaheira and Minsc's paths are tied after you save Minsc, so if you've forsaken him, Jaheira should now follow after him.
• Fixed bug that made it possible to break up with Astarion without meaning to.
• The drider will now recognise that you're with him when reaching Moonrise Towers if you start following him in the middle of his route.
• Art Cullagh and Fist J'ehlar no longer get so scared of bears and spiders that their quest breaks.
• The Zhentarim will more consistently use the mines after their allies have fallen back to safety, and will no longer actively try to blow themselves up by checking active mines.
• Minthara no longer references irrelevant topics or passes judgement on companions more than once.
• Fixed the dialogue flow when dating Minthara.
• You can no longer recruit both Halsin and Minthara to camp in the same playthrough.
• Made it less ambiguous that you're starting a romance with Gale when choosing certain dialogue options.
• During Gale's spell-teaching scene, you now have the option to picture a future with Gale that falls somewhere in between kissing him and kicking him in the head.
• Fixed an issue where using non-lethal attacks on Auntie Ethel would still kill her.
• You can now opt to respect the privacy of the bugbear and the ogre outside the Blighted Village again. Don't get in the way of real love.
• Fixed a level design quirk that would allow you to use a spell like Misty Step or Dimension Door to skip part of the main quest sequence in Act II.
• Fixed an issue where the Baldur's Mouth headline about a cute cat could get accidentally overwritten.
• If Wyll isn't recruited, he will now recognise Avatar Karlach and initiate dialogue.
• Throwing a single coin at the beggars will no longer damage them.
• If Dolly Dolly Dolly curses you with the A Clown in Town condition for making her angry while inside the Moonlantern, she will now paint your face. That'll teach you.
• The Zhentarim at the Goblin Camp should now be more tolerant if you approach them.

Balance

• Made gold bounties more generous in several containers across the game.
• Increased players' HP bonus in Explorer Mode from +50% to +100%.
• Fixed the Freecast tadpole power to properly reset on Long Rest. It was creating infinite spell slots and Sorcery Points for sorcerers.
• Arcane Tricksters' Mage Hand Legerdemain now does not expire until destroyed, and does not lose Invisibility on Long Rest.
• You can no longer have multiple Mage Hands active at the same time.
• The Shield reaction can no longer be used while Silenced.
• Fixed not being able to create 5th Level spell slots from Sorcery Points.
• College of Lore bards can now pick which additional skill proficiency they receive. Bards that are already of the College of Lore need to respec to get this choice.
• Made sure proper spell DC is applied during multiclassing.
• Added spells to bards' Magical Secrets feature: Banishing Smite, Animate Dead, Crusader's Mantle, Hunger of Hadar, Revivify, Sleet Storm, Rage of Enfeeblement, Web, Entangle, Hunter's Mark, Sanctuary, Thunderous Smite, Bone Chill, Eldritch Morphic Blast, Fire Bolt, Ray of Frost, Sacred Flame.
• The Club of Hill Giant Strength now increases Strength to 19 and not some puny 15.
• Fixed a bug with ranged enemies reapplying Hunter's Mark constantly, even when not needed.
• Warlocks' Pact of the Chain summons now get to use their Extra Attack more than once.
• Fixed NPCs sometimes spotting you even if they're not supposed to be able to.
• Fixed an issue where multiple rolls trigger if you walk along the edge of a cone of vision.
• Danse Macabre ghouls will no longer kill you when you Long Rest.
• If you make a successful Saving Throw against a poison, you will now gain immunity to that specific poison for 2 turns.
• Meenlocks are now immune to the shadow curse.
• Helped Minthara remember how to use her weapons.
• Enabled trespass warnings for any additional characters that trespass after the first instead of immediately triggering combat.
• Fixed NPCs attacking outside of their turn when combat starts during forced Turn-Based Mode.

Usability

• Fixed dialogue notifications, like approval ratings and roll results, disappearing too early.
• The Launcher will now remember whether you chose DX11 or Vulkan.
• Fixed the incorrect amount of gold being displayed in all UI menus if the amount is too large.
• Fixed spells like Hex randomly shifting in order, causing you to misclick if you're moving and clicking around intuitively.
• Fixed players who are merely listening in on a dialogue being able to skip lines - only the speaker can now do this.
• Fixed an issue with Camp Supply values for the second local player in multiplayer if they joined during a game. Long Rests will, alas, no longer cost nothing.
• You can no longer interact with another player's inventory (e.g. send multiselected items or use their items) if their inventory is locked.
• Fixed the critical hit text sometimes not appearing.
• Improved the performance of the minimap when new map markers appear or old ones disappear.
• Dyed armour will now appear in the right colour in the Level Up screen.
• Halsin's Wild Shape tooltip will now correctly call him a cave bear.

Visuals

• Fixed the modesty filter not working on dragonborns.
• Fixed earrings on tiefling female strong character models.
• Added a Controller Style option, which allows you to override which controller's icons are displayed.
• Fixed an issue causing the clown makeup to not only not appear on Lae'zel's face when applied, but also remove her characteristic tattoos and makeup.
• Invoke Duplicity now works as an identical copy of your character. And they're not naked.
• Fixed a leather helmet, a metal helmet, and the Helmet of Smiting floating on some character models.
• Lae'zel's underwear will now more accurately reflect the colour of dyes used on it.

Cinematic Scenes

• Made fixes to kissing scenes with the Origin characters across the game, for example to make sure physical contact is made properly, to account for shorter races, and to account for uneven ground.
• Fixed items like mugs and newspapers floating in the air during dialogues - the characters holding them were correctly hidden but the items themselves weren't. Ghosties begone!
• Fixed Scratch's position so you can try to get that ball out of his mouth. Whether he'll let you have it is another matter.
• Lae'zel no longer floats up and down during your dialogue where you discuss dating.
• Fixed some cameras that couldn't contain the force that is Astarion in a dialogue with him at night at camp. Also tweaked and added facial expressions where needed.
• Fixed a camera position when Karlach hugs you for the first time after getting her upgrade.
• Fixed the mind flayer not appearing in the cinematic dialogue with Dror Ragzlin if you manually trigger the dialogue.

Loot and Trade

• Traders who stock dyes now also stock dye remover.
• Made Lady Esther available to trade with after you've completed her quests.
• Fish vendors now have more fish to sell. That new bait must be doing the trick!
• Popper the kobold at the circus now sells more oddities.
• Lady Jannath will now have artsy items to trade.
• Skeletons around the Selûnite Outpost no longer have fresh food in their inventory.
• Lohse's portrait is now reachable, chief.

Misc

• Updated the credits and reformatted them into two neater columns.
• The Digital Deluxe DLC's D:OS2 bard songs are now also granted to companions as well, instead of just player avatars.
• All the extra bard songs from the Deluxe Edition will now be available even if you use Lohse's Lute of the Merryweather Bard from the Deluxe Edition.
• DLC rewards will no longer get removed if you load a save with that DLC not installed. Any rewards that were removed due to this will be restored.
• Steel Watcher idle sounds no longer take up streaming bandwidth.
• You can no longer climb the Shambling Mound.
• Optimised the walking bounds of Glut so that it navigates the world and the battlefield better.

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Surprising absolutely no one that's been keeping up with the gaming industry over the past couple of months; Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 is dominating both the zeitgeist and the review charts, now having become 2023's best-reviewed game.

Indeed, even though 2023 has already had a surprisingly rich roster of top-tier titles, like Nintendo's very own The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3 has successfully mopped the floor with all of its considerable competition. According to Metacritic, Larian has ostensibly created the best game of the year, handily beating Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 6, and the Dead Space remake - just to list a few additional examples of well-reviewed video games in 2023.

[caption id="attachment_396210" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Larian Studios[/caption]

Baldur's Gate 3 is the Best Game of 2023?

The fact that Baldur's Gate 3 is an impressive CRPG hasn't come out of nowhere, naturally. Larian Studios initially launched the title via Steam Early Access in October 2020, only to take the next couple of years to produce a truly staggering amount of content and a roster of Dungeons & Dragons-inspired features and gameplay systems to match. The end result is predictably high-quality, but the unpredictable bit comes from the game's popularity, surprising even the developer itself.

It is a perfect storm for something like this to happen. Baldur's Gate 3 ticks a few key boxes that stand in direct opposition to some of the most commonly critiqued industry trends. The game is an immense role-playing experience with no live-service elements or microtransactions, and its Early Access tenure means that it launched in a fairly polished state. Baldur's Gate 3 also commands remarkably widespread appeal, what with being a D&D-based continuation of an old classic, now having been blown wide open for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

Though there's no denying the immensity of what Larian Studios has accomplished here, some caveats yet remain. Firstly, the Tears of the Kingdom may yet overtake it, as many Baldur's Gate 3 reviews still haven't been fully wrapped up. Secondly, Bethesda Game Studios' long-awaited Starfield is due to launch early in September, meaning that Larian is up against some of the most competent games seen in years. If Starfield doesn't end up falling flat on its face, that is.

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In a Community Update post on Steam, Larian Studios has revealed just how much players are loving Baldur's Gate 3. More specifically, users have a combined playtime of over 10,000,000 hours; which equates to over 1,225 years. With a current all-time peak of 814,466 concurrent players on Steam, it was obvious that BG3 was getting serious playtime. But, even still, these numbers are massive.

Larian also revealed some pretty interesting stats from the opening weekend. Half-Elf is the most picked race and much to my surprise, Paladin is the most chosen class. Not that there's anything wrong with Paladin, I just expected it to be something more obvious: like Barbarian or Rogue, or even Wizard. Githyanki and Halfing aren't the go-to choices for that many people, nor is the Cleric class.

[caption id="attachment_396145" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Would you like some choices for your choices?

Most players appear to be veering on the side of good, with 65% choosing to save the Grove. Don't worry: those in the other 35% decided to assault the Grove, so did I. I had my reasons.

Despite at least 2.5 million copies of Baldur's Gate 3 being purchased, only 368 players have finished the RPG. That's really a true testament to how much there is to actually do in BG3. I've got over 30 hours of playtime so far and I'm still in Act I, and loving every second of it.

There were a few more interesting stats in the post as well. Of all the Origin Characters that players can choose, Gale was the most picked. I wonder if it's due to all the possibilities of being a Wizard with their many subclass choices. Furthermore, 12% of all player deaths were caused by friendly fire. I finally started my co-op campaign just last night and can definitely feel this statistic.

Perhaps the most important stat of the opening weekend: Scratch has been petted over 750,000 times. To be honest, I think that's a rookie number, everyone! Make sure you're petting Scratch.

[gallery columns="5" link="file" size="large" ids="396166,396167,396168,396169,396170"]

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Baldur's Gate 3 is a massive role-playing game, rife with decisions and choices that can come to a die roll. Consequences of a failed roll in Baldur's Gate 3 can ripple out across the game, ranging from small changes to big shifts in the story. And even though you've got modifiers and tools, you're still always beholden to the die.

To that end, I get why we are now rehashing the age-old save-scum debate. In some ways, it's a little silly; it's your game, so you should play it how you want.

What I would like to do, though, is encourage a few of you file perfectionists out there to embrace the failed roll. I come to you as a documented save-scummer myself—my XCOM Enemy Unknown and Fire Emblem files more than verify as much—saying that failure isn't just entertaining in Baldur's Gate 3. It's actually led to some really interesting, clever moments of role-playing that make me appreciate all the more what Larian Studios has made.

Settle in for story time

So let's lay out an example. Skip ahead to the next header section if you'd like to stay scot-free on spoilers; I'll keep out of anything major, but I know some folks are avoiding any info about BG3 in general.

While adventuring in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, I came across a distillery where a grotesque bartender had taken up shop for a ghoulish clientele. I could tell, just from his general stature and aura, that this dude could easily become a boss encounter if I did not play it right.

As my companions pointed out to my main character, our big guy seemed about ready to burst from all the dangerous-looking elixir he was downing. So if I could keep him talking and drinking, I could get some info and skip the fight altogether. The problem was, he wasn't easily impressed. To keep the good times rolling, I need to weave some good tales from my own adventures. How did I do? Well...

[caption id="attachment_395966" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Yeah, I rolled a natural 1. What I really love about the die system is that, by having these extremes, it encourages a little risk taking now and again. No matter what the stat check is, you have a 1-in-20 shot at passing it with a natural 20. You also have a 1-in-20 shot of blowing it, no matter what. Nothing is truly guaranteed, so you can have your hopes lifted or crushed at any time.

With a DC of 21 and only two Inspiration, which you can expend to re-roll, I could either save-scum it or take it on the chin. I did the latter, expecting a boss fight. Except, it didn't happen. The bartender just made fun of my story. He mocked me bragging about touring through the Hells, when he was basically already living in a hellscape. So then I had to roll a Deception check to tell an even taller tale that would impress him, and keep him drinking.

The entire encounter was this: me trying to weave in stories and failing to impress, but stringing him along just enough with my charm (and sleight of hand in feigning my own drinks) to keep the conversation going. I got my information, and the boss burst, without a single Eldritch Blast fired. The whole time, I was dancing a careful edge, trying to keep a crocodile smile while narrowly skating through check after check.

Playing out losses

Making failure feel good is an incredibly tricky thing in role-playing game. I feel like I always go back to Mass Effect when I think about this topic. It's amazing that you can "fail" a dialogue in Mass Effect 1 and lose Wrex, a party member that can otherwise become a Krogan leader and central figure for major quests in ME2 and ME3. It's something I really like, but also something I've never really wanted to play out myself, if I'm being honest.

And for the sake of transparency, it's not like I'm letting every die roll play out. I've absolutely save-scummed a few sequences. Here are Eric's Golden Rules to when it's okay, in my eyes, to roll back a save:

• Combat. Come on, that one's easy. Party member goes down? Fight goes awry? Roll it on back.
• Romance. I'm not playing a Charisma-based character just to fail all my Rizz checks.
• Animals. I will gladly save scum any roll to ensure that no animals were harmed in my journey. (Sadly, some animals were harmed. Can't save 'em all.)

Even still, I'll sometimes make a bold choice just to see what happens. Seeing the permutations is actually what put me onto this new appreciation for failure in the first place.

I was talking to Raphael, the devilish deal-maker, who was asking me to do him a favor and take care of a lingering thread he'd left behind, in a dungeon I was about to walk into. Naturally, I wanted to know more. So I took the roll option to see if I could eke just a little more info out of him about what I was walking into. I failed, and I really just need to show you the face he made when I deigned to ask him for something:

[caption id="attachment_395968" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Suffice to say, I did not get what I wanted in that scenario. But I didn't roll it back. I liked that my protagonist, who I endearingly refer to as "Half-Elf Anderson Cooper", tried and failed in that moment. I felt rewarded because it felt like Larian wanted that failure to be rewarding, in its own way.

The churn of Baldur's Gate 3

A dice roll in a game like Dungeons & Dragons isn't just about screwing the player over. It's a system built to encourage a little bit of chaos. Because, as it turns out, failures are narratively exciting. If stories were written about people who always made the right choices, they'd be pretty boring.

In the same way, Baldur's Gate 3 lets me fail, but makes those failings feel like compelling pieces of my story. Rolling a natural 20 feels incredible because I have rolled so many close failures before it. Systems like the Karmic Dice are supposed to off-set this a little, but still, it's engaging to have things go wrong. Yes, you can specialize in Deception, and bump up those modifiers, and have Shadowheart keep Guidance on you 24/7. That doesn't mean a 1 can't roll. Heck, Baldur's Gate 3 even gives you some tools for forcing a pass, sometimes with consequences. The interaction of all these systems can lead to some dramatic moments, and you can feel every bit of that tension as you watch the virtual die tumble on-screen.

I wrote something similar about Disco Elysium a couple years ago, and that's a similar game that felt like it embraced the narrative power of failure. These little parts where your character is not as strong as they think they are, or as perceptive as they claim to be, or maybe just let their mind wander during an important conversation, all feel like part of the story. There's nothing quite like seeing four Perception: Failed rolls as you're walking along a seemingly normal road.

[caption id="attachment_395965" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Even the successes tell their own stories. In one area, I needed to pass an Athletics check to roll a gondola back up towards me. My Warlock certainly didn't pass the first one. But then the incredibly strong duo of Shadowheart and Lae'zel couldn't move it either. You know who got that hunk of wood up, fighting gravity itself to guarantee us safe travel? Gale. The bookworm Wizard Gale. I like to imagine he felt more like Octopath Traveler 2's bear of a mage Osvald in that moment.

So yes, save-scum the things you want to save-scum. If you're really dying to see that Karlach romance scene, don't accept anything less than success on those rolls. But maybe let some of those less critical die roll low. Watch and see what happens. I think Larian's put an impressive amount of work into making failures carry story scenes, and even open up compelling branches within them, and it's worth seeing. It won't just make you appreciate the breadth and scope of Baldur's Gate 3. It'll also make for a pretty good story someday, if you ever need to keep a ghoulish one occupied.

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Those who have been paying attention to the gaming world these past few days won't be surprised to learn that Baldur's Gate 3 is currently doing quite well for itself. In fact, when last checked, the game had hit a pretty big milestone, showing more than 800,000 concurrent players on Steam.

To get a bit more specific, according to SteamDB (a website that tracks and monitors all things related to the Steam client), the new Baldur's Gate experienced a peak of 814,666 players within the last 24 hours.

https://youtu.be/XuCfkgaaa08

Bearing in mind, the game only came out last Thursday, so who knows whether this number could yet be beaten.

Take THAT, 97 other games

Going one step further, Baldur's Gate 3 is currently the third most-played game on Steam, just behind Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Given that these other titles were either developed or published by Valve, you can safely say that BG3 is the most non-Valve-played game at the moment.

Larian Studios' release had an impressive launch when it came out on August 3, scoring pretty big on PC. At the time of writing, it's sitting pretty with a Metacritic score of 95 and a user score of 9.2.

It's been nearly 23 years since the last major installment in the Baldur's Gate series (though we've had expansions and enhanced editions), so fans of the previous games have no doubt been massively anticipating this third entry.

It's hard to say whether this hype will continue, or whether we're seeing its peak already. After all, Sons of the Forest was a major overnight success, selling two million copies in just one day. Now, you don't really hear much from the co-op horror title. Then again, the Baldur's Gate name is likely to carry more weight in the AAA scene.

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Just one day after the official release of Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios released Hotfix #1 for the RPG. This update officially brings the version number of BG3 to 4.1.1.3624901. The hotfix focuses on bug fixes, performance updates, and preventing crashes and progression blockers.

The hotfix takes aim at some particular sections of the massive RPG, just after its big launch yesterday. Hotfix #1 for Baldur's Gate 3 hits some dialogue hitches and crashes, as well as multiplayer quirks and more. Notably, it also addresses a dice rolling issue, where fast and furious re-attempts would result in failure.

Furthermore, Larian has found the origin of the pesky issue that has been affecting saves. Apparently, the culprit had to do with cross-saves with the PlayStation 5 version of the game. Because the PS5 version doesn't launch until September 6, Larian has disabled the cross-saving system for now to prevent the issue and will fix it later. (This shouldn't affect in-game or Steam Cloud saves.)

Also, some of the patch notes contain spoilers which we have chosen to omit for now. If you want to see the full patch notes including spoilers, you can do so here. For the rest, here are the Baldur's Gate 3 Hotfix#1 patch notes for the August 4 update.

Baldur's Gate 3 Hotfix #1 patch notes for the August 4 update

CRASHES AND BLOCKERS

• Fixed possibly getting stuck in a dialogue in the first confrontation with a major boss.
• Fixed a rare issue where player character states would not update properly after dying.
• Fixed a crash that could occur related to one of Astarion's cinematic dialogues in the endgame.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when loading an old savegame while at Last Light.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when using the brain reader in the Colony.
• Fixed an issue that could cause you to get stuck in a loading screen when loading a savegame after dying.
• Fixed a blocker during Character Creation preventing you from progressing if you chose a Zariel tiefling as your Guardian.
• Fixed a potential crash triggered by the light system.
• Added an error message to prevent crashes being caused by mods when starting the game.
• Disabled Larian Account cross-saves temporarily to solve an issue blocking loads and saves. Steam cross-saves are unaffected.
• Fixed a startup crash with the Steam API.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when quick-loading a game while a container or corpse was open for looting.
• Fixed a crash that could happen if an item unlocked a spell for a game entity without stats.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when switching a race or a class in Character Creation.
• Fixed potential crashes that could occur when closing screens like the options menu or when ending dialogues.
• Fixed a potential crash when an enemy tries to use the Motivator during combat in the Steel Watch Foundry.
• Fixed a blocker that could occur if you choose to attack the Emperor during a dialogue after you side with him.
• Fixed a crash in PhysX.

MULTIPLAYER

• Players will now correctly join cinematic dialogues that require all players to be present if they were listening in previously.
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to listen in on private dialogues using the context menu.
• Fixed an issue causing players to get stuck and not be able to join a dialogue if someone else is already in a dialogue.

GAMEPLAY

• Fixed hair physics on drow and elf male strong body types.
• Fixed an issue causing phase spiders to skip their turn in combat if they're standing on a web that's been destroyed.
• Fixed an issue with dice rolling, where retrying could cause the roll to fail if you were applying bonuses and clicking really fast.
• Duplicate spells no longer appear on followers' hotbars and you can no longer customise their radial menus. (Important to note: followers are not companions or full party members.)
• Fixed Dark Urge randomisation in Character Creation for non-white dragonborn characters.
• Fixed an issue preventing you from interacting with Withers in one of the camp locations.

UI

• Fixed issues in cinematic dialogues when listening in.
• Fixed an issue causing the character models for half-orcs, dragonborn, and half-elves to not update correctly when unequipping armour in the character sheet.
• Fixed some issues with prepared spells during Level Up, when multiclassing.
• Hid the version number during dialogues.
• Fixed splitscreen cinematics showing sampling garbage.

AUDIO

• Fixed audio issues with grunts, shouts, and moans across gameplay and cinematics.
• Fixed a line being cut off when speaking to the Restless Myconid in the Underdark.
• Removed a clicking sound during the credits.
• Fixed audio levels in a dialogue with Mayrina in the Lower City.

ENGINE

• Fixed a bug causing textures to appear in bright, neon colours.
• Fixed a splitscreen issue causing characters to remain invisible after a dialogue ends.
• Fixed an aspect ratio issue when FSR is active during splitscreen.
• Fixed surface texture details not updating when changing Texture Detail in the game video options.

CINEMATICS

• Fixed characters looking in the wrong direction in a dialogue with Mizora.
• Fixed the Emperor turning backwards in an endgame cinematic.
• Fixed a camera issue with the deep rothé.
• Fixed camera and lighting issues with the strange ox at Last Light.
• Fixed a blank screen in the cinematic when you put on one of Auntie Ethel's masks.
• The nautiloid crash scene will now play even if your avatar is dead and a companion used the transponder instead.
• Fixed an issue with clipping characters in a cinematic dialogue in the Colony.
• Fixed the avatar's head popping into place in a dialogue in the Colony.
• Fixed Cazador's staff disappearing in a cinematic dialogue.
• Fixed a camera that was zoomed in too far on a wolf.
• Fixed Lae'zel's head popping in a dialogue with Vlaakith.
• Fixed Orin and her victim clipping into an altar.
• Fixed a blocked camera in the dialogue with Lunkbug and Laridda.
• Fixed companions disappearing the morning after the Dark Urge gives into a particular Urge.
• Fixed lighting issues in a scene with Z'rell at Moonrise Towers.
• Fixed Araj's hands clipping when talking to her in the Lower City.
• Fixed some companions being visible in the background of dialogues where they shouldn't be.
• Fixed Ketheric's corpse standing back up in an idle pose.
• Fixed a blocked camera in the dialogue with the ogres at the Blighted Village.
• Fixed Raphael popping during the dialogue with the orthon.
• Fixed camera, audio, and character movement issues in the dialogue with the monk's amulet.
• Fixed a looping animation in the cinematic dialogue with the Brewer.
• Fixed half-orc hirelings clipping when speaking to the pale individuals in Fraygo's Flophouse.
• Fixed male halfling Dark Urge's hand clipping through his body when lying down.
• Fixed lighting issues in the endgame cinematic.
• Fixed Jaheira having jittering and popping hands in a dialogue in the Lower City.
• Fixed a repeating animation on the submersible.
• Fixed Wyll looking in the wrong direction when recruited.
• Added reactions to the player character's face when talking to the ox in Last Light.
• Fixed clipping between two Zealots of the Absolute in the Colony.
• Fixed popping issues with Cazador in several dialogues with Astarion.
• Fixed some issues with where characters are facing, animations, and cameras in the final combat cinematic.

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Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studio’s latest RPG, launched on PC on August 3 after spending some time in Early Access. Already, there are signs that the game has had a monumentally successful launch.

The SteamDB charts reveal that Baldur’s Gate 3 hit a peak of 472,136 within 24 hours, giving it the second-biggest Steam launch of 2023. It has since clung onto a steady player count and continued rising today, August 4.  Baldur's Gate 3 has also been performing well on Twitch, where it reached a massive peak of 481,523 views on launch day at an average of around 156k (via StreamCharts).

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Baldur’s Gate 3 arrives with a bang

Originally slated for an August 31 release, Baldur’s Gate 3 was pushed up to August 3 for PC players. It has overtaken Sons of the Forest, which hit a peak of 414,257 players at launch, to become the second-biggest Steam launch of 2023. Only Hogwarts Legacy sits ahead of it, and with a peak of 879,308 at launch, it will take a lot to defeat it. The game's success can also be illustrated when looking at its download stats on Steam where the total bandwidth used on it skyrocketed to 146.3 Tbps.

https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1687139940113825792

Baldur's Gate 3 has “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews on Steam, where it joins an exclusive club of games that have gained over 450,000 concurrent players at launch. Hogwarts Legacy is the only other title to achieve this feat in 2023. In 2022, Elden Ring managed to do this, while New World entered the club upon release in 2021.

Over on Twitch, Baldur's Gate 3 continues to rake in high stream numbers. Its popularity has been boosted by streamers such as Cohhcarnage, whose broadcasts have been receiving tens of thousands of views.

Baldur's Gate 3 has a chance to boost its popularity yet again on September 6 when the PS5 version is released. The studio is also targeting September 6 for its Mac release, though an official release date has yet to be confirmed. Xbox players haven’t been left out in the cold, and they’ll be able to join in on the fun “when it's ready” for the Series X/S.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 had a huge launch day on Steam and Twitch appeared first on Destructoid.

The path through Baldur's Gate 3 is fraught with adventure, romance, peril, and plunder. It can seem a bit daunting, at first blush. Plus, for those who haven't played Dungeons & Dragons or even a CRPG like this in a while, there's a lot to familiarize yourself with. You might need some tips.

While I wouldn't call myself a D&D 5E expert, I've followed the Early Access of Baldur's Gate 3 for a while and, at the time of this writing, put a solid chunk of hours into the launch state of BG3. It's a massive, complex game with a lot of interlocking systems and little quality-of-life tips that, even if you are told them once, you might forget ten hours down the road. Well, that's why I'm here.

This is my bundle of tips for newcomers, and a handy reference for seasoned players. Whether it's a keyboard shortcut or an inconspicuous toggle, these are some tips I've kept noted and on-hand throughout my playtime in Baldur's Gate 3.

Highlight interactable items

My biggest quality-of-life tip for Baldur's Gate 3 is to simply hit Left-Alt more often. Pressing this key down highlights all the interactable objects in an area. It's pretty handy, whether you're outdoors in a busy environment or in the deep, deep depths of the Underdark.

More than that, though, it helps you get an idea of where to go next. If a gate is blocking your path, Left-Alt might highlight the lever you're overlooking. Or maybe there's an important note on a table you didn't notice. (To be fair, there are a lot of notes, and a lot of tables.) Any point at which you feel you haven't exhausted all options, hit that highlight button and poke around again.

Stealth-walk together

Sneaking around can be effective in Baldur's Gate 3, if you manage to execute it. Stealth attacks can get the drop on enemies, taking them unaware and giving you some advantage in a difficult encounter. That said, you'll want to make sure the whole party is on board with your plan.

While Larian implemented an auto-jump feature, that has companions automatically jump after your lead character if it's a safe leap, you'll need a special key for group stealth. Hitting Shift-C on the keyboard will put the whole party into sneaking-around mode. Keep in mind that this works with groups, too; so if you've stealthed one character after splitting the party and want to rejoin the group without raising the alarm, you can Shift-C before sending the main contingent over to link up.

Use turn-based mode to handle sticky situations

We've all stumbled into something unexpected once, twice, even four times before in Dungeons & Dragons. So when the traps and explosions start flying in this game, my tip to you is to use Baldur's Gate 3's Turn-Based Mode to simplify the decision-making process.

[caption id="attachment_394987" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

While you explore Baldur's Gate 3 in real time, there is always the option to hit the big, round button on the right-hand side of your RPG taskbar to swap into Turn-Based Mode. This institutes a turn-based structure on time, having the world and your own party act in roughly six-second increments or so. It might seem strange at first, but it's actually incredibly useful for precisely skirting around traps or obstacles, as well as sneaking around certain foes.

Hide helmets in the inventory screen

Whether you're a fan or detractor of funny hats, sometimes a scene gets a little intimate and you want the wizard hat to stop harshing the vibe. Whether the pointy cap stays on or not, there are options for those who want unobscured views of their Baldur's Gate 3 party.

While you have the party equipment screen open (TAB by default), you can hover the helmet slot in each members' equipment. You'll see a tiny icon appear above the box, which you can toggle. The settings are either On, Hide During Dialogue, or Hide. With this, you'll never have to endure a wizard hat ruining the mood again. Unless, of course, that is the sort of vibe you're looking for.

You can swap difficulty at any time

Baldur's Gate 3 can be pretty tough at times, and I wouldn't be surprised to see those less familiar with CRPGs hit some early walls in this game. There are three difficulty settings in Baldur's Gate 3, ranging from the story-driven Explorer to the combat Aggro Crag of Tactician.

The nice part is, you're not locked in to any of them. At any point during your campaign, you can open your Options menu and swap the difficulty to another level. This makes it very easy to throttle your Baldur's Gate 3 difficulty experience to your own particular taste. Bosses may have imposing spells and powerful equipment, but they don't have what you have: an Options menu.

Camp when you can

For those who haven't played much Dungeons & Dragons, you might not get why camping is so important. That's cool. I'm here to tell you: use the camp, and use it often.

First and foremost, it's your source for a Long Rest. These Long Rests will, if you have adequate supplies, restore your health and resources to full, and many spellcasting classes need to rest to restore spell slots for more spell-slinging. Long Resting also restores your Short Rest counter; you can do two small, immediate Short Rests between each Long Rest, like daytime naps. For some classes, this even refreshes a few (though not all) of your resources.

Secondly, the camp is where a lot of interpersonal story happens. Nighttime events often advance party members' plot lines forward. And if you see someone with an exclamation point over their head, that means they have something new and/or important to say to you. These are the companion moments that are very worthwhile, so make time to set up camp every so often to keep the story moving at a decent pace.

[caption id="attachment_394992" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

On top of all that, you will eventually have an NPC named Withers join your camp. Aside from being one of my absolute favorite NPCs in the game on personality alone, Withers also gives you some crucial boons. You can speak to him to recruit hireling (custom characters you can class out to fill party spots), bring fallen party members back from the dead, and reclass and respec your own characters. There's a lot of good back at camp.

Check the items in your inventory

While the previous Baldur's Gate 3 tip was for the D&D novices, this one's for the CRPG novices: check your inventory. Seriously. Pay attention to items you get. See if you can interact with them. Move them around, examine them, see what makes them tick.

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It might sound mundane or silly, but the number of times I've picked up something useful, like a tip for my current predicament, and not realized it was there until much later is slightly embarrassing. Reading notes, interacting with objects, and even opening those pouches and backpacks you pick up is extremely useful. Larian's tucked a decent amount of information away behind those interactions.

Save those Inspiration rolls

Every now and then, you'll do something really neat or interesting, and be rewarded an Inspiration die. In tabletop, this is how DMs can reward clever players. In Baldur's Gate 3, it feels like a mixture of that and discovering an easter egg.

[caption id="attachment_394832" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It's extra helpful because Inspiration can give you a second chance at missed rolls. Let's say you hit a Dexterity check that needs a 10 to clear, and your final tally is a 9. Using an Inspiration roll will give you a do-over. That's pretty valuable, even if you're just saving and reloading on failed rolls anyways. We all know each other does that.

ABS (Always be saving/shoving)

This is a two-fold Baldur's Gate 3 tip: ABS. For one part, that stands for Always Be Saving. Save often, especially after you win a tough roll or finish a fight. You don't want to botch a roll, get slammed off a cliffside, reload and be forced to win an arduous battle all over again. Yes, I am speaking from experience. You have tons of save slots and a quicksave option, so make use of them, especially since the autosave isn't so lenient.

But you also want to ABS: Always Be Shoving. More specifically, always use your bonus actions. Each turn, you can move and act. But you can also undertake a bonus action, which can range from chugging a potion or using your class proficiency to take an extra swing, to just plain shoving someone. If you've got an option, use it. Worst-case scenario is you gain nothing, and best case is knocking someone prone or down a chasm. Which leads me to my last tip...

Use the environment, control the crowd

The Divinity: Original Sin lineage is alive and well in Baldur's Gate 3 combat, which puts a similar emphasis on interactions. This means environments can become rapidly dangerous, to your advantage or disadvantage. Characters can be shoved into bottomless pits, grease can be set ablaze, and ice can knock you on your butt like you're in a fail compilation.

With an angry enemy barging down your door, you might want to just start blastin' at them. But frequently, the environment can provide an advantage, putting up obstacles and disadvantageous ground to impede their offensive. Seriously, Grease can get you through a lot of early encounters. And spells like Entangle can make hazardous areas for foes.

The post 10 useful tips for venturing forth in Baldur’s Gate 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Well, the time has arrived. As you're reading this, Baldur's Gate 3 is live, after years of Early Access held only a select slice of its first act. And I'm here to tell you that, especially if you're a returning Early Access player, you shouldn't just blitz through the whole starting area right away.

I've had a little bit of time, roughly a few days, to play the launch version of Baldur's Gate 3. It's nowhere near enough to write a full review—that will arrive much later, after I've sunk the requisite dozens of hours into seeing this journey through. For the most part, I've largely been retreading similar paths to what I played in the Early Access, dealing with the simmering tension around the Druid grove, tiefling refugees, and nearby goblin camp.

So what I'm here to give you today is a tip, a piece of advice, from one Early Access player to some of the others who might be reading this: don't just speed your way through to Act 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TmGocqpY0Y

Acting up

Even from the very beginning, Baldur's Gate 3 is noticeably different between its Early Access and launch state. Those who might want to avoid some surprises or light spoilers may want to skip down to the next header section; I won't go deep into story specifics, but there was one particular difference that caught my eye almost immediately.

And that was the role of your other created character. In the Early Access, the creation screen would task you with choosing and designing your avatar (which can also be one of the Origin characters now, in full release). Then, it would bring you to another character creation screen and ask, "Who do you dream of?" Larian Studios essentially asks you to tell on yourself, and then uses that avatar to tempt you later on.

Well, that entire set-up is gone. In its place, there is the dream guardian. At first, I didn't see much of them after I designed them; but over time, they began to reveal themselves, and with it a greater threat to both the party and Faerûn. Or so they say.

The more you talk with this guardian, the more it seems like Larian has built out this plot. In fact, the most intriguing part of the early goings for me has been the illithid powers and how they tie in. Before, it felt like a gamble. Do you want to use the tadpole in your brain to force a skill check? Do you listen to the temptations living in your dreams?

With the guardian, and the framing of the tadpole that's shifted since Early Access, that relationship feels like a greyer area, full of more unknowns and mysteries, and it's much more interesting to explore. This aspect really feels most interesting to Early Access players because they're so familiar with the prior version. Why did this change? How does it shift the story, and your relationship with your newfound illithid powers? I'm really, really curious to see how.

Either way, it's an early twist that made me realize I wasn't just playing back through a section I'd seen a few times over in Early Access. And the changes continued.

Crash into me

The entire introductory section aboard the nautiloid ship has also been reworked and redone. Many of the beats remain the same, including who you work with, and who you can assist or not. But the actual sequence itself feels trimmed down to its core pieces and faster, almost like Larian knew that players had seen this part many times already.

Then, of course, the ship crashes and we're into the journey proper. Baldur's Gate 3 from here feels very familiar. It's a CRPG running on Larian's homebrew of the Dungeons & Dragons 5E ruleset. There are Wizards and Warlocks, Monks and Barbarians. Fights are turn-based, using a looser range system rather than grid tiles, and filled with interlinking systems of actions and reactions.

Igniting barrels to cause explosions, combining spells for devastating effects, or just kicking a goblin into a chasm, it's all here. At one point, I struggled with a particularly hard encounter, until I lured my foes onto a rickety bridge and took out the supports. I might not be able to loot them for valuables, but it was an efficient way of solving the problem.

All of that is the same as it's been in Early Access, with some enhancements. If you've been away a while, you might be surprised by some of the neat touches Larian has made over the years. The reaction system for abilities like Hellish Rebuke and Reckless Attack is straightforward and easy to use. Menus and interfaces have seen revamps, making most of them pretty clean and easy to get through. There's a lot of info and cursor hovers to help explain basics as you go.

I do think there's a bit of assumption that Larian makes, that the player will buy in and either arrive pre-knowledgeable about how D&D works or willing to seek the information out. There are tutorials, but they're brief. Once the adventure starts, you're in it.

Gather your party

The adventure feels pretty good, though. As I said before, the first area surrounding the grove and goblin camp will feel familiar at first. But a combination of new interactions, new scenes, and new characters makes everything feel a bit different.

Karlach, the final addition to the Origin roster (alongside the Dark Urge), is a big piece of this. She's got a great storyline, and it ties closely into the rewritten plot beats for Wyll. Having a cheerful, optimistic Barbarian with a heart of gold and fire is a great addition to the camp.

But all the little details keep pulling me in different directions. I had thought, going into Act 1, that I'd be speedrunning through it. Instead, I'm replaying old quests to see how my new members react to them. I'm testing out my updated powers, exploring areas that feel a bit tuned and tweaked. Certain items are just where I remember them being in Early Access, but getting back there still feels fresh. It's not all sunshine and roses; I found times where Baldur's Gate 3 hitches on itself a bit, hit a few glitches and bugs, and I've especially noticed some pre-release lighting oddities that I hope Larian patches out soon.

This is good news for those who want to replay Baldur's Gate 3, at the least. Even the thought of that seems so far off, though. I'm still on my own run, with my own created Tav, exploring the things I want to explore. What's reassuring about Baldur's Gate 3 today is that, even after years of this Early Access being available and players digging into its available content, it's still fun to roll a new character.

The post Don’t breeze through Baldur’s Gate 3’s first act right away appeared first on Destructoid.

Baldur's Gate 3 is out of Early Access. Larian Studios' take on the classic Dungeons & Dragons series sees two role-playing giants collide, with all the entwined legacy and carryover you might expect. But in its early hours, what's impressing me most is how Larian keeps the party moving towards goals, both grandiose and small.

I've only had a few days with the launch version of Baldur's Gate 3, so this isn't comprehensive by any means. I'm writing this after just having retread Act 1, the same area that was in the Early Access but feels noticeably different in launch. I've got more on that in a write-up here, that's also angled a bit more towards returning players.

For these day-one impressions, I wanted to speak a bit more to newcomers. Not the folks who have been poring over community updates, or posting anxious forum memes counting down days to launch, or who have hundreds of hours in the EA already. If you feel intrigued by the allure of a big, high-production RPG with several legacies behind it—or maybe you just saw the bear scene and said "I'm in"—this one's for you.

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Bringing the table to the computer

Baldur's Gate 3 marks the continuation of a classic RPG series that has lain dormant for years, Baldur's Gate. It was one of the most notable BioWare games in the pre-Mass Effect days, and its second entry still garners acclaim.

Larian, meanwhile, has made a name on continuing the CRPG (computer role-playing game) legacy through its Divinity games. Divinity: Original Sin 2 was a superb entry, and now, with Baldur's Gate 3, Larian has been given the keys to a beloved classic.

It opens like most role-playing games do; make a character (or choose a pre-made Origin character), customize them, and set off on a journey. One thing I've always really liked about Baldur's Gate 3 is that it starts with immediate tension. You have been kidnapped by mind flayers and infected with a tadpole. This parasite will, sooner or later, kill your character and turn them into a mind flayer. You want to avoid that, if at all possible.

So after an intense escape sequence, you crash land on a beach and start to get a bearing on your surroundings. You can gather up a party of likewise infected adventurers and team up, forming a ragtag crew of tadpole-infested heroes. Well, maybe not so heroic.

Ain't no Long Rest for the wicked

The initial set-up works great for giving you a personal motivation to venture forth, and to bring a party together. What keeps it compelling are the interpersonal interactions within your party. These aren't happy adventurers, brought together by a love of the sport. In fact, you're reminded fairly often that your reason for banding together is fairly singular: the tadpoles you've all got in your heads.

But this occassional dissent and tension really keeps the party atmosphere alive. Everyone has their own goals, ideas, and motivations that conflict with each others'. The Githyanki warrior Lae'zel is one of your earliest companions, and wants to seek out her creche, where she says they can cleanse away the tadpoles. The cleric Shadowheart, however, doesn't approve of this idea, or maybe just disapproves of Lae'zel's methods. Others want to seek a healer, one skilled enough to remove the parasites.

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Sometimes, these conflicts come to a head, and result in real, tangible consequences. Baldur's Gate 3 likes to leave scars and reminders of big moments, and I appreciate that. To be clear, there are plenty of funny, engaging, endearing, even intimate moments you can experience between your avatar and these party members. But it's the dynamics that make it all work so well.

No time to die

Outside of dialogue and cutscenes (though sometimes in them too), Baldur's Gate 3 feels like playing a virtual tabletop campaign. You venture through a large area in the first act, encompassing a druid's grove, a vicious goblin camp, temple ruins, and more. There is, frankly, a lot to see and do. It can feel overwhelming, even, but in a good way. There's something around every corner, and NPCs are frequently worth talking to and gleaning information from.

A lot hinges on die rolls, as you are playing what is essentially Larian's house rules for Dungeons & Dragons 5E. Modifications have been made to accommodate a solid virtual experience, but you will be rolling for attack hits, damage, resistance, saving throws, and dialogue checks. Heck, sometimes you'll be walking around and you'll get a check over your character's head. Nothing instills fear like a sudden failed Perception check.

These can feel good and bad in equal measure, usually through whether you succeed or fail. Much like Disco Elysium, though, I think Larian does a great job in making failures feel important. Yes, I absolutely restart battles if a teammate goes down. But if I fail a roll that puts me into combat, or miss a persuasion attempt, I'll often play it out just to see the result. Rather than feeling like a win-or-lose, Baldur's Gate 3 does a pretty decent job at making the act of rolling and playing out the consequences feel worthwhile, in and of itself.

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Critical hit

Combat is turn-based, closer to Original Sin than previous Baldur's Gate games. Though the lack of real-time with pause might frustrate some, I think it works really well, mostly because it's how tabletop works, and what a lot of those fans are familiar with seeing.

What gets more complex is how intricate combat can become, and quickly Baldur's Gate 3 will punish a misstep. It's here where I think some familiarity with D&D helps. I'll freely admit, when I started Early Access, I took what I call the Pokémon Red/Blue approach. When I first played Pokémon, I would only learn offensive moves, foregoing any defensive or utility options. It wasn't until later in life that I learned oh, hey, those moves are actually worthwhile.

Same goes for Baldur's Gate 3, where things like gaining Advantage (roll two die and take the highest outcome) or inflicting Disadvantage (roll two die and take the lowest) can make a difference. When an angry paladin is bearing down on your feeble Wizard Gale with pockets full of Divine Smite to unleash, you'll be thankful for any crowd-control or enfeebling spells you might have on deck. Reading spells, doing research, and maybe pausing to consider your approach and concocting a better one are all crucial to surviving some of Baldur's Gate 3's harder fights.

[caption id="attachment_394831" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Something ends, something begins

All of this is to say, I think Baldur's Gate 3 is pretty great so far, if you're able to invest in it. It's filling a pretty massive craving I've had; for a good CRPG, for something with BioWare-adjacent companions and interactions, and for something with a clear love for the role-playing craft at its heart. If Final Fantasy XVI was a vision of what role-playing games could be through embracing new genres and ideas, Baldur's Gate 3 shows what a CRPG can still do with the right team behind it.

Of course, that's all still early. This is only a slice of what Larian has said is an absolutely massive game. And I've certainly seen teases of what's on the road ahead that intrigue me, from a shadowy cabal of servants to the mysterious Absolute, to a stranger in my dreams, to stories shared with companions by the campfire. By all accounts, Baldur's Gate 3 certainly feels massive. There are some issues too, to be clear. I've seen some odd bugs and glitches, strange lighting situations, and a few other noticeable technical issues.

But whether you just want to experience what a high-production CRPG might have to offer, or romance some companions, or play some virtual D&D, I do think Baldur's Gate 3 brings something for every one of those interests to the table. Embrace the successes and failures, talk to party members, read the spell text, and you'll be surprised how quickly you're taken in. It's a great start, and I'm hopeful that Larian can keep up the pace moving into the later areas of Baldur's Gate 3.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 launch impressions: a compelling journey thus far appeared first on Destructoid.

We're rapidly approaching the long-awaited release of Baldur's Gate 3 after an extended period of Early Access. However, Larian Studios has stated that the game won't support preloading ahead of its launch. If you've pre-ordered the game and want to jump in as soon as possible, prepare to set aside some time to download this hefty title.

[caption id="attachment_393716" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Larian Studios.[/caption]

Baldur's Gate 3's release date draws nearer

Baldur's Gate 3 will arrive on PC on August 3 at 5 PM CEST, and PS5 on September 6. An Xbox Series X/S port is also in development, although it has yet to receive a release date. Like other titles in the series, players will be able to create their own characters and partake in a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired campaign.

In a community update on Steam, the developers confirmed that preloading is off the table for Baldur's Gate 3. In other words, players can't install the game ahead of its release. This would have been useful for a game like Baldur's Gate 3 which will weigh approximately 122 GB.

There are a few other things Baldur's Gate 3 fans should know about. Though the game has been available in Early Access, progress made here will not transfer to the final game. Nevertheless, the game will feature cross-save capabilities, allowing you to begin your adventure on PC and continue on PS5 later if you wish.

It fortunately appears that making the game easily accessible is a priority for the developers. Those who purchase Baldur's Gate 3 for PC will receive access to both the Mac and Windows versions, though the Mac version will arrive at a later date. Larian Studios also wants the game Steam Deck Verified by launch, as it is already optimized for the handheld.

With the game's large size, players may have to wait a bit at launch before they can dive in. However, the Early Access version should give you a good idea of what to expect.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 won’t have a preload, Larian confirms appeared first on Destructoid.

We know that Larian Studios' upcoming Baldur's Gate 3 is a big game. With the story-driven RPG releasing on August 3—a Thursday—how does anyone expect you to wait until the weekend? At that point, you may as well take off until Friday so you can have four full days to explore the Sword Coast.

As a service to players, Larian had their legal team draft up a special leave form. To be precise, the form is a request for Special Dispensation for the aptly titled Baldur's Day. As Larian says, just give the note to your boss—they'll understand. All we need now is a disclosure form to give to our partner explaining why they might not see us for a few days while we're glued to our PC.

As the form says, this isn't our choice, but rather fate calling.

"I, the undersigned, hereby request a Special Dispensation from my regular duties and obligations in observance of the momentous occasion of the release of Baldur's Gate 3 ("Baldur's Day"). As fate would have it, I am compelled to answer a calling to gather my party and embark on an epic adventure."

There are definitely worse reasons to miss work, right?

https://twitter.com/baldursgate3/status/1684202250363711491

The release date shuffle

Don't forget that Larian recently announced they were moving up the PC release date of Baldur's Gate 3 by almost a month. Early September was looking pretty congested, especially with the release of Starfield on September 6.

Summerfall Studios followed up by pushing the release of their musical RPG Stray Gods back by one week. As our own Eric Van Allen pointed out, an extra week can be a silver lining for last-minute polish. Especially when Stray Gods ls launching on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch all on the same day.

Baldur's Gate 3 releases on PC on August 3. PlayStation 5 players will have to wait just a little longer when BG3 releases on September 6.

The post Skip work for Baldur’s Gate 3 with Larian’s leave form appeared first on Destructoid.

PC owners will have to wait until August

Larian Studios is nearing a moved-up launch date for its massive RPG Baldur's Gate 3. But while the adventure is arriving sooner than announced, it comes with a caveat that PC owners won't get an extra-extra head start.

Originally, Larian had planned to give a 72-hour head start to everyone who picked up the Digital Deluxe Edition of Baldur's Gate 3. This Early Access would allow a head start on Act 1, the same area already in the current Early Access build, but in the 1.0 version. It would've been a lot of players too, as Larian upgraded everyone who bought the Early Access of Baldur's Gate 3 to the Digital Deluxe Edition.

With the release date for PC moving up almost a month, though, there was some curiosity about what would happen to the head start. In a recent community update, Larian confirms there won't be a head start for PC owners.

"The PC Digital Deluxe Edition does not include a 72 hour head start, which would have essentially made the game’s release date July 31st. Shifting the release date – and thus communication around the Digital Deluxe Editions across PS5 and PC – came with a few complexities that we didn’t manage to communicate very well, so we thought it best to clarify it here, given that a 72 hour head start on PC wouldn't have been plausible."

PlayStation 5 Digital Deluxe owners will still get a head start though. So those who are waiting on the console version will get a little bit of catch-up time on PC players on September 3, rather than its September 6 launch date.

The waiting is the hardest part

It's a bit of a bummer, but to put a glass-half-full spin: we're essentially getting the RPG a month earlier anyways, so three extra days isn't too drastic. The appeal of a head start in Baldur's Gate 3 would, at least in my eyes, be good for those with a lot of hours in the Early Access to rebuild their characters, as saves from the EA version won't carry over to launch.

Plus, there's a ton to do in Act 1 that isn't in yet anyways. In its community update, Larian estimates that Act 1 has roughly 33% more content in it compared to the start of Early Access. And Act 1 also apparently makes up "less than a quarter" of the total content available at launch.

Baldur's Gate 3 is looking unbearably massive. Even if there isn't an extra head start, there's still plenty of time to dig in when Baldur's Gate 3 hits on August 3 for PC.

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You and me could have a bear romance

Baldur's Gate 3 is just under a month away, at this point, and today Larian Studios hosted a Panel From Hell to celebrate the impending launch on PC. It featured a new Origin character with a unique playstyle, tons of gameplay details, and one very fraught scene with a Druid.

One of the big reveals of the Panel was the new Origin character, teased in its online mystery game, who is more like an Origin archetype: the Dark Urge. Much like Larian's work on Divinity, Baldur's Gate 3 will have the option to play as either a created character or one of the Origin characters who would otherwise be party members, like Shadowheart or Astarion.

The Dark Urge is a fully customizable Origin. Though they default to an alabaster dragonborn, you can play them as anyone. The Dark Urge is more about what resides in your character: an insatiable need for blood and carnage. While others deal with normal concerns, the Urge's battle is all about ignoring or indulging their impulses. They'll be guided by a vile servant named Sceleritas Fel, voiced by Divinity: Original Sin 2's narrator Brian Bowles.

Additionally, Larian added a little more voice talent to the lineup today. Maggie Robertson, who voiced Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village, is playing the third central antagonist of Baldur's Gate 3: a shapeshifter named Orin the Red. Alongside Jason Isaacs' Lord Enver Gortash and J.K. Simmons' General Ketheric Thorm, that's a star-studded rogues gallery.

The wait is un-bear-able

Of course, there was one moment of today's Panel From Hell that lit up social media. Larian showed off some of the romantic scenes in Baldur's Gate 3, which are an obvious draw for any weary, impatient BioWare fans. The first was a sweet, innocent scene with Karlach, the newly announced Barbarian character, as they go on a date with a created character.

The next scene was not quite so innocent. The player, as Astarion, met with the druid Halsin in the woods for a romantic rendezvous. And when Halsin wild-shaped into his literal bear form, things... escalated. I'll let Larian's own spokesperson take it from here:

"Have you ever considered the joys and pleasures of sexual congress with a wildshaped Druid?" said lead writer Adam Smith in a press release. "Because at Larian, we have, and ultimately landed on the side of giving the people what they want: tender, consensual romance with a man temporarily transformed into a grizzly bear."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW846h6FyU4&t=19999s

As Larian founder and creative director Swen Vincke noted, the bear scene was steamy enough to get the studio banned on TikTok. The news was met with uproarious cheers from the live studio audience.

Thoughts on wild, wild-shaped romance aside, it does at least show Larian is doing the due diligence of recreating a tabletop experience. I can count the times I've played Dungeons & Dragons on one hand, but know enough about tabletop pals to know there's no way this exact topic hasn't come up before, amid suppressed giggles, at some table, somewhere. And it seems like Larian's light-hearted about the matter, too; in an interview with IGN, Vincke characterized the scene as "hilarious." Indeed, the cut-away to the squirrel got a good laugh out of me.

So if the goal is to take the infinite possibility of a tabletop game and its theater of the imagination, and try to capture it so that a virtual, prepared campaign could recreate the same possibility space, nothing says Larian's making it happen quite like comically raucous Druid romance.

For all that and more, Baldur's Gate 3 arrives for PC on August 3. PS5 players will get their own shot at love on September 6.

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This dungeon is large enough to house all of the dragons

Swen Vincke of Larian, the studio behind the Divinity series, has just told IGN that Baldur's Gate 3 will be huge. Vincke says the team is seeing one regular playthrough taking from 75 to 100 hours, and a run where you do everything there is to do will take about 200 hours.

He also says that players going for multiplayer runs could see it run for over a year, as players organize regular sessions similar to a tabletop D&D campaign.

In fact, they made the game with multiplayer sessions in mind. Like classic Baldur's Gate, this one is divided into chapters. Everybody knows that fitting games and real life into the same schedule is tough, so many will be glad to know that players will be able to drop in and out of sessions without keeping the campaign in an endless cliffhanger.

We can't yet fully attest to Baldur's Gate 3's quality as a multiplayer title, but if Divinity 2 is anything to go by, then yes, multiplayer will be a fun way to play it.

What's making it this big?

The key to D&D's longevity is the freedom it provides, and the replayability that naturally comes with it. As we've previously reported, Baldur's Gate 3 will feature over 600 different spells and 7 playable Origin characters at launch. Anyone not phased by that will get the option to create their own character. That'll allow players to pick between 11 playable races, 31 subraces, 12 classes, and 46 subclasses.

And Baldur's Gate 3 isn't only huge when it comes to stuff you get to do

The Witcher 3 made headlines in 2015 when we learned that its script was as long as four regular-sized books. That was an unprecedented feat back in the day, one that Baldur's Gate 3 absolutely dwarfs with its 170 hours of cinematics and a cinematic dialog script three times longer than the three Lord Of The Rings novels put together.

The PC version of Baldur's Gate 3 arrives on August 3, a month earlier than originally announced to avoid facing off against other big releases like Starfield. The PS5 version will come out on September 6. There's still no release window for an Xbox version.

For more news about Baldur's Gate 3, tune in to Larian's Panel From Hell: Release Showcase on July 7.

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There is an Xbox version, but it needs more time

Today, Larian Studios announced that it's moving up the release date of Baldur's Gate 3 on PC and slightly delaying the PS5 version. Alongside those platforms, the studio says an Xbox version of Baldur's Gate 3 is still in the works. It's just a matter of getting it ready.

In a community update around the announcement, Larian said it's optimistic about Baldur's Gate 3 on the Xbox Series X. But in order to announce and release on Xbox, the studio will need to "ensure the game is performing without compromise across the entire Xbox X|S ecosystem."

Essentially? "Like with the PS5 version, we'll release it when it's ready," Larian said. "We'll update you as soon as we can."

Splitting the screens

Larian head Swen Vincke went into more detail about the status of the Xbox version in an interview with IGN. Vincke noted both the freedom of the game itself, and the split-screen co-op, as causes for its troubles. Vincke told IGN that Larian may have to make some "compromises" to get an Xbox version live, though he didn't specify what they were, and didn't want to confirm that would be the case for-sure.

Vincke also confirms that Larian is working with Microsoft's Xbox Advanced Technology Group (Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment on the matter to IGN).

As the interview goes on, Vincke does say that the team's ambition is to release Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series X|S this year, but it can't commit to that. Again, it's ready when it's ready.

"This one's not exclusive. You're going to be able to play it. It's just a matter of patience. This is really a question of time," Vincke said.

As for PC and PS5 players, the wait for Baldur's Gate 3 has shifted a bit with today's news. PC players will get the massive RPG on August 3, while PS5 players have to wait just a little bit longer for September 6.

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PS5 players get a mild delay

Baldur's Gate 3 is moving up its launch date by almost a month for PC players. Larian Studios announced that Baldur's Gate 3 will come to PC on August 3 now, while the PlayStation 5 version will launch a week later than expected on September 6.

Originally, Baldur's Gate 3 was set for August 31 on both PC and PS5. However, with an increasingly busy late-summer launch window, it looks like Larian isn't holding onto Baldur's Gate 3 for longer than it needs to.

"Reaching a technical bar that matches our design ambitions felt like the right move, while holding back the PC version when we knew we’d be ready felt like the wrong move in such a busy launch period," said Michael Douse, director of publishing.

PlayStation 5, meanwhile, is looking solid according to Larian's metrics. It's reaching 60 FPS for the console port. Larian also shared a few more metrics about the upcoming RPG, including a script that has more dialogue than "three times all three Lord of the Rings books combined" and "over 170 hours of cinematics."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgTFtD2sHdE

Importantly, this also means 7 playable characters at launch, alongside the custom character option. For said character creator, there will be 11 playable races, 31 subraces, 12 classes and 46 subclasses, and over 600 spells and actions (excluding upcasts). That is, well, a lot. More info about Baldur's Gate 3 will arrive on July 7, during Larian's Panel From Hell: Release Showcase.

A big year for role-playing

This moves the PC version of Baldur's Gate 3 back a bit, towards the start of August, while putting its PS5 version directly against the Xbox and PC RPG Starfield, which goes live on September 6.

It feels a bit like counter-programming, as PS5 owners may be looking for a new RPG to put up against all the fancy new Starfield owners. For PC players, especially those who have owned and been waiting for Baldur's Gate 3, it's an exciting announcement. It's also a massive date shift, one of the more notable ones in recent memory. We'll see how Larian's confidence pays off in August.

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Elementary, my dear Tav

Baldur's Gate 3 is still a ways away. But for those who want a little bit of the world before August arrives, Larian Studios is hosting an online murder-mystery RPG called Blood in Baldur's Gate leading up to release.

Set 15 years before the events of Baldur's Gate 3, Blood In Baldur's Gate sees the city dealing with a series of killings. With a scarce trail of hints and info to go on, players will need to figure out how and why the killings are happening, before the culprit strikes again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aK5_aMkzoM

To do so, players can investigate different areas of the map, by voting where to head next. So far, only a handful have been unlocked. But the idea seems to be that players can theorize, decide amongst themselves, and determine the course of the investigation through democratic means.

It's a fun experiment, and I'm curious to see how it ties into the full Baldur's Gate release. Seeing as there's a decent amount of time between this murder mystery and the start of Baldur's Gate 3, it could encompass a number of aspects, from the new game or its predecessors.

Return to Baldur's Gate

After many years, the Baldur's Gate series returns under Larian Studios. The Divinity development house has been steadily working on the massive RPG for a few years now, and the full release is set to launch on August 31 for PC and PlayStation 5.

Notably, Xbox is not out of the picture. Larian is working on it, but isn't quite ready to make an announcement as of yet. Still, with Final Fantasy XVI out this week and Baldur's Gate 3 in August, with Starfield just beyond it, RPG fans certainly have a lot to look forward to.

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Baldur's Gate 3 isn't locked to any platform, though

Larian Studios has locked in a launch date for Baldur's Gate 3 and confirmed the RPG would be coming to PlayStation 5 alongside PC and Mac. The absence of Xbox has led Larian Studios to clarify, though, that the State of Play announcement doesn't mean there's any platform exclusivity.

Fans questioned whether Xbox would also receive Baldur's Gate 3, after Larian only confirmed PS5, PC, and Mac. Over on Reddit, Larian's community manager posted an update on why exactly that is:

Xbox players, we’ve seen your questions about if/when you can expect Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox. We’ve had an Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 in the works for some time, but we have run into some technical issues – particularly with split-screen co-op. We are still working on an Xbox version of BG3, but we’re not yet confident enough to announce it. We don’t like announcing anything until we’re ready, because we don’t want to get peoples hopes up until we’re sure we can deliver.

There’s no platform exclusivity preventing us from releasing BG3 on Xbox day and date, should that be a technical possibility. If and when we do announce further platforms, we want to make sure each version lives up to our standards & expectations. Thanks for understanding!

Forging the tale

So while nothing's set in stone, it does look like Larian is at least working on a version of Baldur's Gate 3 for Xbox. At the very least, there is no platform exclusivity tying the version down if everything clicks into place.

It's an odd but refreshing bit of clarity to see, considering how secretive studios can sometimes be with platforms. For Xbox owners, I do hope they get a chance to try this out, whether at launch or later. And for owners of the other options, Baldur's Gate 3 goes live on August 31.

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Set out for adventure on the couch too

Larian Studios has locked in a firm launch date for Baldur's Gate 3, and a new platform too. Baldur's Gate 3 arrives on August 31 for PC, Mac, and now, PlayStation 5.

Revealed as part of today's PlayStation State of Play, the latest RPG from Larian is getting a console version to coincide with the 1.0 PC launch on August 31. We had previously known the window for Larian's exit from Early Access, but now we have a firm date, alongside the platforms for Baldur's Gate 3's launch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-KF9iueE0

Today's trailer spotlights General Ketheric Thorm, a necromancer leading an army of undead horrors towards Baldur's Gate. As Larian shares in its blog, Thorm is not the main antagonist of Baldur's Gate 3, but one of three main antagonists the party will have to defeat in the course of their adventures.

Thorm is voiced by none other than J.K. Simmons, and the video of him recording some lines for the game is very, very good.

Adventuring your way

Alongside the console platform reveal, there were also some nice features shown off for the upcoming adventure. First off, there is full controller support. And split-screen co-op return as well, a feature that Larian had included for console releases of previous RPGs.

Baldur's Gate 3 will also support cross-progression between PC, Mac, and PlayStation 5. Theoretically, this means you could play Baldur's Gate 3 at home on the PS5, and then take your save on-the-go with your Steam Deck.

Larian also detailed the different editions of Baldur's Gate 3. There is a Digital Deluxe Edition on the way, with a pack of special collectibles including Bard songs from the Divinity series, a digital OST and artbook, and some special character sheets for each Baldur's Gate 3 origin character. Everyone who's already picked up the Early Access version of Baldur's Gate 3 will get a free upgrade to the Digital Deluxe on launch day, too.

The Early Access journey for Baldur's Gate 3 comes to a close when the new RPG launches on August 31, 2023 for PC and PS5.

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Larian charts a course for Baldur's Gate next year

After several years in development and Early Access, Larian Studios is locking in a launch window for Baldur's Gate 3. The next entry in the RPG series will arrive sometime in August 2023.

Revealed at The Game Awards 2022, tonight's trailer showed off more of what's to come in the next Baldur's Gate. From old faces to new surprises, it seems like a lot.

Throughout the trailer, we see looks at what's in store beyond the currently available Early Access version of Baldur's Gate 3. While an excursion to the actual location of Baldur's Gate is one thing, there are also some familiar faces in store too.

Both Jaheira and Minsc appear in the latest look at Baldur's Gate 3. These two were companion characters in Baldur's Gate II. Jaheira has aged thanks to the years since BG2, while Minsc has not, as he's spent quite a chunk of time petrified up until now. Larian even teased this development on social media leading up to The Game Awards. No sign of Boo yet, though.

The party sets out in 2023

The team at Larian Studios took the reins on Baldur's Gate years ago. Their successes with the Divinity series speak volumes, but in picking up where the BioWare of old left off with Baldur's Gate, the Larian team has been tackling a lot.

So far, in the Early Access versions that we've played over the years, it's felt like Baldur's Gate 3 is in a good place. That's just the starting point, though. We've only seen what chunks of the first Act hold for our party of tadpole-infested adventurers. There's still a lot of RPG to go.

Thankfully, Baldur's Gate 3 is aiming further into the year, past the spring rollout of new releases. Hopefully the August date holds true, and we'll see the entirety of what Larian has in store in the new year.

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Strike a chord with Baldur's Gate's newest class

Bards are officially rocking the stage in Baldur's Gate 3. Larian Studios is adding the Bard class to Baldur's Gate 3 today, alongside Gnomes as a playable race and more updates in Patch 8.

Shown off during the Panel From Hell, Bards can spur on the party and wreak havoc with their music. They can inspire teammates to greater heights, or just insult the enemy to bring them down. And crucially, they can rock a tune.

The Bard will get two subclasses, under the College of Valour and College of Lore. Valour Bards get Combat Inspiration, allowing them to stir something within their allies to add a bit to their prowess. That something being an extra D6 bonus on their next Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw.

Lore Bards, meanwhile, use their Cutting Words to distract and insult enemies. It's kind of the inverse of Inspiration, where the foe receives a 1d6 penalty to Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, and damage dealt until your next turn. But crucially, it also means insults. Larian says it has recorded 97 "bespoke" insults.

Bards can also perform music anywhere, and not only will certain NPCs react or join in, but they might even reward players for a good performance.

Metrognome

Gnomes are also being added in Patch 8, as the first new playable race since Baldur's Gate 3 went into Early Access. Plus, a few neat features are on the way like Swarm AI for minor enemies, ranged critical hit killcams, improved hair and hairstyles, and better stability for multiplayer.

Baldur's Gate 3 is still in Early Access, and will stay that way until at least the new year. But with every patch, it does get exciting see the groundwork being laid for the full RPG experience. Bards seem like a really fun option for a new character roll, and it gives me a little hope that we see the sonorous Tiefling Alfira join the party. Or at least join in with her song.

Patch 8 goes live in Baldur's Gate 3 today.

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Patch 8 looms on the horizon

Larian Studios has another update on the way for its ongoing early access RPG Baldur's Gate 3. A new Panel From Hell is on the way, unveiling the also-incoming Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3.

The next Panel From Hell, Larian's regular showcase for new Baldur's Gate 3 content, will air on July 7 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. You can follow the countdown and site here, or keep an eye on Larian's Twitch channel. The company rented out a theatre in Ghent for the occasion, so expect at least a little bit of pageantry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uqvdsgzO8U

Panels From Hell usually coincide with new patches for Baldur's Gate 3, and this one seems no different. Larian posted a PSA today for the upcoming Patch 8, confirming that this update will indeed render old saves incompatible. The team is keeping beta branches up so players can keep running their old files if they'd like, though with this new update, Larian will only keep the two most recent patches active. This means Patch 6 and 7, alongside the incoming Patch 8. You can find easy-to-follow instructions on opting into beta branches here.

A hefty update

Previous patches have added everything from new story content and areas to explore to new classes, though there's not much of a hint what'll happen in Patch 8.

What we do know is that it will be a fairly hefty update, file size-wise. Larian's post says this update will be roughly 40 GB, bringing the total file size of Baldur's Gate 3 up to 104 GB of storage space.

Whatever is on the way, I'm down for more. Larian has been up-front in saying that 2023 is its target for leaving Early Access, and I'm eager to see what it's building up to for the full game.

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For the wild at heart

A new patch for Baldur's Gate 3 goes live today, adding more features to the Early Access RPG. And while the addition of the Barbarian class might be the big-ticket item, it's the user interface overhauls and more that have really caught my eye.

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 7, dubbed "Absolute Frenzy," brings the chaotic and furious Barbarian class into the roster of options. Within Barbarian are two subclasses, Wildheart and Berserker. The former can choose a Bestial Heart to empower them, giving them options like an eagle dive while also adding new piercings. Berserkers, meanwhile, embrace the fury and can use attacks like Frenzied Strike.

Improvised Weapons are also coming to Baldur's Gate 3 in this patch, allowing characters to wield objects as deadly weapons as long as they meet the right Strength-to-weight ratio. Does this mean you can beat one goblin to death with another goblin? Yes, yes it does. A very fitting addition for the Barbarian update.

Thrown Weapons also get an update, as do stealth and exploration. The biggest takeaway of the update for me, though, was the total UI overhaul Larian Studios has introduced. It's much more streamlined and easier to read, with one of my favorite additions being a windowed inventory screen. Patch 7 also introduces new Magic Loot and improvements to a bevy of cutscenes.

It feels like a big stride towards the 1.0 marker. We were invited to ask Larian head Swen Vincke some questions about the update ahead of today's Panel From Hell. When asked about the 1.0 launch, Vincke said Larian still has "about a year left of development at this point." The to-do list is getting checked off, but it has to meet their internal markers.

"Again, we keep on repeating it, quality is our ultimate decision point," said Vincke. "We want everything in the game to be at a certain level of quality. As long as it doesn't hit that, we're not gonna release it. But we're getting closer to hitting what we have as our internal benchmark for the quality level that we want to achieve."

Right now, Larian Studios says its expectation is that Baldur's Gate 3 will leave Early Access in 2023. That my feel like a long way off, but each new Patch has added a pretty substantial wealth to what's in the game already. I've resolved to pick it back up when the full run is available, but it's hard to not want to spin up a new character after seeing a Barbarian chuck a goblin across the map.

Patch 7 for Baldur's Gate 3 goes live in Early Access today.

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Making a mess in a good way

Larian Studios is launching a new major patch for Baldur's Gate 3 today, and it's a doozy. Patch 6 adds the first new region for Early Access, a new playable class with two unique subclasses, and a graphical overhaul that includes some more blood, sweat, and dirt.

I got a chance to play a bit of the new patch ahead of today's reveal during the Panel From Hell, and it was fairly intense to dive into. It's reminded me exactly what I'm looking forward to with the full launch of Baldur's Gate 3, while also strengthening what drew me in about it in the first place.

The first big-ticket item is Grymforge, an ancient fortress filled with Duergar, who are to the dwarves what the drow are to the elves. They're mean, nasty, and an interesting faction to get tangled up with as I was exploring the new area.

I spent most of my time in Grymforge just reacquainting myself with Baldur's Gate 3, and mostly stuck to just exploring whatever I fancied, rather than ticking off every quest I could. It's still a good game world to just roam around in. Eavesdropping on some bickering characters can lead to new options, and completely missable interactions can be some real highlights.

One of my favorite moments came when my premade character, a "Tav" that Larian sent over so I could beeline right into the Grymforge content (which is near the end of the current Early Access), got into a scrap with some Duergar animal handlers. They were overworking their beasts to dig up some treasure, and using my Animal Handling talents, I quickly got the beasts on my side. A few swift kicks later, and several Duergar were sent hurtling down to the depths, as I hung out with my new animal pals.

The second major update is the addition of Sorcerers, who I conveniently shorthand as the Party Wizards. They are very much magic users, but they dive deeper into different aspects of magic; either taking on their ancestor's traits as a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer, or embracing the chaos as a Wild Magic Sorcerer.

The draconic option seems incredibly cool for both role-playing and character creation. While you inherit special powers based on the type of dragon your ancestor was, you also get some extra customization options for scales.

Wild Magic, on the other hand, is all about potential side-effects. They can gain advantage on actions in exchange for potentially triggering a random effect. You might land that spell thanks to your advantage roll, but also set everyone on fire in the process. If you thought the act of casting spells didn't have enough surprises, this is a class for you.

Many more combat options have been added as well, both for the Sorcerer class and for weapon wielders in general. The former is able to modify its spells to fit the needs of battle, and those proficient in weapons are getting new attacks and abilities to spice up the non-magical fighting.

And visually, Baldur's Gate 3 gets a big graphics upgrade this patch. While definitely noticeable in the Underdark and Grymforge, it was also worthwhile to start a fresh save up from the beginning. The added lighting effects and revamped lighting system really make some characters pop out in the light of day.

Plus, being outside means getting dirt, blood, and sweat all over you now too. It's kind of funny to see how messy a character can become between rests back at the camp. That, plus lots of bug fixes and additional tune-ups, definitely make Patch 6 feel like a solid chunk of content added onto the Early Access.

It also cemented for me that I think I'll be waiting a bit before I go back to Baldur's Gate 3. Not for any negative reason at all; every time I've played the game, I've enjoyed it, and Larian has been consistently tuning it up over the months.

But I'm ready to wait now. I want to make a character I can be fully invested in, dive deep into character stories, and not worry about running face-first into the walls of Early Access. I'm absolutely glad I've played the Early Access, and I'll keep tabs on every update between now and launch.

But I think the next player character I make in this world will be my full playthrough character. I'm certainly eager to spend more time with the party and see where the roads past Grymforge and beyond take them, but that doesn't have to happen now. Patch 6 reassures me that Larian's putting together a really fascinating RPG that I both can, and cannot, wait to dive into when it launches.

Patch 6 for Baldur's Gate 3 goes live in Early Access today for PC via Steam.

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The first new location for the Early Access

Larian Studios has announced another Panel From Hell for Baldur's Gate 3, its currently in-Early Access RPG. And during the stream, they've confirmed they will be deep-diving into the upcoming Patch 6, including its new area.

The upcoming Patch 6 will be adding the first new location to Baldur's Gate 3 since it launched in Early Access last year. From the title alone, we can assume that the Panel From Hell: Grymforge will center on a location called Grymforge.

https://twitter.com/larianstudios/status/1447940196784353290

Larian also confirmed it was showing off its Sorcerer class at the recent EGX event, so it seems like a lot could be in store for the next patch for Baldur's Gate 3.

First revealed during a Google Stadia event, Baldur's Gate 3 has been in steady development at Larian Studios. The team has been using a model similar to its approach for Divinity: Original Sin 2, with a slice of the full game available in Early Access for early testing and building up over time.

When I spoke with Larian founder Swen Vincke earlier this year about how progress on Baldur's Gate 3 has been going, he said they had a pretty good overview of what's left to do. As for when it will all be done, and Baldur's Gate 3 will be launched into v1.0, that's still in the works.

For now, it's exciting to have some more content coming in at some point. Seeing how the first section of the game that's currently in Early Access will expand will be interesting to see, as well as whatever hints may get dropped at how things carry forward in the full game.

The Baldur's Gate Panel From Hell: Grymforge will air on Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. PT.

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Playing your role gets more rewards

Baldur's Gate 3 has been carrying in Early Access, and today, Larian Studios announced the changes coming in Patch 5 of the RPG. Arriving on July 13, the patch will change up more about Baldur's Gate 3's dice rolls, as well as its AI and the role-playing rewards for your character. The first notable update is the Baldur's Gate 3 Active Roll system.

The usage of dice rolls has been a frequent topic of discussion around Baldur's Gate 3, and the Active Roll looks to enhance and clarify your die rolls a bit more. Active Roll will let you, or your party members, cast spells and apply bonuses to their rolls, as well as see modifiers and status effects directly within the UI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7_lnDAvd9s

Background Goals are another big update. Character creation already includes selecting a background, but now, there will be small opportunities to play into your role for rewards. So being folksy and heroic, for example, will benefit players who chose the Folk Hero background.

The Camp system is also getting changed. Rather than always heading out into the wilderness, Mini Camps will allow you to have context-dependent alternatives for camp, like the Chapel or the Underdark. There are also Camp Resources, so when you go to sleep, you'll have to choose what to eat, determining whether you'll have a shallow or full rest.

There's even more granular changes, like being able to break concentration and separating jump from disengage. Characters are also getting some "point-and-click" dialogue for navigating the world, and there will even be a Non-Lethal Attack Mode, for the pacifists out there.

The full patch notes will arrive on patch day, July 13, but it's a pretty hefty update, and Larian founder Swen Vincke says at the end of today's update video that the studio is already working on Patch 6. While a full launch is still a ways off, each update of Baldur's Gate 3 has been pretty exciting to follow. I think next Tuesday will be a nice day to start a new save.

For more on how Larian Studio has been approaching the development of Baldur's Gate 3, check out our interview with Vincke from earlier this year.

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And it's going to get a little weird

Larian Studios is gearing up for its third Panel From Hell to discuss what's coming for Baldur's Gate 3. It won't just be about patches though, as Larian is also hosting a "LarPG."

A portmanteau of Larian, LARP, and ARG, Larian will host "Twitch Plays: A Most Noble Sacrifice," where the audience will determine the outcome of a party adventuring through Gravensteen castle. There will be both real actors and actual Baldur's Gate 3 devs taking part, and Larian is teasing both puzzles and lethal traps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_qJ_NHjIo

Of course, if you're just showing up for Baldur's Gate 3, Larian will also be talking about that, as it discusses the basis of the upcoming Patch 5's gameplay changes. We talked with Larian founder Swen Vincke earlier this year about how the studio is approaching early access, and how it's observing player responses and feedback, so it'll be interesting to see how that continues to build up the slice of Baldur's Gate 3 that's currently public.

The whole thing airs on Larian Studios' Twitch on July 8 at 11 a.m. PT.

The post The third Baldur’s Gate 3 Panel From Hell is set for July 8 appeared first on Destructoid.

Stay Godwoke

It feels weird to have a consistent stream of "CRPGs" today. I thought Pillars of Eternity was pretty great, though I never got around to finishing it or delving into its expansion. Tyranny was a wonderful surprise and is my go-to recommendation for people asking for new games to play in a genre they used to love. I barely even got to start Torment: Tides of Numenera, despite being a Kickstarter backer.

Enter Divinity: Original Sin 2. I thought the first game was great but certainly had its flaws, and I didn't keep up much with the sequel. In a way, I'm glad I didn't, because going in fresh to what has become one of my favorite games of the year was an awesome experience.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 (Windows)
Developer: Larian Studios
Publisher: Larian Studios
Released: September 14, 2017
MSRP: $44.99

Divinity: Original Sin 2 (DOS2) takes place around one thousand years after the first game, eliminating any need for players to have understood those events to enjoy the sequel. This is a fresh, new story that simply shares the same world and lore as the original. DOS2 does a great job of getting the players excited about the plot early on -- something the first game never quite did. 

With most story-driven RPGs, I find myself more interested in the moment-to-moment smaller stories than the overarching plot. While that is still true here, I became genuinely excited about DOS2's plot towards the latter half of the first act. Once the true story revealed itself to me, I instantly wanted to advance it. In a beat that should feel similar to Baldur's Gate fans, you'll be chasing down god-hood and questioning motives and alliances at every turn. I can't say it blew me away, but it was presented in such a way, with characters I quickly grew to love, that I simply became enamored at every turn.

As for those moment-to-moment stories, they're as great as ever. Talking about my journies with friends (who are playing their own campaigns) has been an absolute joy due to how different every turn seems to be. We'll share solutions to seemingly meaningless quests and be consistently surprised with the amount of freedom the game affords the player. Not only are these side-quests interesting, but they can be dealt with in so many ways that it blows my mind.

Combat works the same as its predecessor, but with a few new twists. Characters attack in turns, and turns are restricted by Action Points (AP). Instead of being able to stack a ton of AP and go nuts, DOS2 restricts every character to 6 AP maximum, though there are skills that allow certain characters to gain AP during their turn. Moving, taking actions, or using skills all requires AP, forcing the player to really plan out every move in order to be efficient.

Another change to the combat is the armor system. Each piece of equipment comes with physical armor, magical armor, or both. These act as a sort of buffer for the character’s health pool. Armor absorbs damage and resists status effects of its type (physical or magic), until it reaches zero. At that point, all damage will impact health directly and status effects will go through. This has a huge impact on how players approach fights. For example, if an enemy has 100 physical armor and 20 magic armor, it is in the player’s best interest to lay down some magic damage in order to kill that enemy quickly.

The general gameplan for just about every fight is the same: find who has the lowest of what kind of armor and send the appropriate damage their way. Once one of their armor types are gone, use crowd-control attacks to either stun, freeze, petrify, or knock down the enemy until they’re dead. It does make every battle feel “same-y” and more or less forces players to have an even spread of damage types. I’m sure a team full of mages could get through the game just fine, but it’s obviously not encouraged by the design. Crowd control is so important (perhaps too important) and if you’re struggling to knock down a certain type of armor, battles will take forever.

Many battles do have some sort of “catch” that makes them feel different than previous fights, but oftentimes it feels as if some battles are meant to be attempted twice, since knowing specific conditions beforehand makes them way easier. It’s also important to pick battles wisely, as entering into a battle with enemies just one level higher can mean a quick party wipe. As with almost every RPG I play, I tried to avoid most combat situations using persuasion when I could. This often left me with less experience than I should have, since there’s no XP reward for successful persuasion checks.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 definitely doesn’t hold your hand, which has more upsides than not. I love the feeling of discovering things on my own. Even certain mechanics are barely explained, if at all, leaving it up to the player to figure out. Most of these, like crafting, are straightforward and feel natural to discover. Others, like sneaking, could certainly use a strong introduction to properly equip the player. Regardless, the feeling of “Ohh, now I get it! That makes sense!” is exciting no matter when or where it shows up.

The environments feel so incredibly lively, thanks in large part to the voice acting. Every single line of dialogue has voice acting. If you’re not blown away by that, remember that this is a gigantic RPG with more dialogue than you can shake an undead finger at. The Narrator does a brilliant job, in particular, commenting on things unspoken between the characters. Sure, not all of the voice actors are amazing, but very few stick out as aggressively bad and the experience as a whole is fantastic.

This also helps with player involvement in the story. I often want to listen to the voice acting, so I let it play as opposed to reading through it quickly and clicking to advance as I normally do. I took my time with DOS2’s story more than most and really appreciated this pace. It may seem like a small, insignificant impact, but it helped me to better understand and enjoy the story. Even the smaller side-stories, which are the true star of most CRPGs, felt grander and more important due to the time and dedication given to the writing and voice acting.

There are still lots of little issues that continue to bug me as I play. Inventory management is better than its predecessor, but selling items is a huge pain in the ass. It's very important to have someone with the "Barter" skill to maximize profits, but making sure to transfer items before selling to the right person's inventory is a drag. Similarly, sometimes conversations start with a seemingly random party member, and if they don't happen to be the one with Persuasion, you'll find yourself in a situation that could have easily been avoided. Even browsing wares for new gear (almost a necessity each time you level) becomes a slog as comparing items to other party members is impossible without actively controlling them.

The entire game can be played cooperatively, and this is easily one of the best ways to experience DOS2. A friend and I began a co-op game on Honour Mode, which means that game over is the end -- there is no loading and trying again. The blend of co-op wackiness and Honour Mode intensity is a delightful juxtaposition that few games come close to. Since there are no restraints on where one player can go or what they can do, it’s always a blast to hear “aww shit, I pissed off half of the town over here” while you sneak behind some random NPC to steal resurrection scrolls. Playing with a friend (or two or three) is my preferred way to play and I can easily see myself revisiting the campaign many times with others.

There's even a Dungeon Master mode, which allows players to create entire campaigns a la Dungeons and Dragons. I'll be honest -- I'm in way over my head with this mode. It's hard to comment on anything but the depth, which is to say there is a lot of it. I've seen it in action on livestreams, but have only tinkered with it in the slightest. It's incredible that it exists at all, and I'm sure the people who dive deep into these custom campaigns will come away happy.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a perfect example of how to create a sequel. It took what the first game did well and ramped it up while fixing many of the original's annoyances. The freedom here is unlike anything I have come across in a long time, and the game is better for it. There are certainly some things that still don't feel quite right, in addition to various bugs, but this is easily one of the best RPGs of modern times.

_{[This review is based on a retail version of the game provided by the publisher]}

The post Review: Divinity: Original Sin 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

I didn't ask for this

If I had to make a list of things that I wouldn't care to have in Divinity: Original Sin 2, a PvP mode would probably be at the top of that list.

But you know what? It was actually pretty good!

The PAX demo for Divinity was a PvP-only affair with two maps available. Each player got to choose two different classes to make up their party. I chose a warrior and a rogue, while my opponent went with a warrior and a mage. We were plopped into a small battle area and began duking it out.

Strewn across the map were plenty of explosive barrels, a treasure chest or two, and even Source puddles. For the unacquainted, these are basically puddles of strong magic power. If a player manages to get to one, they unlock one or two extra Source Skills that deal massive damage. The map layout played an important role in strategy, as you would expect.

One thing that became immediately apparent was that the number of Action Points was severely diminished across the board. Characters had less to spend, and skills cost less to use. It didn't really seem to change much, all things considered, but it is a global change nonetheless.

Just as with Original Sin, the environment was a crucial part of the PvP mode. We set so much shit on fire, Smokey would have been pissed. Everything was definitely catered to create and spread flames, likely to show off the new Bless and Curse abilities. Blessing fire would make it heal those inside, while cursing fire would turn it into "necrofire" and deal even more damage. Blessing necrofire would turn it to regular fire, which could again be turned either way.

Weather effects were as important as ever. The mage could make it rain, dousing any fire and giving characters the "wet" status, making them more susceptible to lightning attacks and stun. Players from the original game will know this system well, and I'm glad to see it still retains its impact.

Other than that, it was a PvP battle. I lost the first match, and came from behind to win the second. The gameplay was solid, thanks to the core built by the first game, and I enjoyed what I played. That being said, I'll probably spend little to no time in this mode once Original Sin 2 launches. I love what Divinity does, and very much anticipate playing through the sequel's story with three of my buddies.

The post Divinity: Original Sin 2 has a PvP mode, apparently appeared first on Destructoid.