Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3
I picked up BG3 within the last two weeks and have already come to find what an incredible game it is, wanted to share some experiences, comment on a few things, and welcome discussion about the game in general. I don't mean this to be some unturned insight that other reviewers haven't touched on just some of my own impressions and such, so far.
First off, the game mentions being able to use some pretty lowly specs to run on PC. A 4690 and 970 graphics card, alongside some AMD equivalents are listed. I don't want to go so far as to say they wouldn't work, but my own experience with hardware far beyond that is that the game can be pretty demanding. The system I am currently using with this is comprised of an 11900K and a 3070. I have the graphics settings maxed out @1440. My graphics card sits at 100% usage and temps fall right in line with maximums across other games and benchmarks, typically sitting around 74-76*. The aspect I do find surprising is that this game works my CPU in such a way as nothing I have tried before. Most of the time it runs ~25-30% usage and in the 50's but while moving on the map it is not uncommon to see use spike well upwards and temps reaching well into the 70's. As mentioned, I have never gotten that type of temp from a game or a benchmark.
With that said, one of the guys I am playing the game with on multiplayer is running it on a thin laptop with a 1650 or 60 and it runs fine for him even when hosting. I am sure there is a significant difference between our settings...
In the time I have had the game I am already upwards of ~30 hours played. Most of that has been multi player. I have not messed with a multiplayer platform on any serious level in years. With that said, I did purchase a cheap gaming headset and have had to familiarize myself with the PC version of Discord. Prior to now I had it loaded on my phone and would just use it for quick gaming sessions on a round or two of Fortnite or Wildlands. Probably about two hours of the time spent was me getting accustomed to using Discord alongside how to work getting into lobbies, adjustments to settings for sound, and particularly with my microphone (which seems to be an issue with the selected cheapo headset).
One thing I would point out here in respect to multiplayer. There are mods out there that allow you to basically unlock the game, abilities, character levels. In order to load into a lobby all the players must be on the same exact version, update, and mods. A person playing the vanilla game is not going to be in a situation where they are alongside unlocked characters. I don't run mods at all and did run into some minor difficulties loading in with players that do use them.
If you ever played tabletop D&D you understand what a time suck it can be. This game is the official recognized modern version and it also takes LOADS of time to play and in particular to play multiplayer. It is not unusual with just three of us to be in a room or small area over an hour as looting and exploring. Fighting is a whole other level and have run into fights that took several sessions to complete. With that said, something we have noticed is to save frequently. It is not uncommon to get beat down and killed off as part of or the whole of your party. The AI/NPC in this game are not pushovers, at least all the time anyway.
The looting aspect is pretty cool and when you are with a group it can be handy and is typically easy to share items with each other as they are needed to proceed. For instance, if a magic user has a lockpick set that the 'thief' needs you don't even have to transfer it across to them for it to be used. Gold often acts as a group item including everyone within the party when dealing with vendors and such.
Something to point out, and I cannot recall if there is a setting to turn this aspect on or off, but much like in CB77, there is MUCH adult content here. As you design your character you get control over genitals and other aspects of sexuality as well as appearance, colors, tattoos, and so forth. In the game you have the option to have relations with other characters and possibly even some of the AI, although I have not tested that. (I really didn't want to sleep with that she-ogre) I can only imagine that there is a checkbox or option within setup to limit or even eliminate certain aspects of this as age appropriate or other.
The game looks astounding. The map is so expansive. Options for moving around are quite varied and can require physical attributes as well as possible interventions from other characters such as magic and whatnot. I have found that even with my system specs that every now and again I will get a hitch as the game moves from area to area. I suspect this to be something to do with loading in the map sections and it isn't distracting so far. There are waypoints in the game that allow you to travel back and forth. Part of the gameplay here does require that you rest and even camp to recover spells and abilities that you use. When playing single player you get to control the other NPC characters in your party. When back at camp you can select the specific players you wish to have with for each challenge or area, if you have located them that is.
There is so much to the game that certain aspects require taking a moment to go read or research to figure out proper usefulness. There are tricks, traps, pitfalls and so forth that can require a lot of thought and trial and error even to figure out. As above mentioned, save a lot and give yourself the option of going back, starting over, or even making another choice. Not everything is a push over and it is not terribly hard to die or be trapped somewhere you cannot get out of 'alone'.
This game is so huge that I expect to be playing it for some time moving forward. The pace is wonderful, and the way actions and reactions happen don't require players to have the reflexes of a 12yo. The best part is that it does so without feeling boring or clunky. IMO this is one of the best games I have played in a long time, if ever. Highly recommended.
Great review,
@punkncat
Useful summary of the game mechanics and background details for multiplayer/mod info. Many people might not notice these aspects and face problems.
I personally don't enjoy such games, but I can say they can be impressive, especially in an open world setting.
Maybe I'll take a look to see what it's like.
Another quick note.
The game offers a choice between DX11 and Vulkan. I recently switched to an AMD graphics card, and the performance gap between the two is clear. Vulkan clearly outperforms DX11. Usually the game runs around 144 FPS, with rare drops below 100 FPS.
I encountered a curious scenario during last night's multiplayer session.
As I previously discussed, your inventory appears to be accessible to everyone in the group. You can easily access other players' items and remove them. I’m unsure if there’s a method to secure this or if it should be done. It seems this has likely been happening throughout our playtime together, but now I’ve gained enough understanding of the game’s rules that last night marked the first time I truly observed what was occurring.
Another player and I are relatively new to this game, especially in online/multiplayer contexts. The other two members are quite familiar with the mechanics. They tend to rush into areas where there are no encounters or loot, collecting everything they can. While we might occasionally grab a valuable item first, it’s rare that they miss anything entirely. It’s worth noting that both of our characters aren’t nearly as strong as theirs. I mentioned something about cheats, but I don’t believe they’re capable of running one, or even if they could. Instead, their experience seems to guide better choices... Anyway, let’s refocus. The issue is we keep traversing the maps, and they’re clearing everything out. Throughout the game, they consistently provide healing potions and save us from danger.
There’s a section of the map that requires something explosive—like the Alchemist Fire—to pass through smoothly. As we approach that spot, I position myself, open my inventory, and watch as items vanish. Besides potions, scrolls were swapped, weapons were hidden behind proxies, and I even collected a soul coin.
When I raised this point, they agreed we’re part of the same group and that their constant saving made looting a reasonable trade-off. I agree with that, but I feel there’s little justification for stealing others’ inventory without discussing it. They often take magical items for themselves or sell them quickly.
Occasionally, their behavior caused delays as they waited for us to recover from distant areas.
I’m not sharing this to suggest real-world issues, just to highlight possible concerns. My goal is to explore whether there’s a way to restrict my inventory access based on permissions. I’m unsure if this would work or if it could break features essential for survival. The main takeaway is that if this happens within a "friends" group, it raises the risk of being exploited repeatedly in multiplayer sessions.
If it can’t be secured, it’s clear the developers need to address this issue.