9.5 Editor Score
Outstanding96 Metacritic
Universal AcclaimOverwhelmingly Positive Steam Rating
350,000+ reviewsWhat We Think
Baldur's Gate 3 is one of those rare games where the hype is real and the reality exceeds it. Larian Studios spent over six years building it, including three years in Early Access with over 2.5 million players providing feedback. The result is a turn-based CRPG that's earned comparisons to genuine all-time classics. It's not without rough edges, but even its rough edges are more interesting than most games' best moments.
What makes it work, genuinely, deeply work, is the companions. Karlach, Astarion, Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Gale, Wyll: all ten potential party members are backed by sharp writing, exceptional voice performances, and character arcs that shift based on every decision you make. Astarion can become genuinely sinister if you nurture his dark tendencies, or he can be steered toward something more reflective. These arcs don't feel scripted, they feel earned.
Strengths
- Companion writing and voice acting among the best in any RPG
- Choices genuinely matter across 80–200+ hours
- Environmental combat encourages constant creativity
- Enormous build variety with 12 classes, 46+ subclasses (post-Patch 8)
- Fully complete and polished
Weaknesses
- Co-op can undermine the story experience for first-timers
- Act 3 (Baldur's Gate city) can feel performance-heavy on older hardware
- 150GB install size is substantial — SSD required
- D&D ruleset has a learning curve for non-tabletop players
- Three-player co-op not supported (1, 2, or 4 only)
- No paid DLC planned
Is This Game Right For You?
The honest verdict, play solo first, especially if you care about narrative. Return to co-op once you know the story and characters, it becomes a wildly entertaining second playthrough rather than a substitute for the real experience. Don't let anyone's rushed co-op session be your introduction to one of the best written RPGs ever made.
Reasons To Love
- You enjoy story-rich RPGs (Divinity 2, Dragon Age, Pillars of Eternity)
- You want 80–200+ hours of content that holds up to replaying
- You love D&D, or have always been curious about it
Reason To Avoid
- Turn-based tactical combat frustrates you
- You want a fast-paced action RPG
Our Recommendation
BG3 is a complete, polished, award-winning game. Unlike Early Access titles, there's no "wait for 1.0" calculation here, you're buying the finished version. The value question isn't really whether to buy it; it's where.