I recently uninstalledBaldur’s Gate 3for the first time since its release, but news aboutits upcoming patch has convinced me to play it one more time. I first started playingBaldur’s Gate 3when it entered Early Access in October 2020, though I didn’t really get into it until its full release three years later. After that, it became my most-played game by a wide margin for close to a year. After so much time spent on it, there is one thing that ultimately made me decide I’d had my fill: the game’s first act.
Don’t get me wrong, thefirst act ofBaldur’s Gate 3is stellar, and I enjoy it more than most of act two. However, I’ve played through the first part of this game so many times, that the idea of doing it again holds no appeal to me. However, that looks like it’s going to change with some of the new additions scheduled for theBG3’s upcoming Patch 8.
I’ve Started Far Too Many BG3 Campaigns With Friends
Starting Over With Multiple Groups Has Led To Playing The Opening Many Times
One of the main reasons I’ve played the beginning ofBaldur’s Gate 3so many times is because I’ve found myself starting an absurd amount of games with friends. When the game first came out, all myDungeons & Dragonsfriends wanted to play together, but sinceBG3is limited to four players, we split into several distinct groups. On top of that, if I started a campaign with three friends, then one stopped being able to play for some time, the rest of us would just start a new campaign so as not to exclude them from our first playthrough.
Why Minthara Deserved More Content In Baldur’s Gate 3
Minthara is an afterthought to many players of Baldur’s Gate 3, but her story is very underrated and evidence suggests there was more planned for her.
As word of mouth grew aboutBaldur’s Gate 3, more people wanted to try it out. This meant even more new game invites, since new players didn’t want to hop into a story-heavy campaign midway through.This resulted in me playing the first few hours ofBaldur’s Gate 3ad nauseamfor the first couple of months after the game’s release. Eventually, this calmed down, and I was actually able to finish a few playthroughs. Just when I finally thought I’d put the Emerald Grove behind me, a new reason to go back to the beginning came out: Honour Mode.
Honour Mode Forced Me To Repeat Act 1 Multiple Times
Dying In Honour Mode Sends Players Back To The Start Of The Game
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Honour Modechallenges players to make it through the entire game on the hardest difficulty level without ever experiencing a total party kill (TPK). I’m someone who typically likes to try challenging game modes like this, even if I’m not always successful in finishing them. I had hoped that my intimate knowledge ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s earlier areas would give me a leg up when starting Honour Mode and that I would be able to coast through the first few hours without difficulty. I was wrong.
Because most of the games I had started were with different playgroups, often including at least one player who was new to the game, I hadn’t spent a lot of time playing in Tactician mode, the hardestBaldur’s Gate 3difficulty settingthat doesn’t feature permadeath like Honour Mode. I quickly learned that the increased difficulty in combat encounters was nothing to scoff at, even for an experiencedDnDplayer. Just when I had finally thought I was done withBaldur’s Gate 3’s opening areas,I quickly found myself traipsing through them again and againas the Phase Spiders or Grymforge guardian put several Honour Mode runs to rest.
Baldur’s Gate’s Upcoming Patch Is Adding My Favorite D&D Subclass
The New Swashbuckler Subclass Is A D&D Favorite
With several other RPGs likeMetaphor: ReFantazioand the upcoming PC release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdemanding so much hard drive space, I recently decided the time had finally come to take a break fromBaldur’s Gate 3. However,news of the new subclass inclusions in Patch 8 quickly made me change my tune. This is largely due to the addition of the Swashbuckler subclass, my favorite fromDungeons & Dragons.
Baldur’s Gate 3: All 12 New Subclasses In Patch 8
With the release of its final major update Patch 8, Baldur’s Gate 3 has added a strong lineup of fan-favorite Dungeons & Dragons subclasses.
It’s difficult for me to play a game likeBaldur’s Gate 3and not give my character a high Charisma score. While I greatly enjoy the game’s turn-based combat, the main attraction for me is its narrative and dialogue sections. I hate feeling locked out of story options simply because I’m playing a character who isn’t charming enough to hit certain Charisma checks. Because Swashbucklers inDungeons & Dragonsgain combat bonuses for having a high Charisma score, I can finally feel a little better about treating my rogue’s Intelligence score as a dump stat.
Swashbucklers also get some unique combat abilitiesthat will spice up how I play a rogue inBaldur’s Gate 3. Perhaps my favorite of their attributes is the ability to avoid opportunity attacks. This allows them to be highly mobile, weaving in and out of dangerous situations and delivering massive sneak attack damage without leaving themselves open to attack. Not only will I enjoy getting to test this class inBaldur’s Gate 3’s polished combat engine, but this added protection will hopefully help me get past the House of Grief in Honour Mode.
Crossplay Is A Chance To Play With A New Group
PC Players Will Be Able To Play With Console Players With BG3’s Upcoming Patch
New subclasses aren’t the only exciting addition coming in the eighth major patch forBaldur’s Gate 3. At long last,the game will be adding crossplay functionality, meaning I can finally team up with my friends who only own the game on console even though I play on PC. While this will inevitably mean at least one more trek through the opening hours of the game, it will feel a lot fresher with a group I’ve been waiting to play with since the game originally came out.
10 Strongest Attacks In Baldur’s Gate 3
Ranking the most powerful and high-damaging actions players, party members, and enemy creatures can take during combat in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Playing with a new group can also mean making new choices, and seeing parts of the game I may have missed on previous playthroughs. Despite visiting multiple times, I’ve still yet to blow up Rosymorn Monastery with the Solar Lance. I’ve also still never chosen to raid the Emerald Grove andrecruit Minthara the easy way, so crossplay may be the perfect chance for an evil playthrough with a new group.
Having so recently decided to shelveBaldur’s Gate 3for a while, I was surprised just how excited I got at the prospect of the new content coming in Patch Eight. It’s a testament to the strength of the game that, despite being pretty sick of its opening, I’m willing to spend another few days’ worth of playtime going through it with a new class and a new group of players. This new patch combined with the new modding tools added in 2024 have me excited about the game’s future.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
