“Why should I play Baldur’s Gate 3?” Is a question that I surprisingly hear quite a lot. Despite Larian Studios’ game being highly acclaimed and recognized as one of the best RPGs of all time, there are still people put off by its massive world and (admittedly) complex character builder. However, after seven playthroughs and over a decade as a D&D fan myself, I firmly believe that Baldur’s Gate 3 is the perfect opening for folks who have no knowledge of the Forgotten Realms beforehand.
Of course, DnD fans will love Larian Studios’ masterpiece as well, but it acts as a great gateway for non-tabletop gamers to experience one of the longest-running and most popular RPG franchises in existence. D&D has been around since the ’70s and is an intimidating beast, so seeing Baldur’s Gate 3 using it as a base for its gameplay and story can feel like you’re going to be buried by a tsunami of lore, mechanics and never-ending homework. But that’s far from the truth, and hopefully I can convince you of that.
Below I have rounded up five reasons why everyone should play Baldur’s Gate 3, whether you know D&D or not. I’ve taken my own experiences and my non-D&D playing team mates’ thoughts into account, so hopefully, no matter what viewpoint you are coming from, you’ll feel confident about venturing into one of the best CRPGs by the time you’re done here.
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Why you should play Baldur’s Gate 3
A beginner-friendly system
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In the world of tabletop RPG systems, Dungeons and Dragon’s 5th Edition is one of the best for new TTRPG players in general. A lot of its mechanics, especially combat, are simpler than past editions, as it is less dense in crunchy features, and leveling up offers limited choices that also affect the overall complexity. Basically, D&D 5e still has a ton to keep track of, which will ask for your attention, but it doesn’t throw the whole kitchen sink at you either. CRPGs are intimidating, but I had no issues recommending Baldur’s Gate 3 to my non-D&D-playing friends when I learned that it used most of the D&D 5e rules. Baldur’s Gate 3 uses a modified version that actually makes it even more simple for newbies too.
Firstly, spellcasters can now change out spells without long rests, and don’t need certain components for some. The action economy in combat is also made a lot clearer, and if you are a damage-dealing Cleric main like myself, summoning spells like Spiritual Weapon don’t require you to use a bonus action on your turn anymore. As a seasoned D&D player, Baldur’s Gate 3’s simple system had me trying classes and builds that I had never looked at before. I didn’t feel like I needed my encyclopedic knowledge about Clerics to succeed. It’s a game that doesn’t punish you for getting to grips with it as you go along at your own pace.
Non-combat options
A lot of non-D&D players, or potentially turn-based gamer newbies, can get intimidated when looking at the combat in Baldur’s Gate 3. After all, this is a CRPG, and that means every move is strategic. Your actions are class and level-dependent, there are actions, bonus actions, and environmental debuffs to affect you. And I haven’t even gotten started on spell slots and cantrips if you pick a magic-using class. However, one of the beautiful things about Baldur’s Gate 3 is that if you don’t want to engage in high-stakes combat all the time, you don’t really have to.
I personally love playing as a Bard in the game, and during my first playthrough, without any guides, I still managed to talk my way out of three major boss fights in Act 2. In fact, during The House of Healing mission chain, I didn’t have to kill a single person, I just got lucky with my rolls and convinced them to do my job for me. When massive boss fights can be brushed off with high charisma, Baldur’s Gate 3 gets significantly less intimidating and a lot more approachable to first-time role players and non D&D fans. Non-combat routes also let you see a part of the D&D experience many don’t fully appreciate without first-hand knowledge: how it isn’t always about combat, as the gift of the gab can lead to exciting and hilarious situations. So if you’re a little daunted by the combat, I highly recommend playing or multiclassing as a Bard, Paladin, or Sorcerer.
Well-written (and hot) characters
If you aren’t sold on the concept of playing one of the best D&D games out there, perhaps I can persuade you with an attractive vampire, or a broody stunning cleric? Baldur’s Gate 3’s companions are some of the hottest in the game, made not only attractive by character designs but also by their amazing backstories and character development. Let’s be honest, romance and flirting mechanics make any game better. It adds an extra human element to a story and makes the world feel richer as relationships form, progress, and possibly crumble due to bad choices. Romance is also easy to invest in, and when you are unfamiliar with the world of the Forgotten Realms, having personal connections is an easy way to get drawn in, D&D knowledge or not.
Although I do love Baldur’s Gate 3’s combat, the main thing that really pulled me in during my first playthrough was how attached and invested I became to the whole party. I had a crush on all of them by the end, and still plan to romance them all (after my sixth Astarian run, I swear). If you love romantasy, or just great writing in general, but are nervous to stick your toes into this game, I really hope you take the plunge, because you’ll get to experience growth, tragedy, sweet moments, and full romantic arcs with some spice sprinkled in. It’s one of the best RPGs with romance out there, and after you’ve spent hours in the character creator making the next top model of the Forgotten Realms, having a group of hot singles after your attention is no bad thing.
Replayability
Before I played Dungeons and Dragons, I was intimidated by the concept of getting something wrong my first time, and messing up the game for myself and the rest of the party. And after talking to fellow D&D fans, I know that I’m not alone in that initial experience. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 (aside from offering a single-player mode to figure things out in peace) really does show you how there is no wrong way to play this game, and encourages you to keep finding new ways to solve conflicts or discover alternative story paths.
Every conflict and interaction in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be approached in multiple ways; there are around about 17,000 ending variations, after all. There really is a feeling that you can do what you want as you talk your way out of combat, use a bunch of barrels to explode a goblin fortress, or get unique dialogue options based on the class you decide to pick. So not only do you really get your money’s worth as you’re incentivized to replay and experience a totally different viewpoint of the story, but the game comfortably lets you experiment and discover the joys of roleplaying in a D&D setting without worrying about having to prove yourself, or “get things right” based on preconceived tabletop woes.
Mods
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a modding playground, and it’s super easy to use (even if you’ve never used mods before), thanks to the in-game mod manager. Using mods, you can tailor your experience further. So, if you’re worried about some kind of D&D mechanic popping up, or if there is a feature that bugs you (e.g. carryweight, or certain classes), you can opt to customize them in and out of your game as you please. Certain mods can just make life easier for you, too, with gear made readily available to you from the get-go, for example.
As a Sims 4 player, I love exploring character creator mods, and as a seasoned CRPG player, I also love upping combat challenges with mods like “Stronger Bosses and Enemies”. Then on the sillier and more whimsical side of things, there are mods in Baldur’s Gate 3 that let you play as everything under the sun (our Jasmine Gould-Wilson enjoys being a Kuo-Toa every now and again). Modding also allows you to make the game more like D&D if you find yourself enjoying that aspect and want a more faithful set of system rules and spells. Both fun and practical, what more could you want?
For more, check out our list of the best ways to replay Baldur’s Gate 3, or look at our recommendations of the best games to play like Baldur’s Gate 3 next.
