BALDUR'S GATE III

It’s finally here, but was it worth the wait?

- Fraser Brown

NEED TO KNOW

EXPECT TO PAY $60

DEVELOPER Larian Studios

PUBLISHER In-house

LINK baldursgate3.game

Out now in Early Access, Baldur’s Gate III feels like it’s trying to make up for lost time. There are no humble beginnings here—instead we’re treated to psychic squid monsters, interdimensional ships, and jaunts into the Underdark. And that’s before even visiting the city itself, which is currently inaccessible.

As the series’ new Dungeon Master, Larian Studios wants to make an impression quickly, setting you on a high-stakes adventure with a sense of urgency that can only come from being implanted with a tadpole that’s turning you into a mind flyer, one of those aforementioned psychic squid monsters. It’s only undermined by my compulsion to stop every few minutes to push people off ledges.

The ability to shove people has made its way over from D&D proper, and with Baldur’s Gate III’s very tall design, there are plenty of opportunities to use it. Sneaking up on, say, an oblivious gnome and knocking them into the abyss is the most obvious use, but it can also come in handy if you want to push someone into some fire or poison, or line up some enemies for an attack that strikes a row.

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