Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the most anticipated role-playing games coming to PC, and this week Larian Studios gave us our first extended look at the game via a cinematic trailer and gameplay screenshots. The CGI opening to the game sets the tone for Baldur's Gate 3 —
"a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power."
In the game, you are abducted and infected, turning into a monster from a Mind Flayer parasite that has been planted in your brain. But the same parasite infecting you is also providing you with powers that will aid you on your journey. A brief overview teases what sounds like an epic adventure.
Gather your party for a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Abducted, infected, lost... You are turning into a monster, drawn from a Mind Flayer parasite planted in your brain, but as the corruption inside you grows, so too does your power. That power may help you to survive, but there will be a price to pay. More than any ability, the bonds of trust that you build within your party could be your greatest strength. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms together. Resist and turn darkness against itself — or embrace corruption and become the ultimate evil.
Based on the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing system, Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to select from a wide range of races and classes or one of the origin characters with their own unique trait, agenda, and view of the world. The choices you make throughout the game will ultimately impact their story and overall narrative experience both as it relates to the individual character and the world itself. Because of the sheer amount of decisions you will be making, and the roll of the dice, no two adventures in Baldur's Gate 3 will be the same.
"The Forgotten Realms are a vast, detailed and diverse world, and there are secrets to be discovered all around you -- even verticality is a vital part of exploration," Larian teases. "Adventure, loot, battle, romance… how you survive, and the mark you leave on the world, is up to you."
Gameplay in Baldur's Gate 3 is an "evolved" form of turn-based combat based on the D&D 5E ruleset, with team-based initiative, advantage and disadvantage, and roll modifiers. You can play solo with a party or online with up to four other players. In any case, you can pause the world around you at any time, search for a tactical advantage before combat, and plan your attack or strategy accordingly. Of course, playing with other humans comes a certain aspect of unpredictabilty and chaos.
Forged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that truly reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through the Forgotten Realms of Dungeons & Dragons in Larian’s biggest adventure yet.
Baldur's Gate 3 will be coming to early access on PC later this year. It will not be released for Xbox One or PS4, but could eventually make its way to Xbox Series X and PS5.