https://www.thegamer.com Baldur's Gate 3 is the long-awaited next chapter in the Dungeons & Dragons-based series of RPGs. Developed by Divinity creator Larian Studios, it puts you in the middle of a mind flayer invasion of Faerûn, over a century after the events of its predecessor. Sun, 13 Aug 2023 18:00:21 GMT en-US hourly 60 In Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3, an intense encounter with Ketheric Thorm results in the villain making a strategic escape deep beneath the Moonrise Towers—into a hidden mindflayer laboratory, full of gruesome secrets.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 18:00:21 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-how-to-solve-the-brain-puzzle-in-the-necrotic-laboratory/ Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3 may have been tough for you, especially if you are new to the Dungeons and Dragons system. Nothing can truly prepare you for Act 2 when you enter the Shadow-Cursed Lands. There are nefarious people and problems within these lands.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 17:30:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-help-he-who-was-kill-madeline/ I played 12 hours of Baldur’s Gate 3 with a custom bard and stumbled on the end of Act 2 by complete accident. I wasn’t trying to rush through this gargantuan RPG like I had a deadline to hit, but there I was at Moonrise Towers with my Penis C in my hands… my party of four squishy under levelled morons scrambling to fight a small army. I spent three hours in a death loop before retreating back to the drawing board.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 17:30:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-class-barbarian-karlach/ Baldur’s Gate 3 runs like a dream on PC. Except when it doesn’t. Performance is usually solid thanks to my RTX 2080 Ti, but an ageing CPU and power supply I’ve had in my rig for the better part of a decade means the poor machine has trouble keeping up sometimes.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 17:01:17 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-pc-upgrade-specs-system-requirements-graphics-performance/ Baldur's Gate 3 is absolutely massive, meaning developer Larian Studios has had plenty of opportunities to sneak in a few fun references and easter eggs to other pieces of media that may have influenced their work at some point. There are the usual suspects included, such as Lord of the Rings, though it seems like there may be a few fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender at Larian as well, as fans have recently discovered what looks to be a cheeky nod to the show.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 15:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-references-easter-egg-avatar-the-last-airbender/ I’m fast approaching my two decade anniversary of playing Warhammer. I’ve dipped in and out of the hobby in that time, mostly when I was a teenager and discovered beer, but the vast majority of those years have been spent hunched over tiny miniatures. So I was the only one of my work D&D party, made up of a fair few newcomers, to know the curse that our DM was spelling when she uttered the words, “anything but a one”.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 15:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-dice-rolls-perfect-tabletop-experience/ In Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3, Wyll's past quickly catches up to him in the form of Mizora, the succubus who serves as his fiendish warlock patron, when she makes an unexpected appearance at your camp to strongarm you into her personal quest.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 14:31:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-find-zariels-asset-location-moonrise-towers-mizora/ Among my social circles, I was always that guy who played the video games that most people hadn’t heard of. Considering that the farthest these social circles ventured into gaming was FIFA, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was kind of a niche game for them. It was during my first few days as a bright-eyed games journalism hopeful in 2017, when I was tasked with writing a list of best RPGs of all time, that I first heard of Baldur's Gate.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 14:31:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/i-dont-know-what-baldurs-gate-is-and-at-this-point-im-too-afraid-to-ask/ When starting Baldur's Gate 3, you'll quickly become acquainted with Zevlor, a former Hellrider commander and the resilient leader of the tiefling refugees. From the outset, he aids in repelling a goblin assault on the druid grove, standing as a bastion of honor and valor.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 14:00:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-rescue-zevlor-moonrise-towers-location/ Dungeons & Dragons has always been a game that has fascinated, and intimidated me in equal measure. There is far too much to remember, so I find it overwhelming. A few years back, I tried a D&D group with some other newbies and a couple of veteran players at the helm, but it fizzled out quickly as the experience gap proved too much for people to bear.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 14:00:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-helping-me-learn-my-dungeons-and-dragon-dnd-role-better/ Dungeons & Dragons parties can be of any size. There's no real limit unless the DM is uncomfortable with eight people wailing on two little goblins. Baldur's Gate 3 is different. You can only have four people in a group, so you have to pick and choose who to bring with you on your adventure. But modders aren't having any of that, as SildurFX has already removed the limit for the full-release version of the game.

]]> Sun, 13 Aug 2023 13:16:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-party-size-limit-remover-mod/ Do you enjoy a challenge, or are you more in it for the story? No matter your playstyle, Baldur's Gate 3 delivers with three unique difficulties. These are Tactician, Balanced, and Explorer. As for which one to choose, there is no real right or wrong answer. They all bring something fun and unique to the game.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 18:00:22 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-difficulty/ In Baldur's Gate 3, you're encouraged by friend and foe alike to harness the powers of your Illithid parasite to decimate enemies and control minds. But, of course, unlocking this immense potential isn't without its price. You'll need to consume other Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens to gain new powers, and they're challenging to find.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 17:46:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-mindflayer-parasite-specimen-all-locations-act-1/ Your biggest problem that needs solving in Baldur's Gate 3 is the Ilithid parasite wriggling around in your brain. You will run into different characters that claim they can cure you, or at least attempt to. Messing around with your eye and brain is dangerous.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 17:35:21 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-omeluum-cure-potion-mushrooms/ Baldur’s Gate 3 has taken the world by storm. Every website is talking about it, it trended on Twitter for almost a week straight after release, and it’s currently the top-selling game on Steam. We at TheGamer haven’t shut up about it either, because there’s just so much to say. Even outside of work, my friends are texting me about it constantly. I cannot escape Baldur’s Gate 3, and I’ve been wondering, would we be hearing this much about the game if its release date hadn’t been pushed up?

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 17:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-hype-shifted-release-date-avoid-starfield/ In the vast world of Baldur's Gate 3, you might often find yourself stumbling upon collectibles whose purposes aren't immediately evident. From soul coins to infernal alloys, the game is rife with hidden treasures. Among these, silver ingots stand out, not for their rarity, but for their abundance.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 17:21:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-silver-ingots-how-to-find-use/ Few bosses in Baldur's Gate 3 are worthy of the ire of players like Balthazar, Commander of the Reborn Dead. Battling him is not usually an easy feat, and with his penchant for cheats and swarms of allied undead, you'll likely be wishing Balthazar was buried a meter deep for every one of his transgressions.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 16:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-how-to-beat-balthazar-flesh-golem-encounter-battle/ It’s still a little early to call it, but 2023 is almost certainly going to go down as the best gaming year since 2017.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 16:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/2023-good-gaming-year-resident-evil-4-tears-of-the-kingdom-baldurs-gate-3/ Baldur's Gate 3 has already amassed an incredibly dedicated modding scene. Even before its full launch, players were modding away in Early Access, tweaking visuals and adding new features. But now, modders have a whole lot more to work with, including the player origins that you choose from in the character creator screen.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 15:49:01 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-mod-origins-custom-lived-as-a-goat/ Baldur's Gate 3 has 12 unique classes for players to choose from, ranging from skilled fighters to arcane spellcasters. Paladins serve as a great starting class for most, capable of fulfilling virtually any role the party requires. Persuade your allies, smite your enemies, or buff your team with a wide range of spell options.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 15:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-paladin-multiclass-options/ The first thing I noticed about Baldur’s Gate 3 was how good it looked. I saw the moist skin of a Mindflayer as it strolled around my prison cell. I watched on, immobile, as he implanted a fanged worm in my retina, no doubt chewing on my optic nerve as we speak. I saw every glint of enamel in the beast’s tiny, gruesome maw as it condemned me to a fate worse than death. Then I noticed how quiet my PC was.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 15:00:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-steam-deck-runs-well/ You just finished an arduous and long fight with a huge group of enemies and your entire party is reeling. In Baldur's Gate 3, you have a few options--each person takes a swig of a health potion, a healer gets to work, or you rest. But if you want to save your potions instead of having everyone stockpile and waste their own, you can just throw them at the ground and heal everybody.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 14:00:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-throw-potions-heal-everybody-aoe/ Baldur's Gate 3 has been a huge success since coming out of early access, amassing a whopping 800,000 all-time peak player count on Steam with console ports still to come. Now the game's been out a little while, developer Larian Studios has managed to put together an interesting list of statistics revealing the game's most popular class, race, and other little factoids. It even has a little section dedicated to everyone's romance options, and there seems to be a clear favorite amongst the community.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 01:25:46 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/shadowheart-romance-most-popular-baldurs-gate-3/ One of the first quests you'll come across in Baldur's Gate 3 will come from Lae'zel, if you recruited her to your team. One of the Tieflings you saved her from was clearly aware of Githyanki, and so Lae'zel is convinced there must be a creche nearby.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 20:31:48 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-find-the-githyanki-creche-quest-location-walkthrough/ Baldur's Gate 3 is a hit, but it isn't just its D&D style combat drawing people in. No, there's a whole lot of us that are really hyped to get a new fancy dress-up sim, creating a bunch of pretty characters before we even think about starting the game. It turns out a whole lot of you had the same idea too, because the player stats are unbelievable.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 18:05:57 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-player-time-spent-in-character-creator-88-years-stats/ Certain items in Baldur's Gate 3 allow the user to build up Lightning Charges, a modifier that enhances their attack power. If the character builds up enough charges in one go, they'll be able to enhance their next attack with additional damage.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 17:30:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-lightning-charges-explained/ A cohort of far right morons got a little too cocky after turning Bud Light into a pilsner non grata among American conservatives through an unhinged boycott over the company sending one (1) customized can of beer to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. As stupid as that boycott was, it did actually manage to hurt the beer’s sales. Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro imagined that Barbie would be similarly hurt with audiences by its progressive themes, confidently predicting a huge second weekend drop. That didn’t happen, and Greta Gerwig’s comedy has now made over a billion dollars. Facts don’t care about your feelings, Shapiro.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 16:51:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/barbie-baldurs-gate-3-go-woke-go-broke-doesnt-exist/ As readers probably know, I’m incapable of shutting up about Bioware’s 2003 game Knights of the Old Republic. I’ve written about it more than the average writer should in 2023, but it was a hugely formative game for me and made me fall in love with RPGs as a child. I remember getting lost in the game for years on end when I first got it, and I’ve returned to it many times since then. I’ve been chasing the high of getting so sucked into a game that I fall completely in love with ever since, and I’m glad to say that Baldur’s Gate 3 might be that game.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:31:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-scratched-knights-of-the-old-republic-star-wars-kotor/ Baldur’s Gate 3 reviews are finally starting to trickle in, and they have been unanimously glowing. So unanimously, in fact, that the game has now taken Tears of the Kingdom’s spot as 2023’s highest-rated game, with a Metacritic score of 97. The game has 18 critic reviews at the time of writing, all above 90, with ten being a full score of 100. It’s not just the highest-rated game of the year, it’s the second-highest-rated PC game of all time right now. Of course, there’s no saying how long this will last – Tears of the Kingdom’s rating is based on 145 critic reviews, and we’ll likely see the score change as more sites post reviews. More importantly, it’s just a review score, and I don’t care about it.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-2023-highest-metacritic-score-tears-of-the-kingdom/ There are plenty of great fantasy RPG games to entertain yourself with. No matter what draws you to the genre, there are a few mainstays to look to. The Diablo series and Baldur's Gate series have both been staples of the RPG community for some time now, and both have a respectable following of fans.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-vs-diablo-4-comparison-better-game/ A big part of understanding the story of Baldur's Gate 3 is by visiting the Githyanki Creche. Whether you agree with Lae'zel's ideas or not, the location Creche Y'llek and Rosymorn Monastery carry some very interesting scenes.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 14:35:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-should-you-obey-vlaakith-kill-dream-visitor-guardian/ The Gauntlet of Shar, otherwise known as Shar's Sanctum, in Baldur's Gate 3, is a large and complicated dungeon within Shadow-Cursed Lands. To complete it, you'll need a vast reserve of time, resources, and sheer determination.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 13:15:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-how-to-complete-shars-sanctum-find-the-nightsong/ Baldur's Gate 3, influenced by its tabletop origins, is full of puzzles that challenge your critical-thinking skills. One such tricky enigma lies in Balthazar's room in Moonrise Towers, where an initial Perception check suggests the age-old book-pushing mechanism puzzle in the bookshelf.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 12:15:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-bookcase-puzzle-balthazars-chambers-unlock/ Throughout your journey in Baldur's Gate 3, you're constantly met with choices that shape your adventure. These decisions, big or small, influence how your companions perceive you and can even pivot the storyline in unexpected directions. One such crossroads emerges in Balthazar's laboratory, the secret room behind his Bookshelf Puzzle.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:45:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-make-the-moonlantern-destroy-the-ritual-circle-choice-consequences/ In Baldur’s Gate 3, players are constantly faced with pivotal choices that can reshape their entire narrative journey. One such significant crossroad occurs when Volothamp Geddarm, more commonly known as Volo, boldly offers to remove the mindflayer parasite from you—a potential game-changing solution to the overarching plot.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:31:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-volo-try-to-extract-the-parasite-tadpole-benefits-drawbacks/ Of the three trials of the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur's Gate 3, few feel as difficult or unfair as the Faith-Leap Trial on a first attempt - especially for those who struggle with measuring distance. With nothing to aid you but your sense of direction, it's all about a deadly trial-and-error.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-shars-gauntlet-the-faith-step-trial-walkthrough/ In the second trial of the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur's Gate 3, you'll be thankful for a little normalcy breaking up the sometimes infuriating skill checks of its preceding and following trials. The task on the agenda? Good old tried and true combat.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:40:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-shars-gauntlet-the-self-same-trial-walkthrough/ While there is almost an overwhelming amount of choice within Baldur's Gate 3, one of the most important decisions you will make throughout your playthrough is deciding which class you want to play. If you are a fan of slinging powerful spells at your enemies then you are in luck, as there are several different magic casters found throughout the game, but none are quite as fun as the Warlock.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:05:21 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-best-warlock-spells/ The first of the Gauntlet of Shar trials in Baldur's Gate 3, the Soft-Step trial will be a potentially frustrating stealth challenge where you must avoid even the shadows. One wrong step will send you reeling back right where you started. Fun, right?

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:30:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-shars-gauntlet-the-soft-step-trial-guide-walkthrough/ Few fights in Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3 boast infamy in difficulty like the veritable mountain of a task that is killing Yurgir the Orthorn. With all odds stacked against you, he's the first real test before reaching Moonrise Towers and the secret at the end of the Gauntlet of Shar.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:24:25 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-yurgir-the-orthon-boss-guide-raphaels-old-enemy/ Baldur's Gate 3 has been in the hands of fans for a decent while now, yet Larian is still hard at work doling out fixes and tweaking any issues that players find on their travels. A number of hotfixes have been dished out over the past week, though the most recent update has fixed a problem that Larian probably couldn't have forseen no matter how much playtesting it did before the full launch.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 23:41:22 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-players-save-files-breaking-hotfix/ Against the tide of corruption and horrific monsters, Paladins stand as a beacon of hope in Baldur's Gate 3. This class is more than a Fighter with a small list of spells. A Paladin is bestowed great powers at the cost of following a strict oath. Stick with your oath, and you'll gain access to powerful subclass features.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 22:15:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-vengeance-paladin-build-weapons-spells-armor/ Movement and positioning can mean the difference between victory and defeat in Baldur's Gate 3. Whether you need to set up the perfect sneak attack or get within range of your best spell, you'll often find that you need just a little bit more movement on your turn than you're allotted.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 18:30:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-momentum-explained/ Like a curious Twitch streamer clicking Hide Clothes, Larian has finally revealed Baldur’s Gate 3 to the world in all its glory. The Dungeons & Dragons RPG has emerged from early access and the Divinity: Original Sin 2 studio was packing a bigger hit than anyone could have imagined. It’s another example of an acclaimed developer leveling up its skill set and audience at the same time, and it has me thinking about last year’s blockbuster example: Elden Ring.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:15:51 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/elden-ring-success-similarities-baldurs-gate-3-larian-from-software/ Are we seriously already talking about DLC for Baldur’s Gate 3? Are we already talking about expanding a game that, as far as I can tell, encompasses the entire sentient experience in a fantasy setting? That’s on people’s minds?

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:00:52 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/stop-talking-about-baldurs-gate-3-dlc/ The Blighted Village in Baldur's Gate 3 is home to a ton of dangerous secrets—teleporting spiders, theatrical ogres, and mocking mirrors, oh my! Despite this, it's also a treasure trove for the observant adventurer. Amidst its enigmas, the village holds the key to forging Masterwork Weapons, which can greatly aid you in your goblin-infested travels to come.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:00:51 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-masterwork-weapon-quest-guide-walkthrough/ Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game-changer. I’ve only scratched the surface of this sprawling RPG, and I’m already hooked. From giving my carefully-crafted character silly hats that undermine their seriousness to forging strong alliances in the earliest stages of the game, I can’t wait to see what the giant world of Faerûn has to offer.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 15:30:40 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-should-raise-the-standard-of-rpgs/ When was the last time you heard a Scouser in a video game? I remember exactly when. It was 14 months ago, after I wrote a long feature about the lack of Scouse representation in games. I was only able to name Conker’s Bad Fur Day and some grunts in Worms at this time, before I came across Jason Isaacs’ portrayal of faulty robot Skew in The Last Worker. The game was ultimately disappointing, but I appreciated Isaacs’ accent nonetheless.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 15:01:22 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-already-has-more-scousers-than-99-percent-of-games/ Every gamer I know is furiously working their way through Baldur’s Gate 3 right now, and for good reason. The game has been getting praise for its flexibility, the depth of its choice and consequence system, how it’s embraced different playstyles, and even its approach to nudity. Larian has pulled off creating an unthinkably complex game, but one thing that sticks with me more than anything else is the greatness of its acting performances.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 14:31:12 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-ai-no-place-voice-acting-performances-motion-capture/ Like its Dungeons & Dragons inspiration, Baldur's Gate 3 has you develop proficiency in select skills for both combat and socializing. Character creation choices dictate which of the 18 available skills gain mastery slots, with only a few feasible per individual. Carefully choosing proficiencies can make or break challenges by unlocking additional possibilities through roleplaying and lucrative opportunities.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:30:27 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-skills-master/ Although Baldur's Gate 3 has an interesting cast of companions, none are quite as fearsome and adorable as the owlbear cub. Unfortunately, getting the cub takes some effort and a lot of time, but adding the mystical owlbear to your camp is entirely worth it.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:00:27 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-owlbear-cub-guide-tips/ If you plan on getting every single spell in Baldur's Gate 3 as soon as possible, hold off for now. It turns out that if you spend gold to add scroll spells to your permanent collection, you can run into a bug when levelling up. Part of the process demands you pick a spell, but if you have them all, you can't pick any, so you'll get stuck without a way to follow through or quit the menu, losing all progress since your last save.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 12:30:53 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-too-many-spells-breaks-levelling-up/ You might've heard that Larian Studios is being sued over Baldur's Gate 3 being too good. It is 2023's highest-rated game, after all. But the lawsuit is a complete fabrication, stemming from a satirical TikTok video.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:56:59 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/larian-studios-lawsuit-baldurs-gate-3-tiktok-satire/ Baldur's Gate 3 combines the mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons 5e with turn-based strategy games in a complicated dance of rules and options that could get the better of even veteran players. For those playing on Normal and Tactician difficulties, using every dirty trick in the book is necessary to win some combats.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:01:35 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-combat-tips-tricks/ Early on in Baldur's Gate 3, players may find themselves facing down an iconic monster of Faerun—a hag. Hags are tricky fey creatures, and Auntie Ethel embodies with her illusions and lies. When all else fails, she'll try to bait you into her hidden lair where tons of deadly traps lay in wait.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:55:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-noxious-fumes-guide/ Spellcasting in Baldur's Gate 3 is an art that offers a wealth of versatility, but there are still boundaries on these magical arsenals. There are two types of spellcasting systems: "known spells," where casters have a fixed set of spells always at the ready, and "prepared spells," which permit casters to select a handful from a broader list for use in combat scenarios.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:43:11 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-prepare-spells/ Baldur's Gate 3 didn't just hit a peak player count of 800,000 in a week, it dethroned Tears of the Kingdom as 2023's highest-rated game with a Metacritic score of 97.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:14:57 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-overtakes-tears-of-the-kingdom-2023-highest-rated-game/ Baldur's Gate 3 is exceeding even developer Larian Studios' expectations at the moment, bringing in a record breaking number of players on Steam, with both PlayStation and Xbox ports still to come. It's mostly down to the game barely putting a foot wrong on the gameplay side, though there is one small controversy that has threatened to derail the game's success somewhat, as it was recently discovered that the localization team for the game's Brazilian Portugese translation has been left out of the final credits.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 00:09:22 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-demand-names-localizers-left-out-of-credits/ One of the main problems you and your heroes face in Baldur's Gate 3 is being infected by a Mind Flayer Parasite. You will come across many different quests that are all in an attempt to cure you of your disease. One of the first quests that leads to this is Lae'zel's attempt to find the nearest Githyanki Creche.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 20:00:23 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-githyanki-creche-infirmary-choices-guide/ Thorm Mausoleum in Baldur's Gate 3 is an optional side dungeon with a secret darker than the Shadow-Cursed Lands that it inhabits. Nestled far away from prying eyes, you'll have to go out of your way to challenge one of the game's longest and most challenging dungeons.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 19:45:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-thorm-mausoleum-puzzle-dungeon/ If you allied with the Tieflings and Druids in Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3, you'll get to enjoy a warm party in celebration of your heroics. This hopeful conclusion, however, quickly changes its tone when the next chapter finds many Tiefling refugees captured by Absolute cultists during their journey to Baldur's Gate.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 19:30:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-guide-rescuing-wulbren-tieflings-moonrise-towers/ As soon as you start up Baldur's Gate 3, you are met with mystery. After spending hours in character creation to make your perfect hero, you then have to create another character known as your Guardian. But who exactly is this person?

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 19:16:17 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-guardian-explained-good-evil/ Baldur’s Gate 3 sank its hooks into me immediately. The opening cinematic is beautiful, with creative interpretations of classic fantasy tropes without straying from the established Dungeons & Dragons world it inhabits. The game runs phenomenally well, and I’m surprised by how well optimised it is – that’s an incredibly boring thing to notice about a game, but for all the beautiful graphics and interactable objects in the world, my PC has barely broken a sweat.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 17:30:17 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-character-ruined-with-an-ugly-hat/ “Lady Dimitrescu built a career for me overnight,” actor Maggie Robertson tells me about her turn as Resident Evil Village’s tall dommy mommy. “She was my first foray into gaming, she was my first foray as a professional actor in LA, and changed my life in every possible way.”

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 17:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/maggie-robertson-lady-dimitrescu-interview-queer-icon-resident-evil-baldurs-gate/ In the movie About Time, the men of the Lake family are able to travel backwards through time. On his 21st birthday, Domnhall Gleeson's Tim Lake finds out he has this power, and decides to use it to improve his romantic prospects. I've always related more to the way his father James (Bill Nighy) chooses to use the gift: reliving days repeatedly just to get more reading done.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:15:17 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/whenever-i-start-one-crpg-like-baldurs-gate-3-i-want-to-play-them-all/ Baldur’s Gate 3 has taken over my life, and the lives of many of my friends. One assumed that I had a pre-release build and verbally accosted me for saying I wouldn’t break embargo for him. (It’s hard to blame him.) Another has been giving me regular updates on the horrible things his Dark Urge character has done and exactly how many companions he’s accidentally murdered. I’m watching Instagram stories where people I know have been posting pictures of their lovingly-crafted custom characters for admiration. More than anything though, people have been talking about which characters they’ve been able to bone down with, and I simply cannot relate.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:00:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/romance-baldurs-gate-3/ Baldur’s Gate 3 is a bigger hit than anyone could have ever imagined. Even Larian Studios was blown away by the reception as it planned for 100,000 concurrent players and was greeted by a whopping 800,000. People love this game, many of whom hail from established D&D circles or happen to be experiencing an RPG like this for the very first time. Either way, it’s doing gangbusters, and the video game industry will take notice very quickly.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 15:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-combat-difficulty-story-exploration/ Baldur's Gate 3 can be a tough game. While it's not as punishingly difficult as other titles out there, its high level of unpredictability and the chance of wandering into an encounter for which you aren't ready can lead to plenty of resets throughout a campaign. That's doubly true if you're playing on Tactician Mode, the game's highest difficulty setting.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 14:30:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-tactician-hard-mode-tips/ Feats in Baldur’s Gate 3 can give a lot of flavor and even power to a character. You can choose a feat at levels four, eight and twelve. It is a difficult choice since you’d need to forgo gaining stat improvements over the effects of a given feat, and you might be already juggling with a lot of rules from the get go.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 14:00:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-feats-ranked/ Baldur's Gate 3 is full of dungeons and mysteries, and nowhere could puzzles be more fitting than the great Shar Sanctum within the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Deep within the Sanctum, you'll come across an odd room unlike the others: the Silent Library.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 08:15:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-silent-library-puzzle-solution/ Baldur's Gate 3 makes no secret of its wonderful world-building, boasting all sorts of perilous locations and exciting secrets from the Forgotten Realms. Among these fascinating finds are the mysterious Soul Coins, five of which can be found in Act One—one in the Druid Grove, one in the Risen Road tollhouse, and three in the Overgrown Ruins dungeon.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 06:24:50 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-all-soul-coin-locations-act-1/ As fun as the many different party members in Baldur's Gate 3 might be, none of them take up the Bard class. If you want to fill that game in party balance, why not do so as a College of Lore Bard? This subclass offers a more support-centric option, providing a wide variety of spells and abilities perfect for hindering your enemies. Blind, hypnotize, and insult your enemies into submission while your tank goes in for the easy kill.

]]> Wed, 09 Aug 2023 01:00:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-college-of-lore-bard-build-weapons-spells-armor/ Choosing the right Wizarding School is an important decision for every Baldur’s Gate 3 player, since, even if you’re not a Wizard, you’ll most certainly have one in your party: Gale. He’s a Human Wizard that you’ll meet fairly early on in your adventure, so early in fact that he’d be only level two.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 23:30:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-wizard-schools-usefulness-ranked/ In Baldur’s Gate 3, your character can come from 13 different backgrounds, and each background impacts how your character will react with the world. These interactions will be with NPCs, quests, and traits available to your progression. Each background comes with its own set of goals to achieve inspiration.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 23:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-backgrounds-ranked/ The latest entry in the long-running and much-loved Baldur's Gate franchise, after two games and several DLCs and expansions that have lasted more than two decades, Baldur's Gate 3 is making a profound impact. Character customization, a feature that the franchise inherited from the D&D universe on which it is based, is one of the reasons BG3 has endeared itself to players.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 22:31:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-cantrips/ If you spared Arabella, the young and thieving tiefling girl, back at the Emerald Grove Environs in Baldur's Gate 3, you'll run into her again in a most unexpected place. You'll then be sent on one of the game's darkest and most mysterious quests.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 21:30:21 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-shadow-cursed-lands-location-arabellas-parents/ It’s finally here. Baldur’s Gate 3, possibly the most anticipated CRPG of the last decade, if not longer, is finally within your grasp. You’ve probably seen people hyping this game up since it landed in Early Access in 2020 - a hype that’s only grown since the game was fully released.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 20:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-worth-it/ If you played Baldur's Gate 3 in Early Access, then you know that Auntie Ethel can be one of the hardest boss fights in Act 1. Auntie Ethel or The Hag is an optional boss fight. She is hidden in plain sight. If you don't have the right Perception and game sense, you may not even realize she is a threat, and you may leave her to her own devices.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 20:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-hag-tips-guide/ Baldur's Gate 3 is a wonderfully-written game - every character with more than a few lines seems to be thought out meticulously, with complex pasts and varied motivations that make them interesting to be around. Of course, some of the most compelling examples of this are with your potential companions.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 19:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-recruit-every-party-member-companion/ Baldur's Gate 3 is filled with quests. Big, improtant ones that have you saving the weak, and smaller ones that have you following clues to some promised treasure. These usually take the form of equippable magic items, such as weapons or rings.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 18:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-blood-of-lathander-quest-walkthrough/ Upon its release, Baldur's Gate 3 introduced Karlach, a tiefling barbarian who has since charmed her way into the hearts of players. Winning her over takes a little more than flowers and wine, however; this hellish soldier carries a burden from her past—one that could land the party in hot water if left unchecked.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 18:00:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-where-to-find-dammon-karlach-quest/ I’ve been loving Baldur’s Gate 3, despite the growing pains that come with playing such a punishing game with only a bare minimum knowledge of the mechanics. After spending a full day getting my ass kicked in a goblin camp, I followed my colleague Jade King’s advice and dropped my difficulty level to Narrative so I can actually get on with the game. Now, instead of sitting in front of my PC, groaning in frustration with my head in my hands, I’m completely sold. I’ve never played a game that’s made me feel as if every choice I make really matters, or at the very least where I can’t predict what ending my choices will get me. I am constantly stressed about making the best decision for the people around me, because there is no binary good or evil path for me to walk. That’s a truly extraordinary feat.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 16:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/dark-urge-best-possible-addition-baldurs-gate-3-bg3-evil-dark-choices/ A lot of things in Baldur's Gate 3 are hiding under the surface. You undoubtedly will not uncover everything there is to find within your first playthrough of the game. The strange ox in Druid Grove is one of these unique occurrences.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 16:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-strange-ox-druids-grove-explained/ Despite having only been in the hands of players for the best part of a week, talk is already moving on to whether or not Baldur's Gate 3 will possibly get any expansions in the near future. Baldur's Gate and its sequel both got pretty hefty expansions following their release on PC back in 1998 and 2000 respectively, though it seems like it may not be the same case for Baldur's Gate 3.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:19:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-expansion-very-hard-to-make/ Baldur's Gate 3 can take around 200 hours to beat if you are trying to complete everything. You probably won't feel like the same person once it's over. Good thing the game has replayability, and there are tons of things you can do to fill the void.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:00:21 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-endgame-content/ Characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 have an enormous personality, so much so that they sometimes feel like real people. You spend so much time talking to them and getting involved in their stories that it’s hard not to find one that resonates with you the most. And these decisions are closely tied to your Zodiac sign.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 23:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-character-based-on-zodiac-sign/ Baldur's Gate 3 offers 12 classes and 45 subclasses with thousands of combinations and the ability to multiclass. With the addition of unique mechanics outside the rules of Dungeons & Dragons, even experienced players have a hard time deciding which class to choose.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 23:00:22 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-beginner-classes-ranked-best/ The Toll House is a location within The Risen Roads in Baldur's Gate 3. The Risen Roads is North of the Blighted Village and contains a key companion, Karlach. You may have noticed an Ornate Hatch inside the Toll House that leads to a weird cellar.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 22:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-unlock-vault-door-in-toll-house/ Leaving Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3 means traversing through a cursed land filled with darkness, as Halsin states. Everywhere you go, people are telling you to find some sort of protection against the shadows before you venture forth. That may leave you with some questions, though.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 22:00:21 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-protect-against-shadow-curse/ Baldur's Gate 3 is the hotly-awaited sequel to the cult-classic duology of CRPGs from the turn of the millennium. It is massive in scope, has you exploring gorgeous and dangerous areas, and features a deep, interesting cast of characters, many of which you can travel with, fight with, and even romance.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 20:30:21 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-complete-guide-walkthrough/ When it comes to a CRPG like Baldur's Gate 3, chance is all part of the package. The dice rolls are almost constant, and you even have to click on a big d20 to make the most important rolls of your roleplaying experience. Luck is paramount, and learning how to stack the odds in your favor is a feature, not a bug.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 20:00:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-karmic-weighted-dice-option/ Early on in the first act of Baldur's Gate 3, the player can visit an abandoned temple of Selune (the goddess of the moon) that has been taken over by goblins. With a little exploration, you'll come across a small room with a puzzle inside it - there are four circular plates on the floor of the room, with four symbols showing full moons, half moons, and new moons on each.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:01:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-how-to-solve-moon-door-puzzle/ Baldur's Gate 3 is stuffed to the gills with interesting characters, many of which are potential recruits to your party. These characters have interesting, well-written personal stories and serve specific, pre-defined roles in battle, perfect for getting you through the game's many challenges.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:30:20 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-hirelings-location-cost-limit-classes/ According to Steam, I am 40 hours into my first proper Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough. I’ve spent almost two days with my Dragonborn Monk, who loves to get a bit murdery every now and then (through no fault of his own!). He’s level eight at the moment, and he’s powerful. He can attack three times a turn, turn his Ki into glorious magic effects, and is decked out with more magic items than Gale could ever gulp down.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:30:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-level-cap-too-low-balance/ Baldur's Gate 3 takes place in the world of Faerun, which is one of Dungeons & Dragons' official worlds. It is a rich world, filled with lore, and it has a great many deities watching over it.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:01:21 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-every-patron-deity/ Everyone and their dog is playing Baldur’s Gate 3 right now. The RPG blew developer Larian Studio’s expectations and amassed 500,000 concurrent players on Steam within just days of its launch. Sitting pretty amongst the likes of Counter Strike: Global Offensive and DOTA 2, we’ve never seen a game of this ilk take over the world so successfully before. It’s wonderful to see a game all about making your own decisions on a grand adventure so easily capturing the imagination of millions, and that’s before it even comes to consoles where a mainstream audience is free to embrace it. When that happens, the floodgates will truly be able to open.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 16:46:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-best-way-to-play/ I have mixed feelings about fantasy racism. Media can and should be used to make people confront their biases, and it doesn’t bother me when people throw fantasy slurs around. The issue should be treated with the appropriate weight and gravity and not played off like it’s no big deal, but I typically try to interpret fantasy racism in good faith, assuming it’s an earnest attempt to portray a harmful behaviour that is all too pervasive in the real world. Some players are uncomfortable with it, though, as they don’t want to face racism in games when they already face it in real life. That’s totally valid. But as a mixed-race person who does face some degree of racism, I find it validating to see my experiences portrayed in games.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 16:31:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/fantasy-racism-baldurs-gate-3-affected-me-tiefling-slur/ With its roots deep in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, Baldur's Gate 3 is—naturally—replete with tons of dungeons, and venturing into these damp confines can often present both exciting challenges and rich rewards. One of the earliest introductions to this world of subterranean exploration is the Dank Crypt, also known as the Overgrown Ruins.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 16:31:19 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-explre-the-ruins-guide-crypt-hooded-skeleton/ As you come across the Risen Road in Baldur's Gate 3, just a little northwest of the Blighted Village, you'll find some trouble on the road in the form of some hyenas and Gnolls. There are civilians to save and rewards to be had, though, so get your party in gear and get ready for some action.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:52:18 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-find-the-missing-shipment-quest-caravan-strongbox-walkthrough/ For Dungeons & Dragons fans, the Zhentarim will be a familiar name — a mercenary company also known as the Black Network. In Baldur's Gate 3, you can also meet some of the Zhentarim, and, more importantly, discover their secret hideout for some sweet loot.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:46:01 GMT https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-bg3-zhentarim-hideout-location-unlock-guide/