Game completed: Baldur's Gate 3

My journey with this game has been quite something. When it was released as early access I was moderately curious after having played the first one several years ago. But I wanted to wait for proper release. When it did release properly last autumn I was busy playing Starfield and I ended up completely pissed off at this game due to everyone comparing Starfield with it and everything that was wrong with Starfield was because it did things differently from Baldur's Gate 3 according to these people. I wasn't going to play it at all as a protest, but as much as everyone talked about the game my curiosity eventually won me over and I started to play it in December. 

I'm in no way new to the turnbased combat mechanic and as usual Luck was absolutely not on my side. 95% chance to hit? You bet your ass I'm gonna miss. I think I even missed a few 99% chance hits. And sooooo many dice rolls ended up as either complete fumbles or fails because Luck/RNG just hates me. 

The whole companion and camp mechanic gave me strong Dragon Age Origins vibes already from the get-go. Honestly if Dragon Age 4 ends up being like Baldur's Gate 3 I'll be so happy. Open world but still staying true to the roots. Modern but still sticking with the old style that people love/d. 

There will be spoilers in the mix from this point forward.

It soon became clear that the characters were the pivotal driving force of the game. As much as the open world was amazing and full of things to do and discover, and as much as the over-arching story drew the player forward, it's the companions that made the game. Jaheira and Minsc were a great throwback to the first game. Sarevok not so much. I was so happy when I went to Jaheira's hideout in the Lower City and found out she married Khalid. 

I wasn't too keen on Shadowheart at first, but while in the Shadow-Cursed Lands she really grew on me and her whole character arc drew me in. By the time we got to Act 3 she was one of my favourites. Laezel was equally difficult. I didn't expect to care so much for her and surprised myself when Orin kidnapped her in Act 3 and my reaction was to immediately go save her because don't your dare kill my githyanki. Karlach and Halsin are both big cuddly teddybears and I liked them from the start. Wyll was an outlier and it took me the longest to get to like him. Gale was instantly a favourite of mine and for the one hour I had him without the entire team assmbled in Act 1 I thought he'd be the one I'd romance in this game. Then I met Astarion and immediately fell in love with him. His introduction reminds me of Fenris' introduction in Dragon Age 2. 

After I got Astarion every choice I made in the game was the one I thought he would like the most. Except for the choice whether to allow him to go through Cazador's ritual or not. Sorry, but no, I like you the way you are and I'm not replacing one monster with another.

The Emperor was a really cool character, but I put Laezel above him and freed Orpheus. Which made the Emperor leave me for the Netherbrain. I saw it coming and was still sad I had to fight and kill him in the final fight. And he was so mad when I made the deal with Raphael, but dude calm your tits. I fully intended to break into the House of Hope and destroy the contract when I made that deal. Chill. 

My favourite parts of the game were when I talked the Toll Collector into defeating herself, the fight against the Surgeon, confronting Cazador, the fight against Myrkul, and the entire Shadow-Cursed Lands. The Toll-Collector was such a wtf moment, when I passed the persuasion rolls and she ended up blowing herself up without the need for a fight. The Surgeon fight was creepy in every way and I loved it just because of that. Confronting Cazador brought out a whole lot of stuff on Astarion and it was such huge growth in his character. The fight against Myrkul was the first "oh shit oh shit oh shit" moment of the game for me. The Shadow-Cursed Lands were bleak to start but it's also where the game really gets going. Act 1 is sort of a prolonged prologue, Act 2 and the Shadow-Cursed Lands is where the story really kicks off and all the companions come into their own as actual people and not just NPCs and it's just so great. Ngl the fight against Orin was damn cool too.

As for the endings, I chose to destroy the Crown of Karsus with the help of Orpheus who had turned into a mindflayer. Afterwards he asked me to kill him and so I did. Astarion is still a spawn but in a relationship with Tav and out adventuring with her and trying to find a way to let him walk in the sun again. Shadowheart has gone to Selûne with her parents watching over her as moon wisps. Laezel has joined her people as the Comet and his fighting against Vlaakith. Gale retrieved the pieces of the Crown, reforged it, and gave it to Mystra. She freed him of the Orb and now he's a teacher. I broke Wyll's contract with Mizora, he lost his warlock powers and re-educated himself into a Ranger and is still a Blade of the Frontier. I didn't want to force Karlach to go back to Avernus and couldn't find a way to fix her engine so she died. 

I'll probably replay this game a few more times, but as for now this is it. I had a lot of fun with Baldur's Gate 3 and while I don't agree with the people who say that this is the best game ever made and we can just give up now because nothing will ever top this - I do agree it's a good game.