Baldur’s Gate 3 is Larian Studios’ 2023 party-based RPG, and it’s widely considered the new high-water mark for the entire genre. Set in the Forgotten Realms and built on a faithful adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition rules, it follows a group of travelers infected with a mind flayer parasite, racing to find a cure before they transform into monsters themselves.
You recruit companions, each with real personalities, backstories, and their own agendas, and build a party around turn-based, tactical combat that rewards genuine creativity. Larian spent years in Early Access refining the game before its full 2023 launch, and that development time shows in just how much the game reacts to what you actually do.
It swept major Game of the Year awards and remains one of the best-reviewed RPGs ever released, holding its own against genre companions like Divinity: Original Sin 2, though it’s not without real friction points worth knowing about before you buy.
Curious how it stacks up against the rest of the genre? See where it lands in our ranking of the best party-based RPG games you can play right now.
Is Baldur’s Gate 3 Worth It?
Yes, for the vast majority of players. Critical consensus is about as strong as it gets: 96 on OpenCritic’s “Mighty” tier from 164 critics, and outlets across the board describe it as a landmark achievement, a “modern masterpiece,” and the most successful adaptation of tabletop D&D ever put to screen. It swept Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023 and multiple other major ceremonies.
What earns that praise is genuine reactivity. Quests rarely have one solution, companions remember and react to your choices, and the game’s willingness to let you attempt almost anything, talk your way past a fight, set a room on fire, turn invisible and simply walk by, gives it a freedom few RPGs actually deliver on. The writing and voice acting are consistently strong, and the adapted D&D 5th Edition combat system is widely praised as more satisfying than the older real-time-with-pause systems earlier CRPGs relied on.
Where it’s genuinely more mixed: the game’s three acts aren’t evenly polished. Act 2 leans into a much darker, more horror-driven tone that not everyone loves, and Act 3, set in the sprawling city of Baldur’s Gate itself, is widely cited as the least refined section, both narratively (some reviewers found it uneven and bug-prone at points) and technically (it’s the most CPU-heavy part of the game, and frame rates can dip there even on strong hardware). A small number of players who came from Larian’s earlier Divinity: Original Sin 2 have also found BG3’s combat comparatively slower or more repetitive by comparison, though that’s a minority view against the overwhelming consensus. None of this changes the overall verdict, but going in aware of the Act 3 rough edges will set the right expectations.
Gameplay & Features
Character creation lets you build a fully custom adventurer, or choose one of several pre-written Origin characters, each with their own storyline woven directly into the main plot. From there, you recruit up to three companions from a genuinely well-written cast, each pulled from Faerûn’s D&D lore, and manage their builds, gear, and relationships across the whole campaign.
Combat runs on adapted D&D 5th Edition rules: initiative order, action economy, spell slots, and genuine tactical positioning, height, cover, and environmental interactions like fire, water, and explosive barrels all matter in a fight. Full multiplayer, including online and local split-screen co-op for up to four players, lets friends each control their own character through the entire campaign.
- A fully reactive campaign where quests, dialogue, and companion relationships shift based on your choices
- Turn-based combat adapted faithfully from D&D 5th Edition rules
- Six pre-written Origin characters alongside full custom character creation
- Online and local split-screen co-op for up to four players
- Around 100+ hours for a single playthrough, with meaningfully different outcomes on replay
If you’re after more deep, character-driven RPGs, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the direct predecessor that laid the groundwork for BG3’s design.
PC System Requirements
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a large, content-dense RPG, but Larian kept the hardware bar surprisingly reasonable. The main thing to plan around is storage, not raw processing power.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-4690 or AMD FX 8350 | Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 480 (4 GB+ VRAM) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 GB+ VRAM) |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 150 GB available (SSD required) | 150 GB available (SSD required) |
An SSD isn’t optional here, both tiers require one. Act 3 specifically is CPU-heavy and can drop frame rates even on capable hardware, so if your system is right at the recommended tier, expect that section to run somewhat rougher than the rest of the game. The game is also officially supported on macOS and Linux, and is Steam Deck Verified.
How to Buy & Play Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is priced at $59.99, and it frequently goes on sale, historically dropping to the $40-45 range during major Steam sales.
- Buy Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam, for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Also available on GOG, and on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S through their respective storefronts.
After purchase, install through your chosen storefront. New to the genre or D&D rules generally? The in-game tutorial and a lower difficulty setting both ease the learning curve without watering down the story or choices. If you want to compare it against other deep party RPGs, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a similarly ambitious, if rougher-edged, alternative, and our full RPG catalog covers more options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baldur’s Gate 3 worth buying?
Yes, for the large majority of players. It’s one of the most acclaimed RPGs ever released, though Act 3 specifically is less polished than the rest of the game, both narratively and technically.
Do I need to know Dungeons & Dragons rules to play?
No. The game adapts D&D 5th Edition rules but explains what you need as you go, and a lower difficulty setting is available for players who’d rather focus on story over tactical precision.
Is it connected to the earlier Baldur’s Gate games?
Loosely, through shared lore and setting (the Forgotten Realms), but it’s a standalone story. You don’t need to have played the original Baldur’s Gate or Baldur’s Gate II to follow this one.
Does it support multiplayer?
Yes, both online and local split-screen co-op support up to four players through the full campaign.
How long does it take to finish?
A single playthrough typically runs well over 100 hours given how much content there is, and choices genuinely change what you see on a replay.
Who made Baldur’s Gate 3?
Larian Studios, the developer behind Divinity: Original Sin and Divinity: Original Sin 2, released it in full on August 3, 2023, after roughly three years in Early Access.
