Baldur’s Gate 3 and Path of Exile 2 don’t have much in common. However, both games seem to have a quite similar problem.
What do the games have in common? While Baldur’s Gate 3 and Path of Exile 2 are fundamentally different titles, both games can celebrate great success on Steam. The titles share a similar system regarding campaign progression. In both games, you go through acts to become better and stronger, ultimately completing the story.
Here, the games share a problem, as both communities find. Because the first act of BG3 and PoE2 is played much more enthusiastically by adventurers than the third act. The reason for this also seems to be the same for both games.
Here you can see the cinematic intro of Path of Exile 2:
Between Torment and Duty
What problems does Act 3 of Path of Exile 2 have? Both in BG3 and in PoE2, gamers describe the third and final section of the campaign as something that is not much fun. Great_White_Samurai mentions on Reddit about the third segment of Path of Exile 2: “Act 3 is a torment. Some of these maps are so damn bad.”
Synchrotr0n adds on Reddit what bothers the users: “What? You don’t like operating 3 billion levers on an endless map with no shortcuts?” GetRekt sees it similarly on Reddit: “For me, these are Jiquani’s Machinarium, Drowned City, and Apex of Filth. Great atmosphere and art, but compared to acts 1 and 2 they are very exhausting. […]”
In Path of Exile 2, the problems of Act 3 mainly stem from the seemingly endless maps, which take a long time to complete due to lack of mobility and convoluted structures, without providing interesting gameplay or bosses.
How is Act 3 of Baldur’s Gate 3 going? In Baldur’s Gate 3, the third section of the campaign is probably the least popular part of the title. Here, players face the large city of Baldur’s Gate, which presents a stark contrast to the dark second act with many side stories and quests.
Khagan27 describes on Reddit a feeling that many likely have: “Although Act 2 does not conclude the story, it felt like a finale, and Act 3 starts slowly. I think it’s good to take a break after Act 2 and treat Act 3 like a continuation.”
lordjuliuss explains on Reddit why he doesn’t like the 3rd section of BG3 so much: “No, Act 3 after the first playthrough is so annoying. Just checking off the to-do list for 20 hours.” Paper_Kun_01 sees it similarly on Reddit: “Even on my first playthrough, I find it hard to get through Act 3, so much stuff that it feels like a grind.”
In both games, the final act of the campaign is considered particularly strenuous and lengthy by many gamers for adventurers. One of the quickest ways to finish Baldur’s Gate 3 is to eliminate all living beings, but the plan has its pitfalls: Players want to kill every living being in Baldur’s Gate 3, but the community knows what he could fail at
