The new role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 i is a hit on Steam and Twitch, but it brings some players to the edge of despair with its puzzles and tough fights. One developer now explains how to properly play Baldur’s Gate 3 to avoid hitting a wall. His tips are unusual but make sense.
What makes Baldur’s Gate 3 so difficult?
- Baldur’s Gate 3 overwhelms some players with its multitude of options for approaching a quest. Especially “completionists” are finished by the game because there are secrets to discover at every turn where they get stuck or overlook: A door is locked, an ox is mysterious, a gap is far too narrow.
- For creative problem solving is something that is required in “pen and paper” role-playing games, while in classic PC role-playing games, you usually only have one route to follow.
- The publishing head of Larian, Michael Douse, is now taking heart and has tips for everyone struggling with Baldur’s Gate 3.
If you think something is impossible, try it – It probably is possible
This is the developer’s tip: The developer says (via twitter): For those new to Baldur’s Gate 3 and not used to the genre, he can only give one tip. Worry less about completing a quest and winning battles, also focus on exploration, play with your tools and the systems. Take it slow and “trust the dice.”
He explains: Baldur’s Gate 3 is not a game where it’s about running to the next waypoint or clearing the map for a reward.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is about overcoming systemic and narrative challenges by using your mind and creativity. The game will reward you in ways you don’t even think of when you really engage with the narrative:
Talk to animals. Talk to undead. If you can’t do that, find out how. Something is locked? Knock. Can’t reach something? Stack boxes. Turn into gas. Shrink. Grow. Do everything you think you can’t, because you probably can. Trust yourself and trust the dice. It reacts to your success and your failure.
Spells as tools for problem-solving
What does he mean specifically? The “tools” he refers to are mostly the countless spells available to the players: Some are not intended “for combat”, but to overcome certain obstacles in the world.
There are always holes and hideaways in Baldur’s Gate 3 that you are actually too big for: But through spells, it is possible to change your form and then take that shortcut after all.
The cleric Shadowheart can turn herself into a gnome or halfling and is therefore no longer considered medium-sized, but small and can take certain passages.
Through potions, spells, or items, you gain the ability to communicate with undead or wild animals. What is simply an ox standing around in other games can become a conversation partner or even a puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Pen & Paper role-players are used to this creative use of magic and other tools. PC players are not. The developer essentially says: Think as if you were really in this crazy fantasy world. We impose no artificial restrictions on you. Use all your tools. What is impossible in other games is possible with us.
An example of the creative use of tools can be seen here:
