It all started more than 20 years ago. We were kids, and one day one of my friends invited me with “you wanna join playing D&D tonight?”. Wait. What? DnD? Dungeons? Dragons? “Sounds great, let’s go!”, and then it all started. 🙂
I’m a big fan of the whole D&D world, long time pen and paper player, and a bit of a computer geek. So no doubt why in 1998, when I got a copy of Baldur’s Gate, was totally blown away by the game. For me, the entire Baldur’s Gate saga is one of the best RPG games ever made. The most enjoyable gaming experiences ever: challenging encounters, the main storyline, dark atmosphere… Same goes also for other Infinity Engine games like Icewind Dale saga, and Planescape Torment.
Imagine a guy who had been played all possible classes (even the new ones in Enhanced Editions), with all possible NPC combinations, soloed the games … What would it be to announce him the sequel of one of the best RPGs in the universe? Exactly! Daaaaamn! The excitement is tremendous, I admit. So I feel like a personal obligation to gather important info about the pre-release time and compile everything that is known about Baldur’s Gate 3 so far.
What are the System Requirements?
Based on Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam, the system requirements are the following:
MINIMUM
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel i5-4690 / AMD FX 4350
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 780 / AMD Radeon R9 280X
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 70 GB available space
RECOMMENDED
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel i7 4770k / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB / AMD RX580
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 70 GB available space
What is the recommended laptop to play Baldur’s Gate 3?
The most important part of the laptop is a graphics card. If we look at the requirements, the recommended laptop for Baldur’s Gate 3 would need to have at least an Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 (AMD equivalent). The CPU is not an issue; any modern gaming laptop has a strong processor, powerful enough to run the game just fine.
What platforms are going to be compatible with BG3?
It is set to be released for Microsoft Windows (PC) and the Google’s Stadia streaming service.
Are there any actual gameplay videos and which is the most recent one?
Sure there is, the one that Mr. Swen Vincke playing live on IGN Youtube channel.
Which Dungeons & Dragons ruleset is Baldur’s Gate 3 based on?
It’s based on the 5h Edition D&D ruleset. However, Larian needed to tweak some rules to translate better from a tabletop to digital gameplay.
Would Baldur’s Gate 3 feature multiplayer co-op mode?
Yes, Larian Studios confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 features four-player online (or LAN) multiplayer and split-screen couch co-op for two players.
What is the release date?
The release of Baldur’s Gate 3 is scheduled for 20th of September 2020, but as early access first.
How does combat work?
Combat in Baldur’s Gate III is turned based, and you control a group of heroes that unleashes an assortment of magic spells, ranged attacks, and close-quarter skills.
What races and classes and will be available to play?
Currently, Baldur’s Gate 3 has the following races/subraces and classes. But they say there are more yet to come:
Races: Dwarf (subraces: Hill Dwarf and Mountain Dwarf), Elf (subraces: High Elf and Wood Elf), Halfling (subraces: Lightfoot and Stout), Human (subraces: none), Gnome (subraces: Forest Gnomes and Rock Gnomes), Half-Elf (subraces: none), Tiefling (subrace: Asmodeus Tiefling), Half-Drow (subraces: none), Drow (subraces: none), Githyanki (subraces: none)
Classes: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Note that not all classes will be available at the start of early access, but all classes will be in the game at the launch of the full game. Multiclassing will also not be available on release of the early access version.
Why is there a Mind Flayer in Baldurs’ Gate 3 Logo?
The Mind Flayers, an old and terrifying force in the Dungeons and Dragons lore, are the main antagonists in the game. They live in the Underdark and have powerful psionic abilities. They can mind control other sentient beings and feed on their brains for nutrition. They also keep slaves in case of “hunger”.
Mind Flayers used to rule the Astral Plane, but they lost it all and had to flee to the Underdark, pursued by another alien race, the Githyanki. They want to restore their once great empire, as we see in the opening cinematic, they are invading a city.
Githyanki attempt to stop the Mind Flayer invasion, appearing on top of red dragons to blow the Nautaloids out of the sky.
Conclussion
I’m looking forward to the release date, super excited to try early access. It’s funny how a group of 6 friends just recently played both BG: EE and BG2: EE. One thing bothers us, though. That’s the multiplayer segment of BG3. It’s six of us, meaning we won’t be able to play all together as BG3 is only up to 4 players in coop mode. A big shame. But hey, it’s just a game.
That’s all for now. I’ll keep this post updated.
Take care.
