Baldur's Gate 3: A New Era in RPG Gaming

By Aaron James Stead 22/07/2025

In a landscape filled with ambitious RPGs, Baldur’s Gate 3 stands out as a game that not only meets the high bar set by its predecessors but raises it dramatically. Blending deep tactical combat, robust role-playing systems, and an intricately woven narrative, it delivers one of the most complete and satisfying RPG experiences in years.

The Freedom of Choice

The sheer scale of player freedom—both in story decisions and gameplay mechanics—is staggering. Yet, it all fits together with a clarity and cohesion rarely seen in games of this scope. Larian Studios hasn’t just revived a legendary franchise; they’ve redefined what the genre can aspire to. Attempts to mimic its success will undoubtedly follow, but this is a case where lightning struck once, and it’s unlikely to strike again in quite the same way. Especially when the game is based on Dungeons and Dragons, but of course with its own creative liberties in terms of the characters.

This table is going to show all of the origin characters. Which are characters that have lines in the game and heavy lore for each of the characters as well:

A Spoiler-Free Summary of the Acts

Here is a spoiler-free summary of all three major acts before the game's epilogue.

Act 1 – The Road to Freedom

Act 1 introduces players to a world in crisis. After a mind flayer ship crash-lands, you wake with a parasite implanted in your head—one that threatens to transform you into something monstrous. As you explore the sprawling wilderness of the Sword Coast, you'll gather allies, uncover the parasite’s mystery, and confront powerful factions with their own agendas.

From eerie goblin camps to sunlit druid groves and hidden cults, Act 1 is all about discovery, player freedom, and establishing the stakes. It's a rich, open-ended sandbox where every choice begins to ripple outward, setting the tone for the rest of your journey.

Act 2 – Shadows and Secrets

Act 2 dramatically shifts in mood and tone, plunging you into the eerie gloom of the Shadow-Cursed Lands. The world becomes more dangerous, morally ambiguous, and emotionally intense. As you track down powerful entities connected to your condition, you’ll face escalating tension among your companions and be drawn into conflicts that challenge your values and alliances.

The area design becomes more atmospheric and claustrophobic, filled with haunted ruins, cursed towns, and supernatural forces. It’s a test of conviction, where light and darkness—both literal and metaphorical—play central roles in shaping your path forward.

Act 3 – The City of Destiny

In Act 3, the narrative crescendos as you finally arrive at the legendary city of Baldur’s Gate. Here, choices made in earlier acts come full circle. Allies and enemies alike reveal their true colors, and the political, personal, and cosmic threads of the story converge.

The city itself is sprawling, densely packed with quests, factions, betrayals, and branching outcomes. It’s a sandbox of consequences—where past actions catch up to you, and every decision matters. From courtroom drama to demonic bargains, Act 3 is the grand finale that tests your leadership, relationships, and ultimately, your vision for the fate of the world.

The Modding Community

Below is a brief historical overview of the extremely active modding community for Baldur’s Gate 3:

The modding community for Baldur’s Gate 3 has become incredibly active and diverse, especially since the release of the official modding tools and support from Larian Studios in 2024. Thanks to the game’s flexible engine, passionate fanbase, and rich D&D systems, modders have been able to create everything from subtle quality-of-life tweaks to total overhauls.

Types of Popular Mods

• Quality of Life Improvements: Inventory management, UI customization, camera controls, faster looting, and more flexible party limits (e.g., 5–6 party members).

• Gameplay Enhancements: Rebalanced combat mechanics, additional subclasses and feats, expanded spell lists, and tweaks to difficulty settings.

• Visual and Cosmetic Mods: Hair and face options, custom tattoos, armor recolors, and improved lighting or shader effects.

• Custom Races and Classes: Many modders have added homebrew or classic D&D races and classes not originally in the game.

• Romance Expansions: Some mods tweak or expand romance options, including restoring cut content or making more companions romanceable by different genders or characters.

  
  

Modding Tools & Platforms

The go-to platforms are Nexus Mods and GitHub, with tools like BG3 Mod Manager and Vortex (Nexus’s launcher) making mod installation much easier. Since Larian added official modding support, compatibility has improved dramatically. However, users still need to pay close attention to mod order and updates after patches.

Things to Keep in Mind

• Mods can conflict, especially after game updates. Always check for patch compatibility and read installation instructions carefully.

• Achievements are typically disabled with mods, though some tools can re-enable them.

• Some mods are not lore-friendly, so choose based on whether you want a faithful or more personalized/fantasy-breaking experience.

  
  

The Future of Modding

A further evolution of the modding scene is that there is a mod manager baked into the game itself. This means even if you are on the console versions of the game, you can still enjoy a more curated modded experience.

From the mod.io website and the in-game mod manager (mod selection page):