Due to the number of GameLuster writers who played and loved Baldur’s Gate 3, this piece is a collaborative effort explaining why each one of us selected it as one of the best games of 2023.
Baldur’s Gate 3 deserves the Game of the Year nomination because of the sheer amount of quality content it has. One could easily play the game two, three or four times and not quite catch every variant of the plot, which not only includes basic variants like whether or not you choose to be good or evil, but which character you choose to play as, whether you’re one of the six named origin characters, a custom avatar, or “The Dark Urge” as each one has a different viewpoint to the events of the game, and some events will play out differently for a different origin. One origin “The Dark Urge” even has entire plot and mechanical options that simply are not available to other players for reasons that are spoilers, but will be very familiar to those who played the old-school Baldur’s Gate duology and expansions.
I also want to point out that it’s also an amazing test bed for modders and the game is incredibly resilient. Not even counting Larian’s newly-released “Custom Mode,” the sheer customizability that the community has been able to create even without that makes me look forward to the ocean of fanmade content that will undoubtedly extend the game’s life for years to come
–Tim Jewett
For me, there is nothing more important to a novel, a movie, or a video game, than its characters—whether that’s a beautiful tiefling looking to write the perfect lyrics or a pretty vampire who needs help taking back a body he felt never belonged to him. I fell in love with my party, but more importantly, I fell in love with the people I met along the way; so full of life, love, hatred, and greed. Everyone deserves to have their story told, big or small. Baldur’s Gate 3 tells these stories.
–Inanna Carter
Four years ago, I discovered Dungeons & Dragons and it completely changed my life. An imaginative hobby that revitalized my love of gaming and storytelling, and introduced me to new friends and communities. Playing Baldur’s Gate 3, experiencing its masterfully written and performed narrative, and talking about it with friends and strangers has been a similar experience that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Even in my 10/10 review of Baldur’s Gate 3, I underestimated how impactful this game would be for so many players.
–Nima Dabirian
For me, Baldur’s Gate 3 is proof that you can still make a classic CRPG experience while improving on the formula. It’s a game which respects the fact it’s a sequel, that there’s pre-existing lore which fans are expecting to see and which developers were smart enough to incorporate without making it look like pandering. It has the feel of a well crafted tabletop game even as it follows the conventions of a CRPG, something which even the original Baldur’s Gate didn’t always do very well. And I’d argue it does a great deal more to respect the underlying source material of the Forgotten Realms setting than Wizards of The Coast has demonstrated in its print offerings. It’s not a perfect game, but it absolutely deserves the top slot for “Best Game of 2023.”
–Axel Cushing
Unlike some others at GameLuster, I had never played a Baldur’s Gate game before picking up Baldur’s Gate 3. I was familiar with Dungeons and Dragons, and had even read a few Drizzt books in my time, but this particular story was a new one to me. Despite that, Baldur’s Gate 3 became far and away my favorite game of 2023. It embodies everything that DND is about: a ragtag group of adventurers facing against seemingly impossible odds but somehow managing to come out on top. What’s more, it told a story that is going to stay with me for years and years. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a story about hope, a story about connection, and most of all, a story about survival. It reminds me that, even though you may have a horrifying tadpole in your brain that could end your life at any second, you can still love and fight and laugh and just keep living. I will never forget the stories I have experienced, the characters I have bonded with, and the lessons I have learned in my 200+ hours (and sure to be many more!) playing Baldur’s Gate 3. This game is a gift, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.
–Kate Jewett
Make sure to check out the other nominations for The Lusties, GameLuster’s take on the Game of the Year awards!
