Have you ever wanted to play a game that lets you unleash torrents of magical destruction? Or do you simply wish to have conversations with dogs and skeletons alike? If that calls to you, consider playing “Baldur’s Gate 3“. “Baldur’s Gate 3” is a computer role-playing game (or CRPG for short), that allows you to adventure in the land known as the Forgotten Realms. ***Be warned travelers, there are spoilers in the journey ahead.***

To those who may be unfamiliar with the genre, CRPGs are RPGs made originally for PCs and home computers. They’re designed a certain way with emphasis on intricate storylines and a simple yet effective gameplay style. 

Released on August 3, 2023, “Baldur’s Gate 3” is about a search for answers as the player character, Tav (the default name) has been dragged into an ominous plot heralded by a villainous faction known as the Absolute’s Cult, which seeks to dominate the minds of the people of Faerun.

In “Baldur’s Gate 3”, you’ll find some of the core themes are freedom, temptation, and manipulation. These themes are best reflected in the companions’ personal stories. When you meet your companions and learn about their backgrounds, you’ll soon find that most have or had someone with a lot of influence above them who has influenced how they act and react to those around them.

While adventuring, you can earn their trust and decide whether to help them break off from the ones that influence them or to simply let them stay under their tutelage. This is a strong moral dilemma, as most of the companions’ “masters” in simple terms, are manipulative, cruel, and of course, incredibly powerful.

From the dark god of secrets, Shar, to the petty and manipulative devil, Mizora, your companions struggle to be free, and you’ll soon find their fates landing in your hands. It soon becomes a question of whether you help some of your companions resist and risk their oppressors’ ire, or let them languish under their thumb.

Speaking of oppressors, the game wastes no time in letting you choose to be a savior of the downtrodden, or a tyrant that brings their destruction. Throughout the game, you’re given the chance to free enslaved innocents from the Absolute’s Cult, or take part in their cruel actions and torture those they consider weak.

From throwing rocks at an imprisoned bear to defeating a champion of the undead, the game gives you the freedom to be as good or evil as you want. While on the topic of freedom, the game also lets you sell it at the drop of a dime for the promise of power or more if you so please.

As you make your travels, you’ll meet many characters like the devil Raphael (yes, if it wasn’t obvious that devils are evil before, the third negative mention of one should make it fairly clear now), that promise power, wealth, or an item of great value and might in exchange for your loyalty, your mind, or even your blood.

Tempting offers of greatness are given at every turn and resisting sometimes results in great danger to yourself and your allies, but acceptance is often dangerous as well. Going back to Raphael, once you meet him, you soon find it hard to get rid of him as he sets his sights on you.

Promising a helping hand in solving one of your many predicaments, Raphael will extend his hand to you with promises of strength and fame, but it’s clear that there’s a catch. Declining his offers can eventually lead to great danger as you’ll soon find saying no to a devil isn’t easy.

There are many cases where the path of justice is difficult and sometimes unrewarding, and that’s where the game excels compared to its peers. A good example of this is the saving of a young woman named Meyrina from a sadistic and macabre witch.

You soon find her in the witch’s cottage being forced to eat despite her complaints, so saving her seems like the honorable thing to do, right? While normally this is true, it doesn’t feel so at first when Meyrina begins to berate you after defeating the witch.

After speaking to Meyrina, she reveals that she was trying to bring her dead husband to life and that the witch promised to revive him in exchange for her unborn child. This is jarring as most players assume that they’ll be thanked and rewarded for putting themselves on the line to protect someone in danger, but “Baldur’s Gate 3” makes it clear that is not always the case.

Luckily Meyrina eventually comes around if you try to help her in a more morally sound way than the witch, but of course, it’s not exactly pretty either. What sets “Baldur’s Gate” apart from other RPGs, is that it gives you the ability to truly commit to a path of villainy. There are clear benefits and consequences regardless of which path you choose.

Being good in other games is often objectively better than being evil, as it always comes with advantages that are never found on the other side. This could merely be excused as an intentional design that enforces the idea that being evil leads to your destruction in the end, but considering the vastness of this issue, that’s probably not the case.

Being good can be rigid, but is more satisfying as success feels earned. Meanwhile, being evil is simpler yet harder to commit too (for obvious reasons). For once your choices matter, and your character as a result means something to the world beyond occasionally being called a hero by random NPCs. 

Whether you help or hurt someone, the people close to them will remember when you see them again. Every important action you make has consequences, and you will feel them in various ways as you progress through the game. Just like in real life, how you act does define how people see you.

With an entire story in your hands, taking the path of good or evil is your choice. “Baldur’s Gate 3” is your adventure to mold in any way you choose. From facing cruel and mischievous goblins to having casual conversations with undead monsters, it’s an adventure that you won’t soon forget.