As Baldur's Gate 3 hits its first anniversary, here's why we've poured a cumulative 3,550 hours into Larian's world-beating RPG

GamesRPGBaldur’s GateBaldur’s Gate 3As Baldur’s Gate 3 hits its first anniversary, here’s why we’ve poured a cumulative 3,550 hours into Larian’s world-beating RPGWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesRPGBaldur’s GateBaldur’s Gate 3As Baldur’s Gate 3 hits its first anniversary, here’s why we’ve poured a cumulative 3,550 hours into Larian’s world-beating RPGWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Larian)

Baldur's Gate 3 anniversary - the Blood of Lathander

And yet, I think I speak for all of us when I say the journey is far from over. The promise of Baldur’s Gate 3 speaks to unending possibilities, and despite the plethora ofhuge game releases in 2024, there’s something special about BG3 that still has us under its thrall. Here’s what Larian’s latest treasure means to the GR+ team, and why it’ll likely never be too far from our hearts and minds.

Your party is gathered…

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

Baldur’s Gate 3

(327 hours, including Early Access)(327 hours, including Early Access)Joel FraneyGuides WriterI first tried BG3 back when early Alpha builds were available on Steam in 2019, and the leaps and bounds it’s made since then are staggering. Perhaps as close as any game has ever gotten to capturing the spirit not just of D&D but of tabletop gaming as a whole, Baldur’s Gate 3’s strengths are built largely in its willingness to say yes to just about any idea. The game where characters wrestle with trauma, physical mutation and cosmic horror manages to seamlessly share space with Disney characters, bear sex and weaponised hamsters; and somehow it never feels discordant in the least.That’s no small feat either - the spirit of adventure comes from the idea that we really might discover anything once we set upon the trail. A beach community of confused cod-people worshipping a bad-tempered garden gnome after misreading a religious text is the least of it, but a perfect example of the effort and imagination that Larian put into the game.While certain other RPG titles that came out around the same time were somewhat predictable and content to follow proven trends, BG3 was pioneering new ground in storytelling systems and creativity. It just refuses to be boring - and for that, I’ll always love it.

(327 hours, including Early Access)(327 hours, including Early Access)Joel FraneyGuides WriterI first tried BG3 back when early Alpha builds were available on Steam in 2019, and the leaps and bounds it’s made since then are staggering. Perhaps as close as any game has ever gotten to capturing the spirit not just of D&D but of tabletop gaming as a whole, Baldur’s Gate 3’s strengths are built largely in its willingness to say yes to just about any idea. The game where characters wrestle with trauma, physical mutation and cosmic horror manages to seamlessly share space with Disney characters, bear sex and weaponised hamsters; and somehow it never feels discordant in the least.That’s no small feat either - the spirit of adventure comes from the idea that we really might discover anything once we set upon the trail. A beach community of confused cod-people worshipping a bad-tempered garden gnome after misreading a religious text is the least of it, but a perfect example of the effort and imagination that Larian put into the game.While certain other RPG titles that came out around the same time were somewhat predictable and content to follow proven trends, BG3 was pioneering new ground in storytelling systems and creativity. It just refuses to be boring - and for that, I’ll always love it.

(327 hours, including Early Access)Joel FraneyGuides Writer

Joel Franey

I first tried BG3 back when early Alpha builds were available on Steam in 2019, and the leaps and bounds it’s made since then are staggering. Perhaps as close as any game has ever gotten to capturing the spirit not just of D&D but of tabletop gaming as a whole, Baldur’s Gate 3’s strengths are built largely in its willingness to say yes to just about any idea. The game where characters wrestle with trauma, physical mutation and cosmic horror manages to seamlessly share space with Disney characters, bear sex and weaponised hamsters; and somehow it never feels discordant in the least.That’s no small feat either - the spirit of adventure comes from the idea that we really might discover anything once we set upon the trail. A beach community of confused cod-people worshipping a bad-tempered garden gnome after misreading a religious text is the least of it, but a perfect example of the effort and imagination that Larian put into the game.While certain other RPG titles that came out around the same time were somewhat predictable and content to follow proven trends, BG3 was pioneering new ground in storytelling systems and creativity. It just refuses to be boring - and for that, I’ll always love it.

I first tried BG3 back when early Alpha builds were available on Steam in 2019, and the leaps and bounds it’s made since then are staggering. Perhaps as close as any game has ever gotten to capturing the spirit not just of D&D but of tabletop gaming as a whole, Baldur’s Gate 3’s strengths are built largely in its willingness to say yes to just about any idea. The game where characters wrestle with trauma, physical mutation and cosmic horror manages to seamlessly share space with Disney characters, bear sex and weaponised hamsters; and somehow it never feels discordant in the least.

That’s no small feat either - the spirit of adventure comes from the idea that we really might discover anything once we set upon the trail. A beach community of confused cod-people worshipping a bad-tempered garden gnome after misreading a religious text is the least of it, but a perfect example of the effort and imagination that Larian put into the game.

While certain other RPG titles that came out around the same time were somewhat predictable and content to follow proven trends, BG3 was pioneering new ground in storytelling systems and creativity. It just refuses to be boring - and for that, I’ll always love it.

Creature comforts

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

Baldur’s Gate 3 screenshot showing Astarion, a pale male elf with short curly white hair and red eyes, looking over his shoulder with a smirk on his face

(1,552 hours)Anna KoselkeStaff Writer

Anna Koselke

Despite playing the game what feels like a hundred times with (mostly) the same alignment, build, and choices, I never get seem to get bored - and that’s how I know that Baldur’s Gate 3 is brilliant. My ADHD brain often doesn’t allow me to even finish a game, let alone replay it on repeat - but that doesn’t apply to Larian’s banger. I think I love it even more than I love some of my lengthiest Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. That’s all thanks to Larian’s mind-boggingly talented writers and the RPG’s staggering ability to immerse me within all its digital corners of Faerûn from the city to the Underdark - and as long as I can get my weekly fix of banter, blood, and one very handsome vampire, I’ll be one happy adventurer.

Got a lot on my mind (and, well, in it)

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

Baldur’s Gate 3 Minthara, a drow with pale purple skin and light blonde hair, smirks as her face is covered in blood splatter

(180 hours, including Early Access)(180 hours, including Early Access)Ali JonesSenior News EditorTruth be told, I never actually spent that much time in Larian’s RPG after I completed myBaldur’s Gate 3 review. I’m a person who rarely returns to games at the best of times, and while I dabbled in a Dark Urge playthrough that I still want to return to, something about playing Baldur’s Gate 3 in this particularly intensive way makes diving back in a difficult proposition. In many ways, that’s testament to Larian’s writing - that first playthrough is home to the characters that I built up over those dozens of hours, and I’m loath to change their stories.But while I’ve not spent that much longerplayingBaldur’s Gate 3 since launch, I’ve spent a countless amount of time in the year since it came out paying attention to the community around it. Speedrunners, theorycrafters, explorers, streamers, modders, and performers have all ensured that a year on, I’m still thinking, talking, and writing about Baldur’s Gate 3 on a weekly basis. That kind of longform attention is only paid to a very special kind of game - the likes of Dark Souls, Skyrim, Breath of the Wild - and is testament to the generational quality that Larian was able to bring to bear.

(180 hours, including Early Access)(180 hours, including Early Access)Ali JonesSenior News EditorTruth be told, I never actually spent that much time in Larian’s RPG after I completed myBaldur’s Gate 3 review. I’m a person who rarely returns to games at the best of times, and while I dabbled in a Dark Urge playthrough that I still want to return to, something about playing Baldur’s Gate 3 in this particularly intensive way makes diving back in a difficult proposition. In many ways, that’s testament to Larian’s writing - that first playthrough is home to the characters that I built up over those dozens of hours, and I’m loath to change their stories.But while I’ve not spent that much longerplayingBaldur’s Gate 3 since launch, I’ve spent a countless amount of time in the year since it came out paying attention to the community around it. Speedrunners, theorycrafters, explorers, streamers, modders, and performers have all ensured that a year on, I’m still thinking, talking, and writing about Baldur’s Gate 3 on a weekly basis. That kind of longform attention is only paid to a very special kind of game - the likes of Dark Souls, Skyrim, Breath of the Wild - and is testament to the generational quality that Larian was able to bring to bear.

(180 hours, including Early Access)Ali JonesSenior News Editor

Ali Jones

Truth be told, I never actually spent that much time in Larian’s RPG after I completed myBaldur’s Gate 3 review. I’m a person who rarely returns to games at the best of times, and while I dabbled in a Dark Urge playthrough that I still want to return to, something about playing Baldur’s Gate 3 in this particularly intensive way makes diving back in a difficult proposition. In many ways, that’s testament to Larian’s writing - that first playthrough is home to the characters that I built up over those dozens of hours, and I’m loath to change their stories.But while I’ve not spent that much longerplayingBaldur’s Gate 3 since launch, I’ve spent a countless amount of time in the year since it came out paying attention to the community around it. Speedrunners, theorycrafters, explorers, streamers, modders, and performers have all ensured that a year on, I’m still thinking, talking, and writing about Baldur’s Gate 3 on a weekly basis. That kind of longform attention is only paid to a very special kind of game - the likes of Dark Souls, Skyrim, Breath of the Wild - and is testament to the generational quality that Larian was able to bring to bear.

Truth be told, I never actually spent that much time in Larian’s RPG after I completed myBaldur’s Gate 3 review. I’m a person who rarely returns to games at the best of times, and while I dabbled in a Dark Urge playthrough that I still want to return to, something about playing Baldur’s Gate 3 in this particularly intensive way makes diving back in a difficult proposition. In many ways, that’s testament to Larian’s writing - that first playthrough is home to the characters that I built up over those dozens of hours, and I’m loath to change their stories.

But while I’ve not spent that much longerplayingBaldur’s Gate 3 since launch, I’ve spent a countless amount of time in the year since it came out paying attention to the community around it. Speedrunners, theorycrafters, explorers, streamers, modders, and performers have all ensured that a year on, I’m still thinking, talking, and writing about Baldur’s Gate 3 on a weekly basis. That kind of longform attention is only paid to a very special kind of game - the likes of Dark Souls, Skyrim, Breath of the Wild - and is testament to the generational quality that Larian was able to bring to bear.

First in my heart

(Image credit: Larian Studios / YouTube via Sparrows)

Baldur’s Gate 3 Karlach

(693 hours)Heather WaldSenior Staff Writer

Heather Wald

Baldur’s Gate 3 wholly consumed my attention last year. For a long time, I lived and breathed the Sword Coast, and even after many, many playthroughs, I still find myself coming back for more. Why? Well, there’s a very good reason for that. Not only does Larian’s RPG offer up a frankly impressive amount of choice and variety, but it also sets the stage for an engrossing role-playing experience in a world full of complex, loveable characters and rich storytelling. Larian has created a veritable D&D playground where you can experiment, and you’re almost always rewarded with a new discovery. I was so taken with BG3 and the many paths it lets you walk that I was alreadyplanning out my second and third playthroughs within the first 10 minutes.

No stone unturned

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

Baldur’s Gate 3

(199 hours)Will SawyerGuides Writer

Will Sawyer

I’ve got a real problem with exploring every nook and cranny when I play pretty much any video game. It’s an awful habit because it means games take me ages to complete and I sometimes wear myself out aimlessly trying to turn over every stone. Baldur’s Gate 3, however, is such a densely packed, well-engineered, carnival of chaos that I was able to fully indulge in my terribly obsessive exploration and not feel that guilty about it.

Chaotic evil

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

Baldur’s Gate 3 dark urge monk

(411 hours)Jasmine Gould-WilsonStaff Writer

Jasmine Gould-Wilson

She who is bored of Baldur’s Gate 3 is bored of life. I’mnot known for having a great attention span, but I don’t think I will ever tire of Larian’s finest. A lot of it, naturally, has to do with the sheer amount of choice available, with class, race, and narrative decisions all culminating in very different experiences when combined. But myriad Tavs later, I’ve only ever had one Dark Urge. My first Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough has stuck with me since then, setting the stage for it to become my favorite game ever.

Unexpected magic

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

Baldur’s Gate 3 Gale and Tav looking up at aurora in the sky

(187 hours)(187 hours)Andy BrownFeatures EditorThough Baldur’s Gate 3 was playable in Early Access from 2020, myself and one of my best friends promised to wait until its full release to play, worrying that we’d burn out before getting to play the full thing. We kept that promise for three years, but less than two weeks before Baldur’s Gate 3’s launch, my friend died unexpectedly. It felt like the world collapsed, and when I returned to work some time later, I worried that reviewing Baldur’s Gate 3 without him would be too painful.Instead, the richness of Faerûn became a refuge during the lowest point of my life. Like millions of other players, I laughed and cried my way through the Forgotten Realms like nothing that had come before. On a mechanical level, I’ve never played a game with so much freedom – I’ve lost track of how often I’ve shoved would-be minibosses off cliffs, or smugly teleported over lethal floor traps instead of disarming them. But it’s the companions, who have each lost so much yet still teach us to cling to optimism and keep loving – even after grievous loss, even when it would be easier to stop – who are truly dear to me. Over the last year, I’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3 again and again to remind myself of that – and I’ve only grown to love it more with every playthrough.

(187 hours)(187 hours)Andy BrownFeatures EditorThough Baldur’s Gate 3 was playable in Early Access from 2020, myself and one of my best friends promised to wait until its full release to play, worrying that we’d burn out before getting to play the full thing. We kept that promise for three years, but less than two weeks before Baldur’s Gate 3’s launch, my friend died unexpectedly. It felt like the world collapsed, and when I returned to work some time later, I worried that reviewing Baldur’s Gate 3 without him would be too painful.Instead, the richness of Faerûn became a refuge during the lowest point of my life. Like millions of other players, I laughed and cried my way through the Forgotten Realms like nothing that had come before. On a mechanical level, I’ve never played a game with so much freedom – I’ve lost track of how often I’ve shoved would-be minibosses off cliffs, or smugly teleported over lethal floor traps instead of disarming them. But it’s the companions, who have each lost so much yet still teach us to cling to optimism and keep loving – even after grievous loss, even when it would be easier to stop – who are truly dear to me. Over the last year, I’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3 again and again to remind myself of that – and I’ve only grown to love it more with every playthrough.

(187 hours)Andy BrownFeatures Editor

Andy Brown

Though Baldur’s Gate 3 was playable in Early Access from 2020, myself and one of my best friends promised to wait until its full release to play, worrying that we’d burn out before getting to play the full thing. We kept that promise for three years, but less than two weeks before Baldur’s Gate 3’s launch, my friend died unexpectedly. It felt like the world collapsed, and when I returned to work some time later, I worried that reviewing Baldur’s Gate 3 without him would be too painful.Instead, the richness of Faerûn became a refuge during the lowest point of my life. Like millions of other players, I laughed and cried my way through the Forgotten Realms like nothing that had come before. On a mechanical level, I’ve never played a game with so much freedom – I’ve lost track of how often I’ve shoved would-be minibosses off cliffs, or smugly teleported over lethal floor traps instead of disarming them. But it’s the companions, who have each lost so much yet still teach us to cling to optimism and keep loving – even after grievous loss, even when it would be easier to stop – who are truly dear to me. Over the last year, I’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3 again and again to remind myself of that – and I’ve only grown to love it more with every playthrough.

Though Baldur’s Gate 3 was playable in Early Access from 2020, myself and one of my best friends promised to wait until its full release to play, worrying that we’d burn out before getting to play the full thing. We kept that promise for three years, but less than two weeks before Baldur’s Gate 3’s launch, my friend died unexpectedly. It felt like the world collapsed, and when I returned to work some time later, I worried that reviewing Baldur’s Gate 3 without him would be too painful.

Instead, the richness of Faerûn became a refuge during the lowest point of my life. Like millions of other players, I laughed and cried my way through the Forgotten Realms like nothing that had come before. On a mechanical level, I’ve never played a game with so much freedom – I’ve lost track of how often I’ve shoved would-be minibosses off cliffs, or smugly teleported over lethal floor traps instead of disarming them. But it’s the companions, who have each lost so much yet still teach us to cling to optimism and keep loving – even after grievous loss, even when it would be easier to stop – who are truly dear to me. Over the last year, I’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3 again and again to remind myself of that – and I’ve only grown to love it more with every playthrough.

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

3

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

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Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

1

Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

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Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

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Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

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