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I’m going to use a guide for Baldur’s Gate 3, and so should you

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I know I’m not the only one who has been intimidated by the sheer complexity of computer role-playing games (CRPGs) in the past. Games like Divinity: Original Sin 2 have always intrigued me because of just how deep and flexible these experiences are, and yet the systems and mechanics have always kept me away. I’ve just been too intimidated, but that needs to change soon.

With Baldur’s Gate 3 about to drop in its full release, I realized I couldn’t resist any longer. If I was going to enjoy what’s shaping up to be a landmark CRPG, I’d need to overcome my onboarding worries if I was going to find the fun. With the release just a few days away, I’ve made a decision that I think will finally get me into a CRPG as dense as this: I am going to read the heck out of some guides during my adventure. And I encourage you to do the same.

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Guide my hand

For a very long time, there’s been an elitist mindset in some gaming circles that using guides or looking things up about games in any capacity somehow sullies the sanctity of the experience. In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, extra assistance might spoil a solution-based puzzle game if you look up every answer without trying to solve it yourself, but guides can also enhance one’s experience. Some may find joy in the process of solving esoteric riddles, fighting a boss with unclear mechanics, or unlocking hidden weapons for hours on end. But that’s not true for everyone.

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When deciding whether or not I’d swallow my pride in Baldur’s Gate 3, one important design philosophy guided my decision: it’s willing to let me fail. CRPGs, including ones made by developer Larian prior to this, are built on the bones of the classic pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons rulesets. While they are modernized to a certain extent, a clear focus is on retaining the open-ended nature in as many ways as possible — including the fact that you can build a character that is bad, or even untenable, for completing the game.

This is certainly a selling point for some, but for those like me who don’t have the time or patience to realize five hours into a campaign that I made a character I don’t like and may need to start over, a guide can ensure I avoid those pitfalls. It means I’m able to get to the parts of the game I am looking forward to experiencing, which is crucial in an adventure that’s rumored to be 100 hours long.

A mage holding a flaming object.
Larian Studios / Larian Studios

Even in preparation for the game, looking at class guides has helped me feel more confident I can get into Baldur’s Gate 3. There are 12 classes to pick from the start, as well as 46 total subclasses within those 12. That alone would give me choice paralysis before even getting into how I would distribute my ability points, which weapons to focus on, and more. Thanks to some early guides, I can at least set myself up with a build I know will be functional. Even if I don’t end up liking it as much as I thought I would upon actually playing it, I can swap to another recommended build once I figure out what I do enjoy. I can make my decision knowing that it isn’t my fault I don’t enjoy certain characters because of how I built them.

It is in those early hours that guides can be vital for those like me, who are approaching this game looking for a deep and reactive story. And yes, I do look forward to the combat as well, but I believe a lot of newcomers will be attracted to how much Baldur’s Gate 3 promises to let them play however they want on a scale we hardly ever see in games. Especially for those who have never touched a hardcore CRPG before, a little help can keep us from bouncing off the game before getting to the entire reason we tried it in the first place.

There’s no shame in using guides for any games — and I’m not just saying that because I write them. Games offer separate experiences to different people who all play for a variety of reasons. Using a guide doesn’t cheapen those experiences; it simply helps players get to what they came for.

Baluder’s Gate 3 launches on August 3 for PC and September 6 for PS5.

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Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
Baldur’s Gate 3’s release date just got delayed and moved up at the same time
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The PC and PS5 versions of Baldur's Gate 3 have gotten new release dates, leading to a weird situation where the game's launch has been moved up and delayed at the same time.
Originally announced for Google Stadia in 2019, Baldur's Gate 3 is a successor to BioWare's classic Dungeons & Dragons RPG franchise and has been in early access on PC since October 2020. Its 1.0 PC release, as well as a PS5 port, were confirmed to launch on August 31 earlier this year, but that is no longer the case. In the latest community update, developer Larian Studios confirmed that Baldur's Gate 3 launches for PC on August 3 and for PS5 on September 6.
Larian admits that "this means the PC version of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be released at a time where you’ll have more time to play it," moving its launch away from late August and early September heavy hitters like Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and Starfield. And now, the new PS5 release date for Baldur's Gate 3 gives PlayStation players a console-exclusive RPG of their own (albeit a temporary one) on the day Starfield comes out.

Still, the September 6 date is technically a delay, which Larian also explained its reasoning behind in the community update. "Baldur’s Gate 3 is targeting 60 frames-per-second, and we’re close to achieving that on the platform but need a bit more extra time," it explained. "We don’t want to compromise on quality and feel it would be a shame to downscale to 30 fps or make other compromises to hit an arbitrary date. We understand that folks may be disappointed with this, but we're close enough to reaching new heights for RPGs on the system that the benefits of a short delay outweigh the downsides of rushing the PS5 release and having to downscale." 
So to clarify, Baldur's Gate 3 first launches on PC across Steam, GOG, and Nvidia GeForce Now on August 3. Then, a PS5 port comes out on September 6. Larian Studios also confirms that a Mac version is in the works and that it's "optimistic" about Xbox works once it works through the kinks of getting it to run well on both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. 

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Larian Studios has done something remarkable with Baldur’s Gate 3. This is the studio’s third game (in a row, I might add!) that has perfectly married the rules and systems of a tabletop RPG into the language of video games. Many developers have done this to varying degrees of success, but Larian fundamentally understands what makes a pen and paper RPG enjoyable and how to properly show that off in the digital world.

I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for over 15 years now and video games for even longer than that, and I’m always on the hunt for games that come close to that spark -- that fire you can find at a table surrounded by your friends and stale chips. Freedom is an integral mechanic of pen and paper RPGs and, for the most part, Larian gives players so many choices and options.

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Larian Studios’ upcoming RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 will enter early access on September 30, following a recent delay that pushed it out of its planned August launch window.

The studio announced the new date in Tuesday’s Panel From Hell livestream. The game will launch on both PC via Steam and Google Stadia.

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