Anticipated fantasy RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 was given an official launch by Larian Studios and its first act will be playable on September 30, 2020.
According to its “Panel From Hell” livestream for the game, both PC and Stadia players can enjoy Baldur’s Gate 3 as an Early Access product while experiencing its gritty cinematic opening which returns to the Dungeons & Dragons realm of Avernus. As the first layer of Nine Hells, players will fight their way through hostile corridors and encounter victims of a cataclysmic invasion by the Mind Flayer. This leads players into a showing of a lobotomy, where a choice presents itself in removing a brain or killing a parasite. However, players then make a shocking discovery over how the Mind Flayer controls its legions of minions, which will become grave threats across the game’s first act.
Creative Director Swen Vincke joined the livestream to share details about the scope of Baldur’s Gate 3, which features bigger encounters and exponentially more interactions with fully voiced NPCs across Avernus. Comparing itself to Divinity: Original Sin 2 on Early Access, players will be getting four times the amount of fights with enemies (80 v. 22). Players are also chattier this time around, as interactions can use over 45,000 lines in Baldur’s Gate 3, compated to just 17,000 in DOS2. These lines will also see some banter with almost 600 characters for the game – a drastic upgrade compared to a small 142 in Larian Studios’ previous game. Players can even use nearly 150 spells unlike the 69 actions that were included for DOS2.
It’s safe to say Baldur’s Gate 3 is becoming a larger title from its first act, while it’s expected to grow as Larian continues supporting the title. But the livestream has yet to reveal the classes and races players can pick for their characters at the start of the game, while developers promised to share more closer to launch. But its EA version will include five launch characters, letting players become:
- Astarion – A Half-Elf/Vampire Rogue
- Gale – Human Wizard and Sorcerer
- Lae’zel – Mighty Githyanki Warrior
- Shadowheart – Half-Elf Cleric
- Wyll – Human Warlock
Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PC via. Steam and Google Stadia on September 30, 2020. You can rewatch the entire two-hour long “Panel From Hell” livestream here
