I already ownBaldur’s Gate 3. I mean, if the dozens of articles I’ve written aboutLarian’sseminal RPG hadn’t given that away, I don’t know what would. I’ve been playing onSteamat my work desk so far, and I’m making headway into Act 2, poring over every interaction and taking my time to puzzle through every combat encounter with a considered approach. It’s an approach to the game that unwittingly fits my character, a cautious drow ranger who treads carefully and plans meticulously.
However, playing on my work PC has its drawbacks. For starters, it’s difficult enough to separate work from play in this career without playing games at the desk I spend ten hours a day at already, so work-life balance can feel a little scuffed if I go on a mammoth Balduring session. Also, my chair isn’t that comfortable and I’m hardly going to stand up to play a 100+ hour CRPG.
I don’t have a PlayStation 5, so PC was the obvious option when Baldur’s Gate 3 released. However, I longed to play the game from the comfort of my sofa, I longed to see its characters laugh and weep on the big telly. My computer monitor is built for FPS games not pretty games, so it prioritises refresh rate over graphical fidelity.
The problem is, my fiance knows I already own Baldur’s Gate 3. I’ve talked at her about Astarion and the Underdark enough by this point. She also knows it’s a big, expensive game. And, thanks to my excitement recapping The Game Awards news on Friday morning like it was the morning paper, she knows it’snow available on Xbox.
Reader,I bought Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox, but if you were clever enough to figure out that I already owned the game in the first paragraph, you might have been tipped off to this later fact by the article’s headline. You clever reader, you. I don’t regret my purchase, I don’t regret spending over a hundred quid on two copies of this game. But how do I tell my fiance that?
Let’s start with the regrets, or lack thereof. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a revelation on console. My 1080p adventures have been upscaled to plush 4K, and the considerably larger screen has allowed me to see the detail that Larian has put into this world – the little bloody footprints that trail in your wake after you traipse through a battlefield are a particularly delicious touch.
The whole game looks great, and I’m enjoying seeing the parts of Act 1 that I missed or making different choices when the opportunity arises. I’m not going full evil on this playthrough, but there are dozens of routes through Faerun, so I’m forging a new path with a new character.
That’s a story for another article, but playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox is great. I’m not sold on using a controller and the radial menus are trash, but replaying the fantasy RPG in total comfort is worth every penny I spent on it. Twice. I guess I’ll just tell my fiance that Santa brought it early.
Next:I Now Have Two Reasons To Go Finally Finish Dragon Age: Inquisition
