Baldur’s Gate 3 does a great job of representing Dungeons & Dragons as a whole, but one limited feature completely fails to capture something that many DnD players love. It’s understandable that the game doesn’t manage to replicate everything from the tabletop experience, a task that would be essentially impossible thanks to the ramifications of some spells and abilities and the absence of a dungeon master. When a missing element would be easy to implement, however, it can be a little more disappointing to see that developer Larian Studios never saw fit to pursue it.
One area where Baldur’s Gate 3 does represent DnD very literally is in the use of dice rolls for skill checks. Most video games directly or indirectly inspired by DnD either keep rolls off-screen or use a different system altogether, attempting to increase investment in the world itself by streamlining mechanics for the digital realm. Baldur’s Gate 3 keeps many rolls front and center, sacrificing some efficiency and potentially immersion in favor of replicating the thrill of taking on the risky odds of success and failure directly.
“An Iconic, Engaging Mess Of Brilliant Ideas”: Baldur’s Gate 3 Review
Baldur’s Gate 3 is imposing in stature and its best moments are truly memorable, but some early issues with scale suggest an uneven experience.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Barely Has Any Dice
Although dice are frequently a focus of Baldur’s Gate 3, the design options for them are surprisingly limited. By default, all dice will be in a basic Scuffed Metal design, which mimics a bit of metal texture with its shading but doesn’t feature any unique designs or colors. The more vivid shade of Behir Blue is available as an alternate for all players. Beyond that, the two other possible dice are locked behind specific editions of Baldur’s Gate 3. Dragonflame Red conveys its namesake through reds, yellows, and oranges and comes with the Digital Deluxe pack, and the Ilithid Purple in the Collector’s Edition is what it sounds like.
Unique Dice Give D&D Personal Flair
Dice are a huge part of the DnD experience for many, as collecting memorable designs can make even the most intimidating rolls feel more fun. The limited options in Baldur’s Gate 3 are odd considering how simple adding a few more colors would be compared to many of the game’s features. It’s possible that they just weren’t a development priority with all the actual gameplay and story elements that Larian had to juggle, and following the D&D Beyond option of charging for more dice doesn’t fit with Larian’s general stance against microtransactions.
More dice could always come in the future of the game, whether as random bonuses with future patches or as inclusions in potential DLC expansions for Baldur’s Gate 3. For now, however, the best recourse for anyone feeling that Larian Studios is cramping their style will have the best luck turning to mods, which have picked up the slack with plenty of custom designs. In a game revolving around dice, it’s weird that Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t pay a little more attention to what they look like, but the community has already shown that its love for dice can have some positive benefits.
Baldur’s Gate 3
- Franchise:
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- Platform(s):
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- Released:
- 2023-08-31
- Developer(s):
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- Publisher(s):
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- Genre(s):
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- Multiplayer:
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- ESRB:
- M
- Summary:
- Baldur’s Gate 3 is a long-anticipated sequel to Baldur’s Gate 2, released in 2000 from BioWare and now being handled by Larian Studios. Set 120 years after the events of Shadows of Amn, Baldur’s Gate 3 puts players in the role of a customizable protagonist who has been captured and infected with a parasite that will turn them into a mind flayer. Before the process is complete, the ship they are on crashes, leaving them on a quest to cure themselves as they meet up with other survivors. Gameplay is turn-based and can be played co-operatively online or tackled alone in a single-player campaign with NPC allies.
- How Long To Beat:
- 50 – 100 hours
- Prequel:
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