This is actually important. A D&D, Forgotten Realms based classic RPG game wins game of the year award?! Have we really achieved ultimate D&D perfection? Bioware, Obsidian and Black Isle must be melting is salt out of jealousy it was not THEM... I have not played BG3 yet, but to think it could be even better than "Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer and "Placescape Torment" is thought provoking, intriguing, and doubtful consideration at the same time. Can't wait to find out!
Well... Yeah. I think in terms of D&D as close to a gameplay rendition of it that is actually well playable, this is the one. Its a pretty good 'tactical CRPG' if you will, with pretty deep mechanics, even with the knowledge that D&D 5e is a heavily simplified ruleset compared to its predecessors.
But BG3 suffers from a few notable drawbacks that make it not the ultimate D&D thing.
1. The story for all its brilliance and many arcs and options is still the story with its limitations. That also applies to how the world opens up to you. In that sense, its a pretty linear affair with many alternative paths, but all along one main road. The world isn't open, and the world isn't just 'the world' either in the sense of exploration. There is exploration - but it all diverges from and comes back to that main story. There is nothing in the game world that's just there for you to discover for shits and giggles, if you catch my drift.
2. Modding... I doubt we'll see a lot of custom campaigns. But time will tell. DOS had an editor attached to it...
3. Level cap. Level 12, and no, you can't multiclass your way above that either. Luckily that is where mods can help. I've already got a pretty sweet mod setup to get access to (a lot more!) spells from the 5e rulebook, basically everything thats available through scrolls is also made into a castable/learnable spell that way; and a custom level cap to 20 which opens up more feat choices and multiclasses that become super viable. You don't get new skills or feats that way, but still. The game does become easy at that point especially if you go for all the xp you can find along the way, so I also add another mod to increase difficulty (Tactician Plus).
4. Warlocks. Part in jest, but then again... they're easily the best class in the game, especially for every Charisma based character even if you just pick up two levels of it. Eldritch Blast scales with character level. Its stupidly good, and this is further emphasized by the fact many other ranged attackers are limited in one way or another: Ranger has a shit damage cap unless he's stealth attacking and needs to multi with Fighter to become even half worth the effort, preferably with Rogue levels on top. Sorcerers and Wizards have limited spells and their cantrips aren't as good. Druids aren't good at anything. Bards are similar (but they run Charisma
). I found myself even picking up two levels of Warlock on a goddamn Paladin (yeah, write a believable character backstory with that one... good luck
) and just not using Divine Smites because I had Eldritch Blast... multitargeting whatever I wanted for more damage (1d10+Cha, x3...) without having to go in melee.
