Baldur's Gate 3

Like DOS2, there are few games that have really, truly hit the heart and soul of RPG gaming and landed the plane. The last time I enjoyed playing through this many hours of a game, and exploring every possible option was Dragon Age Origins back in 2008 or so.

Now I have 500 hours in BG3, oops.

That said, there are few games that truly capture the peak “Dungeons and Dragons” campaign experience like BG3 does. It has everything; comedy, drama, real stakes, actual opportunities to fail, tough choices, and a world that is alive and reacts to those choices.

I think that last part is what makes BG3 such a great game to me. It’s a game where you can futz around in any way you see fit, and no matter what you do, you can still finish the game. They really did think of everything and plan accordingly. There is no quest you cannot do in whatever manner you see fit, as long as you are willing to live with the (sometimes confusing) consequences of your actions.

As someone who also enjoys playing DM/GM for tabletop games with friends, I also admire the depth of world building that went into this iteration of the baldur’s gate franchise. They did not just smack in a few buildings and a few dungeon crawls and call it. They gave a real breathing world that has things going on.

And the voice acting/motion capture. My God the voice acting. They deserve every award.

Come because you enjoy the idea of a D&D game, stay because you are bawling your eyes out at the end of companion quests in act 3. You walk the path with them (a bit like everyone’s favorite Space Jesus, Commander Shepard), but you’re so much more than that to them. and the characters are so much more alive in response.

This is one for the history books for everything RPG related. They have gotten, and I hope they continue to get, every award to come.