ACG checked out Baldur's Gate 3:
More information.Baldurs Gate 3 Early Access Impressions - In Good Hands
More information.Baldurs Gate 3 Early Access Impressions - In Good Hands
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Yes, it does look a lot like a re skinned D:OS2. And that's ok, I guess. Having only levels 1-4 in 5e is going to make for an oddly paced video game, but I actually prefer low level 5e play.
I don't watch video reviews. I'm old-school that way. Like reading my news. Yadda yadda.
I tend to also like the low levels best but you said only levels 1 to 4? I looked that up and what I am seeing is the current max, from a google search, is 10 for BG3, not 4.
Was that a typo or did you mean something else?
Biggest thing I dont like about the DOS games is they aren't really open world. They divide the chapters into large closed off sections of the game.
D:OS 1 isn't like that. You can go back and forth between the areas as you like. The only issue is that the level of the enemies basically guarantees you can't enter certain sections until your party is strong enough.
You cannot leave the starting island freely
Biggest thing I dont like about the DOS games is they aren't really open world. They divide the chapters into large closed off sections of the game. In a Forgotten Realms game I want to be able to go wherever I want in the game world, but from what I hear sadly they are doing BG3 the same way. If there are multiple cities in the game, I sure hope you dont have to complete Chapters 1 & 2 before you can even get to one of the cities.
You're thinking of D:OS 2. D:OS 1 doesn't start on an island.
My point is that they're not the same. In D:OS 1, you can travel between maps and return to previous areas.
I understand what you mean, it's total freedom, and so much to explore from the start.
But "real" open worlds are often criticized for a lower-quality story. I'm not convinced it's due to the open-world-ness, but I can believe it's harder to manage an interesting story when the players can go where they please, and do whatever they want whenever they want with NPCs, objects and the environment. So, a succession of a few smaller open worlds is perhaps a good compromise if each is large enough to give an impression of freedom.
I think it also gives a feeling of accomplishment, and variety. In open worlds like Skyrim, Fallout 3, or even Witcher 3, going through the same places feel a bit like routine after a while, and more than once I had to review the quest journal to see what else was still to do, a little bit as I do at work… It's of course possible for the designer to be smart, and open the world bit by bit, change the look of an area and so on, but it surely requires more work. It's also a nightmare for them to test, and so there are potentially more bugs for us.
Some extreme opinions even prefer linear adventures, it's personal taste but I find that too restrictive, even if the story can really be tailored in that case. I don't mind a bit of routine either, it feels a bit like being "home".
There was enough for me to do in each area of D:OS2, but again it's subjective. I can't play many hours a week, there's that. If it's too large I just forget everything