Summary
- Baldur's Gate 3, with its 6-year development cycle, has become one of the most highly anticipated games of the year and has received near-perfect reviews from critics and players alike.
- The game follows Dungeons and Dragons 5e rules and offers a rich and complex experience with turn-based combat and a party of companions.
- The success of Baldur's Gate 3 reflects the incredible quality of games released in 2023, joining other highly acclaimed titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Starfield could seal the deal for this year if it's equally successful.
Thanks to the nature of video games, their development cycles are longer than most other forms of entertainment. While each year sees the launch of an exceptional game, there are times when many landmark games are released in a singular year. These years become hallmarks for gaming communities, such as 1998 and 2007. With the launch of Baldur's Gate 3, 2023 has already set itself up to join the list, even with Bethesda's Starfield still on the way later this year.
Baldur's Gate 3 was one of the most anticipated games of the year, thanks in part to its 6-year development cycle, but also because of its status as a sequel to the beloved Baldur's Gate 2. Baldur's Gate 3 follows Dungeons and Dragons 5e rules, with turn-based combat, a party of companions, and all the freedom expected of a tabletop game in video game form. This proved to be a winner with players, and Baldur's Gate 3's reviews have matched and, in some cases, even surpassed The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's incredible scores from earlier this year. Rather than a competition, it's just indicative of the incredible quality of games 2023 has given the community.
The Success of Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 was released in early access in 2020, and it has seen numerous improvements before it officially launched in August 2023. Thanks to its foundation in Dungeons and Dragons, it has a complex character and class system, and its combat system can take some getting used to. However, the rich content and sheer amount of fun it offers more than make up for its steep learning curve, and this has earned it near-perfect reviews from critics and players alike. Baldur's Gate 3 truly offers an experience for everyone, and despite the fact that its scope is massive enough for one playthrough, there's so much content to cover that it's impossible to cover it all even across several.
While players are busy with Baldur's Gate 3, Bethesda is getting ready to launch its new IP Starfield, which appears to emphasize exploration and adventure across the stars. Starfield hasn't had the benefit of early access as Baldur's Gate 3 had, and so players don't quite know what to expect beyond what Bethesda has showcased, but if the studio can live up to the expectations of its previous releases such as Skyrim, Starfield will be another hit for 2023 and join the list of successful launches.
Review Scores For Games Released in 2023
- Baldur's Gate 3 - 97
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 96
- Metroid Prime Remastered - 94
- Resident Evil 4 (2023) - 92
- Street Fighter 6 - 92
- Final Fantasy 16 - 89
- Hi-Fi Rush - 89
- Dead Space (2023) - 89
- Diablo 4 - 88
- Theatrhythm Final Bar Line - 86
With just over four months of the year to go, there's still a ton of games to be released, including the promised early access to Hades 2 that Supergiant Games announced back in January but haven't given an update yet. Baldur's Gate 3's success already puts this year above many others, but there need to be a few more wins to round the year out and end it on a high note. Starfield will hopefully do this, as well as Assassin's Creed Mirage and Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which are set to launch in October, and Persona 5 Tactica and the Super Mario RPG, both set to launch in November.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now for PC. The PlayStation 5 version will be available on September 6th, 2023. A version for Xbox Series X/S is still in development.