Summary
- Act 3 in Baldur's Gate 3 presents a significant increase in difficulty, with larger enemy groups and powerful bosses surpassing the player's potential level.
- The quantity of enemies in encounters, especially with faction bosses, can be overwhelming, with battles containing over 15 enemies at once.
- Players can utilize powerful late-game builds before Act 3, potentially reaching an overpowered state, but the game's antagonists also become more powerful and punishing in this act.
Baldur's Gate 3 may feel rather accessible when compared to most other CRPG titles, but that doesn't mean it isn't a challenging game. With the nature of CRPGs as one of the most complex genres to begin with, Baldur's Gate 3 still requires diving into many of the same advanced mechanics. Act 1 may be the most well-known as the game's starting section, but the spike in challenge that some players have found upon reaching Act 3 has been a growing topic of discussion as more progress towards the finale.
The third act is the part of the game where the player actually reaches the titular city of Baldur’s Gate, but it’s also only accessed after about 60% of the game is already completed. As the final section of BG3, Act 3 is expected to be a challenging set of obstacles to overcome, but some players have been surprised by how far it goes in terms of difficulty. There is already what some perceive as a big jump between the first two acts, given that the Shadow-Cursed Lands of Act 2 feature an actively hostile environment that can kill a party outside of combat, but the changes that characterize Act 3 go beyond this kind of challenge.
How Baldur's Gate 3's New Epilogues Wrap Up Each Companion's Story
Larian Studios recently released Patch 5 for Baldur's Gate 3, and it includes new content and an epilogue that helps wrap up each companion's story.
The Brutal Encounters of BG3 Act 3
Massive Team Fights Like Never Before
One of the biggest components of the difficulty increase of Act 3 is the sheer quantity of enemies that the player can be faced with in any given encounter, especially with tougher faction bosses. When it comes to some of the game’s strongest boss encounters, a major aspect of the challenge can come from facing their minions.
Fights like the one with Ketheric Thorm in Act 2 include some prevalent minor foes too, but Act 3 takes it to the next level. Battles like the one in the Sharran cloister underneath the House of Grief and in Cazador’s Palace can contain groups of over 15 enemies at once.
Foes That Surpass The Party's Potential
Not only are players dealing with more enemies per fight than ever, but Act 3 also introduces several powerful bosses that exist at a higher power level than what the player can even achieve. Opponents such as Raphael and Orin the Red both sit at the maximum level of 12 while also utilizing unique techniques completely unavailable to the player, while bosses like Ansur and Sarevok sit at the literally unachievable levels of 16 and 17.
Even the weaker minion enemies assisting the later bosses can clock in near the player’s level cap, making them capable of easily wiping out some unprepared teams in just a few turns. This also doesn't even account for the increased narrative presence of the game's antagonists, who become capable of punishing previously innocuous decisions like exploring certain areas. The way that Gortash can self-detonate his prison of important NPCs, or how Orin can kidnap and even kill a party member, can create an unprecedented sense of dread.
Act 3's Power Extends to the Player Too
The Potential of Overpowered Late Game Builds
While the increased difficulty that comes with delving into Act 3 can be daunting or even frustrating, the reality of BG3 is that much of what makes the enemies powerful can also be utilized by the player. With the growing prevalence of builds centered around strategies like synergy between area-of-effect spells and maximizing the party’s summons, the player is technically able to reach what many would consider an overpowered state well before Act 3 begins. Larian has even recently added the Honour difficulty setting that essentially acts as a permadeath mode that buffs bosses, showing the demand for an even harder experience.
Baldur's Gate 3
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.
THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCE
Choose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.
A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPIC
Forged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian's next-generation RPG engine.
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical Only
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 100+ Hours
- Metascore
- 96
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 Players
