Baldur's Gate III

To be completely honest, I uninstalled Baldur’s Gate 3 twice before the game finally clicked for me. At first, the overwhelming amount of systems, turn-based combat, and the feeling of being completely lost in the early levels almost beat me. To make matters worse, my first choice was a Bard a class that initially makes you feel more like a bystander than a hero. The game felt too punishing, overly complex, and the temptation to quit won twice. But everything changed when I hit Level 4. Everything got better: you learn superior spells and start to understand how the game actually works. I decided to respec my character into a Paladin, and later down the line, I made a Bard/Paladin multiclass. That's when the game truly hooked me. I had never played D&D before, I had only watched a few videos, but BG3 completely won me over with its turn-based mechanics. The open world is ridiculously good, incredibly rich in content and side quests. You can literally do anything and solve quests however you want. There is no "right way" to play: you can convince a boss to end themselves just through dialogue, push enemies off high cliffs, use the environment to turn the tides of battle, or craft a smart strategy to deal with a tough boss or group of NPCs. The game gives you absolute freedom to tackle the world's problems your way. The party that accompanies you is far from just a combat squad. Every companion carries their own deep traumas that shape who they are, and you grow deeply attached to characters like Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Karlach, Wyll, among many others. And it’s not just your party members, but also the NPCs you meet throughout your journey as you complete quests. As for builds, you can create so many different combinations. My Bard/Paladin build was insanely fun and super strong! The main story is excellent, and the side quests are so good that you don't even want to finish the main campaign — you just want to keep exploring. You catch yourself procrastinating the main story on purpose just to check out that unexplored part of the map. Plus, there's the constant temptation to save before every single dialogue just to test: "What happens if I do this crazy thing here?" All in all, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece that respects the player's intelligence and creativity. Does it punish you at the start? Yes, quite a bit. But it rewards you with one of the most memorable and deeply human experiences gaming has ever produced. Looking back, I’m so grateful I insisted, installed the game one last time, and gave it another shot. That initial Level 1 frustration turned into one of the best gaming memories I’ve ever had. Either way, thank you so much, Larian Studios, for creating this masterpiece. Final Score: 10/10 (with high praise, patience, and many rolled D20s).

The game that proved me completely wrong. I used to always skip this game. I honestly didn't understand how people could enjoy this specific genre and I refused to believe the perfect review scores. Even when it won (Game of the Year) I thought to myself that it had to be an exaggeration. However curiosity eventually got the better of me. I made the decision to buy it and see what the hype was all about. To be perfectly honest I did not enjoy it during the first half hour. But I decided to push through and give it a fair chance. As I progressed through the events and got deeper into the world everything completely shifted. I can confidently say that I have never enjoyed an RPG in my entire life as much as I enjoyed Baldur's Gate 3. It is an unimaginably perfect experience in every single aspect: the deep characters the incredible story the meaningful dialogue and the brilliant combat system. Everything is simply flawless. I have absolutely zero regrets about giving this game a chance. To call it a masterpiece is an understatement; it truly deserves every bit of the high praise and every award it has received. My biggest hope right now is that the next Divinity game adopts this exact same gameplay formula and evolves it even further. Rating: 10/10 ✨🙌🏻 An absolutely phenomenal and unforgettable experience.

There are endless worlds out there. Countless ways to declare love. Infinite ways to express it. Too much for one night…. But we shall try.