Baldur's Gate 3 is a phenomenon. After almost three years of community-driven in-progress development, the RPG burst from the confines of Early Access in August of this year, and has dominated the conversation ever since. With so much to offer in the way of branching narratives, whimsical characters, D&D-inspired mechanics, and much more, players far and wide have hailed the scope with which developer Larian has told its Sword Coast-set saga.
The notion of playing and replaying games – be that via New Game Plus, or simply by starting again from scratch – is nothing new in 2023. But I'd suggest that exploring any given video game beyond a first playthrough has always felt optional, even in games where multiple playthroughs are such a big part of community discourse. I'm a big Soulsborne and Elden Ring fan, for example, but while I've always re-specced my characters in NG+ eventually, I've personally always done so after taking a break, playing other things, and then returning with renewed vigor as if approaching an entirely new game.
Multiple playthroughs are of course optional in Baldur's Gate 3, but whereas the likes of Skyrim, Dragon Age, and anything from FromSoftware's back catalog have always had their fair share of NG+ devotees, I don't think these players have ever reflected the majority of these games' player bases. With Baldur's Gate 3, however, it feels like every player is jumping straight back in after the credits roll. And, more interesting still, this majority of players are happy and willing to do so. The question for me, then, is: why?
Is choice everything?
Full disclaimer to kick things off: I've loved my time with Baldur's Gate 3 so far, but I've still not finished my first playthrough, and I'm still intimidated by its scope. I've got two young children, meaning I'm often required to be extra shrewd with my time playing video games. To be fair to Baldur's Gate 3, its structure definitely allows for bite-sized in-and-out sessions, but it's equally capable of swallowing hours at a time. That's great (no complaints from me, I'm simply outlining my own circumstances), but it means I personally haven't thought much about subsequent playthroughs at all at this point.
I love that BG3 offers so much value for money to this end, but equally I'm perhaps more used to games that are able to tell their stories in their entirety in one sitting. Choice is something so tightly bound to any discussion about Baldur's Gate 3, and I think Larian has done an exceptional job of projecting the illusion of it.
"But, even with all of that, I'm still unsure that I fully understand why players are jumping straight back in en masse unlike any other game in recent memory."
It's no coincidence, for example, that when you've gained the ability to talk to animals, the game puts loads of cool animals with interesting pre-loaded dialogue options in your path. If you choose to cast 'Speak With Animals' when down among the sewer rats, on the other hand, the conversation is far less exciting. The game is constantly performing this meticulous sleight-of-hand – even in what I've played so far – and is always aware of what's likely to be just over the horizon for you, and what tools you have to make the most out of it.
Is that enough to justify such a prominent, perceivable shift in player expectations regarding instant-multiple playthroughs, in order to uncover new experiences, new perspectives, and new story threads? I mean, clearly it is because we wouldn't be having this discussion if it wasn't. But, even with all of the above, I'm still unsure that I fully understand why players are jumping straight back in en masse unlike any other game in recent memory. Which is exactly why I now defer to my Baldur's Gate 3-playing colleagues who are now several runs deep in the Sword Coast each.
Yes, choice is everything
Baldur's Gate 3 is an experience that demands to be replayed by virtue of just how much choice it offers up. There are so many options in the character creator alone that feed into how the world reacts to you and how you can interact with it. Classes, for example, not only affect your skills in combat, but also introduce unique dialogue options and actions. So just from your class pick, you'll have conversations or instances that are unique to your abilities.
Seeing how my first run as a bard presented me with unique options from the get-go already had my mind reeling at what might be on offer if I choose to be something different the next time around. And that's the crucial point: there are so many possibilities when it comes to what character you play that there's no way to experience and do everything in The Sword Coast in a single run.
Along with different races and backgrounds to choose from as a customizable character, the option to play as one of the premade Origin party members, or The Dark Urge, adds yet more possibilities to the fold. Essentially, you can experience the same story multiple times, but it will never be exactly the same because of how tailored it is to the different choices you make. There's so much scope to discover something new that you can't help but be compelled to want to play it over and over again.
"Other RPGs certainly have a replayability factor, but I've never started planning out subsequent runs as early on as I did in Baldur's Gate 3."
Other RPGs certainly have a replayability factor, but I've never started planning out subsequent runs as early on as I did in Baldur's Gate 3. It's D&D-infused DNA feels like it's built to be revisited time and again, since it's so densely packed with things that only a small margin might see depending on various factors and choices. And not unlike the way players were still discovering neat tricks in Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild years on, the community is constantly finding new interactions or instances in the world that make you want to dive back in and see what you might have missed. Perhaps this also contributes to why so many want to return over and over.
Of course, the downside to so much tailorability and an impressive amount of content to uncover is that you're looking at quite the time sink if you really do want to try out all possible avenues. Personally, I find it hard to tear myself away because there are so many things I want to try out in The Sword Coast. There's almost too much to explore. And you can't help but wonder what the future holds for RPGs going forward after this. I don't expect every single one will follow Baldur's Gate 3's lead, or be able to emulate the same kind of hold it has on players right now, but Larian's RPG is certainly going to be one we'll be talking about for a long time to come.
Replayability is multi-faceted
Replayability in Baldur's Gate 3, in my mind, boils down to three things: community, reach, and financial viability. Not only is BG3 one of the most in-depth RPGs ever made, it's also the definitive Dungeons & Dragons video game, a high-stakes fantasy adventure, and many have joked that it could almost count as a dating sim. The breadth of its appeal is so wide that it changes how and why we play the game – and how many times we might do so.
One of the first things I see people ask on Reddit and Twitter is whether Baldur's Gate 3 is worth the hefty US$60 price tag. The answers are (almost) all a resounding "yes," by the sheer principle that you're getting hundreds of hours of content for the price of a handful. The main campaign alone takes about 75 hours, and that's if you're trimming the fat. Some players might try to see every inch and side quest in one single 500-hour playthrough, while others lean into the roleplaying aspect and see where their character leads them. The feeling of never quite being "finished" with the game is what drives many to replay it, and with video games being on the pricier side these days, BG3 proves incredible value for money.
"The thriving online community is another catalytic force in its replayability, with members inspiring one another's future playthroughs by feeding in their own experiences."
The thriving online community is another catalytic force in its replayability, with members inspiring one another's future playthroughs by feeding in their own experiences. Reddit is full of class build suggestions, as well as hilariously circumstantial ways to cheese your way through boss battles. BG3 champions ingenuity by letting you do pretty much anything, dice rolls permitting, and that sense of untethered potential is what makes D&D such a highly-replayable format to work with.
The cast itself plays a unique role in sustaining that community. Actors Neil Newbon, Devora Wilde, and Jennifer English stream their Baldur's Gate sessions live on Twitch, meaning fans can interact with the game and its world without even playing it. The sheer popularity of the BG3 cast playing D&D together is a testament to how important this interpersonal connection is, creating not just a community but a loyal fanbase that will keep coming back.
Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't need NG+ to keep players interested – its format and community does that by itself. But what does this mean for the future of the genre? Personally, I don't want or need to see any more RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3, at least not for the sake of it. It's unfair to expect most studios would be able to pour in the necessary time, effort, and personal funds that Larian did in order to pull it off just once. Even if it were possible, the bar has now been set staggeringly high. I know I have plenty more to explore in BG3 even after 300 hours – and frankly, I'm not sure I'd have the bandwidth to do this with another game anytime soon.
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