Baldur's Gate 3 sure has a lot going for it - a sprawling narrative, intricate and engrossing gameplay mechanics, an authentic D&D experience, and to top it all off, it's got an adorable NPC dog called Scratch.
This lovable pooch is always up for a game of fetch and has a nose for finding hidden objects. But that's not all he can do. As pointed out by streamer Luality, Scratch is also super helpful when it comes to keeping your allies alive and kicking.
"Scratch is a really good boy," Luality says in a video posted on Twitter, "because if you're doing a hard fight, you can summon him, and he can help people." The streamer goes on to explain that if any of your allies happen to fall in battle, you can simply call on the fluffy fellow, and he'll bring them back to life with a few licks.
Dogs are good boys and they can lick you back to health! #BaldursGate3 pic.twitter.com/IEqfB87mXqAugust 13, 2023
Unfortunately, Luality didn't show this adorable ability in action, so if you want to see it for yourself, you'll find Scratch at Blighted Village, where you can befriend him and recruit him to your camp.
Critics and players alike have been blown away by what developer Larian Studios has managed to achieve with Baldur's Gate 3, so much so that it's currently Metacritic's best-reviewed game of 2023, pushing the mighty Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom off the top spot with a Metascore of 97. In terms of user ratings, it's also currently the highest-ranked game of the year, with 9.2 out of 10.
In our Baldur's Gate 3 review, we described it as "the most successful and authentic take on D&D in the tabletop franchise's 50-year history." Adding that "its complexity and size might be daunting for novices, but the breadth and depth of Baldur's Gate 3's world make this a once-in-a-generation achievement."
Check out our Baldur's Gate 3 tips and tricks if you're struggling to find your feet in this expansive RPG.