I wouldn’t call myself a gamer. Sure, I enjoy playing Stardew Valley with my girlfriend and I have almost 100 hours in Elder Scrolls 5, but I don’t consider myself an avid gamer by any means. However, Larian’s newest game, Baldur’s Gate 3, may change all that. Because this is a game for the girls.
I hear you saying, “But Jessica, how is a Dungeons and Dragons-based revival game from the 2000s a game for the girls?” And to that I say, well, just look at this:
The Companions
From the sultry vampire Astarion to the golden retriever of a barbarian Karlach, there is a companion for everyone. These phenomenal characters not only have heart-wrenching plot lines and character development, but also react to you, the character. Yes, girls, choices matter in this game. You can win the approval of your favorite eligible bachelor, or just adventure through the forest with your five best friends.
The main five companions, called “origin characters” are listed below:
- Astarion: a snarky vampire determined to keep away from his vampire master
- Lae’zel: an angry Githyanki infected with a Mindflayer parasite trying to get back to her home
- Shadowheart: a catty cleric of the goddess of pain, Shar, whose memories have been erased and is trying to get them back
- Gale: a knowledgeable wizard who fell in love with the goddess of magic, and subsequently got a magic bomb in his chest
- Wyll: a kind warlock who made a pact with a devil in order to protect his people
- Karlach: a sweet barbarian who escaped hell after being forced into service as a soldier there
And that’s not all! There are multiple other companions you can encounter throughout the game, leaving someone (or someones) for everyone.
Character Customization
If you’re mad that getting cute characters in the Sims requires hundreds of dollars’ worth of expansion packs or enough bites of mods to break a NASA computer, Baldur’s Gate 3 is for you. The characters are beautifully customizable, with different hairstyles, tattoos, scars, and even heterochromia. I swear, I could spend hours on the customization screen alone.
Mulitplayer
That’s right, you can do a run of Baldur’s Gate 3 with up to three other friends. I absolutely adore co-op games, so this is an absolute win.
Turn-based combat
I don’t know about you, but I have a freeze panic response. If an enemy in a video game runs at me, my first response is to freeze, which usually gets me a “Game Over” screen. But not in Baldur’s Gate 3! Turn-Based combat allows you to use an effective strategy, even if you freeze at first.
Romance Scenes
If you’ve heard anything about Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s probably the absurdity of some of the romantic scenes. Having sex with a bear, an orgy, and a mind flayer are some of the… more discussed scenes. However, these are by no means the only options. A large amount of the romance scenes are fluffy, cute, and transformative. And for the spicy people, well, there’s something for everyone.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Baldur’s Gate 3 was made for the girlies. I mean, who doesn’t want to have a whirlwind romance while saving the world from imminent doom?
Of course, there is the fact that, currently, it costs $60. But, when you think about how long you’ll spend playing it (I have 60 hours and I’m not even halfway through Act 1), girl math brings that total to about $0.25/hour. Which, if you ask me, is well-worth the price.