Baldur’s Gate 3 is the first game I haven’t wanted to progress in

As I sit and stare at my continuously growing quest log in Baldur’s Gate 3, I can’t help but feel a sense of dread. Not dread due to any overwhelming feelings of trying to complete all of the quests, but dread because I know, at some point, progressing through them will mean seeing the end credits roll. 

My biggest problem with Baldur’s Gate 3 thus far has been that I consciously put off the main story quests in exchange for searching every nook and cranny on all the different maps. The Aerosmith song, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” accurately sums up my experience one week in. While the point of every game is to eventually finish it and see the ending, I have absolutely no desire to do that now or in the near future. The world that Larian Studios has crafted is so jam-packed with interesting characters, quests, and locations that I don’t want to progress to the next part of the game until I absolutely have to. 

And, up to this point, this desire to not progress has resulted in one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s world is livable beyond belief

In today’s day and age of RPGs and open-world video games, it seems like a gargantuan task for developers to create a world that feels real. There’s almost always something lacking in open worlds that leaves players wanting more. Whether it’s too much open space, not enough characters to meet, or bland and dry locations, very few games make it so I want to explore every inch of its world.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has absolutely knocked it out of the park in this department. The world feels so alive, teeming with hidden locations that you might not have ever known existed were it not for a streamer or one of your friends managing to stumble upon it. And the unhidden areas each have dozens of stories waiting to be uncovered by unique inhabitants that all have something interesting to say.

It’s the unknown that truly allows me to get lost in Baldur’s Gate 3. Trying to figure out what’s around the next corner and thinking about how it could affect my character and party has kept me glued to my screen for hours. The reward is almost always worth the journey in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Stepping foot into the gloriously beautiful Underdark or facing the constant peril in the Shadow Cursed Lands made everything I did before then worth it. Not only just experiencing the different locations, but seeing characters I helped or talked to hours ago in a completely new area with fresh dialogue is one of the best feelings a game has given me for as long as I can remember.

All good things must come to an end

Obviously, I know that, at some point, I will have to keep progressing the main story and leave behind all of the maps I have previously visited. This fact has not come easy to me, though.

I spent an hour uncovering all the black-covered parts of the map in Reithwin Town before finally moving on to Moonrise Towers just to ensure I didn’t miss an item or unique area. Before that, I spent another 15 minutes staring at the bridge to Moonrise, trying to think of other things I might have missed. Having so much content to explore is certainly a good problem to have, though, and I am absolutely not complaining.

I’ve seen an elderly woman transform into a cunning and maniacal hag before my very eyes, hurled a gnome off of a windmill into the great beyond, and blown up a mushroom field only to discover that there was a man sitting in the middle of it, which led to him running out of the field on fire.

I’m positive that as the game goes on, even more memorable moments will pop up, leaving me yearning for more and further sustaining my desire to avoid the credits rolling.