No matter how fantastic a game is, there comes a time when you eventually feel drawn to giving something else a try. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a nearly endless font of replay value, but even so, you may find yourself wanting to mix it up in 2024.
However, mixing it up doesn’t mean you can’t capture the same magical vibe. There’s no better feeling than putting down a game you love and picking up something that evokes the same feelings will still being a unique experience. Luckily for all of us, there are several games that capture a similar magic as Baldur’s Gate 3: including both games that you can play right now, and a few that are coming to us throughout 2024.
Best games like Baldur’s Gate 3 for 2024
It’s tempting to just play Baldur’s Gate 3 again, but hey—variety is the spice of life. Just not TOO much variety. These five games are all reminiscent of BG3 in the ways that matter most, and for the most part, they’re available to play today.
Dragon Age: Origins
If you ask me, Dragon Age: Origins is the absolute definitive blueprint for BG3, and I would wager I’m not the only one who holds this opinion. There are no ways in which the two games are exactly alike, but rather every single element of both games share huge similarities. They’re not identical, but they certainly aren’t different.
Dragon Age: Origins will throw you into a fantasy world with rich lore, countless story variations, dynamic and well-written companions, and a similar combat structure. Despite the fact that Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2 both exist, I would still claim that Dragon Age: Origins is the spiritual predecessor of BG3. It even has its own Shadowheart equivalent in Morrigan—a shapeshifting romanceable companion who wears just the right amount of black eyeliner. And it’s a great time to get into it now, as Dragon Age fans await more info on Dreadwolf.
Divinity 2: Original Sin
No list of games that evoke the same feelings as Baldur’s Gate 3 would be complete without mentioning Divinity 2: Original Sin. This game is Larian’s other massively successful CRPG, and it is designed in nearly the exact same way. If you’re experiencing BG3 withdrawals and haven’t played this game yet, consider yourself saved for at least another 200 hours.
In my opinion, BG3 is an improvement on D2OS in practically every way, but that doesn’t mean for a second that there is anything wrong with the blueprint. Divinity 2 is a phenomenally well-made game that had only the tiniest room for improvement in certain areas. Sure, Larian located those areas and improved accordingly, but the quality was a cut above to begin with.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will release in March 2024, and I think most would agree that it’s the current best option of games to look forward to when craving more BG3. The game is made by Capcom and is a sequel 12 years in the making.
DD2 is an open world, narrative-driven RPG set in a fantasy world with visuals very similar to those of BG3. We can expect similar depth and variety in the games’ companions, and tons of attention to detail in the dialogue and subsequent consequences and rewards your choices bring.
The primary way that DD2 will differ from BG3 is in the game’s combat system. Capcom tends to prefer fast-paced hack and slash combat systems, and this 2024 release will be no different. Rather than being turned-based and strategic, Dragon’s Dogma 2 will rely on some reaction times and mechanical skill, although given that it is a single player game, the odds of customizable difficulty levels are great.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
If you’re familiar with Dungeons & Dragons, the TTRPG that BG3 is based upon and emulates, then you’ve probably heard of Pathfinder, which is simultaneously D&D‘s closest alternative and largest competitor. Well, in the same way that BG3 is a video game version of D&D, Wrath of the Righteous is a virtual rendition of Pathfinder.
While there are some Pathfinder players I know who hate D&D and vice versa, it is undeniable that the two games are strikingly alike. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous came out in 2021 and was extremely well received by fans and critics alike. The primary difference is that Wrath of the Righteous is a bit more traditionally “epic” than BG3, and in turn doesn’t quite reach the same level of character depth and personal strife, but there is no denying that the games are similar. If you like one, you’ll like the other.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium may differ from BG3 in several ways, but it is uncannily similar in perhaps the most important way possible: the depth of the writing and the replay value that comes alongside that. Baldur’s Gate 3 is known for having a shockingly long campaign that takes most players over 50 hours to complete, and Disco Elysium isn’t too far behind.
Like BG3, the game focuses on overcoming obstacles through Ability Checks and dialogue choices, meaning you don’t need to have lightning reflexes or mechanical skill to succeed. In fact, there is basically no actual combat in Disco Elysium. Instead, you can take your time to weigh out decisions and then choose what you believe is the best path. Of course, there are MANY paths you can take.
As for the setting, you play as a detective with amnesia solving a murder case in a fictional country that has recently been sundered by a civil war. There’s a lifetime of nuance and intricacies that I’m not going to mention so you can experience them firsthand. One last tiny detail that I forgot to mention: Disco Elysium is the highest-rated game of all time on Metacritic, and many reviewers and critics have said that it is simply the best video game ever made.
Published: Jan 4, 2024 05:56 pm