Dragon’s Dogma 2 vs Baldur’s Gate 3: Which should you play?

After 12 years of waiting, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has finally arrived and fans of the franchise are ecstatic. The original has become a cult classic, but the RPG genre has grown tremendously since then. Part of the recent RPG boom can be accredited to Baldur’s Gate 3.

BG3 saw immediate global success when it was released in mid-2023, showing players what a true RPG should look like. While DD2 is vastly different from BG3, the games do share plenty of similarities. If you’re someone who hasn’t played either but is looking for an RPG to sink hours into, which is the best overall game to play?

Deciding between Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3

First off, let me start by saying both games are fantastic in their own right and you should highly consider playing both of them if you’re a fan of the RPG genre in the slightest. While both games are technically sequels, you don’t need to play the original versions of either game to fully understand what’s going on in their respective worlds. Now, let’s get into what game might be right for you.

There are several factors to consider if you’re solely deciding between which game to play. There’s the story, gameplay, accessibility, and overall bang-for-your-buck value. Below, I’ll go into each one of these factors and explain what each games bring to the table in that specific area.

Story and Quests

As with any RPG, the story is at the center of both BG3 and DD2. Both games have an enveloping story that hooks you right from the start and has dozens of missions for you to complete. However, this is one area that’s not really a contest.

BG3 has the superior story, writing, and overall quests by a large margin. While DD2 has a solid story to follow, it does get messy in the end and the writing can be lackluster at certain points. BG3 also boasts thousands of different endings completely dependent on your choices throughout the game. You’re not able to make nearly the same number of choices in DD2 and there’s only a couple of endings to see. If you’re simply looking for the best story and writing, you should play BG3 without question.

The same can be said for the side content in both games. DD2 once again has some decent and memorable side quests, but it doesn’t hold a candle to what BG3 offers.

Gameplay

This is where you will likely make your decision on what game to play, as DD2 and BG3 feature completely different gameplay and combat. In DD2, you’ll be able to select a specific Vocation that gives you a distinct list of attacks, skills, and gear. You are also able to have three Pawns, which can all be of a different Vocation so you have a mix of combat options at all times. One of those Pawns is your Primary Pawn, which you’re able to fully customize.

Combat in DD2 is fluid and rewarding, featuring non-stop action all throughout an encounter. You have to really master your Vocation’s skills if you want to best harder enemies in combat. The action might also be enticing to those familiar with RPGs such as Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which DD2 is slightly reminiscent of in many ways.

BG3 features a similar party system where you’re able to recruit different party members to join you on your journey. The difference is that you’re able to fully control and customize your party members, while DD2 gives you little control over your non-Primary Pawns.

Combat is where BG3 and DD2 truly differ, though. BG3 features turn-based combat, forcing you to be extremely methodical about each scenario. This makes combat quite slow at times, especially when you’re just facing a couple of weak enemies. However, the larger combat sequences in BG3 are extremely rewarding, as you have to plan out every move accordingly. Still, this type of combat might not be what some players are looking for in an RPG.

Platforms

Fortunately, there aren’t too many differences when it comes to accessing DD2 and BG3. Both are available across the three major platforms (PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S), so most players will be able to play either game.

However, if you’re a PC player, you might want to consider checking the minimum and recommended specification lists for DD2. While it runs fine on a high-end machine, the game tends to feature frame drops, lag, and other performance issues on lower-end PCs. We did a guide on the best PC settings to improve FPS in DD2, but that still might not be enough to save a player’s experience if their hardware is older.

As for BG3, it tends to run decent no matter what kind of hardware you have, as long as it meets the minimum specs.

Bang-For-Your-Buck

Finally, which game offers the best overall value for the money? This will obviously come down to your own personal experience and preferences, but I think the answer here is clear: BG3.

Especially on PC, BG3 is $10 less than DD2 ($60 and $70, respectively) and features dozens of hours of extra gameplay. For reference, I beat DD2, completing tons of side content, in roughly 55 hours. Beating the story one time and doing most of the side content in BG3 took me 125 hours, and that’s not even going back to see multiple endings.

While you can choose to go back and play DD2 for a second playthrough to add extra playtime, you can do a single playthrough of BG3 that takes close to 200 hours. And that’s for the same price on PS5 and Xbox and $10 less on PC.

Which game should you play?

In the end, it’s going to come down to your overall preferences in RPGs. If you don’t mind the combat system of BG3, then I would say play that game first, especially if you’re on PC. However, for fans of the more traditional action RPG, DD2 might be the way to go.

You also have to consider if you even want to play a massive game like BG3. The main story questline in DD2 doesn’t take more than 40 hours to finish, which is all some players want in an RPG. I suggest reading our review on DD2 and watching some videos about the combat system and world in BG3, then deciding from there which one to play.