Baldur’s Gate 3 restores players’ faith in turn-based gameplay

Baldur’s Gate 3 has managed to reignite many players’ love for turn-based combat with the strength of its combat.

While combat is just one of several ways that players can approach problems in Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s still a massively important part of the game, and Larian Studios put a lot of effort into making it as engaging as possible.

While turn-based combat is an ideal fit for the rules of Dungeons & Dragons that Baldur’s Gate is trying to emulate, it’s not for everyone, and some players are always going to be skeptical of a different kind of fighting.

This is why it’s so impressive that Baldur’s Gate 3 has been received so well, and it’s getting to the point where even players who weren’t sold on turn-based combat are coming around to the idea.

Baldur’s Gate 3 player regains love for turn-based gameplay

In a post on the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit, one player admitted that “Baldur’s Gate 3 changed my stance on turn-based combat”, saying that the freedom of the combat made winning fights more satisfying.

“I typically thought turn-based games were outdated but there’s something invigorating about taking on a fort with your companions and the rolls don’t critically miss and you win the day all because you chose to violently murder a person who disrespected one of your companions.

I can explore and play at my own pace and it’s just a blast and I’m not even through the first act. It’s balanced but most enjoyable.”

Another player proposed that Baldur’s Gate 3’s take on combat was so appealing because it didn’t reply on random encounters, and instead had bespoke fights for each interaction.

They said: “Baldur’s Gate 3 made me realize it’s not turn-based combat that I didn’t like, but random encounters/respawning enemies. Turn-based can get tedious if you have to do it every 5 feet or every time you want to run to a vendor. I love that every encounter is scripted, quality over quantity.”

For more news and updates on Baldur’s Gate 3, check out our rundown of the latest patch notes, including changes made to the Astarion romance.