Summary
It’s no secret thatBaldur’s Gate 3gets a lot of things right, but the game is at its most impressive when its addressing problems that are generally accepted as par for the course. From making romance genuinely interesting to giving decisions real impact, the ways in whichBaldur’s Gate 3goes above and beyond help cement its unique status and give it enormous replayability. More than anything else, virtually anything that a player can do inBaldur’s Gate 3has the potential to be fun, which isn’t always the easiest thing to achieve.
Granted,Baldur’s Gate 3’s complex implementation ofDungeons & Dragonsturn-based combat might not be for everyone, and the length of major encounters requires some patience compared to hack-and-slash gameplay. It also overcomes some hurdles that can make turn-based battles dry, however, with anemphasis on environmental possibilitiesand a huge diversity in class abilities. Playing a wizard is every bit as fun as one would imagine, but what really shines is howBaldur’s Gate 3gives life to a role that’s rarely as fun as it should be.
One Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 7 Addition Will Give Players What D&D Won’t
Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t have every perk that Dungeons & Dragons does, but one change in an upcoming update could be a unique advantage.
Healing Is Actually Fun In Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 Succeeds Where Many Games Fail
Healing is arguably the most noble progression in any video game that offers it, but it isn’t often the most engaging one. Playing a healer can often feel like playing second fiddle to the classes that are getting to go out and have the most fun, with gameplay options that just aren’t as dynamic or as satisfying in practice. When a good synergy develops between a healer and their team, it can still be a great experience, but that kind of magic ends up being a rare occasion.
InBaldur’s Gate 3, however,healing can just be a straight-up good time. Reddit userStrawbz18points out how enjoyable support is in a post celebrating theircleric/paladin multiclass character, making mention of the protective wardsanctuaryand the ability to reposition allies to safety.
It’s no surprise that playing a healer can actually be quite fun, asDnDhas had decades to iterate on support classes as a core part of the adventuring party composition. All the same,Baldur’s Gate 3does make it feel genuinely refreshing when contrasted against most of the video game landscape.
This isn’t to say thatDnDalways gets healing completely right, and it’s getting some buffs in the 2024Player’s Handbookdue to how underwhelming it can sometimes feel in fifth edition.
Strategic Healing Matters In Baldur’s Gate 3
HP Isn’t Something To Take For Granted
A big part of what makes healing feel fundamentally rewarding inBaldur’s Gate 3is how real the threat of a party wipe is. Although a playthrough on Balanced difficulty isn’t anywhere near as tough as the hardest RPGs out there, it still injects serious danger into every big fight, and a few poor choices or bad rolls could easily force a party to start the encounter all over again.There’s a fundamental urgency to healingthat isn’t as tangible in games where characters will respawn with minimal consequences, and the turn-based system provides the time to ponder the strategy behind triage decisions.
10 Best Cleric Spells In Baldur’s Gate 3 (& How To Use Them)
Clerics in Baldur’s Get 3 are often overlooked as just simply healers, but they have far more spells in their arsenals than many realize.
Even more significant is just how many options are at the fingertips of a cleric or paladin, and using an action to dump HP on a fellow party member is just the tip of the iceberg. Balancing major and minor healing and protective effects across different levels of spellcasting makes for an interesting layer of resource management, especially if the party forgets to take a rest before a major showdown. The ability to casthealing wordas a bonus action can quickly become a regular staple, but it’s often not enough to keep up with the overall onslaught.
It’s easy to complain that healing could be more powerful inBaldur’s Gate 3, butthe fact that damage does often outpace healing is a lot of what makes it exciting. Desperation juggling a character between life and death is thrilling in a way that comfortably restoring them to full health isn’t, even if it can result in situations where a support class does end up feeling powerless.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Support Classes Are Highly Flexible
Balancing Offense & Defense Can Be Incredibly Entertaining
What brings the whole package together is the flexibility thatBaldur’s Gate 3offers healers, with options like direct attack spells and some in between that balance defense and offense.Spirit guardiansis an especially fun one, allowing clerics to surround themselves with protective spectral forces that can deal a good chunk of damage to enemies that come within a relevant radius. Simply moving a cleric over to some enemies can essentially function as an attack, and sheltering other party members within range can make any enemies who come to bother them in melee quickly regret it.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Paladin Build (Skills, Subclass & Stats)
Paladins are one of the strongest Baldur’s Gate 3 melee fighters. They deal extra radiant damage and have high defense, but must rest often.
Subclasses also enhance the possibilities of gearing support more towards either direction. A Life Domain cleric is great for healing, while a War cleric gets a martial boost and a Trickery cleric can make good use of stealth and illusions.Paladins get the tempting Oathbreaker optionalong with normal subclasses, which lets them go in a darker direction if they abandon their original ideals. Support isn’t restricted to clerics and paladins —bards are an especially great option despite being less focused on healing, and any class can at least attempt to fill a support role.
Healing still won’t be for everyone inBaldur’s Gate 3, and it’s possible to make it through the game without ever keeping a dedicated support class in the party. For those who like to take that route, however,Baldur’s Gate 3does a lot to make it more entertaining than normal, and the wide range of support options has something for just about every preference. Healers are something that a lot of video games can never quite figure out how to get right, butBaldur’s Gate 3is one example of just how great playing support can be.
Source:Strawbz18/Reddit
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
