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2023 has beenBaldurs Gate 3s year.

It also topped our ownTechRadar Gaming Game of the Year list.

Baldur�s Gate 3 Shadowheart

As well as being one of thebest RPGsof the year,Baldurs Gate 3has delivered on a decades-old goal.

To look into the eyes of any of the games companion characters is to look into a human face.

This isBaldurs Gate 3s secret weapon.

A close up on a bloodied Asterion at camp

Baldurs Gate 3s turn-based battles unfold with dynamism and speed.

Groups of enemies move and act simultaneously to save time where appropriate.

Animations are punchy and satisfying.

The Dark Urge’s eerie butler

The soundscape is as engrossing as it is descriptive of whats happening.

This isBaldurs Gate 3s confident synthesis of old and new in action.

Instead, characters talkwithyou.

The party explore the underdark

True to the tabletop source material, conversations in Baldurs Gate 3 are two-way streets

Take broody Cleric Shadowheart.

Herskepticism of Laezel the warriormay influence you towards being more careful in your dealings with the ornery lizard lady.

However, she can also be influenced by your own words, which can drastically affect her religious outlook.

This is made all the more poignant by theexcellent voice actingand motion capture, too.

A world of possibilities

That said,Baldurs Gate 3is more than just a story.

It is also a playground.

The games environments and combat reward lateral thinking.

Want to reach a far-off plinth?

Worried about a boss fight?

Baldurs Gate 3feels like a conversation.

Perhaps you see them as such a liability that youd prefer to simply kill them.

Many titles promise meaningful player choice, butBaldurs Gate 3actually delivers.

Want to play more greats?

Our lists of thebest story gamesandbest single-player gamesare full of them.