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Baldur's Gate 3 saw its latest Panel From Hell showcase air recently. Hosted by key members of Larian Studios, it shed light on new developments about the upcoming CRPG. This was the final event before the Early Access' launch early next month. As such, fans were treated to three hours of excitement. That is without considering the technical difficulties with the livestream itself, of course.
In short, there is a lot to cover. Without discussing story spoilers, here is everything players need to know.
5 things from Baldur's Gate 3's Final Panel from Hell showcase that players should be aware of
1) Two new races join the roster at launch
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The Half-Orc and Dragonborn races will arrive in time for release. The former is a powerful race of part-orc beings who are incredibly resilient. The latter is a new race in Baldur's Gate, featuring lizardmen with dragon blood in their veins. Both will help bolster the strong RPG customization in the game.
Based on Dungeons & Dragons, the game already boasts a decent number of races at this point. The other options include: Elf, Human, Tiefling, Dwarf, Githyanki, Drow, Halfling, and Gnome; so players can create a party as desired. However, they are not the only additions.
2) The Dark Urge is the final Origin character slated for release
Just like Divinity Original Sin 2, Origin characters in Baldur's Gate 3 are pre-defined heroes with backstories and questlines. The latest addition in that regard is the Dark Urge. The refreshing aspect about this one is that it is fundamentally a custom character with an evil playstyle attached to it.
So in other words, players are free to customize this hero unlike, say, Astarion or Gale. The difference is that this the go-to character for the bad guy playthroughs. That is because the Dark Urge has an unquenchable thirst to kill and maim indiscriminately. This means Baldur's Gate 3 will be more than happy to offer new ways to kill an NPC at every turn.
3) Romance options include frolicking with a druid transformed into a bear
One of the more amusing moments in the livestream was the debut of how certain romances pan out in the game. Players can indulge in various affectionate scenarios with other party members, and this includes same-sex relationships as well. But Baldur's Gate 3 is not content with just that.
No, the developers up the bizarre factor to 11. One scene showcased the vampire Astarion making love with the druid Halsin in his bear form. This has taken the internet by surprise, and perhaps even surprise may be an understatement.
4) Divinity Original Sin 2's difficulty options make it over
The iconic 2017 RPG was renowned for its accessibility options. In other words, players could make the gameplay as easy or as hard as they desired. For Baldur's Gate 3, two modes will be making the jump: Explorer and Tactician. As the name suggests, the former is for those who want to enjoy the narrative, engage with the characters, and explore without frustration.
The Tactician, on the other hand, is a Very Hard mode - yes, more challenging than the default Hardcore mode in the game. It was renowned for being nail-bitingly hard in Divinity Original Sin 2. The same seems to be true here as even the developers had their party wiped during a skirmish aganst goblins.
5) Local co-op is a thing as well
The Divinity Original Sin games are unique in the sense that they among a handful RPGs out there with full blown campaign co-op. Baldur's Gate 3 is set to join their ranks as expected. Of course, this feature was confirmed a while back. However, this new panel unveiled that local co-op play for two players will be an option too.
That is "splitscreen" for the old-school gamers. Two players can team up to stop the threat of the Mindflayers on one system. The best part is that PC players will be able to enjoy this mode as well, assuming they have an extra controller to plug in.
Baldur's Gate 3 will be released on PC on August 3, 2023. The PlayStation 5 version is scheduled for September 6, 2023.
Get Updated Baldur's Gate 3 Interactive Map Here
