Finishing a great game leaves a void in your life and a need to find similar experiences. Some games we might’ve overlooked in the past but are willing to try after playing and enjoying a title in the same style. Here are 10 games similar to Baldur’s Gate 3 so that you can set off on another journey.
10 Games Like Baldur’s Gate 3 Worth Playing
Divinity Original Sin 2
Naturally, another game created by Larian Studios will be similar to BG3. Its presentation is a bit more antiquated, and it doesn’t have as many cutscenes, but the story, combat, and RPG elements are worth experiencing. It’s another game where you can sink in nearly a hundred hours easily, and you get to create a character that brings unique elements to the story. As such, your choices make a difference, as in BG3. Of all the games on this list, Divinity Original Sin 2 is the closest overall to the experience of BG3.
Baldur’s Gate 2
As the prequel to BG3, Baldur’s Gate 2 features familiar characters and the same style of storytelling. Its biggest downside is being older. But if you don’t mind the aged gameplay, then you get to learn about Athkatla, another city in Faerûn. You also learn about characters who appear in BG3, such as Jaheira, Minsc, Viconia, and Saverok. The extra context then makes your next playthrough of BG3 more involved because you know the history and trials of characters you might not have thought much about previously.
Fallout New Vegas
Fallout New Vegas differs from BG3 in many ways, but if you like a post-apocalyptic journey, it offers similar features. You get the dialogue options, and those change based on your skills and attributes. A character with higher intelligence might have more eloquent choices compared to a character with lower intelligence. All the variables force you to change how you approach dealing with NPCs, even when you are trying to achieve the same goal with both character styles. This game lacks full romance options; however, the vast world to explore helps make up for that.
The Outer Worlds
You won’t be able to play multiplayer in The Outer Worlds, but you have no shortage of choices for how to approach the game’s task. The genre is sci-fi instead of fantasy, and it’s more of a shooter. The story and choices that are part of it get The Outer Worlds on this list. You have to give up quite a few features from BG3 and can’t romance anyone, but you have plenty of places to explore and multiple endings to try getting.
Pillars of Eternity 2
Pillars of Eternity 2 is the closest experience to BG3, which wasn’t made by Larian Studios. It also has all the classic features that make it feel like a D&D campaign brought into a virtual world. As such, you have plenty of choices for how you approach the story, and you get to be the captain of a ship hunting a god. It’s not as smooth as BG3, and it doesn’t pull off multiclassing as well, but it’s a strong game that has plenty to enjoy if you enjoyed BG3.
Dragon Age Series
I’m including Dragon Age as a series instead of individual games because each one has reasons that BG3 players would enjoy it. Overall, it’s a story-heavy RPG with interesting companions and romance options, which are aspects that make BG3 feel alive. The action feels faster than BG3, and it feels like there’s more of it, especially if you approach BG3 with a stealthy approach or try to solve everything with words. However, a big plus is that you don’t have to play the Dragon Age games in order. So, you might find that Origin has the most interesting description and plays instead of going through them in release order. This makes it really accessible if you’re new to the series.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Pathfinder is like D&D, and it’s actually based on D&D. As such, the game version ends up being close to BG3, which is also based on D&D. The gameplay is very similar, and Pathfinder: Kingmaker is also heavy on strategy. You approach the game however you want, and plenty of builds for your characters are viable, so you get to tailor the game to how you want to play it. It’s single-player only, but the story offers choices and a lot of depth for you to lose yourself in for hours on end.
Mass Effect Trilogy
More action-oriented, Mass Effect encompasses RPG elements in a space setting. You make choices that change events or which crew members you can recruit. You’re able to romance a character as well, getting romance cutscenes similar to BG3. The pace is faster, but the story’s depth makes it worth experiencing. Yes, there are a lot of opinions about the ending of the trilogy, but this is about the journey and not the ending. I fully believe that the process of going through these games and the missions is what makes it worthwhile.
Fire Emblem Series
Fire Emblem contains strong RPG elements, and it features the turn-based strategy combat seen in BG3. Like Dragon Age, I’m including the series as a whole for Fire Emblem. You can jump into any game, but the more recent entries, such as Three Houses, are designed in a way that’s more beginner-friendly than others. However, you get heavy RPG features like romances and gathering companions. You get to choose how you approach combat and how you balance your party. Most of all, you explore a world with plenty of stories.
Tyranny
Tyranny is similar to Pathfinder with the isometric style, but it doesn’t get as much attention. It contains many of the features that make BG3 amazing. You have the strategy combat, the fantasy setting, choices that really make a difference, and a scale of morality to toe along. In fact, you generally end up in very morally grey situations throughout Tyranny. Your morality isn’t helped by your position as the villain’s judge and executioner. However, being put in the position of somebody working for the villain brings with it a unique feeling that opposes the general role of hero that we get in video games.
Honorable Mention: Solasta Crown of the Magister
Solasta is essentially Baldur’s Gate 3 on a lower budget. It presents many of the same elements, such as fully adapting the core D&D5e system and porting over the crunchy tactical turn-based combat to the digital medium. It offers the same degree of complexity during fights with an interactable environment, plenty of spell choices and sub-classes, and an ability to customize your entire four-person party from the beginning instead of relying on companions.
The only problem I have with the game is that some of the classes and subclasses are locked behind a DLC paywall. Other than that, this is a decent competitor to Baldur’s Gate 3 in terms of combat. The story, while centered on your entire party where each character contributes during dialogues, is not as grand but still quite enjoyable.
Those are 10 games similar to Baldur’s Gate 3 that are worth trying, with one honorable mention. Larian Studios exceeded expectations, but other studios developed RPGs that help fill the void left behind when you finish your adventuring in Faerûn. For more content, head to our BG3 guide hub where you can find topics like the best races that can help you decide your next playthrough.
Published: Dec 6, 2023 10:16 am