Where to play: Windows, Mac, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch Joshua Rivera Pillars of Eternity Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Paradox Interactive Most importantly, Original Sin 2 has what Baldur’s Gate 3 nails in spades: a rock-solid focus on character and permissive design that encourages you to come up with oddball solutions and surrounds you with a cast of characters you’ll think of fondly. There’ll be some adjustment - as it’s not a D&D adaptation, the rules are different and combat here has a different set of quirks you’ll have to learn to navigate - but the transition is surprisingly seamless. Larian Studios’ previous game is a natural next step for Baldur’s Gate 3 fans, as it’s about as close as you can possibly get to “more of the same” without waiting for a sequel. Where to play: Windows PC, Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch Petrana Radulovic Divinity: Original Sin 2 Image: Larian Studios Not only do you, the player, build a rapport with the characters, it’s literally part of the game to pair characters off in different interactions so they can build their bonds outside the battlefield and support each other while in combat. There’s also a lot of options for character interaction built into the game mechanics. But that choice does grant three completely different ways the game can play out (and a fourth secret one), as well as variations in which characters come along with you and survive till the end.
The actual gameplay itself doesn’t have a lot of story-defining choices, since you pick a set path in the first moments of the game. If your favorite parts of Baldur’s Gate 3 were the turn-based combat, the character interactions, and the branching narratives, then Fire Emblem: Three Houses might scratch that itch. Fire Emblem: Three Houses Image: Intelligent Systems, Koei Tecmo Games/Nintendo So, in the event that Baldur’s Gate 3 has inspired you to explore the genre further, here’s a list of games that similarly nail the RPG experience in ways that will leave you itching to get back to the character you’ve created - provided, of course, you didn’t immediately roll a new one to take into Baldur’s Gate 3 all over again. It’s a showcase for just how good RPGs are when they really connect, and fortunately for us, there’s plenty more where that came from. It’s got everything a good RPG needs: memorable characters, exciting, strategic battles, and a textured world to get lost in as your party goes questing across the map. Baldur’s Gate 3 is an incredible role-playing game experience, a gift for RPG fans and a wonderful introduction to the genre for newcomers.