Baldur's Gate 3
Games review
As of Jul 2, 2026, Baldur's Gate 3 is rated 97% positive on Steam (845,270 reviews), and 96/100 on Metacritic (119 critic reviews). Each source is shown in its own units, never blended into one score.
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Is Baldur's Gate 3 worth it in 2026?
A 97% positive rating from 845,270 Steam reviews and a 96/100 from critics is not a fluke, this is a generational RPG that earns its reputation through genuine player freedom, exceptional storytelling that leaves players craving more, and high replayability substantial enough that reviewers are still discovering new angles on their seventh playthrough. The turn-based combat is deep enough to convert people who actively dislike the genre, and the lack of microtransactions means everything in this dense, massive game is yours for a single purchase.
RPG fans who want a massive, replayable game with real consequences and no monetization strings attached, and even turn-based skeptics willing to give the combat system a fair shot.
Companion-driven storytelling and party dynamics are central to the experience, and the facts show some players find specific companions insufferable enough to remove them from the game entirely; if forced-party narratives irritate you, that friction runs through the whole campaign, not just the
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
Different sources measure different things, so each is shown in its own units and never merged into one number.
Pros
- player freedom and choice7
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- Very good game. The story is good, the gameplay is too, and you get extreme freedom in your approach to pretty much everything. For example, I made a pact with a devil to obtain a...
- I'm 3 years late to playing this game, and after finally diving in... I get it. I completely understand why this game won so many awards and why people still talk about it. I went...
- [h1][b]The Bar, Raised Again[/b][/h1] Every so often a game comes along that doesn’t just meet the genre’s standards but quietly resets them. Baldur’s Gate 3 is that game. As a lo...
- exceptional storytelling6
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- One of the best stories i've ever had the honor of playing, not to go into spoilers, i've finished the game with the "best" ending and it just left me empty and craving for more, b...
- [h1][b]The Bar, Raised Again[/b][/h1] Every so often a game comes along that doesn’t just meet the genre’s standards but quietly resets them. Baldur’s Gate 3 is that game. As a lo...
- When I was fourteen years old, I played my first RPG: Fallout New Vegas. That game blew my mind at the time, introducing me to a type of experience with is truly unique to the vide...
- high replayability6
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- I have put way too many hours into this game. After unlocking every achievement and completing my 7th playthrough, I think it's finally time to say goodbye. I highly recommend it t...
- Great game. I can definitely see why it's getting so much praise. I'm only at the beginning of Act 2, and I can already tell this game has a huge amount of replayability. The comba...
- I have never been a big fan of turn-based games at all, but oh boy, was I proven wrong. This game scratched an itch I didn't even know I had, and it delivered so freaking well. I...
- engaging characters3
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- Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the most impressive RPGs ever made. Its greatest strength is the amount of freedom it gives players, allowing you to approach quests, combat encounters, a...
- My aunt, who had absolutely zero knowledge of games, bought me the original Baldur's Gate as a Christmas present when I was 9. I couldn't believe that a game like that existed - it...
- Superlative on all fronts. The depth, detail, and player agency are off the charts. Easily the best RPG that I've ever played in a long gaming career, and definitely in my personal...
Cons
- annoying companion characters2
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- The white haired guy in the artwork for this game is so annoying that I killed him after the first conversation. He's supposed to be in your party for the whole game. Half the game...
- I really cannot stand the npc team mates. I found Lae'zel to be the most tolerable of the NPCs, but the rest were all pretty insufferable and the npc side quests were pretty lame...
- act 3 quality issues1
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- This is a weird one - I put over 150 hours into it (with a ton of that alt+tabbed) but I still can't recommend it. Act 3 is so bad and disjointed from the rest of the game that it...
- excessive romance content1
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- I really cannot stand the npc team mates. I found Lae'zel to be the most tolerable of the NPCs, but the rest were all pretty insufferable and the npc side quests were pretty lame...
Themes and quotes are drawn from 33 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 845.4K ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.