As the launch date of August 3 comes close, Baldur’s Gate 3 keeps on growing. Larian Studios, the developer and publisher of the popular Baldur’s Gate 3, has dropped a massive new community update, revealing a ton of new features, alchemy, split screen, and much more.
Earlier this month, the launch date for the game was moved up by nearly a month for PC, with the game set to hit the stores on August 3rd. It is now revealed that the PC Digital Deluxe Edition does not include a 72-hour head start, and any saves in the Early Access version will not transfer into the final game, meaning it is a fresh start for everyone on August 3rd.
Heterochromia Added to the Character Creation Toolbox
A new vitiligo slider has been added to the game, along with freckles, new tattoo designs, scars, accessories, makeup, etc. With heterochromia, you can control the color of your character’s individual eyes. If you play as a Tiefling, you also get horn and horn color customization.
When paired with the extensive color variety Larian Studio offers, this is going to open up some really cool possibilities and interesting character design choices.
There’s also a new maturity slider, along with strong body types, which opens up even more choices for the players.
Multiclassing and Respeccing – More Decisions for Players to Make
The game has finally introduced multiclassing, allowing players to combine multiple class types’ abilities and actions.
This will significantly change how the game functions and open up new possibilities regarding character combinations. Classes affect almost everything in the game, from combat to dialogues, and it will be interesting to see how the game shapes up once it is launched.
Arguably, the most important update in terms of multiclassing is that it no longer requires Ability Score Prerequisites. For instance, you now no longer need Charisma or Wisdom attributes level 13 to multiclass into a Warlock or Druid, respectively. You are free to choose any class of your choosing, opening up further character possibilities. With every level up, you will have the option to choose a different class to spend points on, meaning you can make unique character upgrades.
Larian also makes sure that you can restart your build in case you upgrade something accidentally, with an early respec NPC. With respeccing, players have the opportunity to restart the build from Level 1 with new starting attributes, proficiencies, and spells.
Hirelings – A Much-requested Community Feature on the Way
In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can create your own mercenaries, one for each class, and create a custom party to join you on your journey. Each Hireling has a name with unique proficiencies and abilities, and they can also be respecced, just like your main character.
These mercenaries however won’t have origin stories, so if you want to spice up your campaign, it’s better to have the origin characters.
Alchemy – A New Crafting Feature Comes to the Game
In Baldur’s Gate 3, players can use the ingredients collected from the wilderness to create useful extracts and then combine them into items they can use in combat.
Within the alchemy window, players can craft Potions, Elixirs, Grenades, Coatings, Sublimates, Salts, Essences, Ashes, Vitriol, and Suspensions. The recipes for these items will likely be found as the game progresses, which makes the gameplay even more extensive.
Split Screen Co-Op Multiplayer
Baldur’s Gate 3 borrows the experience of on-couch co-op gameplay from the sports genre to allow an exciting way to enjoy the game.
Along the online multiplayer comes split screen co-op, allowing two players to jump into the game from the save device. The multiplayer is also drop-in, drop-out, meaning you do not have to start an entirely new game to play with friends.
Multiplayer also gets more cohesive – players can listen in on conversations and vote on preferred dialogue options. Players can also choose to make all secret scenes public, making them visible to everyone on the party.
The Final Origin Character is Finally Revealed
Larian has conceived one of the most unique origin story to be released in a game.
Dark Urge looks, sounds, and fights however you like, but enters the game with a rich personal backstory. The Dark Urge origin has a mysterious and deadly past filled with death and murder for the created character; everything else is customizable – species, gender, race, and appearance.
Brian Bowles, the narrator from Divinity: Original Sin 2, returns to voice Sceleritas Fel, the servant of The Dark Urge. The servant will influence the dialogues and how players interact with the origin character, opening up several possibilities for the users.
Orin The Red – The Trinity of Villains is Now Complete
Orin The Red joins General Ketheric Thorm (J.K. Simmons) and Lord Enver Gortash (Jason Isaacs) as the major villain in the Baldur’s Gate 3 saga.
Voiced by Maggie Robertson, who also gave the voice of Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village), Orin The Red is a practitioner with shapeshifting abilities.
There is not much information about Orin, but there are likely to be ties with the older Baldur Gate games.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is set to launch on August 3rd on PC and September 6th on PS5.