Summary
It’s not often an RPG comes out that redefines the genre as a whole. Especially not two within only a year of one another.Elden Ringcame out as the next version of the Soulsborne genre and blew players away from the start.
Baldur’s Gate 3was the next generation of the series ofDungeons & Dragonsvideo games and rebuilt what people thought about RPGs witha party system. Both games are well worth your time and have plenty of value even without any DLC. But, which one has more going for it in total?
9Plot - Baldur’s Gate 3
Becoming a Tarnished and rising to become Elden Lord (or destroying the world as you know it) is an incredibly wild ride, but it doesn’t give you much in the way of plot in the conventional sense. Instead, it uses bits of dialogue and setting to let you piece together the world, which is a novel idea, but one that comes off as muddled from time to time.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s story has the bones of what you would expect of an RPG (and a D&D session to be honest.) There are dozens of different strands about how people interact with the world and one another, plus plenty of additional information you can unlock apart from the main story through side quests, ability checks, andNPC dialogue options.
8Visuals - Tie
It can’t be stated enough how beautiful both games are. Whether you’re watching a boss hurl attacks at you, or you’re admiring The Lands Between, Elden Ring can surprise you with how stunning it is.
The same goes for Baldur’s Gate 3. Moving through the wreckage of a Mindflayer ship or talking with your local goblin booyahg, each is rendered incredibly well. In either game, you’ll feel like you’re a part of the world.
7Difficulty Options - Baldur’s Gate 3
Elden Ring, beinga soulsborne game, approaches players and asks them to be the best; each enemy they face is a challenge, and they’re all more than happy to send you back to the nearest grace site. While there are ways to make the game easier, it does limit itself to more casual players.
Baldur’s Gate 3, however, allows a wide array of different options for difficulties. you’re able to focus on the narrative, or go for a challenge-heavy combat, which is furthered too with options like Honour Mode.
6Character Customization - Baldur’s Gate 3
Both games allow you to choose a build, various weapons, and even change your character’s appearance. In Elden Ring, your Tarnished can look pretty varied from your friends', depending on archetype, tattoos, hair, eyes, and so forth.
Baldur’s Gate 3 takes it to a whole new level though; all the same choices as Elden Ring are available to you, with a wealth of more options too. Plus, every time you level up, you get to pick more skills, spells, and feats to separate yourself from the other player characters out there.
5Enemy Design - Elden Ring
Throughout Baldur’s Gate 3, you come across plenty of different enemy types; with human mercenaries, zombies, gnolls, and even dragons you’ll never get bored with a fight, because there’s always something new to tackle. However, Elden Ring takes the concept of enemy design to new heights.
You have your classic skeletons, of course, but most of the enemies are awe-inspiring how unique they are (if you can get over them trying to kill you all the time). Jars full of corpses, land octopi, and beast clergymen are just some of the weird and interesting enemies you’ll fight.
4Setting - Elden Ring
The Forgotten Realms of Baldur’s Gate 3 feels like a classic D&D adventure most of the time. Caves, cities, and vibrant forests are all areas you get to travel through, but they lack the smoothness that Elden Ring allows for.
It takes a lot to make an RPG setting stand out from its competitors, but Elden Ring’s Lands Between goes above and beyond. You have a little bit of everything, poison swamps, harrowing dungeons, and even grand castles, but what is more impressive is how the landscape switches from one to another seamlessly.
3Multiplayer - Elden Ring
Both games technically have multiplayer capabilities, but they aren’t what you might think if you aren’t familiar with the titles; Baldur’s Gate allows a friend to take control of one of your party members go through combat encounters and explore with you. This is great if you want to experience the story together, but it gets clunky.
Elden Ring’s multiplayer takes the form of summons, in which you’re able to use an item to bring a companion in to fight in certain areas, bosses especially. Other people can also invade your game, or you can enter the coliseums for PvP gameplay. It isn’t as in-depth of multiplayer as some games, but it works surprisingly well for the genre.
2Replayability - Baldur’s Gate 3
There’s a wealth of replayability for both games, and in part that ties into the character customization and choices you can make when playing. While each Elden Ring playthrough is a bit different, you’re more or less on the same path.
With Baldur’s Gate 3 though, each conversation, encounter, and mission has different outcomes depending on your race, class, and decisions. This means unless you’re making a point to only do the same things, you’ll see new things every time.
1Conclusion - Baldur’s Gate 3
When considering the above, Baldur’s Gate 3 has it in the bag, but it isn’t by much. Both games are a great addition to your game library, and Elden Ring may appeal to you more than Baldur’s Gate 3 does, depending on what you’ve played before.
If at all possible, you should play both. But, Baldur’s Gate 3 should be your priority. It’s got a plot, graphics, heart, and a story that feels so unique compared to other games that are currently at the top of the market.
