Baldur’s Gate 3is a massive game, split into three acts that take the player from level one scrub to a level 12 god slayer, but these acts aren’t all made equal. Act 3 is by far the largest of the acts, finally taking the players to the city of Baldur’s Gate. It’s the most content-rich, ending many of the story lines started throughout the game, but the amount of content proved to be a problem.
Because of the sheer size of the game, there are still many who haven’t made it to Act 3.Its content-rich nature made it the most overwhelming act, pulling the player all over the place. This highlighted many ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s flaws, making it the most controversial act, but after years of updates, it has become the most underrated section of the game.
Act 3 Is Baldur’s Gate 3’s Most Controversial Act
And Highlighted The Game’s Flaws At Launch
Baldur’s Gate 3is a far better experience now than it was at launch, even if the launch version was still mind-blowing. It wasn’t 100% complete at launch, with Swen Vincke stating that the launch was pushed forward to avoid competing withStarfield.The incomplete nature was highlighted most in the game’s third act, where things could get a little messy.
While famed for its three-act structure, Larian hasn’t always used three acts, andDivinity: Original Sin 2features four.
For one, the game had quite an abrupt ending at launch. Since then, numerouspatches have added new endingsand a Withers' party scene, which helps players understand where the party ended up. At launch, however, the game sort of just ended.It felt like a pacing problem, transitioning from a massive stretch of action tosome very swift cutscenesto tell people the game had ended.
Act 3 is alsowhereBaldur’s Gate 3started playing favorites the most. While Astarion, Lae’zel, and Shadowheart got full quest lines to end their character arcs, characters like Halsin get literally nothing, and even Karlach gets somewhat neglected. There’s still a sense of unevenness in Act 3’s writing that contrasts with the relatively smooth progression of the first two acts.
Combine this with how overwhelming all the content is at once, along with the abrupt end to character progression whenBG3stops players leveling up past level 12, and it can feel like the pacing has completely changed. Weirdly,it can even feel a bit too content-rich, a common complaint with Larian Studio titles.Divinity: Original Sin 2’s fourth act has a similar structure—and similar flaws—in its city of Arx, but while Act 3 is whereBG3can be at its worst, it’s also where it’s at its best.
Despite Its Problems, Act 3 Is Baldur’s Gate 3 At Its Best
It Has Some Of The Game’s Best Scenes
Act 3 is the culmination of every storyline dotted throughoutBG3, and it boasts just as many satisfying conclusions. Players find out the fate of characters like Rolan,the githyanki egg(if stolen from the Creche and given away), and can finally deal with that pesky hag, Ethel. While there’s so much to do,Act 3 concludes many stories from the prior two acts, offering a rich sense of completion.
If kept alive and the player helps save the tieflings from Moonrise Tower, Rolan will become Lorroakan’s apprentice, but will side with the player if they choose to fight Lorroakan.
That’s without taking into account the party member quests that are fully fleshed out. Astarion’sfinal confrontation with Cazadoris such a powerful scene, especially if he chooses to forgo being a Vampire Ascendant. Shadowheart’s conversation with her parents can be heartbreaking, especially as a Selûnite, and seeing Lae’zel turn from Vlaakith fully to support Orpheus is exceptionally satisfying.Act 3 is where the writing of individual scenes shines most, even if the pacing doesn’t.
Even Karlach admitting she doesn’t want to die is such a strong scene, serving as one example of how muchthe cast gets to flex their acting muscles in Act 3. It’s also where a three-act-long romance can fully blossom into a proper relationship, and across the board, it’s where the player gets to see the true consequences of all their actions. Plus, Act 3 offers the player the most freedom of choice, from where to go to how to solve a truly mind-boggling number of quests.
Outside the second Ketheric fight,Act 3 also has the game’s best encounters. Taking on Raphael in hisHouse of Hopeoffers the greatest challengeBG3has to offer. Facing Ansur is incredible, especially since the patches updated that fight, and a showdown with Sarevok has a sense of true justice, considering his role inBG1. Combine this with the patches givingBG3a much better ending, and the final act seems a lot better now than it did at launch.
It’s Time For Act 3 To Get Its Flowers
It Has BG3’s Greatest Heights And Lowest Lows
While Act 3 might be whereBG3’s flaws reveal themselves, especially with its pacing,it is also where the long-haul story lines finally pay off after dozens of hours. It’s where the game can be at its best, and with a game as great asBG3, the highs outweigh the lows. It is also much better on subsequent playthroughs, since it isn’t as overwhelming the second time around, and there’s always something to uncover.
With all the updates, from tweaking boss fights to adding new endings, as well as bug fixing,Baldur’s Gate 3’s final act has come a long way.It isn’t anywhere near as flawed as it was at launch, and while there are still flaws, many have been addressed. The final act contains many of the game’s best scenes, and while it can be messy, it is time to giveBaldur’s Gate 3’s Act 3 the flowers it deserves.
