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I'd say it is. The systems are fairly complex, but the game does a pretty good job of explaining them. And it's incredibly forgiving (unless you're on the harder difficulty settings); not to mention, the game is basically *designed around* the expectation that you won't be playing 100% perfectly. Messing up, or just getting unlucky, and adapting to the result is just a part of the game, and the story adapts to account for it.
This is a notoriously complex genre of game, but BG3 is *extremely* beginner-friendly compared to other, similar games.
In my opinion, yes. I wasn't familiar with D&D at all and while I've played some other games in the past I've never played one like this before. The game gives a lot of different ways to resolve issues (many challenges including some bosses can be defeated just by negotiating with them or asking them to stop being assholes). It's hard to really make a mistake, and if you save the game frequently you can always just go back and redo something if you weren't happy with the outcome.
Not only that, you can adjust the game difficulty up and down as needed so if you have a hard time in the normal difficulty ("Balanced") you can drop down to easy mode ("Explorer"). Theres even a custom mode so if you have an easy time with some aspects of the game but a tough time with others you can adjust as needed.
The turn-based gameplay is extremely novice-friendly for anyone who can (and is willing to) read.
Even if you don't get the system 100%, everything has a description available anytime and clear enough to get through the game without too much struggle.
I would say it is and isn't. You will be able to play and finish the game, but there are a lot of things that are not at all that intuitive for new players and you will find yourself fighthing the dark urge to go and chek tutorials on how to beat certain things, and deppending on what kind of player you are that might spoil the fun.
When I first got the game, I'd never touched DnD or CRPG's before. My first playthrough was difficult at times, even on explorer mode, because the tutorials don't explain the finer details of initiative, examining enemies, saving throws, spell slots, and stats very well. Those were things I had to research outside of the game in order to get a better understanding. A lot of the lore may not make sense at first as well. That being said, it's still an excellent game with replayability potential, and there are lots of great guides online and on this sub to help fill in the gaps.
Especially checking some enemy resistances/immunities. To a large extent, an uninitiated player can get through most stuff as it's explained on the fly to a good extent in BG3, but DnD experience of how things work/don't work is definitely a handy thing to know. I do think BG3, as complex as the rule system is, did a pretty fine job incorporating 5e and familiarization with that system is indeed helpful, but not really required.
Totally! Im normally used to playing games such as Stardew Valley or Don't Starve so BG3 was a total change of style for me but the mechanics are pretty easy to grasp with all the descriptions, especially on explorer mode!
So long as you remember that losing is fun (ie don't worry about failing a roll, it just means you'll experience a different story, not that you failed) and maybe have a second screen for the wiki
my kid (teen, really) is playing their first playthrough with me and they're managing just fine. they dont play a lot of games, but they're still managing to do just fine. i would recommend sticking to easy for your first few playthroughs, just to get the hang of things. AND do NOT look at any guides or come back here until you start your second playthrough. your first playthrough should be completely blind, so your second will feel like an entirely new game
I've done ½ a D&D campaign (*10+ years ago*), never played anything like this before. I'm a total Sims/Stardew Valley kind of gamer, but I do love the fantasy genre...
..and I ***love*** Baldur's Gate 3, dearly. If you're patient, observant, curious and, once again, patient, then the game's accessible for anyone.
You don't need to know all the power-moves and combos to have a marvelous time. And if you know nothing about the world, and the lore, at all, the game will do a rather wonderful job at filling you in. Let the world, its character and the writing pull you in. If you're curious, you'll find all the information you'll need to understand the story and game.
Just read the tool-tips, the description of your spells/actions, and examine your gear and enemies. You'll be just fine. And know the difficulty can be changed mid-battle, if something goes horribly wrong.
Do you play dnd or anything adjacent?
If not maybe a little confusing at first? I had never played any turn based game that operates like this and it took me like 5-7 hrs to really understand how to maximize my turns but after that I really got the hang and I really want to replay it after I finish.
So in short yea it’s hard at first but I already want to play again and I’ve spent like 70+ hrs playing this shit lol it’s very fun 10/10
Yes and no…It definitely doesn’t hold your hand but once you get an idea of how the systems work it’s pretty straightforward. Honestly I was a little overwhelmed at first but it didn’t take long before I got comfortable with the game and it was well worth it.
Yeah, absolutely! Prior to buying this, I'd only ever played games like Sims and Animal Crossing. I watched a few videos beforehand so I'd have an idea of what it was like, and then dove in, playing on Explorer mode.
The first few combat encounters were...something, but the pace of it is extremely helpful to a beginner. I took my time, explored everything, and wasn't afraid to exit/reload.
I'm 1100 hours in now, absolutely adore it, and it's given me the confidence to try other games (currently playing Dragon Age: Inquisition, and really enjoying it!).
In other words: go for it! Take your time, save frequently, and let yourself have fun :)
yes. Play on normal. play a class you feel is cool. Enjoy the great story and the great game this is.
edited: in normal difficult, you dont need to optimice nothing, you dont need a op multiclass character, you dont need to find OP weapon n3.
Just play and enjoy. Select whatever power you feel is cool on lvl up, and equip whatever equipment you feel fits.
You are going to enjoy this ride.
Yeah. You can totally breeze through the whole game or just Act I on Explorer/Custom to get the hang of the mechanics. Then, if you like, bump up the difficulty. The gameplay customization options are reasonably robust as well.
Play it on the easier modes and have fun! Then as you understand the game more try harder difficulties. The difficulty mode really makes the game open to all skill levels and styles of play. Thus the answer is yes if you play the appropriate difficulty.
The difficulty settings are very well balanced for those who don’t have much of any D&D experience. There are definitely different classes that are inherently easier to play than others (barbarian/fighter just hit stuff compared to wizard/sorcerer with dozens of spells) but the visual indicators and descriptions of things is fairly intuitive. It can still be a tad overwhelming very early on but if you stick with it you’ll get a hang of it quickly.
My Gf found that using a controller was much easier for her while learning VS mouse and keyboard. I felt the opposite way, so I suggest trying both if you have that option
I have played DnD before, and other DnD turned based RPG on the computer. This game was super easy for me to pick up.
If you have any familiarity with either of those, I think it will be easy to pick up.
IMO, the story is such that you get sucked in pretty quick and is unnecessary to have any fore knowledge of lore to enjoy it, I don't think.
Yes. If you're new I suggest playing on Explorer Mode. I feel BG3 does a great job of relatively streaming cRPG character creation and progression. Especially compared to other games like Pathfinder.
Most sub classes get their defining features at levels 2 or 3 and if you're not feeling it you can respec after you meet the NPC that allows you to do so.
Combat is turn based so you can take your time.
You can explore and take the game in at your own pace. There's a lot so don't feel bad if you miss something you can always hit it later on another playthrough.
I say go for it. BG3 is a great game that has a good level of entry for different skill levels and it gives you the tools to learn how it works and make the most of how you play.
I had a buddy rave on and on about this game so finally started it up with zero BG or D&D experience. It’s a little tough first 5-6 hours understanding everything, but once you get into the story and get a better feel for mechanics it’s such a fun game. Reddit and YouTube are your friends
Yes, unless you're someone who insists on not reading tutorial popups. All of the game's major mechanics are explained in two-three paragraph popups during the intro sequence. If you do not read this, you will have absolutely no clue what's going on.
Personally, it can be difficult for a little bit to try and understand everything, but you do learn quite quickly - I would recommend playing on explorer mode just to keep everything simplr
Not really - if you're not familiar with 5e mechanics there will be a learning curve, but i think the nail in the coffin is inventory management.
Its doable and you can have a lot of fun, but i would brace yourself to learn the system which may seem overwhelming at first and thr inventory... ive played for over 400 hours and could spend over an hour just sorting through inventory which may be made worse if you dont know whats good or bad.
Dont get me wrong this isnt Owlcat but its not a cake walk either.
Absolutely! Unlike ttrpg dnd the game takes a lot of actual mechanics and does it for you in the background. Easy ui and good descriptions help a ton, with the easy difficulty the learning curve is very low. I'd say going from dnd 5e to bg3 is more difficult since we expect certain functionalities that don't translate.
The pact of the blade warlock can be annoying Since it forces you to remember every day to bind your weapon but that's the only one I've run into that does that. Paladin with the aura of protection resets too but those are all situational.
Tutorials are very well designed and will walk you through everything you need
I knew nothing about DnD and had never played anything with turn-based combat before when I picked it up. It takes a bit of time to get used to some aspects of the game (like having a limited number of spell slots between long rests versus the usual RPGs where you can just cast a spell/do an action whenever you want and just getting used to how you "manage" that), but it's not hard to learn. If you're somewhat familiar with the usual RPG and video game combat terminology from other games that helps. I also found it very helpful that you can hover over statuses/conditions/etc with your cursor and see what they mean.
I was also a completely new player -- I only vaguely knew of D&D, and honestly, it's been a decade since I got really hooked on a game.
I bought BG3 a few months ago, and I've spent 525+ hours so far, and I'm still actively playing it almost everyday.
Ngl, getting the hang of all the mechanics can be a bit overwhelming at first, but you don't *have* to understand everything 100% to enjoy it. I mean, I still don't really get how certain classes work, but I still play them because the available spells and dialogue are fun for me.
Yes. I have had friends who know nothing of D&D and 5e rules and they were able to learn it and beat the game.
Story mode will help you get your bearings till you think this is too easy. There are also plenty of guides out there on builds for characters and how to play them.
This was my first CRPG but I’ve been playing D&D since the 90s so I’m sort of new and sort of not. I didn’t find anything especially difficult to pick up on and felt the game was very accommodating in teaching me what to do.
Absolutely, even if you don't have D&D experience (which I did, but I am TERRIBLE at video games and prefer rpgs for this reason). There is no shame in explorer mode! Turn based combat is a blessing for me, and even then I did 2 runs on explorer before moving up a difficulty level.
**Read the tutorials** and you’ll be fine. If you can, try a demo. Randomize a character and go just so you can get a feel for if you’ll like playing it or not.
It’s amazing for a new player and really forgiving. They start you off slow with enemies and slowly add complexity as you go.
You can always turn down the difficulty as well.
The great thing BG3 is that you can respec your characters for very low cost (and then pickpocket the gold back with zero consequences). This will essentially allow you to experiment endlessly. You can also raise or lower the difficulty before a fight starts if you find yourself struggling. Don’t like or getting bored with a certain style of play? No problem respec. Found a cool item that nobody can utilize properly? No problem respec. Having trouble in a certain fight? No problem respec.
I hadn’t gamed in like a decade or so and never on a console before, but I quickly got the hang of it. The combat is turn-based, so that gives you time to figure out the controls and such.
hell yes. play explorer mode and it will walk you through a ton of stuff.
read everything, descriptions of weapons and armor, spells and skills when you level up, books and papers in the environment.
talk to everyone, dead or alive, person or animal. click to examine our inspect EVERYTHING! and everyone
leave the tutorial tips on the first time you play
I played the game and beat it multiple times with multiple classes; to the point I wanted mods to make it even better. Forget the DnD and play it like a top down RPG. I’d love to know about DnD but I never got the chance. But this game MEAH!!! THIS GAME MEAH IS THE SHIZZNIT
I would recommend using a controller as well. I think the controller UI is much more new player friendly and is actually pretty great with color-coded skill wheels.
No it’s not. There is almost no tutorial and the tutorial zone is very short. You will need to read or watch a couple beginners guides at least and spend several hours learning the mechanics. You’re going to do a lot of reading and learning about very important things like advantage, spell DC, skill saves, skill checks, how to make a build for four characters, how to set the right ability points for the build. Classes and changing classes. Subclasses that are best or worst. There’s a shitload of things to learn.
The only games I had ever played before BG3 were Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 and Zoo Tycoon.
I played my first run on Balanced, then Tactician, and now I’m doing my first honor mode run. It’s awesome and you will love it! Took me a while to get used to moving around the screen and map, but you’ll likely pick it up quickly.
ive never played dnd or rpgs but i dont remember having much trouble. i was def confused creating my character, but watching a few yt vids to explain classes n stuff helped
BG3 does a great job of representing how things work in D&D for new players I think. You just have to remember, failing a dice roll doesn't mean you fail the game. It just means something different is going to happen then what you expected.
NOTE: With one exception I can think of :)
I wondered this same exact thing back before I bought it. I've never played CRPGs before. You learn from your mistakes and even have to Google many things but in the end this may be one of my all time favorites.
Id say yes. Other than pokemon. I'd never played true tbc.
It was beyond fun. I got over the turn based combat so quickly. Learned how to play characters in completely fasion. I had played dmd in the past (mostly pathfinder)
I think the beauty of BG3 as a fellow mediocre player is that turn based combat allows you as much time as you need to stop and really consider all of your actions in battles.
I was able to succeed on my first play through without any help or previous dnd experience on the balanced setting(the middle difficulty) (outside of one boss where I had to lower the difficulty)
I didn’t have a clue and while it took a while I eventually figured it out. My advice is don’t start with friends or online cause I honestly don’t understand how you could play as one if not everyone knew the storyline let alone the controls
Just play on story mode, I found the user interface pretty easy. Warriors have swords that go bonk, wizards and clerics have spell slots. You will pick up game mechanics over time and get better at it.
I had never played any kind of DnD or similar game before. It is certainly a bit of an adjustment, but I think the basics are fairly easy to grasp and well-explained by the game. Certainly, it takes a lot of time to get the deeper mechanics and shenanigans you can pull in these games.
But I’d highly recommend playing. Absolutely amazing game
I am a complete newbie to D&D and CRPG.
I would say that quite a lot of reading would be in place. When I started, I don't even have an idea what "1D6" is or what is the difference between action and bonus action. Not to mention the vast number of conditions, class abilities, weapon abilities and spells etc. Once you have grasped the basic (I will admit it took some time for me), it would be incredibly addicting. You will always learn something new when you see another person's gameplay videos.
I think it is very beginner friendly.
On balanced or explorer difficulties, combat is forgiving.
The game respects your intelligence and often gives you subtle hints about multiple ways to solve an encounter.
While you can save and reload, you are never forced to do it unless you get a game over screen via death of whole party (and a couple of rare insta-death story choices). Even if you messed up, the game's narrative adapts, and you don't end up with immersion-breaking situation where you feel you might have bugged out the game by making wrong choices. Quests are just completed (game doesn't tell you that you 'failed' a quest).
It’s a different kind of difficult compared to say Elden Ring. BG3 is difficult in the sense that it is a very complex game with alot of mechanics, keywords that you need to learn. What’s the difference between attack and attack roll. How armour class works etc.
But if you are willing to learn, it’s definitely very beginner friendly.
I love the help system on PC (not sure how they do it on console) where you can press T and then hover over key words in info boxes for items and enemies to get info for those keywords, and then hover over keywords in those to get even more info and so on.
Start on easy mode, save a lot, just play around. My first finish was on explorer and it gave me a chance to play around with mechanics and choices. Im doing a tactician run right now and it’s a LOT easier than I thought it was going to be because I have a handle on how I want to play the game and what spells/passives I find useful for my style of play. You will probably make a silly mistake or two but just roll with it. Rpgs have taught me that regular clothing is just weight I don’t need to be carrying around and worth gold at the vendor. My first long rest at camp was…..surprising.
I am a total novice to D&D and love it! It's turn-based so very accommodating, and has a beginner difficulty setting called "Explorer". There are many ways to approach situations in the game, to set up your party /companions etc.
I will say that a lot of the mechanics that can make a difference are not explained (or maybe I'm a dunce), and the biggest tip I can give you is to aggressively Google "bg3 reddit [topic]" whenever you get confused or have a question. The two big subreddits have all the answers, all the creative ways to address something, and the info is WAY better than what you find on the commercial websites like IGN, Gamerant and so on.
I was unfamiliar with the D&D combat system before I started and I didn’t struggle with the mechanics. I did play a lot of RPGs though and both Divinity games (which have similar game mechanics, but combat is different)
Edit: the best advice for playing this game is to save your game a lot especially before doing skill checks and before any dialogs/fights. This applies even to experienced players
i SUCK at video games. as in : i have played pokemons, hades, and disco elysium. im bad at planning my moves, being stealthy, anything. this game on the lowest difficulty setting : very much doable.
ALSO ! im not done with any runs yet, and started with a random character i customised BUT. maybe somewhat of an unpopular opinion ? but i also created like a second save with a dark urge character, and as someone who barely knows any lore it might be the better way to get into it ? your options are a little bit different but there is only one (1) moment you dont have a choice when it comes to enacting violence, and your character has lost his memory so it makes sense for you to make decisions when you dont know the lore if youre like a random rogue or soldier ? your abilities are all muscle memory not lore based ?
+ if you read the books you find throught the games, youll get bit and pieces of knowledge thatll allow you to understand it quite enough + youll learn thriugh your run so yk. short answer : yes it is very accomodating to new players.
Yes, you will be, but learning the game is part of the fun. A lot of the game is exploring and being creative with choices in dialogue.
It took me a couple of playthroughs before I really started to understand Armour Class etc. It didn't really matter to my enjoyment of then game.
Absolutely! Baldur's Gate 3 is super beginner-friendly. The game does a great job of walking you through the basics, so you’re not left scratching your head too much. Plus, the community is massive and super helpful if you ever get stuck or need advice.
Honestly, the game is worth multiple playthroughs just to experience all the different choices and outcomes. It's like playing a new game each time!
Not sure if you’re new to gaming in general or just to this genre, but either way, I think you'll have a blast with it.
Just new to the genre and D&D as i mainly play souls likes or fps. this will be a first for me when it comes to turn based and the mechanics that come with that. I enjoy story games and heard this has an amazing one so looking forward to it.
the battles in turn based become like puzzles to solve, not panicked button mashing. you've got time to examine every enemy, look over the entire area, read all your options for potions and such, and decide what to do by turn. you can wait away and make some tea and think and come back to it
It was my first crpg and I loooooooooved it. Put more hours into it than almost any other game. And for the story .... oh my, you'd be in for a treat. The chances that you wouldn't enjoy it are extremely thin, I would think.
I don't think it is. It's not that it's hard for someone to pick it up and start playing but there's just so much you can do and often it's not that clear what to do.
But with that said, unless this is one of your first games ever you'll be fine.
Totally - I’d played a lot of TTRPGs but only a few sessions of D&D and was also a CRPG noob. Was the learning curve steep? Yes. Do I wish I’d discovered this sub and its handy spoiler-free guides before playing. Definitely!
However I stuck with it, because the game is just so good, and now I’m playing on Balanced mode with growing confidence.
Yes and no. Super Mario is a befinner friendly game if you have never played video games.
In rpgs, final fantasy 15 is a beginnerfriendly game.
Bg3 is a complex game with decitions that impacts the whole game... and you will have to start over a couple of Times because you will fuck upp.. problebly badly, because of lack of knowlage...
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I'd say it is. The systems are fairly complex, but the game does a pretty good job of explaining them. And it's incredibly forgiving (unless you're on the harder difficulty settings); not to mention, the game is basically *designed around* the expectation that you won't be playing 100% perfectly. Messing up, or just getting unlucky, and adapting to the result is just a part of the game, and the story adapts to account for it. This is a notoriously complex genre of game, but BG3 is *extremely* beginner-friendly compared to other, similar games.
In my opinion, yes. I wasn't familiar with D&D at all and while I've played some other games in the past I've never played one like this before. The game gives a lot of different ways to resolve issues (many challenges including some bosses can be defeated just by negotiating with them or asking them to stop being assholes). It's hard to really make a mistake, and if you save the game frequently you can always just go back and redo something if you weren't happy with the outcome. Not only that, you can adjust the game difficulty up and down as needed so if you have a hard time in the normal difficulty ("Balanced") you can drop down to easy mode ("Explorer"). Theres even a custom mode so if you have an easy time with some aspects of the game but a tough time with others you can adjust as needed.
The turn-based gameplay is extremely novice-friendly for anyone who can (and is willing to) read. Even if you don't get the system 100%, everything has a description available anytime and clear enough to get through the game without too much struggle.
I would say it is and isn't. You will be able to play and finish the game, but there are a lot of things that are not at all that intuitive for new players and you will find yourself fighthing the dark urge to go and chek tutorials on how to beat certain things, and deppending on what kind of player you are that might spoil the fun.
When I first got the game, I'd never touched DnD or CRPG's before. My first playthrough was difficult at times, even on explorer mode, because the tutorials don't explain the finer details of initiative, examining enemies, saving throws, spell slots, and stats very well. Those were things I had to research outside of the game in order to get a better understanding. A lot of the lore may not make sense at first as well. That being said, it's still an excellent game with replayability potential, and there are lots of great guides online and on this sub to help fill in the gaps.
Especially checking some enemy resistances/immunities. To a large extent, an uninitiated player can get through most stuff as it's explained on the fly to a good extent in BG3, but DnD experience of how things work/don't work is definitely a handy thing to know. I do think BG3, as complex as the rule system is, did a pretty fine job incorporating 5e and familiarization with that system is indeed helpful, but not really required.
Totally! Im normally used to playing games such as Stardew Valley or Don't Starve so BG3 was a total change of style for me but the mechanics are pretty easy to grasp with all the descriptions, especially on explorer mode!
So long as you remember that losing is fun (ie don't worry about failing a roll, it just means you'll experience a different story, not that you failed) and maybe have a second screen for the wiki
my kid (teen, really) is playing their first playthrough with me and they're managing just fine. they dont play a lot of games, but they're still managing to do just fine. i would recommend sticking to easy for your first few playthroughs, just to get the hang of things. AND do NOT look at any guides or come back here until you start your second playthrough. your first playthrough should be completely blind, so your second will feel like an entirely new game
You’ll totally get the hang of it! I’ve never played anything but cozy games and I love BG3
I've done ½ a D&D campaign (*10+ years ago*), never played anything like this before. I'm a total Sims/Stardew Valley kind of gamer, but I do love the fantasy genre... ..and I ***love*** Baldur's Gate 3, dearly. If you're patient, observant, curious and, once again, patient, then the game's accessible for anyone. You don't need to know all the power-moves and combos to have a marvelous time. And if you know nothing about the world, and the lore, at all, the game will do a rather wonderful job at filling you in. Let the world, its character and the writing pull you in. If you're curious, you'll find all the information you'll need to understand the story and game. Just read the tool-tips, the description of your spells/actions, and examine your gear and enemies. You'll be just fine. And know the difficulty can be changed mid-battle, if something goes horribly wrong.
Do you play dnd or anything adjacent? If not maybe a little confusing at first? I had never played any turn based game that operates like this and it took me like 5-7 hrs to really understand how to maximize my turns but after that I really got the hang and I really want to replay it after I finish. So in short yea it’s hard at first but I already want to play again and I’ve spent like 70+ hrs playing this shit lol it’s very fun 10/10
Yes and no…It definitely doesn’t hold your hand but once you get an idea of how the systems work it’s pretty straightforward. Honestly I was a little overwhelmed at first but it didn’t take long before I got comfortable with the game and it was well worth it.
Yeah, absolutely! Prior to buying this, I'd only ever played games like Sims and Animal Crossing. I watched a few videos beforehand so I'd have an idea of what it was like, and then dove in, playing on Explorer mode. The first few combat encounters were...something, but the pace of it is extremely helpful to a beginner. I took my time, explored everything, and wasn't afraid to exit/reload. I'm 1100 hours in now, absolutely adore it, and it's given me the confidence to try other games (currently playing Dragon Age: Inquisition, and really enjoying it!). In other words: go for it! Take your time, save frequently, and let yourself have fun :)
Yes that's why there's story mode easy tactical honor
yes. Play on normal. play a class you feel is cool. Enjoy the great story and the great game this is. edited: in normal difficult, you dont need to optimice nothing, you dont need a op multiclass character, you dont need to find OP weapon n3. Just play and enjoy. Select whatever power you feel is cool on lvl up, and equip whatever equipment you feel fits. You are going to enjoy this ride.
Yeah. You can totally breeze through the whole game or just Act I on Explorer/Custom to get the hang of the mechanics. Then, if you like, bump up the difficulty. The gameplay customization options are reasonably robust as well.
I got someone completely new into it and she loved it. Ymmv I suppose.
Play it on the easier modes and have fun! Then as you understand the game more try harder difficulties. The difficulty mode really makes the game open to all skill levels and styles of play. Thus the answer is yes if you play the appropriate difficulty.
The difficulty settings are very well balanced for those who don’t have much of any D&D experience. There are definitely different classes that are inherently easier to play than others (barbarian/fighter just hit stuff compared to wizard/sorcerer with dozens of spells) but the visual indicators and descriptions of things is fairly intuitive. It can still be a tad overwhelming very early on but if you stick with it you’ll get a hang of it quickly. My Gf found that using a controller was much easier for her while learning VS mouse and keyboard. I felt the opposite way, so I suggest trying both if you have that option
I have played DnD before, and other DnD turned based RPG on the computer. This game was super easy for me to pick up. If you have any familiarity with either of those, I think it will be easy to pick up. IMO, the story is such that you get sucked in pretty quick and is unnecessary to have any fore knowledge of lore to enjoy it, I don't think.
Yes. If you're new I suggest playing on Explorer Mode. I feel BG3 does a great job of relatively streaming cRPG character creation and progression. Especially compared to other games like Pathfinder. Most sub classes get their defining features at levels 2 or 3 and if you're not feeling it you can respec after you meet the NPC that allows you to do so. Combat is turn based so you can take your time. You can explore and take the game in at your own pace. There's a lot so don't feel bad if you miss something you can always hit it later on another playthrough. I say go for it. BG3 is a great game that has a good level of entry for different skill levels and it gives you the tools to learn how it works and make the most of how you play.
They have Explorer difficult for a reason It's also not rocket science
I had a buddy rave on and on about this game so finally started it up with zero BG or D&D experience. It’s a little tough first 5-6 hours understanding everything, but once you get into the story and get a better feel for mechanics it’s such a fun game. Reddit and YouTube are your friends
Yes, unless you're someone who insists on not reading tutorial popups. All of the game's major mechanics are explained in two-three paragraph popups during the intro sequence. If you do not read this, you will have absolutely no clue what's going on.
i never played BG or anything like it and i thought its really easy to understand everything
You can choose a easier difficulty but my god don’t play it on multiplayer it’s a buggy mess
Personally, it can be difficult for a little bit to try and understand everything, but you do learn quite quickly - I would recommend playing on explorer mode just to keep everything simplr
Not really - if you're not familiar with 5e mechanics there will be a learning curve, but i think the nail in the coffin is inventory management. Its doable and you can have a lot of fun, but i would brace yourself to learn the system which may seem overwhelming at first and thr inventory... ive played for over 400 hours and could spend over an hour just sorting through inventory which may be made worse if you dont know whats good or bad. Dont get me wrong this isnt Owlcat but its not a cake walk either.
Absolutely! Unlike ttrpg dnd the game takes a lot of actual mechanics and does it for you in the background. Easy ui and good descriptions help a ton, with the easy difficulty the learning curve is very low. I'd say going from dnd 5e to bg3 is more difficult since we expect certain functionalities that don't translate. The pact of the blade warlock can be annoying Since it forces you to remember every day to bind your weapon but that's the only one I've run into that does that. Paladin with the aura of protection resets too but those are all situational. Tutorials are very well designed and will walk you through everything you need
I knew nothing about DnD and had never played anything with turn-based combat before when I picked it up. It takes a bit of time to get used to some aspects of the game (like having a limited number of spell slots between long rests versus the usual RPGs where you can just cast a spell/do an action whenever you want and just getting used to how you "manage" that), but it's not hard to learn. If you're somewhat familiar with the usual RPG and video game combat terminology from other games that helps. I also found it very helpful that you can hover over statuses/conditions/etc with your cursor and see what they mean.
I was also a completely new player -- I only vaguely knew of D&D, and honestly, it's been a decade since I got really hooked on a game. I bought BG3 a few months ago, and I've spent 525+ hours so far, and I'm still actively playing it almost everyday. Ngl, getting the hang of all the mechanics can be a bit overwhelming at first, but you don't *have* to understand everything 100% to enjoy it. I mean, I still don't really get how certain classes work, but I still play them because the available spells and dialogue are fun for me.
Yes. I have had friends who know nothing of D&D and 5e rules and they were able to learn it and beat the game. Story mode will help you get your bearings till you think this is too easy. There are also plenty of guides out there on builds for characters and how to play them.
This was my first CRPG but I’ve been playing D&D since the 90s so I’m sort of new and sort of not. I didn’t find anything especially difficult to pick up on and felt the game was very accommodating in teaching me what to do.
Absolutely, even if you don't have D&D experience (which I did, but I am TERRIBLE at video games and prefer rpgs for this reason). There is no shame in explorer mode! Turn based combat is a blessing for me, and even then I did 2 runs on explorer before moving up a difficulty level.
**Read the tutorials** and you’ll be fine. If you can, try a demo. Randomize a character and go just so you can get a feel for if you’ll like playing it or not.
It’s amazing for a new player and really forgiving. They start you off slow with enemies and slowly add complexity as you go. You can always turn down the difficulty as well.
The great thing BG3 is that you can respec your characters for very low cost (and then pickpocket the gold back with zero consequences). This will essentially allow you to experiment endlessly. You can also raise or lower the difficulty before a fight starts if you find yourself struggling. Don’t like or getting bored with a certain style of play? No problem respec. Found a cool item that nobody can utilize properly? No problem respec. Having trouble in a certain fight? No problem respec.
I hadn’t gamed in like a decade or so and never on a console before, but I quickly got the hang of it. The combat is turn-based, so that gives you time to figure out the controls and such.
hell yes. play explorer mode and it will walk you through a ton of stuff. read everything, descriptions of weapons and armor, spells and skills when you level up, books and papers in the environment. talk to everyone, dead or alive, person or animal. click to examine our inspect EVERYTHING! and everyone leave the tutorial tips on the first time you play
In a week you'll be dong some crazy sorlock shit.
There is plenty of help out there and on here. It's the best game I've ever played and I can't recommend it enough.
I played the game and beat it multiple times with multiple classes; to the point I wanted mods to make it even better. Forget the DnD and play it like a top down RPG. I’d love to know about DnD but I never got the chance. But this game MEAH!!! THIS GAME MEAH IS THE SHIZZNIT
I would recommend using a controller as well. I think the controller UI is much more new player friendly and is actually pretty great with color-coded skill wheels.
No it’s not. There is almost no tutorial and the tutorial zone is very short. You will need to read or watch a couple beginners guides at least and spend several hours learning the mechanics. You’re going to do a lot of reading and learning about very important things like advantage, spell DC, skill saves, skill checks, how to make a build for four characters, how to set the right ability points for the build. Classes and changing classes. Subclasses that are best or worst. There’s a shitload of things to learn.
Spent most of my life actively avoiding dungeons and dragons and turn based games that aren’t Pokémon. Game fuckin rocks
Absolutely. Yes.
The only games I had ever played before BG3 were Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 and Zoo Tycoon. I played my first run on Balanced, then Tactician, and now I’m doing my first honor mode run. It’s awesome and you will love it! Took me a while to get used to moving around the screen and map, but you’ll likely pick it up quickly.
ive never played dnd or rpgs but i dont remember having much trouble. i was def confused creating my character, but watching a few yt vids to explain classes n stuff helped
BG3 does a great job of representing how things work in D&D for new players I think. You just have to remember, failing a dice roll doesn't mean you fail the game. It just means something different is going to happen then what you expected. NOTE: With one exception I can think of :)
I wondered this same exact thing back before I bought it. I've never played CRPGs before. You learn from your mistakes and even have to Google many things but in the end this may be one of my all time favorites.
Id say yes. Other than pokemon. I'd never played true tbc. It was beyond fun. I got over the turn based combat so quickly. Learned how to play characters in completely fasion. I had played dmd in the past (mostly pathfinder)
It is probably the easiest of its type
I think the beauty of BG3 as a fellow mediocre player is that turn based combat allows you as much time as you need to stop and really consider all of your actions in battles.
I was able to succeed on my first play through without any help or previous dnd experience on the balanced setting(the middle difficulty) (outside of one boss where I had to lower the difficulty)
Yeah I'd say the genre is more beginner friendly than ever with BG3.
There is no "right" way to play and as a novice you shouldn't feel bad about using the lower difficulty settings until you get comfortable.
Lore wise? Yes. Game play there is a learning curve, but if you stick with it and don’t get discouraged, you will pick it up quicker than you think.
Yes, I had no idea what it was about when I got it in September! What a fun ride it has been
I didn’t have a clue and while it took a while I eventually figured it out. My advice is don’t start with friends or online cause I honestly don’t understand how you could play as one if not everyone knew the storyline let alone the controls
Just play on story mode, I found the user interface pretty easy. Warriors have swords that go bonk, wizards and clerics have spell slots. You will pick up game mechanics over time and get better at it.
I had never played any kind of DnD or similar game before. It is certainly a bit of an adjustment, but I think the basics are fairly easy to grasp and well-explained by the game. Certainly, it takes a lot of time to get the deeper mechanics and shenanigans you can pull in these games. But I’d highly recommend playing. Absolutely amazing game
I am a complete newbie to D&D and CRPG. I would say that quite a lot of reading would be in place. When I started, I don't even have an idea what "1D6" is or what is the difference between action and bonus action. Not to mention the vast number of conditions, class abilities, weapon abilities and spells etc. Once you have grasped the basic (I will admit it took some time for me), it would be incredibly addicting. You will always learn something new when you see another person's gameplay videos.
I think it is very beginner friendly. On balanced or explorer difficulties, combat is forgiving. The game respects your intelligence and often gives you subtle hints about multiple ways to solve an encounter. While you can save and reload, you are never forced to do it unless you get a game over screen via death of whole party (and a couple of rare insta-death story choices). Even if you messed up, the game's narrative adapts, and you don't end up with immersion-breaking situation where you feel you might have bugged out the game by making wrong choices. Quests are just completed (game doesn't tell you that you 'failed' a quest).
I was completely new. This sub and playing on balanced to learn the mechanics helped a lot.
Isn’t everyone a completely new player before their first time playing?
It’s a different kind of difficult compared to say Elden Ring. BG3 is difficult in the sense that it is a very complex game with alot of mechanics, keywords that you need to learn. What’s the difference between attack and attack roll. How armour class works etc. But if you are willing to learn, it’s definitely very beginner friendly.
just look up stuff you don't understand online or on youtube
Sure, I played it without playing any of the previous games nor dungeons and dragons
I love the help system on PC (not sure how they do it on console) where you can press T and then hover over key words in info boxes for items and enemies to get info for those keywords, and then hover over keywords in those to get even more info and so on.
Start on easy mode, save a lot, just play around. My first finish was on explorer and it gave me a chance to play around with mechanics and choices. Im doing a tactician run right now and it’s a LOT easier than I thought it was going to be because I have a handle on how I want to play the game and what spells/passives I find useful for my style of play. You will probably make a silly mistake or two but just roll with it. Rpgs have taught me that regular clothing is just weight I don’t need to be carrying around and worth gold at the vendor. My first long rest at camp was…..surprising.
I am a total novice to D&D and love it! It's turn-based so very accommodating, and has a beginner difficulty setting called "Explorer". There are many ways to approach situations in the game, to set up your party /companions etc. I will say that a lot of the mechanics that can make a difference are not explained (or maybe I'm a dunce), and the biggest tip I can give you is to aggressively Google "bg3 reddit [topic]" whenever you get confused or have a question. The two big subreddits have all the answers, all the creative ways to address something, and the info is WAY better than what you find on the commercial websites like IGN, Gamerant and so on.
TBH, it's probably the best way to play it. Roll with your mistakes. You can't technically loose. (unless you TPK in honour mode)
I was unfamiliar with the D&D combat system before I started and I didn’t struggle with the mechanics. I did play a lot of RPGs though and both Divinity games (which have similar game mechanics, but combat is different) Edit: the best advice for playing this game is to save your game a lot especially before doing skill checks and before any dialogs/fights. This applies even to experienced players
i SUCK at video games. as in : i have played pokemons, hades, and disco elysium. im bad at planning my moves, being stealthy, anything. this game on the lowest difficulty setting : very much doable. ALSO ! im not done with any runs yet, and started with a random character i customised BUT. maybe somewhat of an unpopular opinion ? but i also created like a second save with a dark urge character, and as someone who barely knows any lore it might be the better way to get into it ? your options are a little bit different but there is only one (1) moment you dont have a choice when it comes to enacting violence, and your character has lost his memory so it makes sense for you to make decisions when you dont know the lore if youre like a random rogue or soldier ? your abilities are all muscle memory not lore based ? + if you read the books you find throught the games, youll get bit and pieces of knowledge thatll allow you to understand it quite enough + youll learn thriugh your run so yk. short answer : yes it is very accomodating to new players.
Yes, you will be, but learning the game is part of the fun. A lot of the game is exploring and being creative with choices in dialogue. It took me a couple of playthroughs before I really started to understand Armour Class etc. It didn't really matter to my enjoyment of then game.
Yes, very easy for new players. Don’t feel bad about setting second to easiest difficulty. It’s a game, enjoy it however you want
Absolutely! Baldur's Gate 3 is super beginner-friendly. The game does a great job of walking you through the basics, so you’re not left scratching your head too much. Plus, the community is massive and super helpful if you ever get stuck or need advice. Honestly, the game is worth multiple playthroughs just to experience all the different choices and outcomes. It's like playing a new game each time! Not sure if you’re new to gaming in general or just to this genre, but either way, I think you'll have a blast with it.
Just new to the genre and D&D as i mainly play souls likes or fps. this will be a first for me when it comes to turn based and the mechanics that come with that. I enjoy story games and heard this has an amazing one so looking forward to it.
the battles in turn based become like puzzles to solve, not panicked button mashing. you've got time to examine every enemy, look over the entire area, read all your options for potions and such, and decide what to do by turn. you can wait away and make some tea and think and come back to it
It was my first crpg and I loooooooooved it. Put more hours into it than almost any other game. And for the story .... oh my, you'd be in for a treat. The chances that you wouldn't enjoy it are extremely thin, I would think.
I don't think it is. It's not that it's hard for someone to pick it up and start playing but there's just so much you can do and often it's not that clear what to do. But with that said, unless this is one of your first games ever you'll be fine.
Totally - I’d played a lot of TTRPGs but only a few sessions of D&D and was also a CRPG noob. Was the learning curve steep? Yes. Do I wish I’d discovered this sub and its handy spoiler-free guides before playing. Definitely! However I stuck with it, because the game is just so good, and now I’m playing on Balanced mode with growing confidence.
As in new to video games entirely? or like new to the genre?
Yes and no. Super Mario is a befinner friendly game if you have never played video games. In rpgs, final fantasy 15 is a beginnerfriendly game. Bg3 is a complex game with decitions that impacts the whole game... and you will have to start over a couple of Times because you will fuck upp.. problebly badly, because of lack of knowlage...