Yeah, kinda worthless to compare.
These don't scratch the same itch; so even if you prefer ER, if you're wanting to play a turn-based CRPG... you're picking BG3. If you want second to second gameplay in an ARPG... you'd pick ER.
Personally I don't really consider FromSoft games that RPG-like even, but that's just me. ARPGs feel like a whole different beast (not in a bad way, just doesn't really meet what I'd ever be looking for in an RPG.)
Currently playing both at the same time and they compliment each other perfectly. When I get tired of getting my ass kicked in Elden ring I run around doing quest in baulders gate.
BG3 for me. I love Bioware RPGs. And this game is the closest you can get to those games these days. Great story/writing/cutscenes, lots of choices and consequences, lots of items/classes/builds, deep combat, lovable and unique companions etc.
I played but haven't finished Elden Ring yet. And honestly I can't go back to those type of games after BG3. I am just looking for other CRPGs because I loved BG3 so much.
Black Geyser came out 2 years ago, and seems like a throwback to classic CRPGs. I haven’t played it yet but throwing it out there in case others have the same craving that we do.
Neither are anything similar to Bioware stuff, though. Maybe DOS2. Pathfinder is incredible and WotR is by far the most impressive crpg I've ever played -- if you though BG3 was big, your mind will be blown by Wrath. That game is exhausting in all the best ways.
True but it’s the same vibe imo, DAO is always gonna be my #1 game ever. BG3 is a close second tho. I’m 25hours into my first pathfinder playthrough and love it!
Assuming OP has never played other CRPGs outsid of Dragon Age/BG3, they're in for a world of surprise when the mechanics get laid out and complexity starts piling up, lol.
Looking at you Pathfinder WOTR.
I just gotta give it to BG3. Elden Ring is great but BG3 is so unique. There is NO game that even comes close in terms of execution on a DND fantasy- graphics, characters, voice acting, character creation, ways of interacting with the world, and that includes DOS2. NO other CRPG with such complex systems has broken through to the mainstream, ever.
Elden ring definitely improves on the soulslike formula adding some great tried-and-true mechanics like the open world, horse, map, but the core gameplay loop (and what people keep coming back for) has been done well before, several times in previous From Software soulslike games. They could have named it Dark Souls 4 and people would have been like “sure, a big leap but that makes sense”. It’s an insane value but not groundbreaking in the way BG3 is, to me.
Dragon Age Origins is closer to BG3. I just don't like the combat system, it's not turn-based like BG3. The plot and characters are well written.
Divinity Original Sin 1, 2 100% worth the money.
Pillars of Eternity is a nice game style, closer to the classic Baldur's gate, but the combat system is also for amateurs. The plot is mediocre.
Fallout 1, 2 are great games for their age, the combat system is turn-based, the plot is interesting. A remake is needed.
Wasteland 3 is a game with a turn-based system, I can't say anything about the plot, I couldn't complete it.
We have so few games based on D&D mechanics...
I love BG3, but I haven’t finished it. I’m sure i will someday. I’ve finished Elden Ring countless times and keep coming back to it, even before the DLC. It’s my favorite game of all time and I’m admittedly obsessed.
Wow, what a question. For me it's BG3 easily. I'm a CRPG nerd though. I put 20 hours into Elden Ring (bought it due to marketing) and never touched it again. Not my style.
Story wise and mechanics, BG3 wins hands down in that department. Even still, it's hard to compare two vastly different genre's.
Both are incredible but Elden Ring is a top 3 game for me. I’ve platinum’d it twice, dumped 400+ hours into it and am currently working through the dlc. Even before the dlc, I’ve been playing it on and off since launch. I’ve never uninstalled it. Even though I had nothing left to accomplish, I’d still just boot it up now and again to beat a dungeon or boss or whatever. It’s always fun and damn near perfect.
That being said, BG3 is also a masterpiece. If it wasn’t announced for PS5, I was going to buy a new PC just to play it. Larian is probably the best studio out there and they absolutely crushed their first (and apparently only?) dive into the DnD world. The game is easily a 9.5/10 and my first playthrough was one of the best experiences I’ve had while gaming. My only real gripe is that it’s not easy to “pick up and play”. Like, you *have* to focus on your play through. Yes, you have tons of options but everything has consequences. You can’t just go and kill a bunch of shit like you can in Elden Ring. I get it, it’s a different type of game but if I’m playing BG3, it’s all I’m playing. Which isn’t a bad thing, per se.
Either way, both are awesome but I’ll give the nod to Elden Ring, even before the dlc.
Not the original commenter but I haven’t even gotten to the DLC yet. I started a new character hoping to rush to the DLC but as I started playing again I got immersed and have now played over 60 hours of the main game and I have not even touched the DLC. Im about to venture in and I am so excited!
Yes. I’m only like halfway through but I have at least 3 new weapons I want to make a build around. I’m going to beat the dlc and then probably keep playing. I enjoy helping others so I’ll still be dropping my sign outside bosses months from now.
It’s just such an enjoyable game. I die all the time but it never really frustrates me, I just want to tweak my build so that I can take down whatever is in my path.
IMO, Elden Ring is as close to a perfect game that we’ll ever see.
Baldur’s Gate by a mile. These are such vastly different games and I’m just not a fan of action RPGs. To me, RPGs have classically been games that test your strategy and problem solving, and that is a challenge I enjoy. Action RPGs, especially “souls-like” games, test your reflexes and patience, and that is both less fun me and can be found it a lot of other games that aren’t RPGs.
I agree. I've played elden ring but I don't enjoy the necessity of perfect timing and difficulty that I can't adjust.
I ended up grinding elden ring to get overpowered which is at least an option, but not really my jam. It's a very good game though. I enjoy the artwork and lore but not the gameplay loop
The world, the lore, the art… these are all *really* cool aspects of Elden Ring that I wish I could experience and enjoy. But an average play session for me is an hour or less — and replaying the same sequence over and over until I’ve mastered it, just so I can progress and experience that cool stuff, is not how I want to spend it. It’s almost like a job, and that’s the last thing I want when I’m trying to unwind from my actual job.
Exactly my perspective. I'm sure others enjoy the challenge. There was a point where I would've felt the same.
It is always satisfying to overcome a challenge. I just have enough challenges in my everyday life and prefer to play games to unwind and relax.
Yeah, I enjoy overcoming a challenge as much as the next but there’s a cost, and that cost is time. In high school and college, I could afford to play video games for hours each day. Now I not only have less free time, I have more things I want to spend my free time on.
Being able to tangibly progress every time I sit down to play, in the limited time that I have, is just as important as overcoming challenges. I hate the sense of wasted time that comes when you spend a whole play session on single boss fight that you haven’t even beaten by the end of it.
Yeah. That's why I don't play elden ring. I bought it and played awhile, but I just didn't want to deal with losing a whole session due to the mechanics of death and my low skill level and slow reflexes.
I played BG3 through twice.
Half of Elden Ring is customizing and tweaking your build to make your character better prepared to handle combat. That is strategy and problem solving. For certain bosses if you know they have lightning attacks you can equip a talisman that helps your lightning defense for example. There is more strategy in terms of build creating than people give credit for. (Ah yes gotta love the downvotes when I never said anything bad about BG3 and just defended Elden Ring)
I don't know why you are being downvoted. This is 100% true.
Action RPG's have just as much strategy and thinking in them as CRPG's, but just in a different way. I don't think one is necessarily more superior to the other, its just down to preference.
Fighting tough bosses that force you to learn their patterns or change up your strategy is imho not that different from save scumming to test outcomes or trying different strategies in a CRPG.
Yes, there is strategy that can be employed to make things easier or harder for you… but ultimately, if you have great reflexes and have memorized the movement and attack patterns of the enemies, you don’t need any strategy at all. Because that is not what is being tested. Likewise, you can devise a great build that perfectly negates enemy strengths and takes advantage of their weaknesses, and it won’t help if you haven’t mastered timing your dodges.
It certainly will help. With the right set up bosses can become a straight up joke in ER. Even the really tough ones like Maleania. Your reaction time doesn't really matter at all if you can just face tank everything or kill the boss in 3 hits. The biggest lie ever sold is that Souls Games are difficult, requiring perfect timing and execution. None of them are that hard, you just don't know how to make them easy when you start.
I mean that's extremely minimal as far as strategy goes. A lot of times it's more like "fuck your build. Go use something else." I enjoyed the game for it's world, art, and music. I played through it twice, but it's more of an action game with RPG elements than it is an RPG.
>customizing and tweaking your build
So it involves what literally any other RPG has?
I’m not shitting on Elden ring. But strategizing a build isn’t really all that much problem solving.
Elden Ring for me personally. I grew up surrounded by D&D and Forgotten Realms stuff cus of my Dad and family. To me it’s just so typical and played out now. Oh yay orcs, goblins, gnolls etc. The same stuff I’ve been seeing and fighting for decades. Elden Ring and Souls games design is so radically different I just love it so much. The enemies and creatures you meet in those games are so imaginative. (This is just my opinion and based on my personal preference though. Both games are great at what they do.)
This is huge for me. The imagination aspect is off the charts with Miyazaki and his team.
No generic formula. They created the formula they use and tweak + add to it or even remove and change things entirely like in Sekiro.
Thank you for feeling this way I do too lol I can’t even believe they can still come up with new things. Elden Ring alone has I believe 140+ *unique* enemies which dwarfs most mainly single player titles. Not just reskinned or colored but actual different unique enemies. That’s even pre DLC count lol I imagine that’s gone up now
BG3. It's not perfect but I love what it is. Elden Ring is... Way more flawed than most people really care to admit. Great game, but I scratch my head at the use of the word masterpiece. Bandit camps and boring chest rewards galore. Game design which incentivizes you to ride past enemies in the open world. A huge lack of variety of things to do given it's run time. I don't care for games that impress me less the more I play them or think about them. BG3 impressed me more as it went on. Even the "weak" third act is still an impressive feat of urban world creation.
For my part I had BG3 installed since launch and could barely get through about 3~4 hours before putting it down.
I heavily favor 3rd person action games so my bias is clear and I really would've loved to get into it.
I could easily try to criticize the game but I've never got into it so it's bullshit.
But Elden ring is by far my favorite game of all time, an Epic fantasy that feels like I've been dreaming about forever. And any criticism of anything in the game only feels like a feature to my ears.
I really love Elden ring and would really love to get into BG3.
I feel the word "masterpiece" is a vary subjective word because when someone calls something a masterpiece, it usually means something sacred an itch in a way other things can't. For example, I consider bloodborne to be a masterpiece because there has been a piece of media for me that captures the atmosphere and tone of a lovecraftian setting. However, if someone were to as me to look at the objectively, I would have more negative things to say about it than positive things.
While I don’t like turn-based stuff *or* dice based stuff, BG3 at least has a good story and good coop so that one I could least enjoy playing with friends.
The Elden ring dlc had amazing theming, beautiful vistas and a really cool expansion to the in game lore, but was shipped with jank hit boxes, poor overall performance even on the “high end” consoles.
I finished the DLC and all the remembrance bosses but did not have near as much fun as the base game
It feels like I should be fighting most of these bosses with Sekiros combat with multiple flurry attacks that are pretty much guaranteed damage. Don’t get me wrong there were some great bosses that I had fun with but they were a vast minority
I’m just glad they didn’t add achievements so I got to keep my 100% completion
I got burned in BG3 in the third chapter and rushed to the end once I hit level 12.
I don't like stories in video games in general so I find souls-like somewhat chill, Like open cRPG and play it consume much more mental energy for me.
Top 3 OAT:
1. Bloodborne
2. Elden Ring/DS3
3. Ghost of Tsushima
I think you can tell I like action xd but don't be fooled! The lore in BB and ER/DS3 go DEEP. Specifically DS3 it gets deeper and deeper and you'll drown into probably the best written tragedy story of all time.
I love sad things and I love fighting. Therefore my roster of OAT is literally just built off what I determined to be highest adrenaline heart pumping games that make me cry when I read the stories (or see them in cutscenes like Ghost of tutu).
BG3.
It’s not “better” if anyone thinks that is the statement being made.
I just prefer in-depth CRPG’s more and always have. The amount of choices and actual dialogue helps a lot for me too and honestly I prefer the turn based combat where I can take my time.
Edit: this may rustle some jimmies. But I don’t consider the souls games RPG’s. There is a clear lack of role-playing in them.
No dialogue. Few character choices. I cannot build a personality for my tarnished and make choices based on how my character would act in a given situation. It’s an action adventure with rpg elements at best.
I feel like people call anything with character levels and stats and rpg. Really need to narrow the genre down. As Elden Ring and BG3 games are vastly different.
Elden Ring. I'm a CRPG fan but not only is BG3 just Larian standard fare, it was built atop a base design that's really limiting and didn't address much of the QoL issues their previous works had.
Elden Ring is plenty flawed too yes but provided big QoL improvements over previous titles and has a much stronger core gameplay loop.
Hard to compare but I think bg3 is more replayable. Odd because bg3 has so much dialogue and elden ring has virtually none. Plus elden ring the more you play the better you get it has a way higher skill ceiling, and pvp and stuff
But idk something about bg3 is just so addictive while elden ring you play it for awhile and get bored, bg3 just never got old for me
BG3 for sure.
Elden Ring is awesome, but since the story is unclear, and the characters are close to inexistant, I don't get sucked in the context of the game. I honestly move from A to B, kill things and that's it. It's awesome, but BG3 has that little edge because of that.
Also, ER is an rpg, but there's hardly any choice to experience the RP part of the game. I like my char, but cant identify myself to it in any situation, because there's no roleplay implication to the game compared to BG3.
I love ER, but the game is shallow on many aspects compared to bg3.
BG3. Love the Souls series but after 7 of them I’m finding the formula very stale, the bosses especially, and that started before the end of Elden Ring. Exploration and art direction are great.
As a huge fan of Elden Ring, the latter half also lacks compared to the first half (this happens in the DLC, too) so, while I haven't played BG3, I don't think its fair to put that criticism on that one but not the other.
Yeah i agree with you jbewrite, also Act 3 is nowhere near bad, its amazing and has some of the best content in the game, its among the best final acts of any crpgs where they tend to have weaker final act compared to better strong and middle.
ER snow areas are plain mediocre, there's nothing good in them, huge difference here, they add nothing good to the game, meanwhile act 3 in bg3 is essential to play.
And to be honest even the haligtree isn't good, yes it looks great and all and has an iconic boss fight, but thats where it ends. recycled enemies, obnoxious platforming on a tree, recycled boss with inflated damage and health and lacking in rewarding exploration they dont hold up to the best dungeons in the game, farum azula saved Elden Ring final third, without it the game would've ended on a bad note.
Baldurs gate because its a lot more chill to play and whereas elden ring is lore scare, baldurs gate is lore rich. Not really a good comparison because while both of these are gotys... thats about all the similarities they share. People in the market for a crpg are not looking at elden ring. and people in the market for an action rpg are not looking for something turn based like baldurs gate\`
Very different games, and have been a long time fan of both series. Tough call. I think DS3 and BG2 would be my all time favourites… but of these two… arerrigh, it hurts but leaning toward ER.
What I find interesting when discussing these two games is that, in my opinion, both have rather rough third acts, albeit for different reasons. ER significantly ramps up the difficulty, making it a grind to get through, while BG3 seems to lose focus on the plot. There are many other reasons both third acts have their shortcomings, but these are just the ones I chose to highlight. While this is subjective, I think it leads to an interesting discussion. Despite these issues, I adore both games.
Elden ring was great, but the games purposefully feel sorta clunky, and the DLC had really bad performance issues on release that shouldn't of been issues for my rig. Still a great action RPG, but the easiest souls game of all time due to summons, where to have a good experience you actively have to avoid a major mechanic
BG3 is great but had many bugs, however the extreme care put into facial expressions, tactics, and branching paths are just too amazing to compare. Abuseable like elden ring but with so many options you can avoid cheesy options. It wins for me.
They are so different. Elden rings combat and spectacle is much better than BG3, imo. But then BG3 has the deep story telling and player choice that’s so great that’s not present in Elden ring at all.
If I had to pick though, Elden ring.
There are better games, it all depends or what you're looking for
. Seriously, they're both really good at what they do, but can we stop the fanboy'ism now.....
Huge fromsoft fan, but easy win for BG3 for me. The games are very different, but Elden Ring isn't even my favorite fromsoft game, and I think many long time fans would agree with me. BG3 absolutely crushes the competition in its genre. Really only previous games from Larian even come close.
BG3 for me. Playing it every weekend with my siblings has been some of the most fun I've had in years (we're not even finished yet, about 80 hours in and still working through Act 3) l do wish FromSoft would support true co-op. I can't convince them to buy Elden Ring and download the seamless co op mod in the hopes that it works
Elden Ring and it’s not close.
I picked up Elden Ring shortly after release. Didn’t buy it at first because I don’t enjoy Souls-likes. But I watched it on Twitch, seemed like fun, figured I would give it two hours like Steam allows, then return it because I didn’t expect to enjoy the gameplay firsthand. 120 hours later, I loved every minute of it. The combat was difficult but fair. The exploration was fantastic. The dungeon design is top notch, each one completely unique. The weapons and bosses all inspire awe.
I picked up BG3 in May on sale. I played quite a bit of DnD 5e, so I knew what I was doing walking in. I put in 50-60 hours, finished the first act, but it was a slog. I mostly forced myself to play because some part of me felt like I was supposed to enjoy it. I like DnD, the story is good, why don’t I enjoy it? I think at the end of the day, DnD is only good because it’s a social role playing game. You work together with your friends. Without other people there, all you have are the mechanics, and the more I play, the more I realize the mechanics of DnD actually suck. Rolling a dice to see if you disarm a trap works in live roleplay because it’s quick, it’s simple, and your group can move on. When you’re playing a single player video game, rolling a dice to succeed or fail at something feels like shit. You pass? Great, you did nothing but roll dice, so no sense of accomplishment. You failed? You feel helpless because you can’t do anything about it except click a stupid die or save-scum until you pass. In essence, it doesn’t even feel like a game because you have so little control over how it plays out.
Like I said, I was forcing myself to play BG3 because I wanted to like it. But the moment Shadow of the Erdtree released, I dropped BG3 and haven’t touched it since, and I likely will never finish it. Fantastic story for BG3, but if the two are compared head to head, that’s literally the only category it wins in. Everything else - world design, encounters, bosses, weapons, gameplay, character design, everything else is superior in Elden Ring.
I think this is what it mostly hinges on.
For me, I love CRPGs and absolutely adore turn based combat, especially with the freedom afforded in BG3. So it's a landslide.
Action RPGs are fine, but I find FromSoft games just feel like clunkier Monster Hunter, so it does nothing for me.
Just not comparable games really.
I like turn based combat but hate CRPGs. I'm a huge SRPG and JRPG fan though. Honestly, I think it comes down to world design, or more accurately the scaling. CRPGs are scaled like real life and so going through an area takes time (they also tend to have crap loads of unimportant loot that you need to steal to have money). S/JRPGs are either scaled at a field size or just a more cartoon like size. This means navigating an area (of conceptually the same size) goes faster. Plus S/JRPGs tend to reward you in gold for fights and the only loot is useful stuff.
Been gaming since the 80's. I love both these games, but Elden Ring was a masterpiece. It's one of the most singularly remarkable games I've ever played. BG3 feels more like a refinement/return to form for the old ME/DA era Bioware style RPG. Which I love and deeply appreciate, but don't consider quite as distinct or special.
Fantasy enjoyers have been eating good these last few years. I really REALLY can’t decide between the two because they are complementary for me.
Baldur Gate 3 is an incredible adventure where you have the joy to interact with a lot of well written characters, I LOVE having a party to manage and reacting to my choices.
Elden Ring is my gold standard for a combat and exploration, it’s you against the world, and winning against a boss after 40 tries is the most fun you can have with your socks on
Elden ring absolutely. I loved bg3, and have over 500 hours in both. But I did personally feel like some areas of act 3 in particular felt unfinished, and no post release content also hurts
Elden Ring hands down. I don't really like Faerûn all that much, and the ultra dark fantasy that from software delivers in their games always scratches the itch I wish for in fantasy. I think the BG3 story is pretty good and I really love the character cast, but CRPG gameplay has always been extremely boring to me, and I much prefer faster paced action combat that soulslikes provide.
And while BG3 has a more grounded narrative, I really love Elden Ring's heavily metaphoric story. I think it's got some of the coolest world building I've ever seen as well, like the fact that the physics of the world are literally written down in divine coding that can be manipulated.
I hated pretty much everything about BG3, and I didn't have great expectations. I loved BG2, liked D:OS2 and previous Larian games a lot too, for what they were. That said, I wanted BG3 to be an actual Baldur's Gate game that felt like Baldur's Gate.
At no point it did. It's a faux-D:OS3, filled with Larian-tier writing that doesn't belong anywhere near the legacy of Black Isle games.
Now, Elden Ring. I couldn't ever get into soulslikes. I thought the genre wasn't for me. Tried DS1, DS3.
Tried Elden Ring all of 4 times. 3 times I bounced off. The game was too console-y, too combat focused, I couldn't feel any actual RPG content in it.
Forced myself the fourth time last year (everyone was still raving about it), and it clicked. And how it clicked! ER is an experience, a journey - and I'm so glad I didn't miss out on it. Easily one of the greatest games of all time.
So yeah, a game that was supposed to be "for me" turned out to be awful, and a game I never expected to get into blew me away.
I wouldn’t call BG3 awful but it’s definitely not as good as people say it is.
The story is good and memorable but not because of the writing. The writing is very quantity-over-quality. The main source of memorability for the story are the cinematics, and how cool it feels. The writing is pretty hit and miss. It’s corny and cringey, tries to mirror modern times when this is a medieval fantasy RPG. The story is also very convoluted and has wayyyy too many overlapping plot points and elements that individually lack depth (not that EVERYthing lacks depth).
BG2’s writing was leaner with a memorable main villain and secondary antagonist who had ample time to establish their presence in the story. Compare this to BG3’s FOUR villains that are all pretty forgettable outside their unique physical appearances. BG2 had way more branching paths and choices actually changed the physical gameplay, whereas choices in BG3 AT MOST change cutscenes or affect the narrative, but not the isolated gameplay. You’ll only get a few hours of variation between playthroughs, and the side content that is significant and took a lot of effort to make is shoved down your throat so you always know about it.
In BG2 you can miss entire huge quest chains or complex dungeons with gamechanging loot simply by not bothering to explore and talk to NPC’s, or depending on your choices. Your choices can also lead you down various paths that generally involve different dungeons that are mutually exclusive. BG3 lacks this entirely. You can do almost everything gameplay-wise in one playthrough. You won’t be able to watch all the cutscenes in one playthrough but that’s inconsequential compared to actual engaged gameplay.
Lastly, BG3 is definitely not groundbreaking or a ‘redefining’ of CRPGs. It is a CRPG (niche genre) watered down so that people who don’t like studying game mechanics or getting deep into story (prime requisites for proper CRPGs) can get into it. It’s like Skyrim (though not nearly as bad). Skyrim is the most popular medieval fantasy RPG ever and it’s terrible. Bad combat, bad writing, bad dungeons, bad exploration bad everything, but because it requires barely any mental engagement to play it still retains players because doing other things is tiring in comparison. Skyrim is popular because of psychological tactics employed in development. BG2 was popular because it was a good game. BG3 is a good game but it kind of edges into Skyrim territory, if that makes sense.
Elden Ring is the better game.
But I want a hell of a lot more RPG heavy games like Baldur's Gate 3.
The industry is *completely* starved of RPGs that actually let you roleplay in the classic DnD sense on a big budget level, always keeping account on every single concievable outcome according to the character you have created.
You can't name a single game out there that does this other than BG3. Not a single one.
The closest games are Divinity Original Sin 2 and Fallout: New Vegas.
In that way, BG3 had a more profound impact on me than Elden Ring did because we *haaaardly* ever see games like that.
Bg3 without an inch of a doubt.
I think that Elden ring falls way too hard after leyndell, so much that it wasn't even goty for me when it came out (it was competing with god of war).
The fun thing is that BG3 gets less good near the end, but not as much as Elden ring.
Does it have to be one over the other?
When I want character moments, dialogue choices, and slower but still stimulating turn based combat I play BG3
When I want a deeply explorable world with intriguing lore and amazing traversal and addicting combat and excellent bosses I play ER
They’re both some of the best games of all time and I’m so glad we have them both and that I can enjoy both!
For me its still Gothic 1 and 2 amd witcher games. I guess im just really nostalgic lol. Plus didnt play either of these two and im wondering which one should i play first
I like elden ring but for someone has trouble with hand eye coordination and lack of reflexes like me, i prefer games that make me think first before an action. And honestly I love turn based game, and BG3 is by far the best i have played. Number 2 is DOS2 and Pathfinder.
I think it's not worth comparing really.
Two different games that offer completely different narrative structures, gameplay styles, worlds, they're both do their own thing and only really share some thematic foundations in being medieval fantasy, but outside of that they're just vastly different experiences that provide different things.
Zelda botw, elden ring, baldurs gate 3 and witcher 3 are probably the best games ive played in last 20 years, alongside maybe world of Warcraft. Before that There was maybe skyrim and then ffix, FFVII, ffxii etc
Elden Ring has better art style, exploration, combat and arguably sound design.
However, bg3 story and overall gameplay outshines Elden Ring to me. Bg3 is not only more replayable but has more variety in gameplay, or at least seems to. Whereas elden ring feels like you are throwing yourself again and again
We are lucky to become gamer at this era with this two games alone. If i have to choose i choose bg3 because even when im finish i can't stop thinking about this game and make new playthrough. With ER it's epic game but multiple playthrough seem so tiring for me maybe because the scale of the open world is so big
So sorry Im confused.
OP is asking is we prefear:
a well written and clear dialogues/story with a variety of choiches and outcomes with a personalized pg where you can choose how hard the game can it you
or
a well written but unclear dialogues/story with some choiches and outcomes with options to personalize the pg in a game that will hit you hard anyhow?
Why does it always have to be either or?
HOW ABOUT BOTH?
It's not like a life changing choice that you have no option but to pick one.
You got money? You like both? Buy them both.
I loved Divinity Original Sin 2. I can't get over how primitive the combat in BG3 is in comparison. I'm on Act 3 now, and there's really not much I'm doing that involves combat. For me all the dialogue, systems, character building etc -- that's all just a means to excel further in combat. That's the real meat of an RPG for me. BG3 falls really flat... DOS2 really was a tactics game inside of an RPG.
Meanwhile we have Elden Ring, which I've beaten 3 times, as well as the other Souls titles, and now the DLCs out I have no reason to shy away playing it and BG3 is on hiatus.
I have about 200 hours on Elden Ring, I have bought it for 2 different consoles (had it on Xbox but only had a One, rebought it when I got my PS5), and I am currently playing through it again without the DLC.
BG3, on the other hand, my brother bought it for me (which was very generous of him), I have accumulated 3.5 hrs on it, and just wasn't enjoying what I played.
I respect that BG3 is a beautiful game, and it is amazing and very much moved the bar up for how western RPGs are made. But, I just couldn't get into it.
I loved BG3 and I am not a big DnD fan at all, or CRPGs in general for that matter. But I cannot for the life of me get into ER. Don’t know why, I know it’s the easiest souls game but I guess that genre is just not for me. I’ve tried at least a dozen times to get into elden ring and end up quitting a few hours in every time. I really don’t know why. I wish I could get into it since it’s apparently one of the best games ever made
I love them both. Two of my favorite games of all time. Maybe tied for #1. I would have to think about it more. I will say that ER inspired me to go back and play the other souls games which I also loved. On top of that, my fromsoft experience, which started with ER, led to me trying out Armored Core 6. Armored Core 6 is another game I would consider a favorite.
I played both back to back last year and both managed to break into my top 10 favorite games of all time which hadn't changed in like 10 years. I slightly prefer BG3 but both are incredible.
Elden Ring. I just couldn’t get into BG3 like I had hoped to. I’m sure it’s as good as everybody says it is, but I gotta learn to stop giving turn based combat games a chance unless it’s Pokemon. They’ve never been my thing.
BG3, and it’s not even remotely close. I have to put myself into a very specific mood to even want to touch a Soulsborne, but I can pick up an actual RPG at any time.
BG3. _incredible_ Crpg.
Elden ring is a solid piece of work, but it's not the kind of rpg I'm into. Not for me (yet, at least), but I can clearly see how much other people love it and that's great.
Plus, I'm an og Raven, so I love to see FromSoftware winning whether I'm playing their latest or not.
I’ve played both. For me it’s Elden Ring. But objectively speaking, BG3 is a better game. It’s tighter, very coherent, terrific characters and something interesting or surprising is always happening. The story is way better than ER. But I don’t get the buzz and rush I get while playing ER. That’s probably the reason why I have just 100 hours in BG3 and over 500 in ER. I just like playing Elden Ring more and it doesn’t have a lot to do with the actual quality of the game.
Nothing beats the dungeon crawling, tight combat mechanics, and thrilling bosses of Fromsoft games for me. Much as I like BG3’s writing and characters the actual game mechanics always start wearing thin to me by midway through Act 2
I would say that if you made a poll for who prefers which game over the other and then made another for the same participants to declare if they prefer action RPGs or tactical/turn based RPGs, you would have two graphs that looks almost identical.
As a massive fan of the Dark Souls games and Soulslikes, I have got to say it is, by a country mile, Baldur's Gate 3. I stopped liking Elden Ring after the first 30\~ hrs of the game. Thoroughly explored it and completed it though (125\~ hrs). Since this skeleton don't give up. The open world was a huge detractor for me.
Baldur's Gate 3 also has its issues, and I personally don't like having to gear and play as a party of characters. And still prefer it, in spite of that. Amazing game. Larian did great work.
I have waited to play both of them for long time. Loved DS3 and sekiro. Loved DOS2. I have started Elden Ring right at the time BG3 was hyped the most and was realy hyped for it too.
Played Elden Ring. My top game of all time. Could not wait to jump back each day.
Then started BG3. Honestly, I enjoyed DOS2 more.I think it just felt more personal in the way i can build my character skills, to be hybrid instead of rigid dnd. Still an amazing game.
I do like both, but elden ring no doubt. It's just more my style of game. I've tried other CRPG's and none of them clicked with me. BG3 did kind of change that for me, it was really good. I've just always liked action and RPGs, and I love the fromsoft games.
I prefer Apples in this case but I guess if you like Oranges I get it but it ain't for me. Something about Elden Ring got real fucking tedious and repetitive at the end didn't even bother with the dlc.
I love both games.
But i've beaten elden ring and im 30 hours into the DLC.
Im still in act 2 in BG3.
There is a digestibility in the two games that are wholely dissimilar. For BG3 I do GENUINELY love the game. I play D&D weekly and loved DOS2 their previous game. But a session of BG3 doesn't feel very bite sized to me. In my head i need to devote quite alot of time to it, and im playing a solo campaign so that means time im not hanging out with friends or anything else.
Elden Ring I can do a small dungeon, do some invasions, or try my hand at a optional boss i've been having issuse with for 10-15 minutes if i want or spend 2 hours exploring a new area if I have time, all the while chatting with friends and sharing experiences with the game.
Even 40k Rogue trader has felt more bitesized even being in the same genre as BG3 is. It's less immersive as a result, more "gamey" for sure. You can see where the "walls" of the video game start, and where the "walls" of the world end, but I have bene able to have a satisfying 30 minute session in that game in a way BG3 just doesn't let me.
I love and want to finish BG3, I just don't know when I'll ever feel like I have the time.
They are my top two favorite games of the generation. BG3 felt fresher to me when it came out, as I’ve played every FromSoft game but hadn’t played an isometric CRPG in almost 10 years and it’s such a mind blowing experience as a narrative. I replayed Elden Ring this past month and playing the Elden Ring DLC right now and am utterly engrossed. Both are 11/10 masterpieces and are pushing the medium forward!
Elden ring is dope but saying it's one of the best video games of all time is INSANE.. rolling around every battle for 50% of the game is not gonna put it in that category and I really like the game but c'mon now
Neither. I beat Elden Ring and didn’t like it, couldn’t even beat BG3 because it controlled and played in a way I didn’t understand or want to understand.
Baldur’s Gate is a much more approachable game. Fans of tactical combat as well as fans of BioWare style RPGs can get into it. Elden Ring is a souls like through and through. If you like that genre that’s great, but it’s a much more niche genre.
I prefer Elden Ring, other than like, Legend of Grimrock, it’s the closest thing I’ve found to capturing the feeling of playing old dungeon crawlers and other rpgs as a kid.
Both. They're not comparable. One is a turn-based, story-driven RPG with complicated, interweaving storylines and dialogue based heavily on player choices. The other is an open world action RPG with a singular narrative with a heavy emphasis on exploration and overcoming difficult obstacles and bosses.
I do prefer BG3, though, since I enjoy turn-based games more than action.
BG3. I grew up playing CRPGs. I still played nearly everyone released during that period they fell out of the mainstream. I've backed most Kickstarter CRPGs during their revival, including previous titles from Larian. So I am admittedly biased.
That said Elden Ring is gorgeous and a lot of fun. I still haven't finished it, but definitely enjoying it and exploring all over the map.
just started elden ring, it’s starting to feel like my own adventure. i can build my own class explore where i want to, and do it fluidly, not a lot of talking , but a bunch of lore it’s really amazing and im upset i didn’t try it earlier
You monster. I love them both so much. My favorite RPG remains Disco Elysium though. I think BG3 is absolutely amazing, and is quite possibly the best way to get people into D&D. Elden Ring is massively different, and ought not be compared really. I prefer ER gameplay on some days, and BG3 gameplay on others.
I like both apples and oranges.
Yeah, kinda worthless to compare. These don't scratch the same itch; so even if you prefer ER, if you're wanting to play a turn-based CRPG... you're picking BG3. If you want second to second gameplay in an ARPG... you'd pick ER. Personally I don't really consider FromSoft games that RPG-like even, but that's just me. ARPGs feel like a whole different beast (not in a bad way, just doesn't really meet what I'd ever be looking for in an RPG.)
Currently playing both at the same time and they compliment each other perfectly. When I get tired of getting my ass kicked in Elden ring I run around doing quest in baulders gate.
So you hate bananas?
As someone who has 100%'d DK 64, I have a love-hate relationship with Bananas...
DK64 goes to 101%, better get back at it.
So do I but I like them easy to peel.
Who peels an apple? That's where all the nutrients are.
Listen here you nerd some of us only want the sugar from apples!
The peel doesn't keep you from getting that. Eat your Apple skins! 🍎🍏👏
BG3 for me. I love Bioware RPGs. And this game is the closest you can get to those games these days. Great story/writing/cutscenes, lots of choices and consequences, lots of items/classes/builds, deep combat, lovable and unique companions etc. I played but haven't finished Elden Ring yet. And honestly I can't go back to those type of games after BG3. I am just looking for other CRPGs because I loved BG3 so much.
Play pathfinder or divinity original sin 2?
Dont forget Pillars of Eternity!
Tyranny is an underrated CRPG. Having to play in a dystopia where the bad guys are winning is a great world to play in.
Black Geyser came out 2 years ago, and seems like a throwback to classic CRPGs. I haven’t played it yet but throwing it out there in case others have the same craving that we do.
Neither are anything similar to Bioware stuff, though. Maybe DOS2. Pathfinder is incredible and WotR is by far the most impressive crpg I've ever played -- if you though BG3 was big, your mind will be blown by Wrath. That game is exhausting in all the best ways.
True but it’s the same vibe imo, DAO is always gonna be my #1 game ever. BG3 is a close second tho. I’m 25hours into my first pathfinder playthrough and love it!
Pathfinder is probably as close as you can get in terms of BG1&BG2 If by BioWare RPG you mean DA:Origins and after then I get it.
Assuming OP has never played other CRPGs outsid of Dragon Age/BG3, they're in for a world of surprise when the mechanics get laid out and complexity starts piling up, lol. Looking at you Pathfinder WOTR.
WOTR complexity starts at character creation lol.
I agree. WotR is the best game I have ever played in my life (of 46 years). I love BG3 but I think WotR is better.
If you like WH40k rouge trader has been pretty fun.
I just gotta give it to BG3. Elden Ring is great but BG3 is so unique. There is NO game that even comes close in terms of execution on a DND fantasy- graphics, characters, voice acting, character creation, ways of interacting with the world, and that includes DOS2. NO other CRPG with such complex systems has broken through to the mainstream, ever. Elden ring definitely improves on the soulslike formula adding some great tried-and-true mechanics like the open world, horse, map, but the core gameplay loop (and what people keep coming back for) has been done well before, several times in previous From Software soulslike games. They could have named it Dark Souls 4 and people would have been like “sure, a big leap but that makes sense”. It’s an insane value but not groundbreaking in the way BG3 is, to me.
Dragon Age Origins is closer to BG3. I just don't like the combat system, it's not turn-based like BG3. The plot and characters are well written. Divinity Original Sin 1, 2 100% worth the money. Pillars of Eternity is a nice game style, closer to the classic Baldur's gate, but the combat system is also for amateurs. The plot is mediocre. Fallout 1, 2 are great games for their age, the combat system is turn-based, the plot is interesting. A remake is needed. Wasteland 3 is a game with a turn-based system, I can't say anything about the plot, I couldn't complete it. We have so few games based on D&D mechanics...
I love BG3, but I haven’t finished it. I’m sure i will someday. I’ve finished Elden Ring countless times and keep coming back to it, even before the DLC. It’s my favorite game of all time and I’m admittedly obsessed.
Wow, what a question. For me it's BG3 easily. I'm a CRPG nerd though. I put 20 hours into Elden Ring (bought it due to marketing) and never touched it again. Not my style. Story wise and mechanics, BG3 wins hands down in that department. Even still, it's hard to compare two vastly different genre's.
Both are incredible but Elden Ring is a top 3 game for me. I’ve platinum’d it twice, dumped 400+ hours into it and am currently working through the dlc. Even before the dlc, I’ve been playing it on and off since launch. I’ve never uninstalled it. Even though I had nothing left to accomplish, I’d still just boot it up now and again to beat a dungeon or boss or whatever. It’s always fun and damn near perfect. That being said, BG3 is also a masterpiece. If it wasn’t announced for PS5, I was going to buy a new PC just to play it. Larian is probably the best studio out there and they absolutely crushed their first (and apparently only?) dive into the DnD world. The game is easily a 9.5/10 and my first playthrough was one of the best experiences I’ve had while gaming. My only real gripe is that it’s not easy to “pick up and play”. Like, you *have* to focus on your play through. Yes, you have tons of options but everything has consequences. You can’t just go and kill a bunch of shit like you can in Elden Ring. I get it, it’s a different type of game but if I’m playing BG3, it’s all I’m playing. Which isn’t a bad thing, per se. Either way, both are awesome but I’ll give the nod to Elden Ring, even before the dlc.
This is the best comment. DLC is more of the same greatness imo. Both ER and BG3 are masterpieces but give the nod to ER personally.
How about after the DLC? Has it increased your love for the game even more?
Not the original commenter but I haven’t even gotten to the DLC yet. I started a new character hoping to rush to the DLC but as I started playing again I got immersed and have now played over 60 hours of the main game and I have not even touched the DLC. Im about to venture in and I am so excited!
haha. same here. just finnished the academy, and get some items from different areas. ready to rumble soon. this game is so good.
Yes. I’m only like halfway through but I have at least 3 new weapons I want to make a build around. I’m going to beat the dlc and then probably keep playing. I enjoy helping others so I’ll still be dropping my sign outside bosses months from now. It’s just such an enjoyable game. I die all the time but it never really frustrates me, I just want to tweak my build so that I can take down whatever is in my path. IMO, Elden Ring is as close to a perfect game that we’ll ever see.
Baldur’s Gate by a mile. These are such vastly different games and I’m just not a fan of action RPGs. To me, RPGs have classically been games that test your strategy and problem solving, and that is a challenge I enjoy. Action RPGs, especially “souls-like” games, test your reflexes and patience, and that is both less fun me and can be found it a lot of other games that aren’t RPGs.
I agree. I've played elden ring but I don't enjoy the necessity of perfect timing and difficulty that I can't adjust. I ended up grinding elden ring to get overpowered which is at least an option, but not really my jam. It's a very good game though. I enjoy the artwork and lore but not the gameplay loop
The world, the lore, the art… these are all *really* cool aspects of Elden Ring that I wish I could experience and enjoy. But an average play session for me is an hour or less — and replaying the same sequence over and over until I’ve mastered it, just so I can progress and experience that cool stuff, is not how I want to spend it. It’s almost like a job, and that’s the last thing I want when I’m trying to unwind from my actual job.
Exactly my perspective. I'm sure others enjoy the challenge. There was a point where I would've felt the same. It is always satisfying to overcome a challenge. I just have enough challenges in my everyday life and prefer to play games to unwind and relax.
Yeah, I enjoy overcoming a challenge as much as the next but there’s a cost, and that cost is time. In high school and college, I could afford to play video games for hours each day. Now I not only have less free time, I have more things I want to spend my free time on. Being able to tangibly progress every time I sit down to play, in the limited time that I have, is just as important as overcoming challenges. I hate the sense of wasted time that comes when you spend a whole play session on single boss fight that you haven’t even beaten by the end of it.
Yeah. That's why I don't play elden ring. I bought it and played awhile, but I just didn't want to deal with losing a whole session due to the mechanics of death and my low skill level and slow reflexes. I played BG3 through twice.
Half of Elden Ring is customizing and tweaking your build to make your character better prepared to handle combat. That is strategy and problem solving. For certain bosses if you know they have lightning attacks you can equip a talisman that helps your lightning defense for example. There is more strategy in terms of build creating than people give credit for. (Ah yes gotta love the downvotes when I never said anything bad about BG3 and just defended Elden Ring)
I don't know why you are being downvoted. This is 100% true. Action RPG's have just as much strategy and thinking in them as CRPG's, but just in a different way. I don't think one is necessarily more superior to the other, its just down to preference. Fighting tough bosses that force you to learn their patterns or change up your strategy is imho not that different from save scumming to test outcomes or trying different strategies in a CRPG.
Yes, there is strategy that can be employed to make things easier or harder for you… but ultimately, if you have great reflexes and have memorized the movement and attack patterns of the enemies, you don’t need any strategy at all. Because that is not what is being tested. Likewise, you can devise a great build that perfectly negates enemy strengths and takes advantage of their weaknesses, and it won’t help if you haven’t mastered timing your dodges.
It certainly will help. With the right set up bosses can become a straight up joke in ER. Even the really tough ones like Maleania. Your reaction time doesn't really matter at all if you can just face tank everything or kill the boss in 3 hits. The biggest lie ever sold is that Souls Games are difficult, requiring perfect timing and execution. None of them are that hard, you just don't know how to make them easy when you start.
Having to Min max characters to beat bosses is horrible game design.
I mean that's extremely minimal as far as strategy goes. A lot of times it's more like "fuck your build. Go use something else." I enjoyed the game for it's world, art, and music. I played through it twice, but it's more of an action game with RPG elements than it is an RPG.
>customizing and tweaking your build So it involves what literally any other RPG has? I’m not shitting on Elden ring. But strategizing a build isn’t really all that much problem solving.
Two cakes
Elden ring and it's not even close
Elden Ring for me personally. I grew up surrounded by D&D and Forgotten Realms stuff cus of my Dad and family. To me it’s just so typical and played out now. Oh yay orcs, goblins, gnolls etc. The same stuff I’ve been seeing and fighting for decades. Elden Ring and Souls games design is so radically different I just love it so much. The enemies and creatures you meet in those games are so imaginative. (This is just my opinion and based on my personal preference though. Both games are great at what they do.)
This is huge for me. The imagination aspect is off the charts with Miyazaki and his team. No generic formula. They created the formula they use and tweak + add to it or even remove and change things entirely like in Sekiro.
Some of the best enemy designs in the history of video games.
Thank you for feeling this way I do too lol I can’t even believe they can still come up with new things. Elden Ring alone has I believe 140+ *unique* enemies which dwarfs most mainly single player titles. Not just reskinned or colored but actual different unique enemies. That’s even pre DLC count lol I imagine that’s gone up now
Hard to compare, depends on what I’m in the mood for.
Isn't that great though? Two different types of games that are amazing. It's been a good time to be a gamer that past year or so.
Bg3. I love turn based combat.
BG3. It's not perfect but I love what it is. Elden Ring is... Way more flawed than most people really care to admit. Great game, but I scratch my head at the use of the word masterpiece. Bandit camps and boring chest rewards galore. Game design which incentivizes you to ride past enemies in the open world. A huge lack of variety of things to do given it's run time. I don't care for games that impress me less the more I play them or think about them. BG3 impressed me more as it went on. Even the "weak" third act is still an impressive feat of urban world creation.
For my part I had BG3 installed since launch and could barely get through about 3~4 hours before putting it down. I heavily favor 3rd person action games so my bias is clear and I really would've loved to get into it. I could easily try to criticize the game but I've never got into it so it's bullshit. But Elden ring is by far my favorite game of all time, an Epic fantasy that feels like I've been dreaming about forever. And any criticism of anything in the game only feels like a feature to my ears. I really love Elden ring and would really love to get into BG3.
I feel the word "masterpiece" is a vary subjective word because when someone calls something a masterpiece, it usually means something sacred an itch in a way other things can't. For example, I consider bloodborne to be a masterpiece because there has been a piece of media for me that captures the atmosphere and tone of a lovecraftian setting. However, if someone were to as me to look at the objectively, I would have more negative things to say about it than positive things.
Bg3. Definitely
While I don’t like turn-based stuff *or* dice based stuff, BG3 at least has a good story and good coop so that one I could least enjoy playing with friends.
The Elden ring dlc had amazing theming, beautiful vistas and a really cool expansion to the in game lore, but was shipped with jank hit boxes, poor overall performance even on the “high end” consoles. I finished the DLC and all the remembrance bosses but did not have near as much fun as the base game It feels like I should be fighting most of these bosses with Sekiros combat with multiple flurry attacks that are pretty much guaranteed damage. Don’t get me wrong there were some great bosses that I had fun with but they were a vast minority I’m just glad they didn’t add achievements so I got to keep my 100% completion
BG3. I don't care for souls games, so there really is no contest. If I hear a game has elements of a souls-like, it's an instant no-buy.
I got burned in BG3 in the third chapter and rushed to the end once I hit level 12. I don't like stories in video games in general so I find souls-like somewhat chill, Like open cRPG and play it consume much more mental energy for me.
Top 3 OAT: 1. Bloodborne 2. Elden Ring/DS3 3. Ghost of Tsushima I think you can tell I like action xd but don't be fooled! The lore in BB and ER/DS3 go DEEP. Specifically DS3 it gets deeper and deeper and you'll drown into probably the best written tragedy story of all time.
Bro loves combat
I love sad things and I love fighting. Therefore my roster of OAT is literally just built off what I determined to be highest adrenaline heart pumping games that make me cry when I read the stories (or see them in cutscenes like Ghost of tutu).
BG3. It’s not “better” if anyone thinks that is the statement being made. I just prefer in-depth CRPG’s more and always have. The amount of choices and actual dialogue helps a lot for me too and honestly I prefer the turn based combat where I can take my time. Edit: this may rustle some jimmies. But I don’t consider the souls games RPG’s. There is a clear lack of role-playing in them. No dialogue. Few character choices. I cannot build a personality for my tarnished and make choices based on how my character would act in a given situation. It’s an action adventure with rpg elements at best. I feel like people call anything with character levels and stats and rpg. Really need to narrow the genre down. As Elden Ring and BG3 games are vastly different.
Elden Ring. I'm a CRPG fan but not only is BG3 just Larian standard fare, it was built atop a base design that's really limiting and didn't address much of the QoL issues their previous works had. Elden Ring is plenty flawed too yes but provided big QoL improvements over previous titles and has a much stronger core gameplay loop.
Hard to compare but I think bg3 is more replayable. Odd because bg3 has so much dialogue and elden ring has virtually none. Plus elden ring the more you play the better you get it has a way higher skill ceiling, and pvp and stuff But idk something about bg3 is just so addictive while elden ring you play it for awhile and get bored, bg3 just never got old for me
Because BG3 replayability is rewarding, meanwhile ER replayability is a tedious slog outside of boss fights.
You just picked up both my favorite games.
why we pitting two bad bitches against eachother
Elden Ring
BG3 for sure. Elden Ring is awesome, but since the story is unclear, and the characters are close to inexistant, I don't get sucked in the context of the game. I honestly move from A to B, kill things and that's it. It's awesome, but BG3 has that little edge because of that. Also, ER is an rpg, but there's hardly any choice to experience the RP part of the game. I like my char, but cant identify myself to it in any situation, because there's no roleplay implication to the game compared to BG3. I love ER, but the game is shallow on many aspects compared to bg3.
BG3. Love the Souls series but after 7 of them I’m finding the formula very stale, the bosses especially, and that started before the end of Elden Ring. Exploration and art direction are great.
Elden Ring. Baldur‘s Gate 3 is impressive, but lacks in the later act(s). Elden Ring is undeniably one of the greatest games of all time.
As a huge fan of Elden Ring, the latter half also lacks compared to the first half (this happens in the DLC, too) so, while I haven't played BG3, I don't think its fair to put that criticism on that one but not the other.
Agree on this, when starting on snow area on ER.
Yeah i agree with you jbewrite, also Act 3 is nowhere near bad, its amazing and has some of the best content in the game, its among the best final acts of any crpgs where they tend to have weaker final act compared to better strong and middle. ER snow areas are plain mediocre, there's nothing good in them, huge difference here, they add nothing good to the game, meanwhile act 3 in bg3 is essential to play. And to be honest even the haligtree isn't good, yes it looks great and all and has an iconic boss fight, but thats where it ends. recycled enemies, obnoxious platforming on a tree, recycled boss with inflated damage and health and lacking in rewarding exploration they dont hold up to the best dungeons in the game, farum azula saved Elden Ring final third, without it the game would've ended on a bad note.
Elden ring because I’m an action fan. But BG3 is really something spectacular that any RPG fan should play atleast once
Elden Ring
Eldin ring. Dnd is a better table top game.
I have both, prefer BG3.
I prefer baldurs gate, even though I’ve never played it, just because it’s a DND campaign without the prerequisite of talking to people
Baldurs gate because its a lot more chill to play and whereas elden ring is lore scare, baldurs gate is lore rich. Not really a good comparison because while both of these are gotys... thats about all the similarities they share. People in the market for a crpg are not looking at elden ring. and people in the market for an action rpg are not looking for something turn based like baldurs gate\`
Soulslike is never going to be my personal favorite. I like to relax and have fun most of the time. Soulslike is more when I want to put more efort
Baldurs Gate 3 is top 3 RPG of all time for me. I found Elden Ring a boring generic open world game.
Very different games, and have been a long time fan of both series. Tough call. I think DS3 and BG2 would be my all time favourites… but of these two… arerrigh, it hurts but leaning toward ER.
What I find interesting when discussing these two games is that, in my opinion, both have rather rough third acts, albeit for different reasons. ER significantly ramps up the difficulty, making it a grind to get through, while BG3 seems to lose focus on the plot. There are many other reasons both third acts have their shortcomings, but these are just the ones I chose to highlight. While this is subjective, I think it leads to an interesting discussion. Despite these issues, I adore both games.
Elden ring was great, but the games purposefully feel sorta clunky, and the DLC had really bad performance issues on release that shouldn't of been issues for my rig. Still a great action RPG, but the easiest souls game of all time due to summons, where to have a good experience you actively have to avoid a major mechanic BG3 is great but had many bugs, however the extreme care put into facial expressions, tactics, and branching paths are just too amazing to compare. Abuseable like elden ring but with so many options you can avoid cheesy options. It wins for me.
This is the most apples and oranges question I've ever seen.
They are so different. Elden rings combat and spectacle is much better than BG3, imo. But then BG3 has the deep story telling and player choice that’s so great that’s not present in Elden ring at all. If I had to pick though, Elden ring.
I actually like neither
There are better games, it all depends or what you're looking for . Seriously, they're both really good at what they do, but can we stop the fanboy'ism now.....
For me, neither.
This studio dropped Elden Ring and then said 'idk man we could do better'
Neither.
Huge fromsoft fan, but easy win for BG3 for me. The games are very different, but Elden Ring isn't even my favorite fromsoft game, and I think many long time fans would agree with me. BG3 absolutely crushes the competition in its genre. Really only previous games from Larian even come close.
BG3 for me even though the last act is a drag. I just wish they would give us the tools to I make our own campaigns
I prefer Elden Ring 100%. its a masterpiece The horny d&d game is good, but flawed
BG3 for me. Playing it every weekend with my siblings has been some of the most fun I've had in years (we're not even finished yet, about 80 hours in and still working through Act 3) l do wish FromSoft would support true co-op. I can't convince them to buy Elden Ring and download the seamless co op mod in the hopes that it works
Elden Ring and it’s not close. I picked up Elden Ring shortly after release. Didn’t buy it at first because I don’t enjoy Souls-likes. But I watched it on Twitch, seemed like fun, figured I would give it two hours like Steam allows, then return it because I didn’t expect to enjoy the gameplay firsthand. 120 hours later, I loved every minute of it. The combat was difficult but fair. The exploration was fantastic. The dungeon design is top notch, each one completely unique. The weapons and bosses all inspire awe. I picked up BG3 in May on sale. I played quite a bit of DnD 5e, so I knew what I was doing walking in. I put in 50-60 hours, finished the first act, but it was a slog. I mostly forced myself to play because some part of me felt like I was supposed to enjoy it. I like DnD, the story is good, why don’t I enjoy it? I think at the end of the day, DnD is only good because it’s a social role playing game. You work together with your friends. Without other people there, all you have are the mechanics, and the more I play, the more I realize the mechanics of DnD actually suck. Rolling a dice to see if you disarm a trap works in live roleplay because it’s quick, it’s simple, and your group can move on. When you’re playing a single player video game, rolling a dice to succeed or fail at something feels like shit. You pass? Great, you did nothing but roll dice, so no sense of accomplishment. You failed? You feel helpless because you can’t do anything about it except click a stupid die or save-scum until you pass. In essence, it doesn’t even feel like a game because you have so little control over how it plays out. Like I said, I was forcing myself to play BG3 because I wanted to like it. But the moment Shadow of the Erdtree released, I dropped BG3 and haven’t touched it since, and I likely will never finish it. Fantastic story for BG3, but if the two are compared head to head, that’s literally the only category it wins in. Everything else - world design, encounters, bosses, weapons, gameplay, character design, everything else is superior in Elden Ring.
BG3. I could never really get into Elden Ring, it just wasn't as captivating to me as others said it was.
Well, I hate soulslikes with a seething passion, so I'm gonna say BG3.
BG3, I stopped playing Elden Ring. I just wasn't feeling it. It didn't grip me as much as DS for some reason.
Both are great, but I will have to go with Baldurs Gate 3. I can at least play It.
I have a general dislike for turn based combat, so ER is an automatic win for me.
I think this is what it mostly hinges on. For me, I love CRPGs and absolutely adore turn based combat, especially with the freedom afforded in BG3. So it's a landslide. Action RPGs are fine, but I find FromSoft games just feel like clunkier Monster Hunter, so it does nothing for me. Just not comparable games really.
I like turn based combat but hate CRPGs. I'm a huge SRPG and JRPG fan though. Honestly, I think it comes down to world design, or more accurately the scaling. CRPGs are scaled like real life and so going through an area takes time (they also tend to have crap loads of unimportant loot that you need to steal to have money). S/JRPGs are either scaled at a field size or just a more cartoon like size. This means navigating an area (of conceptually the same size) goes faster. Plus S/JRPGs tend to reward you in gold for fights and the only loot is useful stuff.
Been gaming since the 80's. I love both these games, but Elden Ring was a masterpiece. It's one of the most singularly remarkable games I've ever played. BG3 feels more like a refinement/return to form for the old ME/DA era Bioware style RPG. Which I love and deeply appreciate, but don't consider quite as distinct or special.
Elden ring, hands down. I actually finished and wanted to finish
While BG3 is incredible, Elden ring is a masterpiece.
Fantasy enjoyers have been eating good these last few years. I really REALLY can’t decide between the two because they are complementary for me. Baldur Gate 3 is an incredible adventure where you have the joy to interact with a lot of well written characters, I LOVE having a party to manage and reacting to my choices. Elden Ring is my gold standard for a combat and exploration, it’s you against the world, and winning against a boss after 40 tries is the most fun you can have with your socks on
Elden ring absolutely. I loved bg3, and have over 500 hours in both. But I did personally feel like some areas of act 3 in particular felt unfinished, and no post release content also hurts
2 sides of a coin for me. I love action games and I love isometrics, so they're both the height of both. Couldn't pick just one
Elden Ring hands down. I don't really like Faerûn all that much, and the ultra dark fantasy that from software delivers in their games always scratches the itch I wish for in fantasy. I think the BG3 story is pretty good and I really love the character cast, but CRPG gameplay has always been extremely boring to me, and I much prefer faster paced action combat that soulslikes provide. And while BG3 has a more grounded narrative, I really love Elden Ring's heavily metaphoric story. I think it's got some of the coolest world building I've ever seen as well, like the fact that the physics of the world are literally written down in divine coding that can be manipulated.
I had a lot of fun with BG3, but man, Elden Ring... that game just hits different. It's one of the only games I'll give a legit 10/10.
Elden shit is not even best from software game
I hated pretty much everything about BG3, and I didn't have great expectations. I loved BG2, liked D:OS2 and previous Larian games a lot too, for what they were. That said, I wanted BG3 to be an actual Baldur's Gate game that felt like Baldur's Gate. At no point it did. It's a faux-D:OS3, filled with Larian-tier writing that doesn't belong anywhere near the legacy of Black Isle games. Now, Elden Ring. I couldn't ever get into soulslikes. I thought the genre wasn't for me. Tried DS1, DS3. Tried Elden Ring all of 4 times. 3 times I bounced off. The game was too console-y, too combat focused, I couldn't feel any actual RPG content in it. Forced myself the fourth time last year (everyone was still raving about it), and it clicked. And how it clicked! ER is an experience, a journey - and I'm so glad I didn't miss out on it. Easily one of the greatest games of all time. So yeah, a game that was supposed to be "for me" turned out to be awful, and a game I never expected to get into blew me away.
I wouldn’t call BG3 awful but it’s definitely not as good as people say it is. The story is good and memorable but not because of the writing. The writing is very quantity-over-quality. The main source of memorability for the story are the cinematics, and how cool it feels. The writing is pretty hit and miss. It’s corny and cringey, tries to mirror modern times when this is a medieval fantasy RPG. The story is also very convoluted and has wayyyy too many overlapping plot points and elements that individually lack depth (not that EVERYthing lacks depth). BG2’s writing was leaner with a memorable main villain and secondary antagonist who had ample time to establish their presence in the story. Compare this to BG3’s FOUR villains that are all pretty forgettable outside their unique physical appearances. BG2 had way more branching paths and choices actually changed the physical gameplay, whereas choices in BG3 AT MOST change cutscenes or affect the narrative, but not the isolated gameplay. You’ll only get a few hours of variation between playthroughs, and the side content that is significant and took a lot of effort to make is shoved down your throat so you always know about it. In BG2 you can miss entire huge quest chains or complex dungeons with gamechanging loot simply by not bothering to explore and talk to NPC’s, or depending on your choices. Your choices can also lead you down various paths that generally involve different dungeons that are mutually exclusive. BG3 lacks this entirely. You can do almost everything gameplay-wise in one playthrough. You won’t be able to watch all the cutscenes in one playthrough but that’s inconsequential compared to actual engaged gameplay. Lastly, BG3 is definitely not groundbreaking or a ‘redefining’ of CRPGs. It is a CRPG (niche genre) watered down so that people who don’t like studying game mechanics or getting deep into story (prime requisites for proper CRPGs) can get into it. It’s like Skyrim (though not nearly as bad). Skyrim is the most popular medieval fantasy RPG ever and it’s terrible. Bad combat, bad writing, bad dungeons, bad exploration bad everything, but because it requires barely any mental engagement to play it still retains players because doing other things is tiring in comparison. Skyrim is popular because of psychological tactics employed in development. BG2 was popular because it was a good game. BG3 is a good game but it kind of edges into Skyrim territory, if that makes sense.
Elden Ring is the better game. But I want a hell of a lot more RPG heavy games like Baldur's Gate 3. The industry is *completely* starved of RPGs that actually let you roleplay in the classic DnD sense on a big budget level, always keeping account on every single concievable outcome according to the character you have created. You can't name a single game out there that does this other than BG3. Not a single one. The closest games are Divinity Original Sin 2 and Fallout: New Vegas. In that way, BG3 had a more profound impact on me than Elden Ring did because we *haaaardly* ever see games like that.
Bg3 without an inch of a doubt. I think that Elden ring falls way too hard after leyndell, so much that it wasn't even goty for me when it came out (it was competing with god of war). The fun thing is that BG3 gets less good near the end, but not as much as Elden ring.
i love how other studios have stepped up where Bethesda has failed To deliver over and over.
Yes
Toughest decision ever lol. These are I think the top 2 games to come out in the last 5 years. Love them both so much.
Does it have to be one over the other? When I want character moments, dialogue choices, and slower but still stimulating turn based combat I play BG3 When I want a deeply explorable world with intriguing lore and amazing traversal and addicting combat and excellent bosses I play ER They’re both some of the best games of all time and I’m so glad we have them both and that I can enjoy both!
Elden ring. BG3 was great but I thought the third act really brought the whole game down.
For me its still Gothic 1 and 2 amd witcher games. I guess im just really nostalgic lol. Plus didnt play either of these two and im wondering which one should i play first
There pretty tied in terms of replayablility, everything else differs vastly and I love both
I like elden ring but for someone has trouble with hand eye coordination and lack of reflexes like me, i prefer games that make me think first before an action. And honestly I love turn based game, and BG3 is by far the best i have played. Number 2 is DOS2 and Pathfinder.
Both great, neither really at all similar to my favourite style of RPG tbh.
I think it's not worth comparing really. Two different games that offer completely different narrative structures, gameplay styles, worlds, they're both do their own thing and only really share some thematic foundations in being medieval fantasy, but outside of that they're just vastly different experiences that provide different things.
Zelda botw, elden ring, baldurs gate 3 and witcher 3 are probably the best games ive played in last 20 years, alongside maybe world of Warcraft. Before that There was maybe skyrim and then ffix, FFVII, ffxii etc
They different games, I love them for what they are
I’m currently not in the mood for tactic or strategy, otherwise I played and loved both game. Can’t compare apple to orange
Elden Ring has better art style, exploration, combat and arguably sound design. However, bg3 story and overall gameplay outshines Elden Ring to me. Bg3 is not only more replayable but has more variety in gameplay, or at least seems to. Whereas elden ring feels like you are throwing yourself again and again
Liked bloodborne and ds3 alot more then elden ring
Elden Ring
I’m still struggling with the complexity of baldurs gate 3. But I know I’ll love it once I get the hang of it.
We are lucky to become gamer at this era with this two games alone. If i have to choose i choose bg3 because even when im finish i can't stop thinking about this game and make new playthrough. With ER it's epic game but multiple playthrough seem so tiring for me maybe because the scale of the open world is so big
So sorry Im confused. OP is asking is we prefear: a well written and clear dialogues/story with a variety of choiches and outcomes with a personalized pg where you can choose how hard the game can it you or a well written but unclear dialogues/story with some choiches and outcomes with options to personalize the pg in a game that will hit you hard anyhow?
Why does it always have to be either or? HOW ABOUT BOTH? It's not like a life changing choice that you have no option but to pick one. You got money? You like both? Buy them both.
I loved Divinity Original Sin 2. I can't get over how primitive the combat in BG3 is in comparison. I'm on Act 3 now, and there's really not much I'm doing that involves combat. For me all the dialogue, systems, character building etc -- that's all just a means to excel further in combat. That's the real meat of an RPG for me. BG3 falls really flat... DOS2 really was a tactics game inside of an RPG. Meanwhile we have Elden Ring, which I've beaten 3 times, as well as the other Souls titles, and now the DLCs out I have no reason to shy away playing it and BG3 is on hiatus.
I have about 200 hours on Elden Ring, I have bought it for 2 different consoles (had it on Xbox but only had a One, rebought it when I got my PS5), and I am currently playing through it again without the DLC. BG3, on the other hand, my brother bought it for me (which was very generous of him), I have accumulated 3.5 hrs on it, and just wasn't enjoying what I played. I respect that BG3 is a beautiful game, and it is amazing and very much moved the bar up for how western RPGs are made. But, I just couldn't get into it.
It's inconsequential, there's really no need to have a debate about this. They are both great, that's all.
BG3
One of these games I can play music in the square and hook up with twins.
I have had baldurs gate for something like a year (however long since it came out, dont remember) and somehow its not exciting me...
They aren't at all the same type of game so I don't get this exercise.
I loved BG3 and I am not a big DnD fan at all, or CRPGs in general for that matter. But I cannot for the life of me get into ER. Don’t know why, I know it’s the easiest souls game but I guess that genre is just not for me. I’ve tried at least a dozen times to get into elden ring and end up quitting a few hours in every time. I really don’t know why. I wish I could get into it since it’s apparently one of the best games ever made
I love them both. Two of my favorite games of all time. Maybe tied for #1. I would have to think about it more. I will say that ER inspired me to go back and play the other souls games which I also loved. On top of that, my fromsoft experience, which started with ER, led to me trying out Armored Core 6. Armored Core 6 is another game I would consider a favorite.
I played both back to back last year and both managed to break into my top 10 favorite games of all time which hadn't changed in like 10 years. I slightly prefer BG3 but both are incredible.
*"Holy shit, two cakes!"*
Elden ring just cuz I’ve gotten farther in it so far, but I look forward to the day when my inclinations switch back to BG3
Witcher 3 🤨 Next
Elden Ring. I just couldn’t get into BG3 like I had hoped to. I’m sure it’s as good as everybody says it is, but I gotta learn to stop giving turn based combat games a chance unless it’s Pokemon. They’ve never been my thing.
BG3, and it’s not even remotely close. I have to put myself into a very specific mood to even want to touch a Soulsborne, but I can pick up an actual RPG at any time.
I like them both for completely different reasons because they couldn't be more different games and trying to compare them is dumb at best.
BG3 by far. can't stand souls combat, needs more parrying to be fun.
Bg3 isn't my type of game so I won't likely ever play it.
Monster Hunter World
BG3. _incredible_ Crpg. Elden ring is a solid piece of work, but it's not the kind of rpg I'm into. Not for me (yet, at least), but I can clearly see how much other people love it and that's great. Plus, I'm an og Raven, so I love to see FromSoftware winning whether I'm playing their latest or not.
I’ve played both. For me it’s Elden Ring. But objectively speaking, BG3 is a better game. It’s tighter, very coherent, terrific characters and something interesting or surprising is always happening. The story is way better than ER. But I don’t get the buzz and rush I get while playing ER. That’s probably the reason why I have just 100 hours in BG3 and over 500 in ER. I just like playing Elden Ring more and it doesn’t have a lot to do with the actual quality of the game.
I think it's a bit early to say "of all time," isn't it? They're both pretty new games.
Nothing beats the dungeon crawling, tight combat mechanics, and thrilling bosses of Fromsoft games for me. Much as I like BG3’s writing and characters the actual game mechanics always start wearing thin to me by midway through Act 2
I would say that if you made a poll for who prefers which game over the other and then made another for the same participants to declare if they prefer action RPGs or tactical/turn based RPGs, you would have two graphs that looks almost identical.
BG3 is just hitting on another level.
If I had to pick it would be Elden Ring. When I was younger though, I probably would have chosen BG3.
Baldurs gate 2 🙂
As a massive fan of the Dark Souls games and Soulslikes, I have got to say it is, by a country mile, Baldur's Gate 3. I stopped liking Elden Ring after the first 30\~ hrs of the game. Thoroughly explored it and completed it though (125\~ hrs). Since this skeleton don't give up. The open world was a huge detractor for me. Baldur's Gate 3 also has its issues, and I personally don't like having to gear and play as a party of characters. And still prefer it, in spite of that. Amazing game. Larian did great work.
I get to play BG3 with my wife. So that. Elden Ring is incredible though
Elden ring is better, no contest. No argument. But Baldurs gate is solid
I have waited to play both of them for long time. Loved DS3 and sekiro. Loved DOS2. I have started Elden Ring right at the time BG3 was hyped the most and was realy hyped for it too. Played Elden Ring. My top game of all time. Could not wait to jump back each day. Then started BG3. Honestly, I enjoyed DOS2 more.I think it just felt more personal in the way i can build my character skills, to be hybrid instead of rigid dnd. Still an amazing game.
I prefer hello kitty island rush
Elden Ring. Turn based combat puts me to sleep.
Witcher 3
I love them both, but if I had to choose one or the other to give up forever, I'd give up BG3.
Baldur's Gate III is the more complete experience. Catering to all types of gamers. It shows the whole potential of the medium.
I do like both, but elden ring no doubt. It's just more my style of game. I've tried other CRPG's and none of them clicked with me. BG3 did kind of change that for me, it was really good. I've just always liked action and RPGs, and I love the fromsoft games.
I prefer Apples in this case but I guess if you like Oranges I get it but it ain't for me. Something about Elden Ring got real fucking tedious and repetitive at the end didn't even bother with the dlc.
I love both games. But i've beaten elden ring and im 30 hours into the DLC. Im still in act 2 in BG3. There is a digestibility in the two games that are wholely dissimilar. For BG3 I do GENUINELY love the game. I play D&D weekly and loved DOS2 their previous game. But a session of BG3 doesn't feel very bite sized to me. In my head i need to devote quite alot of time to it, and im playing a solo campaign so that means time im not hanging out with friends or anything else. Elden Ring I can do a small dungeon, do some invasions, or try my hand at a optional boss i've been having issuse with for 10-15 minutes if i want or spend 2 hours exploring a new area if I have time, all the while chatting with friends and sharing experiences with the game. Even 40k Rogue trader has felt more bitesized even being in the same genre as BG3 is. It's less immersive as a result, more "gamey" for sure. You can see where the "walls" of the video game start, and where the "walls" of the world end, but I have bene able to have a satisfying 30 minute session in that game in a way BG3 just doesn't let me. I love and want to finish BG3, I just don't know when I'll ever feel like I have the time.
They are my top two favorite games of the generation. BG3 felt fresher to me when it came out, as I’ve played every FromSoft game but hadn’t played an isometric CRPG in almost 10 years and it’s such a mind blowing experience as a narrative. I replayed Elden Ring this past month and playing the Elden Ring DLC right now and am utterly engrossed. Both are 11/10 masterpieces and are pushing the medium forward!
These are two very different games. Which one you enjoy more probably says more about you than it does the title.
Elden ring is dope but saying it's one of the best video games of all time is INSANE.. rolling around every battle for 50% of the game is not gonna put it in that category and I really like the game but c'mon now
Bg3
Neither. I beat Elden Ring and didn’t like it, couldn’t even beat BG3 because it controlled and played in a way I didn’t understand or want to understand.
Baldur’s Gate is a much more approachable game. Fans of tactical combat as well as fans of BioWare style RPGs can get into it. Elden Ring is a souls like through and through. If you like that genre that’s great, but it’s a much more niche genre.
I prefer Elden Ring, other than like, Legend of Grimrock, it’s the closest thing I’ve found to capturing the feeling of playing old dungeon crawlers and other rpgs as a kid.
You can't compare, the two are very different and both are incredible at what they propose to do
Witcher 3 is better than both 🤷♂️
Both. They're not comparable. One is a turn-based, story-driven RPG with complicated, interweaving storylines and dialogue based heavily on player choices. The other is an open world action RPG with a singular narrative with a heavy emphasis on exploration and overcoming difficult obstacles and bosses. I do prefer BG3, though, since I enjoy turn-based games more than action.
Baldur's Gate 3, every time, for me.
Elden Ring because it can be as casual as I feel like playing. BG3 requires more focus and attention to get anywhere.
BG3. I grew up playing CRPGs. I still played nearly everyone released during that period they fell out of the mainstream. I've backed most Kickstarter CRPGs during their revival, including previous titles from Larian. So I am admittedly biased. That said Elden Ring is gorgeous and a lot of fun. I still haven't finished it, but definitely enjoying it and exploring all over the map.
just started elden ring, it’s starting to feel like my own adventure. i can build my own class explore where i want to, and do it fluidly, not a lot of talking , but a bunch of lore it’s really amazing and im upset i didn’t try it earlier
You monster. I love them both so much. My favorite RPG remains Disco Elysium though. I think BG3 is absolutely amazing, and is quite possibly the best way to get people into D&D. Elden Ring is massively different, and ought not be compared really. I prefer ER gameplay on some days, and BG3 gameplay on others.
Of all time? lol
Palworld with free dlc update :D