Summary
In 2023, Larian Studio blessed RPG lovers with the long-anticipatedBaldur’s Gate 3. To sayBaldur’s Gate 3took the gaming community by storm is an understatement. It enthralled players from across the community, whether it was their first or fiftieth time playing a party-based RPG.Boasting compelling companions, intricate turn-based combat, and player choices that meaningfully impact the story, it’s not hard to see why the game was so successful.
Even the best of games are sure to lose their luster after hundreds of hours of game time, andBaldur’s Gate 3is no different. Players who have grown tired of exploring Faerun need not fear, though! Whether they’re looking for party-building RPGs that are similar toBaldur’s Gate 3or ones with a fresh take on the genre, the games in this article are sure to satisfy.
Most party-based RPG fans will be thoroughly familiar withDivinity: Original Sin 2, if not because they’ve played it, then because it was developed by Larian Studios, the creators ofBaldur’s Gate 3. InDivinity: Original Sin 2, players set out on an epic adventure in a high fantasy worldfilled with complex characters, intense battles, and world-altering choices. It’s similar toBaldur’s Gate 3in almost every way, except for its plot and setting.
LikeBaldur’s Gate 3,Divinity: Original Sin 2offers players an array of companions to encounter, befriend, and recruit. Player choices also matter, whether it’s their character traits giving them access to unique dialogue or their actions permanently altering the course of the story.Divinity: Original Sin 2also offers a similarly expansive world toBaldur’s Gate 3, along with turn-based tactical combat.
InDragon Age: Inquisition, players take on the role of the Inquisitor in their quest to unite Thedas and thwart the evil forces of the Breach. LikeBaldur’s Gate 3,Dragon Age: Inquisitionoffers players an array of companions to befriend, use in combat, and even romance. Every companion is compelling, with distinct personalities, complex motivations, and captivating personal quests.Inquisitionalso offers many expansive open-world regions for players to explore.
One ofInquisition’smost significant differences when compared toBaldur’s Gate 3is its combat. For one,Inquisition’scombat plays out in real time, with a pausing feature that allows players to evaluate the battle and queue commands constantly. There’s also a lot less emphasis on individual actions within combat. Instead, the party fights together as a single, cohesive unit.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Pillars of Eternityis a more classical take on the party-building RPG genre. This game may be visually and mechanically more akin toBaldur’s GateandBaldur’s Gate 2, but it still shares similarities withBaldur’s Gate 3. For one, these games are both built around top-down sandbox exploration, where players stumble upon quests organically. There’s no one right way or order to complete either games or their quests. Mechanically, both games are also heavily inspired byD&D.
Like many party-building RPGs,Pillars of Eternityfeatures real-time combat rather than the turn-based combat ofBaldur’s Gate 3.Pillars of Eternityis also visually very different. It may be top-down, but its graphics are reminiscent of old-school RPGs. They’re also a bit dated when compared to the graphical marvel that isBaldur’s Gate 3, though that’s to be expected with a 10-year-old game.
The Banner Sagais a side-scrolling RPG set in a rich Viking mythos-inspired medieval world. In this game, players must try their best to keep themselves, their friends, and their fellow refugees alive. Much like inBaldur’s Gate 3, players are forced to make many painful choices throughoutThe Banner Saga. These choices will permanently affect the story and its difficulty, even going so far as to rob players of powerful companions.
LikeBaldur’s Gate 3, turn-basedtactical combat is a massive part ofThe Banner Saga’sgameplay. Losing a battle may not immediately result in death, but it will push the caravan into ever more dire straits. It’s worth noting that beyond its combat,The Banner Sagaplays very differently fromBaldur’s Gate 3. Players seeking an experience closely akin to that game may want to look elsewhere.
Fans ofBaldur’s Gate 3’sTactician and Honor modes are sure to loveBattle Brothers. In thisbrutal, low fantasy open world, players lead a band of mercenaries in a grueling battle of survival against starvation, outlaws, and savage beasts. Prosperity is short-lived here, and death is guaranteed. Like inBaldur’s Gate 3’shigher difficulties, a single mistake can have devastating consequences, especially in Ironman mode,Battle Brother’sequivalent to Honor mode.
Battle Brothersalso boasts some truly unforgiving, high-intensity turn-based combat. Similarly toBaldur’s Gate 3, party members can be downed unexpectedly in a matter of seconds, no matter how well the player plans out their turns. On the strategic map, but especially in combat, every decision can change the course of the playthrough. That being said, players looking for a more RPG-focused party builder may want to look elsewhere.
In this dark fantasy roguelike, players control a rag-tag party on their quest across a decaying, eldritch horror-infested landscape. Survival is everything here, and it’s anything but guaranteed. LikeBaldur’s Gate 3,Darkest Dungeon 2offers players an array of characters to choose from, each with their own classes, backstories, and synergies.Darkest Dungeon 2alsofocuses on brutal and highly complex turn-based combatthat frequently catches players off guard.
Outside of combat, party composition, customization, and skill progression,Darkest Dungeon 2plays very differently fromBaldur’s Gate 3. That’s not surprising givenDarkest Dungeon 2is a roguelike. Its gameplay is all about death, learning, and retrying, and it focuses far more on combat, survival, and world-building than it does on crafting compelling stories and complex characters.
