The Dungeons & Dragons video game Baldur’s Gate 3 has become a cultural phenomenon, winning countless accolades including Game of the Year. One of the game’s biggest fans is science fiction editor John Joseph Adams, who has played Baldur’s Gate 3 for more than 1,000 hours.
“It’s absolutely an amazing game,” Adams says in Episode 557 of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast. “I think it’s the best game I’ve ever played.”
Baldur’s Gate 3 features a branching storyline with 174 hours of cutscenes. Adams thinks that the story and writing compare favorably to some of the best books and movies he’s ever experienced. “I would say that it compares in quality to any entertainment,” he says. “Once I became an editor, I did worry about playing these kinds of games, that I was going to feel that the stories aren’t up to snuff at the level I have to understand it to be an editor, but this game just really takes it to a whole new level.”
Adams does feel that the game is far from perfect. Some of the issues include unbalanced gameplay, inadequate dialog options, and puzzling plot developments. “There are a lot of problems with it,” he says. “There are a lot of frustrating things where it’s like, ‘Well, this could have easily been fixed and been awesome.’ But then everything else is just so amazing that it’s like, ‘I don’t care. Best game ever.'”
Overall, Adams feels that Baldur’s Gate 3 perfectly captures the magic of Dungeons & Dragons, and that the game’s biggest issue is that it’s so addictive. “Do be careful if you have deadlines, or if you want to maintain relationships and you care about spending time with other people,” he says. “I can’t think of anything I’ve ever spent this much time on and been this obsessed with, except for D&D itself.”
Listen to the complete interview with John Joseph Adams in Episode 557. And check out some highlights from the discussion below.
