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Note: This review came out very late because Baldur's Game 3 is something you just can't rush. I really wanted to know my final thoughts after not replaying it once, but trying different stories, paths, and modes like Honour Mode. This review is late but I feel I finally have gathered my thoughts.

Legendary Masterpiece

Just no other way of saying it. Larian Studios took their time and crafted perhaps one of the most memorable games I had the pleasure playing in. It is incredible on so many levels, I actually have a hard time believing it even exits. Now there's definitely some flaws with it, not a true perfect game, but it's as close as you can imagine.

Gameplay

It really plays out like you're in a DND 5e tabletop, but beyond what most would had expected. It didn't just make an adaption or inspiration; it's a love letter to DND 5e and i'm here for it. Gameplay is very smooth, feels great with mouse and keyboard, plus so much to do both in and outside combat. Sure the turn based combat is the main sell, but it's also got a lot more going for it, and those who love roleplaying and exploring while engaging with puzzles, npcs, and finding secrets- it's all here. It's probably the most well designed tabletop game in the market.

Graphics and Story

Game is breathtaking, and looks like a beautiful panting where ever you go. All locations and settings in this world is brimming with life, and I love how the characters are designed too. So much effort went into how the game looks, and it's marvelous to behold seeing for yourself.
The writing is straight up fire. Every quest, every arc in Acts 1, 2, and 3 were just immersive to delve into. Never did I get tired or bored of any quests, no matter how small. The main story is also incredibly well crafted and I bet many DM's (Dungeon Masters) will take much inspiration from this game. Such a fantastic journey where you want to do everything the game offers, going out of your way to learn more about the world, what you can learn from it, and completing quests just to hear more about this place Baldur's Gate 3 resides in.
Your choices VERY much matter here. There is no illusion or just going with the ride- everything you do has either a small, significant or major impact on the story. No choice ever feels like it didn't matter, and even story bits can change depending on what you do first- like a DM adapting to how you play and NPCs can change entirely based on how successful, good, or horrible you are.

Characters

Never had I imagined any game topping the Mass Effect Trilogy in terms of developed characters. But wow, this is very much the only time in recent memory if ever, that I loved all the characters. The voice acting is just peak performance, the traits and personalities of each character is so developed, and they really feel like people. You always experience something new with an NPC in this game, no matter what playthrough there's dialogue or something you find out about them that makes you love them more. Every opportunity I wanted to engage and talk to my companions, completing quests with them and tangle in both friendships and relationships. Not a single NPC was poorly written, not one. What a huge feat Larian Studios did here, this is so hard to pull off but they nailed it. Some companions legit made me cry irl, just cause of how extremely touching or tragic segments were that left me thinking about it in my sleep.
What makes these characters even more amazing is unlike Mass Effect, they legit can leave you, hate you, or even want to fight / murder you depending on your choices. They don't just tag along, they have thoughts, views, morals, and goals. They do react to almost everything you do and will have actual things to say, which does have impact on how the journey goes. This aspect is what makes them so memorable to begin with.

Freedoms

So one of the strongest pros of this game (besides the unbelievably well written characters) is how much you can do outside the box. The game doesn't force you to play by the usual rules, you can get really creative in and out of combat. The game literally lets you cheese to your heart's content or do things even the game didn't expect you to do, but you're able to. With how the game is designed, any object can be used in numerous ways, you can do so many challenge runs with what you have at your disposal, and I keep seeing people on other sites and Youtube show off just how insane you can get when playing this game. Seriously you can almost do anything you want if you know what you're doing. The game even allows you to skip important stuff and doesn't outright punish you- sure it may come with consequences or unexpected cons, but the game really does let you roam and do whatever, in almost any order you wish. The world is yours to roam, Act to Act.

Mods

Larian Studios didn't just give us the best game I had played in awhile, but they are fully supportive of mods. This is a MAJOR deal, because now the lifespan has increased by 10 years+. Like Skyrim, they have an official built in modding system to let you download pretty much whatever you want, and sites letting you apply whatever kind of mod you're seeking. Larian Studios even made an animation showcasing how wacky and fun you can get with mods- that's just awesome. Surprisingly most if not every mod I had obtained works perfectly fine with little to no issues, fully functional. Again I can't stress enough how mods for this game is really doing it favors and with Larian Studios supporting all mods, this will make the game 200% better in the long run.

Flaws

So it seemed like I had nothing but praise for the game. But there are some flaws with it, and I won't be shy as to what these flaws are. If you really love something, you should be allowed to give critics.
The biggest issue I have with this game is how the companion's AI acts when they follow you. They tend to get stuck often, and you have to manually move them to catch up. Worse, if you come across traps or dangerous areas, your companions do not have any intelligence to avoid their demise. Sure the spacebar immediately stops them in their tracks, but that only helps so much until it really becomes a problem.
I remember in Tactical Mode, I had my party stop onto an elevator, waited 5 seconds because I wanted to make sure they'd stop moving, then suddenly when the elevator moved- all my party fell to their deaths, clipping from the bottom. Many traps or shifting parts due to bugs, which speaking of-
Another major issue is how glitchy, buggy, and unstable Act 3 is entirely. The first two Acts were solid, hardly any problems but Act 3 is riddled with pugs. Clipping through the floor, some cutscenes have missing NPCs, dialogue has no sound, and sometimes my companions are just dead after a cutscene, for no reason.

Honour Mode

So this one is my absolute pet peeve. While the other issues were 'worse' for general gameplay, this mode is just horrible. While I did like the challenge and Legendary Actions that bosses had, what makes it really difficult to enjoy was the fact you only get 1 save file, that's it. I understand why they did this, and you must live with your consequences and dealing with your battles, but the fact this game has some issues and especially Act 3 being so buggy, it ruins a lot of runs in Honour Mode.
I ended up having to make backup saves on my computer just to bypass the unfair situations. I don't mind dying and losing legit, but when it's outside my control and the game ends my run cause of a bug, glitch, or unexpected error- that's when I decide enough is enough.

Conclusion

Baldur's Gate 3 is when you decide to not just make a game. It's a story brought to life that you can replay and never get tired of. A game that will leave you remembering it for years to come. 9.5 / 10