BALDUR'S GATE 3 FREE DOWNLOAD PC

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME ?

Baldur’s Gate III is a role-playing video game developed by Larian Studios, first unveiled in 2019 and officially released on August 3, 2023. Like its predecessors — Baldur’s Gate (1998) and Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000) — it takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a medieval fantasy setting from the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Unlike the earlier titles, the game is presented in full 3D environments with a distant, dynamic camera.

Upon release, Baldur’s Gate III received universal acclaim from both critics and players. It quickly became the highest-rated game of 2023 and broke records for concurrent players. Its success was further solidified when it won the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards on December 8, 2023, coinciding with its release on Xbox Series consoles.

The story of Baldur’s Gate III takes place a century after the events of the first two games, continuing within the Forgotten Realms universe. The player assumes the role of a protagonist who has been captured by the Illithids (Mind Flayers) — sinister creatures that implant a parasitic tadpole into their victims’ brains. The central quest revolves around the player’s struggle to resist the parasite’s influence and seek a way to remove it.

Throughout the journey, the protagonist encounters a diverse cast of companions who can be recruited into the party. Each companion has their own class, personality, and backstory, and players can form deep bonds or even romantic relationships with most of them, adding emotional and narrative depth to the adventure.

The story begins as the protagonist awakens aboard an Illithid nautiloid ship, shortly after it teleports to Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, following an attack by Githyanki warriors. A parasitic Mind Flayer tadpole has been implanted in the protagonist’s brain, setting the stage for their desperate struggle for survival.

While navigating through the chaotic vessel, the protagonist encounters Lae’zel, a fierce Githyanki fighter who is also infected by the Illithids. Along the way, they meet Shadowheart, a mysterious half-elf cleric devoted to the goddess Shar, who carries with her a strange and powerful artifact. Together, they manage to seize control of the ship and crash-land back on Faerûn.

Surviving the wreck thanks to an unknown force, the protagonist embarks on a perilous quest to remove the parasite before it transforms them into a Mind Flayer, uncovering dark secrets and powerful alliances along the way.

Set a century after the events of the first two games, Baldur’s Gate III returns to the world of the Forgotten Realms, where the player’s character, or avatar, is captured by Mind Flayers (Illithids) and infected with a parasitic tadpole that threatens to turn them into one of the creatures. During their quest to remove it, the protagonist meets several companions, each with unique backstories and potential for romance — including Lae’zel, a Githyanki warrior; Shadowheart, a half-elf cleric of Shar; Astarion, a vampire spawn; Gale, a human wizard harboring a dangerous secret; Wyll, a famed warlock; and Karlach, a tiefling barbarian.

The group becomes entangled with the mysterious Cult of the Absolute, whose followers are also infected but embrace their condition. The artifact carried by Shadowheart, the Astral Prism, shields the heroes from transformation and houses a mysterious entity that speaks to them in dreams. Their investigation leads them to the cursed Shadow-Cursed Lands and the Moonrise Towers, ruled by the immortal general Ketheric Thorm, servant of the Absolute. With help from Jaheira, a returning character from earlier games, they learn Thorm’s immortality comes from Aylin, a celestial being imprisoned by Shar. The player may choose to free or kill her before confronting and defeating Thorm.

Thorm’s defeat reveals a larger plot involving Enver Gortash, Orin, and the Elder Brain, controlled through the Crown of Karsus and Infernal Stones. The mysterious dream entity is unveiled as the Emperor, a rogue Mind Flayer who uses the Astral Prism to imprison Prince Orpheus, whose powers resist Illithid control. In the final act, the heroes must choose alliances, betrayals, and who will sacrifice themselves by becoming a Mind Flayer to defeat the Netherbrain. The ending depends on the player’s choices — to destroy, dominate, or unleash the mind-controlling power of the Absolute.