Play it on: PS5, Windows (Steam Deck OK)
Current goal: Defeat this one damn boss fight in Act II
When Baldur’s Gate 3’s story is humming along, I really love it. However, from time to time, I come to some boss battle or other challenging encounter that feels like hitting a brick wall. I don’t want to get too specific here for fear of upsetting the Spoiler Police, but last Sunday, after spending many happy hours advancing through the game’s second act, I came to just such a battle, one in which my hapless party got their asses handed to them again and again. My enjoyment quickly turned to frustration, and I soon opted to stop banging my head against a wall trying to figure out which of the tactical tricks at my disposal could help me overcome this challenge.
I admit I’ve never been great at tactical combat games, and although Baldur’s Gate 3 is mostly a traditional role-playing game, in its hardest encounters it demands some real tactical ingenuity. I know I’m not alone in struggling with some of its fights; a quick online search will take me to Reddit posts other players have written begging for tips on a particular boss, or declaring a given fight “impossible.” Typically there’s some mockery in the replies, as the brainiac gigachads for whom tactical dominance in Baldur’s Gate 3 is child’s play simply reply, “skill issue.”
Well, ya got me. I’m mainly here to explore Faerûn, experiencing the narrative and the relationships you can form with other characters. I’m not a tactical genius. And yet I still want the satisfaction of overcoming the challenges BG3 places in front of me, so I’m not about to drop the difficulty to easy. (No shade at all if you do; I think people should play games in whatever way they find most enjoyable. I just find enduring some exasperation and ultimately emerging victorious more fun.)
I haven’t played it at all this week. When I get home from work, facing the ordeal of that boss fight is just not how I want to unwind. But come the weekend, when I can wake up energized and ready to tackle the challenge once again, I’m gonna throw myself into it full bore. And when this boss finally goes down, my paladin and her party are gonna have a few extra bottles of wine at camp that night to celebrate. — Carolyn Petit