eSports and gaming have faced uphill battles regarding public perception and misconceptions. For the longest time, gaming has been seen as a “waste of time” or even a “lazy activity” regardless of its platform. eSports, on the other hand, has come under fire for not being “sporty” enough and a “sedentary” activity. However, in recent years, scientific research has shown that gaming helps with mental acuity and interpersonal skills. More and more research has been pointing to gaming and eSports being as intense as regular sports.
Goodday – yes, the milk company – is looking to help deliver this message to Boomers and those with these common misconceptions. To do that, they are looking to form Malaysia’s first senior esports team. For the first time, you’ll need to be at least 50 years old to take part in this gaming competition. You simply have to submit your application at the Goodday Charge website. (psst…. if you’re under 50 years old, just submit an application for your Boomer!) Once the application goes through, there will be a round of interviews after which 10 successful applicants will undergo a comprehensive gaming crash course. They will also be able to win their share of RM20,000 worth of prizes.
Those of us who follow esports will be familiar with the rigours and training that esports athletes go through. Well, the 10 Boomers who make it into the team will be put through a 3-day boot camp. During this boot camp, they will be put through the same training that the athletes go through. Of course, they won’t be doing those Karate Kid runs and exercises but they will be getting a taste of the rigours of an esports athlete. Their course will cover five essential pillars: Trained Skill, Strategy, Exercise, Diet and Sleet, Teamwork and Communication. The competition will culminate in a three-day training and preparation period with a 5v5 competition of Counter Strike 2.
“We hope through this experience, the older generation will come to understand and appreciate the effort, skill and dedication displayed by esports professionals and move towards accepting that it is in fact a sport on par with others. I look forward to gamers and enthusiasts using this as an opportunity to share their world and experiences with their elders by signing them up for the search.”
The competition comes on the heels of Goodday sponsoring the development of the National eSport Development Guideline (NESDEG). The guideline was launched in partnership with Hannah Yeoh and the Ministry of Youth and Sport. It is designed to protect esports athletes and ensure the development of the esports industry in Malaysia. Goodday has also appointed xNova, Malaysia’s most successful esports athlete, as the face of its Goodday Charge revamped packaging. Goodday Charge is a specially formulated chocolate milk that contains vitamin B complex and essential nutrients and is touted to help esports athletes with sustained energy for better concentration and performance.
Submissions for the competition are ongoing and will end on April 8, 2024. If you’re a gamer, help your boomer understand your passion for gaming by submitting an entry for them.
CULVER CITY, Calif., March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Snail, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNAL) (“Snail Games” or “the Company”), a leading global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment, today announced the ARK franchise’s achievement at Steam’s Dinos vs. Robots Fest, held from February 26 to March 4, 2024. ARK Survival Ascended emerged as the number one best seller, spotlighting the strong market presence and growth potential of the ARK franchise.
Steam’s Dinos vs. Robots Fest, a week-long celebration featuring dinosaur- and robot-themed games, offered discounts and demos to gamers worldwide. ARK Survival Ascended’s top chart position, alongside ARK Survival: Evolved’s ranking among the top ten best sellers, highlights the franchise’s lasting appeal and robust community support. These achievements highlight the ongoing popularity of ARK Survival: Evolved, which continues to attract new players eight years post-release, and the strong reception for ARK Survival: Ascended. Fueled by the success of the ARK franchise and its loyal, growing community, Snail Games is motivated to further expand and innovate within the ARK franchise.
“Our recent achievements at Steam’s Dinos vs. Robots Fest highlight the ARK franchise’s incredible journey and potential,” said Jim Tsai, CEO of Snail, Inc. “The continued support from new and existing players reinforces our dedication to delivering innovative and engaging gaming experiences that exceed players’ expectations, and to exploring new opportunities for growth, innovation, and storytelling. Looking ahead, we are dedicated to continuing to expand the ARK universe and our other gaming offerings, as we aim to further push the boundaries of creativity and development to deliver high-quality games.”
About Snail, Inc.
Snail, Inc. is a leading global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment for consumers around the world, with a premier portfolio of premium games designed for use on a variety of platforms, including consoles, PC’s and mobile devices.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “should,” “plan,” “intend,” “may,” “predict,” “continue,” “estimate” and “potential,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this press release and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Snail’s intent, belief or current expectations. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of Snail’s business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives. The statements Snail makes regarding the following matters are forward-looking by their nature: growth prospects and strategies; launching new games and additional functionality to games that are commercially successful, including the launch of ARK: Survival Ascended, ARK: The Animated Series and ARK 2; expectations regarding significant drivers of future growth; its ability to retain and increase its player base and develop new video games and enhance existing games; competition from companies in a number of industries, including other game developers and publishers and both large and small, public and private Internet companies; its relationships with third-party platforms such as Xbox Live and Game Pass, PlayStation Network, Steam, Epic Games Store, the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, My Nintendo Store and the Amazon Appstore; expectations for future growth and performance; and assumptions underlying any of the foregoing.
As we move into 2024, what better way than to start the first weekend with some new games.
For those who want to save on some cash after the festive sales, exploring demos on steam is the perfect solution. Besides, this is a perfect way to try out new games and different genres to see if the vibes match.
In this article we will be listing 5 entertaining and diverse game demos on steam that you should check out. If we miss any great demos on Steam do feel free to write in the comments below.
Prepare to fight off other players in this Tetris style fantasy inventory management autobattler game. Similar in mechanics to Backpack Hero, you will be buying items and strategically place them in your back to fight other real players to climb the ladder. With different styles of plays and heroes, this demo is constantly being tweaked and updated. A nice little strategy game to fill up your weekend.
Recently released Nov, 2023, Bopl is a fun couch/online battler similarish to Smash Bros. Have fun with changing the environment you can manipulate to literally crush your foes. Choose to attach rockets to fly islands away or set things on fire. The choices are many and they are all yours as you find new combos to use with or against your friends. There are no bots so bring a friend to play, Bopl supports up to 4 players.
Released earlier last year in May, 2023, Bread & Fred is a cute co-op platformer game. Playing as two penguins, your goal is to help navigate them up the top of the snowy summit. You will be timing your jumps and swinging each other across gaps hoping not to fall down the mountain. This game is great for playing with your significant partner or potential partner as the New Year starts off.
If you don’t have anyone to play with, there is a single player mode available. You get to play with Jeff, a pet rock. Only issue is you can’t blame Jeff if you fall, this climb is all on you.
Released recently in Oct, 2023, dotAGE is a fun survival roguelite turn based city builder. For those who love board games and resource management, this game should be right up your alley. Take on the role of the villager elder as you navigate and plan around Doom and Prophecies of the Apocalypse to save your village. As a bonus this works well on Steam Deck and has an active single developer happy to fix bugs in this game of passion 9 years into the making.
Releasing soon on 26 Jan, 2024, TEKKEN 8 will soon be fighting it out with Street Fighter 6 for the attention of all fighter game players. In the demo you will be able to test out Story Mode, Arcade Quest, Super Ghost Battle, Player vs. Player, Player vs CPU, and Gallery Mode. You will have access to 3 stages, Urban Square (Evening), Yakushima, and Sanctum while playing with popular characters Paul Phoenix, Jin Kazama, Lazuya Mishima, and Nina Williams. Also there has been talks on the web that is might be possible to unlock the other characters to try out on the PC version of the demo.
Infinix’s GT 10 Pro boldly steps into the realm of smartphone design with its striking Cyber-Mecha aesthetics which comes in two variants: Cyber Black (black with orange stripes) and Mirage Sliver (silver with white strips on its back). With its futuristic design, the phone has the perfect aesthetic for any hardcore or casual gamer. The variant that we received was the Mirage Silver variant.
Design and Aesthetics
Regarding design, Infinix’s GT 10 Pro is a bold departure from the essential standard phone back covers as it draws inspiration from a futuristic, cyberpunk aesthetic. One of its most fantastic features is the LED indicator positioned alongside the camera, creating an illusion of elements embedded in a transparent plastic back. The LED has a captivating 3D effect with multiple effects: Blinking, Breathing and Meteor, Flowing Light, GT Racing, and Helium Flash. The phone’s flat back houses a camera island accommodating three cameras and a LED indicator. Notably, the LED indicator lights up during gaming, notifications, calls, and charging.
Despite the glossy surface, fingerprint smudges are not overly problematic, and the silver variant offers better resistance to such smudges and surprisingly cleans easily. The Infinix GT 10 Pro was very light and easy to hold as it was not as bulky nor heavy as your usual standard gaming phones. This makes the phone a big plus for those who want a gaming phone that won’t feel like a small brick in hand or something so bulky it has difficulties fitting in tight pockets.
But there is some downfall to this slim and sleek design. While everyone’s experience may vary, I found that I didn’t always have a good proper grip. I had to be constantly conscious of my grip when using the phone for daily tasks like calls or scrolling social media. Only the familiar landscape manner when playing games felt comfortable to me. I felt like it could easily slip through my grips when I am on the move while using the phone.
The Infinix GT 10 Pro has two side buttons on the right of the phone for power and volume. These are considerably thin and flat and may be easily mistaken for each other due to their proximity. Pressing the volume button instead of the power button was constant issue until muscle memory kicked in.
Material and Feature
The materials used for the GT 10 Pro primarily made from plastics, which initially felt fragile and not long lasting. I feel it I were to drop it by accident, it would most certainly chip. The plastic frame has a glossy texture which is quite notable. The phone’s right side houses the power and volume buttons, while the left side features a triple card tray that allows you to simultaneously use two SIM cards and a microSD card. The bottom of the device is home to the USB-C connector, one speaker grille, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Handling the GT 10 Pro is overall a reasonably comfortable experience despite the use of plastic. The shape of the phone makes it well-suited for gaming in landscape orientation. However, it can get annoying when your fingers curl around the camera island. It is slightly irritating to feel that slight texture and the eventual smudging of holding onto the camera subconsciously while playing. To have to consciously have to adjust to prevent camera smudging is not a fun experience.
Display
The Infinix GT 10 Pro has a 6.67-inch OLED panel with a centrally placed 32MP selfie camera. Thin side bezels contribute to the phone’s modern look, while the top and bottom bezels are slightly thicker. The display has a 120Hz refresh rate, providing a responsive and smooth user experience which is also great for gaming. While it falls somewhat short of the advertised 900 nits of brightness, it still delivers a good viewing experience, whether in the dark or outdoors.
Battery and Charging
The Infinix GT 10 Pro has a 5,000 mAh battery that performs great in gaming and all-day use when tested. It lasted from 100% from 8 am to 18% by 11 pm, and the device supports rapid charging with the included 45W charger. To charge fully from 1% to 100% will roughly take an hour. However, overall, the battery is long-lasting and performs dependably.
Audio Quality
The Infinix GT 10 Pro features a hybrid dual speaker setup, with the bottom speaker louder than the earpiece. Together, these speakers provide decent audio quality. However, when equipped with Bluetooth earbuds, the sound quality seems to diminish and sounds slightly off, but overall, it was pleasing to use and listen to.
Interface, Special Features and Customization
The device runs on Pure XOS 13, which is based on Android 13. Infinix’s software customisation features include the Magazine service on the lock screen, theming options, and extensive home screen customisation. However, the software does comes with pre-installed apps and customised UI elements, which may not be to everyone’s liking.
On the home screen, while there is the standard home screen, there is also an alphabetised app drawer with a search bar when you scroll from bottom to top, giving phone users more access to search for apps even if it’s not on the main screen. Like most smartphones, the notification and control centre can be accessed separately through the standard top-down swipe on either the left or the right to pull down the notification screen or the control centre. Besides that, it also comes with lighting multi-window, a floating app feature so you can have more than one screen at a time, and an intelligent panel, a side panel feature that pulls out when you long pull from either side of the phone. There are also multiple more features like Social Turbo, Game Mode, and even its gaming app, XArena, which will store/place your games automatically in one convenient location for easy access and can customise certain buttons to suit specific game mechanics or boost and optimise a game functions.
Gaming
A MediaTek Dimensity 8050 processor powers the Infinix GT 10 Pro. It delivers reasonably good performance but may experience throttling under sustained loads. The device supports a high refresh rate control with multiple modes, including 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz, along with an Auto Switch mode. It also comes with ample Storage of 256GB and 16 GB of RAM9( 8+8 RAM), ensuring this phone can withstand any games with ample storage needed and runs smoothly while playing. In contrast, the device does heat up when gaming or when recording. It wasn’t so hot that it had to be set down but is noticeable. The phone also has settings to ensure it does not overheat during gaming.
Camera
The Infinix GT 10 Pro’s camera system includes a 108MP primary camera, a macro shooter, and a depth sensor. The 108MP primary camera captures detail, boasting a large sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. The camera app provides various shooting modes and customisation options.
The camera performs admirably in well-lit conditions, delivering good detail and a wide dynamic range. Activating the AI mode enhances colour saturation, resulting in visually pleasing photos. However, the 2x zoom mode may fall short in low-light scenes.
The device supports 4K@30fps video recording, with the option for a Super Steady mode for stabilisation. In 4K video recording, the Infinix GT 10 Pro delivers good detail and colour quality. However, the Super Steady mode sacrifices resolution for stabilisation. These are some of the images taken with it.
Conclusion
The Infinix GT 10 Pro is impressive with its eye-catching Cyber-Mecha design and many appealing features, all at a decent price of RM999. While its performance may not meet the demands of the heavy real hardcore gaming, the device works wonderfully with its display, battery life, and camera system. While there are some drawbacks to the camera being slightly on the lower end compared to other cameras, the device and its other features make up for it. Overall, the phone is solid in all functions and great for most people who are not camera aficionados and are gamers.
It shouldn’t surprise us anymore when gaming brands come up with lifestyle products. However, when it comes to Acer, it’s a whole new ball game. The company recently expanded into home appliances with its acerpure lineup. Now, the company is bridging the gap even further with a foray into luggage and expanding its backpack offerings even more. The latest additions include the Predator Robust Luggage, the Acer Melbourne Luggage series, and the Acer Austin Backpack.
Predator Robust Luggage:
Acer’s Predator Robust Luggage brings the iconic disposition of the Predator Gaming lineup and blends it with practicality and durability. The luggage is fitted with a TSA customs password lock which ensures secure yet swift clearance when travelling. The luggage’s interior is filled with multiple compartments for a well-organized travel experience. The silent double-row wheels let you glide effortlessly and quickly. The large capacity of the 22-inch Predator Robust Luggage ensures that you’ll be able to pack everything you need for your trip. It also comes with handles that allow you to carry it horizontally so you’ll be able to load and unload the luggage more conveniently.
Acer Melbourne Luggage Series:
The Acer Melbourne Luggage series seeks to embody Acer’s approach to its extensive laptop series in a piece of luggage. It is crafted with a robust three-layer PC shell from Germany giving it much-needed sturdiness and strength. Rivet reinforcement technology ensures structural integrity, and two alloy anti-collision corners, along with a TSA customs password lock, provide an extra layer of protection.
Acer Austin Backpack:
The Acer Austin Backpack is built with functionality, versatility and minimalism in mind. It’s minimalistic design is complemented with ergonomic engineering. Acer focused on helping reduce shoulder and back strain during daily commutes and business trips. Its lightweight construction, combined with a professional aesthetic, makes it the perfect solution for individuals on the move.
Pricing & Availability:
All the luggage and bags are currently available at Acer concept stores across Malaysia.
Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link, the latest instalment in Square’s hit RPG series, is making its way to Android and iOS devices. It’s set to go in 2024, with no definite date just yet. This mobile RPG will add to the Kingdom Hearts story with a new plot and play style.
Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link isn’t an augmented reality (AR) game like Pokemon GO but it still uses real-world places in its gameplay. The game uses your smartphone’s GPS to determine where you are on the in-game map. This lets the player explore the virtual world based on where they are in real life. The announcement video teases that you might be able to “travel the world without leaving your house” which would be a new twist in the game systems.
While there is very little information on the game’s plot, Square Enix has been recruiting beta testers for a closed beta program. There are 3,000 spots available split between Android and iOS users. For iOS, the closed beta phase lasts from November 29 to December 8. The Android beta will start in January 2024.
The story takes place in the city of Scala and Caelum, which fans of Kingdom Hearts III will be familiar with. Players take on the part of a main character who has no name and moves between Scala and Caelum and the real world. Real-time fighting and interactions with Disney characters are hinted at through the teaser trailers available on Square Enix’s Official YouTube Channel.
Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link was first presented at the event celebrating the 20th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts, along with Kingdom Hearts IV. Currently, there is no announcement on the date for either game released.
Revenant Hill: A Whiskered Adventure Awaits, the highly anticipated spiritual sibling to Night in the Woods, has been cancelled. The development studio, The Glory Society has officially announced the decision after the departure of critical team members on account of “recent serious health issues.” A statement has been posted on the studio’s website.
In its statement, The Glory Society states that the entire game and all its work is now cancelled. The game which many fans were excited about when it was announced in May will not see the light of day. This is due to two of its core developers and team members, Scott Benson and his wife, Bethany Hockenberry, leaving. The duo also created Night In The Woods. Both have stepped away from the project citing health reasons.
Scott Benson, an animator and artist who contributed to both titles, revealed in a separate post on his personal X account that he had been struggling with his health for a prolonged period. He states, “I got very sick and it didn’t go away. Eventually, I was diagnosed with severe heart failure.”.
The Glory Society, which was the studio that was developing Revenant Hill, appears to be on hiatus. The suspension of operations was justified within the studio’s framework and the cooperative’s dedication to the team’s welfare.
While not a direct sequel, Revenant Hill was met with great excitement as it seems to be set in the same universe as Night in The Woods. While the game may not see the light of day, the game trailer is still available on the studio’s official YouTube channel.
If you caught our last FTW earlier this week, you might have snagged yourself a free copy of The Evil Within and Eternal Threads. But it seems like Epic Games is in the spirit of giving for Halloween as they’ve released a couple more awesome titles you can add to your library for the next few days.
Don’t miss out and check out the links below to grab your free games before 2 November!
The Evil Within 2 (Free on Epic Games till 2 November)
For those of you who picked up The Evil Within earlier this week, here’s an opportunity to dive right back into a world of nightmares with The Evil Within 2.
Similar to the first game, you resume the role of Detective Sebastian Castellanos who once again traverses to a twisted world to save his daughter. Face off or stealth around around terrifying creatures using upgradeable weapons and traps in this intense psychological survival horror title.
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows (Free on Epic Games till 2 November)
In this unique puzzle platformer, uncover a mystery involving the disappearance of a famous magician as Emma and a teddy bear named Fenton. Solve puzzles and avoid enemies as you explore a series of Victorianesque worlds inspired by the likes of Tim Burton, Jules Vernes and Conan Doyle.
One of the standout experiences in this game is through the unique gameplay that features both top-down and side-scrolling POVs. While this isn’t exactly a “scary” title for Halloween, you’ll be sure to find yourself face-to-face with the strange and creepy in this narrative-driven adventure.
Baldur’s Gate 3 – the long-awaited story-focused role-playing game by Larian Studios (the developer behind Divinity Original Sin 1 & 2) is now available on PC and Consoles.
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay
In a nutshell
Abducted by Mind Flayers and implanted with a tadpole that threatens a painful and terrifying end, you traverse Faerûn, a vast land of magic, fantasy, and different factions in search of answers and a cure before it’s too late. Along the way, you meet a diverse cast of memorable characters with different backgrounds and motivations that join you on your journey. Somewhere along the line, you realize that a great power is growing inside you. It is your choice to embrace the power or resist its temptations on your treacherous adventure to uncover the truth.
Source: Larian Studios
Set in an immersive and carefully crafted world, players embark on an exciting adventure with a party of up to 4 characters. The party can consist of companion characters players encounter, Hirelings that can be customized, and, in co-op, other player-created characters. You make choices that dictate the narrative and flow of the world – from dialogue options to saving or killing characters which would impact the world’s factions and all living in it significantly. The game’s turn-based combat with randomized starting order adds a layer of unpredictability and strategy to every fight.
A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a top-down point-and-click high fantasy role-playing game. Goblins, Humans, Elves, Halflings, Angels, Devils, and otherworldly creatures inhibit Faerûn, the magical land the game takes place in. Players can take control of the party members and interact with the world and its inhabitants. Combat is turn-based and the order in which characters go first is randomized. Players would have to tweak their party’s strategies and juggle limited resources, items, and spells to overcome the many challenging fights.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is largely based on the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (5e) rulebook. However, Larian Studios has taken some liberties with certain rules to make it more fun and viable in a video game format. While long-time Dungeons & Dragons players would need to figure out and adapt to the changes in the rules (Here’s a link to the wiki), players new to Dungeons & Dragons would benefit from the quality of life changes.
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay
Baldur’s Gate 3 has successfully replicated the randomness of Dungeons & Dragons when it comes to the rolling of a dice to determine outcomes. This randomness is a major part of the fun and chaos that is Dungeons & Dragons. A master Rogue sneaking through the darkness rolling a 1 out of 20 (the worst outcome)? Oops, they’ve been spotted and have incurred the ire of more than 10 enemies their party was trying to sneak by. On the other hand, your clunky Fighter in full plate armour rolled a natural 20 (the best possible outcome) and remained hidden in the shadows watching your Rogue get pelted by arrows and fast-approaching enemies. The uncertainty and chaos that the roll of the dice brings is what draws players into Dungeons & Dragons and games like this. The failure to land a hit with 80% accuracy or the success of executing a hail mary with only a 30% chance of succeeding lends to the up-and-downs that make these games so addicting. Add that to the epic wins – and hilarious fails – that come with the journey and you’ve got an epic where even the best fighters can miss and the worst plans could be a win.
Freedom of Choice: It’s up to you what you want your adventure to be
While the game has a main story to follow, it’s up to you how you want to get there. As the game allows up to four characters in your party, you could venture through Faerûn with your custom character and 3 companions you’ve met along the way OR you could choose to venture through Faerûn alone. You could also grab a friend and play in a party made up of two custom characters and two companions or grab three friends and go through the story without any companions at all in your party.
The same goes for how you want to tackle the story, dialogue, and combat. Approaching a potential enemy encampment, you could carefully and strategically sneak up and dwindle their numbers before they even know you are there or you could simply opt to burst through the front gates and face all the enemies at once.
In a conversation with a seriously powerful-looking character, you could thread carefully and avoid confrontation and maybe even try to persuade them that you and your party mean no harm. Or you could take a deep breath, yell “AAAAHHHH!” and proceed to swing your great-axe at them. The choice is yours.
Actions matter: Like, really matter
With great freedom of choice, comes great consequences that follow. Baldur’s Gate 3 remembers your actions and choices. They come back to haunt or bless us in various ways – from brief mentions in dialogue, additional dialogue options, to factions that become hostile to us. The inverse is also true. These choices can result in factions going from hostile to neutral or friendly, and can even have game-altering consequences. Everything you do impacts the future of your playthrough.
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay
This is not exclusive to grand or obviously game-changing choices or actions. Many of us are loot goblins at heart, and one could say that playing a rogue, it would be a shame to not at least attempt to pick-pocket a trader or a rich-looking character – the option to pickpocket is there for a reason after all. However, should you fail, the consequences of being caught may not be as simple as a slap on the wrist, a warning, or a fine. An entire town – that you were hoping would help you with your story, befriend, and trade goods with – could immediately turn hostile to you with no easy way to turn the situation around. If you do not load your save at that point, your story could change drastically as a consequence of your action.
Immersion: A wonderful cast of characters to meet
The world of Baldur’s Gate 3 and its inhabitants have a magical way of fully immersing the player into its universe. The voice acting in this game is top notch and it’s obvious how much love was poured into this game by the amount of voice lines alone – many of which may not be heard by the general populace if they’ve only played one playthrough. From tucked-away areas, side quests, different dialogues, and cutscenes based on choices made, to different reactions and novel dialogue options simply based on the character’s race or class you are controlling when initiating the conversation, there are so many fully voiced lines within the game that contributes to the feeling of fullness and liveliness when traversing Faerûn.
Source: Larian Studios
Going from the first cutscenes and into the first dialogues with characters we meet in Baldur’s Gate 3, it was immediately apparent that something was different. The dialogue screens outside of the cutscenes… feel like cutscenes. Unlike regular RPGs, every single character with dialogue screens was all done with mocap. This lends an incredible range of movement and facial expression to the characters you meet in Faerûn. With a large repertoire of expressions: subtle smiles, coy looks, frowns, disgust, shock, anger, worry, disappointment, and sadness – just to name a few – the characters in the game are all incredibly life-like, expressive, and a joy to watch.
Listening to the characters speak, feeling the emotions in the lines, and noticing the subtle and dramatic changes in facial expressions and body posture, all come together to make each and every character we meet feel important and alive. It feels like we are watching a top-tier animated movie instead of playing a video game.
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay
The magnetic and expressive voice of the narrator of Baldur’s Gate 3 further adds to the immersion of the game and purposefully nudges the player towards appropriate emotions when traversing the narrative of the game. Together, the narrator and wonderful cast of characters draw the player into the story in a wonderfully immersive experience. The only time I’ve felt like I needed to put the game down for a second and take a breather was after a momentous and emotional event with consequences both good and bad – a roller coaster of emotions brought to life through the extraordinary cast of Baldur’s Gate 3.
My Personal Experience with Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 was my first entry into the genre. I saw Baldur’s Gate 3 as a mixture of Dungeons & Dragons storytelling and dice rolling, Skyrim’s world-building and characters, and X-Com’s strategic, turn-based, top-down combat. While I’ve enjoyed Dungeons &Dragons (I’ve played one campaign weekly for 3 months), Skyrim (100+ hours), and X-Com 1 and 2, I was hesitant going into Baldur’s Gate 3 as it felt intimidating considering its scope, mechanics to learn, hefty price tag, and potential time sink.
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay
70+ hours in, and heading into Act 3, while the start of the game was a bit confusing, after a few lessons learned via dicey situations, “oops, shouldn’t have done that” moments and a few firebolts accidentally thrown at friendly faces (yes, there is friendly fire, and yes you can choose to target your party member with your firebolt spell) – learning Baldur’s Gate 3 was quick, intuitive, and rewarding.
With the fantastic and meticulously crafted world and painstakingly sculpted characters, the gripping story, and incredibly engaging and challenging combat, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the most fun I’ve had with a video game in a long time. The 70+ hours flew by and the game does not lose steam at all as we progress through the acts. I’m looking forward to seeing what awaits my party and me in Act 3, and also, I am already planning my next playthrough. I’m currently playing as a Halfling Paladin, in a committed relationship, looking to save the world. Maybe in my next playthrough, I’d be a Drow Sorcerer, looking to set the world ablaze with Fireballs.
Conclusion
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an impressive labour of love. It’s Dungeons & Dragons in a video game, complete with a gripping campaign, challenging top-down turn-based combat, and a fantastic cast of characters and narrator. There is a lot to experience in the main storyline and even more to discover in hidden nooks and crannies, sidequests, and trinkets of lore. Successful and failed dice rolls – and the consequences that follow – have led to some of the highest highs and lowest lows I’ve felt in a video game. Baldur’s Gate 3 has managed to tell its story while maintaining a sense of agency for the player – where we feel like we’re in control of our actions and consequences instead of being led along – a truly impressive feat.
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate GameplayScreen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay
If you’re on the fence on Baldur’s Gate, I would highly recommend it. There is so much to unpack in this game and through the Acts, it just keeps getting better and better. Baldur’s Gate 3 has truly lived up to its hype. Let Faerûn draw you in and immerse you in its stories.
Halloween season is here! This year, the spooky season is getting some extra love from the Epic Games store as they are giving out a couple of free games to up the scare. If you’re a horror fan and PC gamer, check out our latest FTW (free this week) list to get your freebies before it’s gone!
The Evil Within (Free on Epic Games till 26 October)
Source: Epic Games
If you’re looking for a game that will have your heart palpitating, The Evil Within will keep you on the edge of your seat. You play as a detective who finds himself in a disfigured world with terrifying monsters after investigating a mass murder. Put your survival skills to the test as you face limited resources, cruel traps, and an environment that is everchanging.
If you’re a fan of the Resident Evil series, you can expect a similar experience thanks to the direction of Shinji Mikami. For those looking for horror, this old but gold title will definitely complete your Halloween gaming collection.
Eternal Threads (Free on Epic Games till 26 October)
Source: Epic Games
In Eternal Threads, you are an operative tasked with a mission to fix an error in the timestream. You are sent back in time to 2015 when six people died in a house fire. By manipulating time across a seven-day timeline, it’s up to you to make choices that will affect the story’s outcome.
As advertised, Eternal Threads is all about manipulation, choice, and consequence. While this isn’t a horror title, you can expect to navigate a dark and atmospheric environment within the remains of the building destroyed by arson.
