Baldur’s Gate 3 shines brightest at its most mundane, like when you’re sitting around a dim fire with your party members exchanging intimate backstories, or waltzing around camp in respite from the world saving calamities waiting at your doorstep. Moments where the only noises to be heard are faint murmurs of chatter or an Owl Bear cub excitedly darting through the wilds.
Conversations with characters we’ll come to love will always be more memorable than killing hordes of the Absolute’s fateful, as will stumbling into new locations bordering the titular city in search of compelling side quests. I am all for this kind of content, and will definitely put off the main story for as long as possible to see everything Larian’s classic has to offer. This has me yearning for what it doesn’t have, though, like a masquerade ball where my party and I can look gorgeous and solve a sinister plot before dancing the night away.
The game’s narrative plays everything relatively straight, although moments of warmth and humour can be found throughout, especially if you’re willing to engage with party members and grow closer to them. Shadowheart might seem cold and aloof, but she isn’t afraid to crack jokes or lean into her sarcastic side. Lae’zel is deadpan, but will happily hurl insults out to anyone who annoys her. Astarion is… Astarion, which is enough reason to adore him. Now imagine all of these personalities under a single roof, dressed up to the nines and ready to take down a big bad and look sexy as hell doing it. I want this. Scratch that, I need this.
My mind jumps to a similar side quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt where Geralt attends a ball of this nature with Triss or Yen, both of them donning masks as you peruse the party in search of drinks, party favours, and suspicious characters acting as your main objective. But there’s also time to kick back, to hide away in the garden under the pretence of work, to exchange a flurry of adorable giggles and kisses, using the occasion as a perfect excuse to flirt.
Now imagine this sort of spectacular affair within the confines of Baldur’s Gate 3. Perhaps it takes place in a grand palace or the grounds of Grand Duke Ravengard, and you can decide to steal a formal invitation or snake your way in through the basement or kitchen as cooks try to prepare all the necessary accoutrements. Depending on how you infiltrate the palace, you’ll need to either find a place to change or start schmoozing, climbing the social ladder in search of unique opportunities. You could also choose to get ratassed and write off the plan entirely, although I doubt your party members will be best pleased.
I’d totally use a quest like this as an excuse to take my ideal romance on a date, and there would be ample ways for it to unfold whether you’ve got Shadowheart or Halsin on your arm. You might even sneak into a closet to make out while Ravengard is giving a defining speech, getting off instead of focusing on the mission in classic Baldur’s Gate 3 fashion.
Or you can take it seriously, systemically figuring out the social hierarchy and rubbing shoulders with anyone who can make the night go smoother. The dance floor can be flanked by storage or meeting rooms housing worthwhile secrets and shady dealings, all free for us to discover or miss as you scan the party over and over again in search of secrets. Similar RPGs have managed this sort of quest incredibly well before, but Larian’s gem could take it above and beyond.
I’m picturing it playing out like a Hitman level, but that isn’t too far removed from the mindset Baldur’s Gate 3 wants you to take. You’re encouraged to seek out any and all possibilities unless you’re roleplaying a specific route, figuring out what to do only after you have either exhausted all options or decided on the best course of action. A confined party where all the guests, attractions, and circumstances can be curated to such a degree is a recipe for excellence in a game that already blows away the competition. I’d also do it for fashion, and bonus points if there’s an opportunity to go shopping for outfits before the party.
Leave a Reply