Baldur's Gate 3, at least on PC, is right around the corner, and while many of us can't wait to jump into Faerun and venture forth with our party, it's not quite time. While we wait (especially if you're on PlayStation), here are some RPGs to play as you wait for Baldur's Gate 3.
Divinity: Original Sin Series
This one is a no-brainer, especially if you're new to Larian Studios' RPG series. Baldur's Gate 3 is very different than its predecessors, going from the real-time combat of Baldur's Gate in the past to the turn-based combat more like a session of 5E Dungeons & Dragons.
Divinity: Original Sin and its sequel are two of the greatest RPGs to release in the last decade. Its hands-off approach to storytelling, letting the player explore and uncover the world and its secrets through gameplay, experimentation, and just sheer luck, makes these two RPGs some of the most open in the genre. Freedom is one of its defining characteristics, allowing you to play an even-keeled Paladin-type character who protects the weak, to running around as a murder hobo, killing everything and everyone in sight. Origin characters also add even more storytelling and give another glimpse into the world, though it loses none of the freedom the series is known for even with established backgrounds.
Visually stunning and with deep mechanics that make you think about every interaction, Divinity is the proof of concept that helped solidify Larian Studios as a top-tier RPG studio - and why they were many fans' first choice to make Baldur's Gate 3 in the first place.
Pillars of Eternity Series
Obsidian created the Pillars of Eternity series as a love letter to old isometric PC RPGs of yesteryear (like the original Baldur's Gate games), and proved that there is still an appetite for the genre. Exploding out of its wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, Obsidian reignited the CRPG revolution, bringing players a rich story, a beautiful world to explore, and fantastic mechanics that remind those older gamers among us what it was like to play the CRPGs of old.
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire improves upon the first in meaningful ways, opening up that game world a bit more, and even putting players in command of their own ship. Suzie reviewed Deadfire for us back when it was released in 2018, stating that it was "ample proof that epic, single-player games are absolutely worth making." (And giving it the first 10/10 in her long career here.)
Solasta: Crown of the Magister
A more recent addition to the gaming landscape, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is an isometric RPG based on the 5E D&D ruleset. Released in 2021, it's an excellent turn-based RPG that has players explore the shattered world of Solasta to stop a cataclysm from befalling the world yet again.
It's a game steeped in the tabletop roots of its ruleset, allowing players to create their own dungeons, play the role of Dungeon Master in their group, but also take part in incredible tactical combat. Robin called it "Amazing" in her Solasta review, stating that while they ran into some early issues, Solasta is an excellent game that opens up as you move through its story. As Robin states: "This isn't a game to sleep on."
Pathfinder Series
Pathfinder is another tabletop ruleset that isn't exactly like Dungeons & Dragons but is still beloved by the community. The Pathfinder RPGs that have popped up on PC have been some of the best out there as well, with Owlcat Games' Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous entries in the cRPG domain.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker was released back in 2018 around the same time as Dreadfire and takes place in the fantasy world of Golarion. And isometric RPG (like pretty much every single one on this list), Kingmaker was the first CRPG set in the Pathfinder universe. You can customize your character and use a wide range of class archetypes across the RPG, and even conquer lands in the world to claim as your own kingdom.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous was released in 2021 and, instead of being a sequel to Kingmaker, told its own story. Players can also take part in the Fifth Crusade, a grand campaign-style part of the game aimed at pushing evil back into the Abyss.
Neverwinter Nights Series
Considered by many CRPG fans to be among the best RPGs ever created for the computer, Neverwinter Nights is a must-play for isometric RPG fans. Set in the world of Faerun, the same as Baldur's Gate 3, Neverwinter Nights shows Bioware during its early years, telling incredible stories inside the city of Neverwinter.
While Neverwinter Nights followed the 3rd Edition D&D Ruleset, its sequel took it up a notch with the more advanced 3.5 edition. It's massive, and brings tons of content, especially user-generated campaigns thanks to the incredible community that still supports the CRPG.
Baldur's Gate 1 and 2
Of course, if you've never played the OG Baldur's Gate games, now is your chance. Setting the stage for Baldur's Gate 3, you can immerse yourself in the world of Faerun and the eponymous city through the lens of the groundbreaking CRPGs from the late nineties and early aughts.
Baldur's Gate 3 is set 100 years after the events of the previous series, so it's not necessarily required to have played them going into the new game. But, while the events of Baldur's Gate 3 are themselves contained in their own story, there has been at least one character revealed during early access that previous BG players will recognize, and other will likely be easter eggs or callbacks to the previous games that are more enjoyable if you've got the frame of reference.
However, Baldur's Gate 3, while technically a sequel to the first two, takes place after the events fo the Descent from Avernus module of D&D, telling a very different story than the Bhaalspawn Saga of the original titles. That said, they are excellent games in their own right and should be played by anyone interested in classic CRPGs that helped pave the way for massive RPGs like BG3 will be.
