Fantasy doesn’t have to mean light and breezy, as Larian’sBaldur’s Gate 3proves. AlthoughBaldur’s Gate 3does have plenty of whimsical and light-hearted moments, itestablishes a tone from the very beginning that leans into the darker side of fantasy.
While it’s not quiteFromSoftwarelevels of dark fantasy,Baldur’s Gate 3is chock-full of sinister creatures, locations, and quests. It will come as no surprise, then, that the fantasy RPG boasts some seriously creepy moments. The following scenes from the game are sure to give players a chill down their spine, despite the stunning fantastical setting.
10The House Of Hope
Infiltrating a devil’s home was always bound to be a tense situation, but Raphael’s House Of Hope adds to this tension by being such a sinister place to explore. The ritual to enter the House establishes the magnitude of the task ahead, and the horrors within confirm that it is a place where hope isn’t only left at the door, but also distorted.
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Players hold conversations with the tormented souls that wander the House’s corridors. They have unsettling interactions with the embodiment of Hope, who has been tortured out of her mind. What’s more, they engage in extremely challenging fights. The House Of Hope has plenty of content to make a player’s skin crawl. When Raphael’s claw finally comes down, it creates an intimidating presence.
9Lady Jannath’s Haunted House
An aura of intrigue hangs over Lady Jannath’s Estate when players first encounter it. Her butler cautions players against entering, but doesn’t stop them. Crossing the threshold, the usual peaceful music is replaced with an eerie score. As furniture hangs in the air or launches itself at players, it becomes clear that this estate is restless and haunted.
Lady Jannath is the newlywed to the artist Oskar Fevras. He has been possessed by his ex-lover, and the peeved Ladyrequests the player’s helpto exorcise him. It makes for an entertaining quest, but the house is unsettling to explore.
8Tadpole Insertion
Baldur’s Gate 3sets its tone from the very beginning. The opening cutscene shows Lae’zel getting an illithid tadpole inserted into her eyeball, and it depicts it in quite graphic detail. Any player who is squeamish about eyes or eye damage is bound to be uncomfortable during this scene, but the idea of a mind flayer parasite being inserted behind someone’s eye is enough to disturb most.
After Lae’zel is infected, the mind flayer turns its attention to the first person observer, holding another tadpole aloft to their next victim. This opening cutscene, which takes places even before character creation, sets the sinister tone fprBG3.
7Madeline’s Trial
In the Shadow-Cursed Landsof the second act, players can encounter a Shadar-Kai elf, communing with a body through ‘Speak with Dead.’ He explains that the body belongs to a lady called Madeline, who ran a tavern before the shadow curse, and betrayed her patrons and friends to Ketheric Thorm. Her friends were forced to stab themselves until they perished. He Who Was wants Madeline’s ledger, so that she may stand trial for her transgressions.
The trial consists of Madeline speaking through the body of He Who Was. While it is creepy enough hearing her tell her desperate tale through his body, players can take it a step further, forcing her to endure the same punishment that her betrayed friends faced. In some sort of twisted justice, players can force Madeline to stab herself repeatedly, in the body of He Who Was.
6The Baldur’s Gate Murders
In act three, players get to play detective, investigating a string of brutal serial killings.Baldur’s Gate 3does a good job building the tension during these quests, giving the feeling that each day that passes will result in another death until players can get to the bottom of it. Indeed, players can find lists of intended targets.
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While attempting to warn the would-be victims, players can run into one of the murders in the act, and that can be the creepy climax to the murder investigations. Seeing the sadistic enjoyment from Dolor, the murderer, and his victim’s body paralyzed in a final expression of fear, rounds off the investigation on the creepiest note possible.
5Last Light Inn Loses Isobel
In the Shadow-Cursed Lands, The Last Light Inn acts as a last bastion against the curse. This is thanks to Isobel, a cleric of Selune whose magic keeps the inn protected. When players meet Isobel, a turncoat Flaming Fist interrupts to kidnap her.
It can be tough to keep Isobel in the fight, and losing her has drastic consequences. With Isobel lost, Jaheira and the party are the only inhabitants of the inn who aren’t immediately overcome by the curse, forcing players to fight many characters who were once allies. The drastic change in tone and removing one of the few safe havens in act two serve to make this a terrifying and devastating moment.
4Auntie Ethel’s Lair
One of the creepiestencounters in act one, Auntie Ethel the green hag has earned a reputation as an oddly charming and amusing, but seriously sinister antagonist. Any encounter with her, either in act one or when she rears her head again in act three, is undoubtedly creepy. However, can top the first time that players enter her lair.
Beneath Auntie Ethel’s quaint little teahouse, players will find a twisting labyrinth descending into the depths of her lair. While the environment is beautifully sinister, what really sells the atmosphere are the characters that players can interact with. Auntie Ethel displays the poor souls that have gone to her for help and paid her price in her lair like a twisted museum. Their disturbing fates send a clear message: mess with Auntie Ethel and pay the price.
3Orin the Red
Any moment involving Orin, the shapeshifter chosen of Bhaal, is guaranteed to be creepy.Baldur’s Gate 3does an incredible job at taking advantage of the paranoia induced by a shapeshifter antagonist. Orin will talk to players as innocuous NPCs, before revealing herself through increasingly sinister dialogue, taunting players.
To add to the horror factor, she is a sadistic and brutal murderous monster. whowill potentially kidnap and permanently kill a companion. Orin is voiced by Maggie Robertson, whose incredible voice acting sells the terror. Any interaction with her will haunt players.
2The House Of Healing
The Shadow-Cursed Lands are full of terrifying locations and interactions, but Malus Thorm and The House Of Healing may just be the best of them. Malus Thorm is a twisted doctor who practises Shar’s art of pain with the assistance of his nurses. Their designs are disturbing, and they are established as a threat when players find the bodies of Arabella’s parents, or see Malus and his nurses torturing a ‘patient.’
While the fight with Malus is challenging and uses some of the creepiest combat music in the game, the most disturbing moment comes if players convince Malus to submit to his own teachings. To a sinister score and an expression of terror from players' characters, Malus’s nurses repeatedly stab him until he succumbs to his wounds, and they go about their business.
1The Dark Urge’s First Kill
Players who are looking for creepy moments should consider doinga playthrough as The Dark Urge. It definitely has some of the creepiest interactions in the game, as players attempt to resist or succumb to their horrific intentions. Arguably the most impactful moment, however, is The Dark Urge’s very first nighttime kill. Dark Urge players can be approached by an innocent and amicable bard as they camp one evening.
This is likely to be Alfira, a beloved tiefling from the Druid Grove. They have been inspired by the players actions and wish to join their party. They don’t last long, however, as The Dark Urge awakens in the night to find themselves standing over Alfira’s brutalized body, surrounded by an occult symbol. It is a seriously creepy moment that really sets the tone for a Dark Urge playthrough.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available on PC and PlayStation 5. A version for Xbox Series X/S is currently in development.
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