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Even after a hundred (or more) hours on a single playthrough, and after beating the game, it’s hard to put downBaldur’s Gate 3. Part of thecore identity of the game is its replayability, and the sheer breadth of player agency throughout all aspects of its gameplay and narrative.
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Unlike beating some singleplayer games without a New Game Plus mode, beatingBaldur’s Gate 3doesn’t mean players have to step away from its world. Go back to old saves and make new decisions, take on a new party comp in a second playthrough, or take advantage of the near-endless amount ofmods available to PC players to get the most out of Larian Studios' masterpiece RPG.
Explore Every Corner of Act 3 Right Before The Final Fight
After beating the Netherbrain, the screen fades to white, and players have no choice but to progress to thefinal cutscenes ofBG3and its brief epilogue. However, as long as players made a save before the final fight against the Absolute and its forces, there’s no reason not to go back and explore the final act and the city of Baldur’s Gate to its fullest.
The third act ofBG3is one of the game’s most elaborate and in-depth, and it truly seems like every building, and just about every citizen of the city, has something for players to delve into. Take some time to tie up loose ends, complete the map of the Lower City and Rivington, and otherwise enjoy this climactic part of the game with access to Level 12 spells and abilities.
One of the core features ofBaldur’s Gate 3is its permutations, and how major story moments and the world itself reacts to players' decisions. The game autosaves at regular intervals, but as long as manual saves aren’t deleted, they should remain accessible as part of the player’s campaign.
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Instead of Continuing the game from your most recent save, head to the Load menu and select your character’s name, whichopens up their Campaign’s saves. Scroll down and select each save to see the location of the save as well as a small screenshot.
Look for major decision points in your character’s campaign and try different options – for example, see what happens if Shadowheart makes a different decision in the Gauntlet of Shar, or what happens if the player tries to take control of the Netherbrain for themselves.
Start A New Character With A New Party (Or A Challenge)
The most obvious thing to do after beatingBaldur’s Gate 3is to simply start another playthrough. By the end of the game most players settle into a familiar party composition and leave the others at camp with quests unfulfilled and skills unutilized. For a second playthrough, not only should players select a new class, but they should also go fora wholly different group of companionsto bring along.
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If you brought along Gale, Shadowheart, and Karlach for the majority of the first playthrough, try taking Lae’Zel, Wyll, and Astarion on the next. Better yet, choose an Origin character as the main character to see unique interactions and storylines reserved for the main player’s perspective – Gale gets a cat if players choose him as their playable character from the beginning. Then of course there’s the Dark Urge, a customizable Origin with a twisted backstory and gameplay mechanic.
Another idea for a new playthrough would be to go in with some kind of challenge to adhere to. For example, players could attempt to beat the game with a party full of Halflings (via the Hireling system), or try to beat it with a party full of Bards and no other classes. Try a Barbarian build that doesn’t use weapons, relying on Throwing enemies instead, or vow to not save scum or use Inspiration, accepting all dice rolls as they are. The game is nearly limitless in how it can be replayed – just be sure not to do the same thing twice to see all of it.
Try Out Some Of The Many Baldur’s Gate 3 Mods
ThoughBaldur’s Gate 3has been received incredibly well by fans and critics alike, and is a hot contender for Game Of The Year at multiple outlets, it’s not a perfect game. Luckily, themodding community forBG3is incredibly active, with hundreds and hundreds of mods available that can completely overhaul theBaldur’s Gate 3experience.
Mods aren’t for everybody, and installing them will disable Achievements inBG3. But the quality of life improvements, game expansions, mechanic tweaks, and more make it worth checking out at least once. One mod lets players have all Companions in the party at once, to progress all questlines and allow special shared Dialogue options at all times. There are many that alter the game’s cosmetics, adding new dyes, clothing options, and even transmogrification.
The possibilities in modding are endless, and thankfullyBG3is developed by a studio known for its support of its modding communities. Save the mods for the second playthrough to preserve the game as it was meant to be played, but go wild and add (or change) content to your heart’s delight after beating the Netherbrain for the first time.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available for PC and PlayStation 5. A version for Xbox Series X|S is currently in development.
