Does Baldurs Gate 3 Deserve GOTY 2023?

[@GameListPlus]

Baldur's Gate 3 won! How do you feel about that? Does it deserve it? Have you played it? Do you love it as much as I do?

[@GameListPlus]

@@user_89P13-grt You have a point, but BG3 is pretty amazing. I also loved TOTK.

[@DragonsilverXGenesis]

So fun how Alan wake 2 can also be a GOTY when Baldur's gate 3 is by far the biggest and best game since 10 years.

[@GameListPlus]

Right?! I haven't played it yet, but it's hard to imagine it could compete. Thanks for watching!

[@codyguthrie5467]

BG3 was amazing. I didnt like divinity 2 and went into BG3 expecting not to enjoy it. WOW was I wrong, this has been the best game ive played in at least 10 years. It should have swept the awards and won everything.

[@GameListPlus]

I love it too! I went back and started playing Divinity since BG3, it feels like the less good version of BG3... I still want to give it a chance as my best friend @jarekdefiler loves it so much even more than BG3 which he also loved. In any case BG3 is a modern masterpiece. Can't wait to see what Larian Studios does next! Thanks for watching!

[@DonovanGG__]

Imagine if Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3 had released in the same year…. That would have been an epic battle. Not to discredit Totk because it was an incredible game, but I think we all knew Bg3 was going to win. Between Bg3 and Elden Ring, I have no clue who would win! I didn’t think I would like either game, but both ended up being top 10 games of all time for me.

[@GameListPlus]

OMG imagine?! That would have been too intense. Lol thanks for watching!

[@mcknackebrot5179]

BG3 is not a bad game, but man the technical state, especially on Ps5 is... well... Bugs, Long loading screens, bad performance, crashes...

[@GameListPlus]

That's unfortunate! I play it on PC, maybe it's because it's more powerful than the PS5 that I haven't had that experience. It all tends to run smoothly for me. Hopefully they will continue to tweak all the issues on PS5 so it can be a complete experience. I also truly hope they can reach a state of cross play not just cross saves! With the sales Larian Studios has had with BG3, they can certainly afford to hire some more people to work on it! Thanks for watching!

[@aerenprice]

Great video and you included good context on the questions around nominations!

[@GameListPlus]

Thank's so much! Thanks for watching and comment-plimenting!

[@jarrodbright5231]

The October Hasbro investor meeting put Baldur's Gate 3's sales over 20 million as of the start of October. It since released in Japan, so.. yeah it's well over that now.

[@GameListPlus]

Oh nice thanks for that info. Yeah that's pretty mind bending... What a crazy success! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@brettpeacock9116]

LOZ-TOTK may have lost some credit because it was originally slated to be DLC for the previous LOZ game. (You even stated that it added to the features of that game) I don't say either LOZ is actually Bad, but BG3 was far more innovative in so many ways... heck, I am ot a huge fan of turn based RPGs, but Larian managed to make turn based fun! That's innovation.

[@GameListPlus]

I feel the same way, I love it. Didn't think I would get into it like I did. Well deserved win IMO. Thanks for watching!

[@Av3theboi]

BG3 and Tears of the Kingdom CLEAR Starfield. Starfield lacks narrative depth and the companions are flat as characters.

[@GameListPlus]

I hear you on that. I feel like Starfield could have easily been nominated over Resident Evil 4, for it's sheer size and depth. But I do think both TOTK and BG3 deserve it far more. I can see Starfield being a much better game in a few years after modders and big developer updates and expansions. Thanks for watching!

[@netweed09]

$tarfield lacks a proper Open-world even. It's a fake game; Bethesda & Todd Coward selling dreams to dreamers again.

[@renegade7032]

In terms of overall enjoyment, I'd say TotK clears, it was the only one that I didn't get bored of a few hours in.

[@GameListPlus]

I feel you on that. I didn't get bored with Baldur's Gate either, but I feel like they are such vastly different gameplay types. Gotta be in the right mood for either one. Thanks for watching!

[@caballardevids3094]

Gotta go for zelda because how they manage to run that game on a much weaker console.

[@GameListPlus]

That's a good point! Thanks for watching!

[@GameListPlus]

What do you think of the Nominees? Have you played all the Nominated Games?! What's your favorite?

[@banir3736]

Baldurs Gate 3? Gameplay wise? No by far they don’t deserve it. Music? No. Voice Acting? It was really immaculate, but most of the top games are immaculate on their own context. The only reason BG3 won because of the controversy of “monetization”. Though tbh, I wouldn’t say BG3 doesn’t really have the most “sophisticated” game design but it caries the “soul” of what people want. A game that “costs” relatively to how it delivered (???) in the “minds” of players. Congrats to them though but considering it’s opponents, it didn’t really deserve to be the “best game of the year” BUT because of it’s success hope that Companies LEARNS of what players truly want.

[@gamersinger5118]

Personally I can’t in good conscience give BG3 the nod mainly because of the slew of bugs, glitches, and mechanical problems of the game. Even not counting that you have far superior writing and storytelling in other CRPGs. It really was a game that needed another year to be ironed out and polished before it released. Worse still I started and played it months after the initial release and with several patches already in place. Yet still it is plagued so much with problems. Crashed 5 times on me as well.

[@HH-hd7nd]

BG3 is the best game of the year hands down. Remakes should not be nominated - maybe they could introduce a new category just for remakes. And I think it is ok to allow them into the Best Performance category if the dialogue is re-recorded with a new voice actor. Starfield does not deserve a nomination - the game has simply way too many flaws. FFXVI, Hogwarts Legacy or Lies of P should have replaced RE4.

[@GameListPlus]

I agree with you! Seperate category! 💯 Thanks for watching!

[@fraktux]

It deserves the Favorite game of the year but it wasn't really the best.

[@GameListPlus]

Which do you think should have won? Thanks for watching!

[@fraktux]

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom or Alan Wake and Hogwarts Legacy for me. My favorite coop multiplayer, Remnant 2 ​@GameListPlus

[@GameListPlus]

We've been getting such great games!

[@SumireSakura]

Tears of the Kingdom hands down. It has got such a good physics system that it needs to win GOTY. Besides it's Zelda.

[@GameListPlus]

It is an amazing game for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@boomer150]

Dam right, the gaming industry as a whole owes a lot to Zelda.

[@JAYJAYBEBE]

TOTK is a better game. The only reason it didn't win is because it is too similar to BOTW, a game which already won GOTY in 2017. If BOTW didn't come out? It wouldn't even be close... Baulder's Gate is not a better game, it just feels "fresher".

[@GameListPlus]

I feel you on that. Yeah If TOTK was the first Zelda Switch Open world game it would have obliterated everything else. Thanks for watching!

[@DonovanGG__]

Bro is coping lol

[@boomer150]

I fully admit to Zelda bias and I was upset to see the best Zelda of all time lose Game of the Year to a turn based D&D game that by all accounts was filled with sex....I don't know any other games that had to release a patch that people called "a cold shower for the characters" Then I remember people talking about "recency bias" how a game's hype can contribute to how a game performs at game awards. I wonder if Baldur's and Tears releases had been inverted, if Tears had released closer to the awards it likely would of won but that's just a hypothetical. Something else nobody considers is they treat all these nominees like they are on the same platform (both metaphorical and video game platform). Baldur's Gate is a current gen game that requires a next gen console to play it or a very powerful computer, my mini PC couldn't play it at a decent FPS. However Tears is running on a console that is 7 years old, modern phones have more power than the Switch yet this Zelda title running on old hardware stands toe to toe with this current gen super high graphical game that needs the power of a PS5 to run. If only Nintendo had released a more powerful Switch in conjunction with Tears it would of crushed all before it. Its like Muhammad Ali losing a title fight because his arm was broken before the fight. I am happy for Baldur's Gate's developers, by all accounts they poured there hearts into there game and from what I have seen it was deserved. My only gripe is they poisoned there win by using sleezy game hyping tactics. It was the highly controversial scene, the very specific one that sparked all kinds of internet controversy that pulled in millions of players. Its not that the scene was the game waiting to be found, they picked that scene specifically to hype up there game and now in the minds of many people Baldur's Gate 3 will be know as "the game with that one scene". They had to know that scene would be there legacy.

[@GameListPlus]

I see you feel very strongly about that. I don't think the game won or got all the notoriety because of the sexual factor personally. I think it's actually the deep gameplay options and sheer volume of choice! I get where you are coming from though. I appreciate your opinion and helping make this a community! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@ArturoAlbero]

I haven't played Baldur's Gate 3, but I think it deserves it because how much has impact the game media. I mean, Game of the year is not "best" but "most important". And I think Baldur's Gate is more important than Tears of the Kingdom as a release.

[@GameListPlus]

Great way to put it! "Most important". Thanks for watching!

[@mcknackebrot5179]

Or more like: How the media impact BG3

[@Emankind]

I think that BG3 deserves it. The game will have a positive lasting affect on the games industry. And no other game this year can make that claim.

[@GameListPlus]

I have to agree. It pulled me back to the CRPG, nothing else has done that in my adult life. Thanks for watching!

[@VampireNoblesse]

no one expected Starfield to be a Goty contender (atleast not after it was released).., unless ofc your a (die hard) Xbox fan. ... that said, Starfield is my personal Goty

[@GameListPlus]

Yeah, I think I was expecting more of it as a big Skyrim fan, I do find it very fun. But it just didn't have the full immersive awesomeness I got from Skyrim. I'm still keeping my hopes high for Elder Scrolls VI. Thanks for watching!

[@zazoreal5536]

22million copies sold BG3

[@GameListPlus]

Incredible! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Vulpix28]

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet goty

[@GameListPlus]

Haha! Thanks for watching!

[@jamesromualdez1405]

what? no

[@davidaitken8503]

I have watched a number of these type of videos and not one single one of them gives any actual gameplay related reasons why Baldur's Gate 3 should win. I'm baffled as to what exactly you think is innovative about it? It is well done but is still fairly typical of what I've come to expect from CRPG's. Like TotK it builds upon much of what was established in Baldur's Gate 2. The reality is it seems to be getting a huge bump from it being a surprise that wasn't on very many people's radar including those that hadn't played its' predecessor. Zelda TotK has better level/ environment design, way more interactivity with the environment, skill based interaction (no lame dice rolls), more varied and interesting weapon variety (bouncy, cloud, enemies turning on one another, blinding flash, etc.), everything to do with building vehicles, etc. The list really does go on and on. So far Baldur's Gate 3 is far more limited. I actually haven't beaten either game yet as I'm just having fun seeing what I can do and taking my time but even with the branching choices I just don't see how anyone can seriously say that Baldur's Gate 3 is the best example of a "game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields" as the Game of the Year category describes it. I know some may not want to hear this but their really are some inherent limitations of game design associated with some genres of game too. Dice rolls determining success or failure really is infinitely more limited then my driving skills and the terrain and obstacles determining whether or not my flame spewing 4 wheeler with swords sticking out of the front or a squad of enemies ultimately comes out on top. It's that type of moment to moment gameplay and intricate interaction that puts Zelda TotK over the inherent limitations of Baldur's Gate 3. It is also way more complicated from a programming perspective which you would think we would all want to celebrate the Zelda team making something so difficult seeming so effortless. Why isn't the most ambitious use of technology to drive gameplay innovation more deserving of winning Game of the Year then Baldur's Gate 3? I really want someone to explain this to me. I don't want to hear about how Larian is the little guy so they deserve it more. I want to hear actual gameplay related reasons why Zelda TotK is less worthy of the title then BG3. Well?

[@jarrodbright5231]

The innovation with Baldur's Gate 3 was the graphical style and production values that took a niche game (western CRPG) and took it to AAA levels of presentation and much higher levels of accessibility. It therefore opened a previously niche genre of game to be accessible to the wider market. There are indications that BG3 may be the highest grossing game this year by the time it releases on X-Box. In terms of gameplay innovation the higher level of reactivity and options for interactions is at the top level of what has previosuly existed in the RPG market. I'm not going to try to claim that it is truly groundbreaking in the hard RPG space because it's not, as you say it's iterative improvement. What it is doing that is groundbreaking is that it's bringing these aspects of that genre to a wider audience who have never experienced this sort of thing. You're clearly biased toward liking the gameplay of ToTK and that's fine and I'm sorry but I'm not going to try to get into the "reasons why game A is better than game B" here, just explaining what is groundbreaking and innovative about BG3 and why it has been rightly nominated as GotY and why I feel it would be deserving of its win if it does in fact beat TotK.

[@GameListPlus]

@davidaitken8503 I have to agree with @jarrodbright5231. The sheer amount of choices you can make in Baldur's Gate 3 is what really made the experience stand out the most for me. But TOTK DOES deserve to win in many ways. It's one of my favorite games of all time. And based on the technical description of what the award is for it would make sense. But when all is said and done, the Game Awards, much like the Oscars is more of a popularity contest than a merit based award. In any case, I appreciate your commenting and voicing your opinion on GameList+, It's great to voice our opinions and build this as a community! Thanks for watching!

[@davidaitken8503]

@@jarrodbright5231 Thank you for responding. In regards to gameplay, you only mention the "higher level of reactivity and options for interactions" being better then the previously low standards for that type of stuff in a CRPG though. Zelda TotK is currently the gold standard for interactivity with the game world. Extra options in dialogue trees on BG3 aren't exactly cutting edge gameplay, though it is cool how it can change other interactions down the road. It certainly is better then Zelda in that regard. Other then that, you talk about sales figures and the game selling well even amongst the casual consumer because of better then usual for that genre presentation. That brings me back to the crux of my frustration though. What does any of that have to do with why it should be GotY? Sales figures? Being more palatable to close minded casual consumers? I wish Pikmin 4 would sell better then it does but that wouldn't magically change the content within the game to a better quality if it did. You keep pointing to things outside of the game itself as to why BG3 deserves to be GotY and then refuse to go into details as to what BG3 does better then Zelda TotK which again, is exactly what I want to understand. Am I "biased" towards liking the gameplay of Zelda or am I just making good points that you can't counter? This is what I was getting at before. None of the arguments in favor of BG3 have anything to do with the actual game. It's all about the culture surrounding it.

[@jarrodbright5231]

​@@davidaitken8503 As I previously noted I'm not going to debate gameplay of BG3 vs ZTotK since they are very different games and you clearly prefer one over the other. I happen to prefer different styles of gameplay to you so I don't expect we'll find common ground here, and I'm not after an argument on our conflicting opinions. I never said BG3 was "better than the previously low standards in areas of reactivity and option interactions in the RPG space". The bar is pretty high in the RPG space for these aspects, and BG3 makes an interative improvement here. This involves a lot of work to support these decision trees and higher number of variables and so it shouldn't be brushed over. The significant improvement relative to other RPGs (and it is truly groundbreaking for this genre) is in graphics, accessibility and production values. This brought the CRPG genre to a wider audience. You may not value this, but it is actually a significant achievement. Sales figures do matter because the GotY winner is essentailly a fan vote and the more fans who played the game and enjoyed it, the better the chance of the game getting voted for. I'm not justifying this, just explaining it.

[@krisnanakwame]

Havent played Totk so i cant say much about it. But CRPGs have always been about story and player choice and building your character, the gameplay innovation with BG3 is the level of detail added to it, the cinematic nature of it and the level of production which has never been seen before in a CRPG it has without a doubt pusbed that genre forward and exposed a huge amount of people that never would have played a CRPG into the genre and that's not something that happens often in gaming. The amount of player choice and reactivity, I've got 450 hrs of game time, with 7 different characters ( I haven't even touched durge yet) and each is completely different especially those where I'm in a group and not making all the decisions alone. I'm not sure this sort of story telling has been achieved in a game before, where you can all start at the same point but almost every person has a different experience and it feels very personal or collaborative in a multiplayer game. It's a different type of gameplay from Totk but is doing a very similar thing but narratively instead of with interactive gameplay mechanics. However BG3 has great interactivity to, with great level, encounter and enemy design also with a huge amount of ways you can use the systems within the game and the deeper your understanding of the mechanics the more ways you can solve encounters or other problems.

[@hugostiglitzracing866]

absolutely not lol

[@GameListPlus]

You think TOTK should have won? Thanks for watching!

[@Ballagorn_Ironblood]

Im not switch (or consol in general) player so I pesonaly dont count LoZ, also in GOTY should be Elden Ring and Armored Core 6, that would be the most intens battle for that title

[@GameListPlus]

Elden Ring came out in 2022! I haven't played Armored Core yet but I hear it's pretty amazing! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@netweed09]

😂 Elden Ring came out last Year and won it already lol.

[@bloodlinegate7]

Friend just because the outlets gave zelda once more a 96 so to do nintendo the favor, it doesn't mean that it really deserved it, so no it wasn't even a battle between the 2, the margin was too big.

[@GameListPlus]

Which do you think deserved the win? I think both are amazing worthy games having played the hell out of both! Thanks for watching!

[@AyraNunes]

You might call me crazy, but I do believe it's a competition between Alan Wake 2 and BG3! Don't get me wrong, TOTK is an amazing game, much better than the previous one, and that's saying a lot! But, in spite of that, it felt a lot like BOTW, I tried to play them back to back, but I just couldn't, it felt like I was playing the same game again, even though they introduce new mechanics, and all, it's just not enough to make it feel like another game, and I'm sorry, I don't think anyone finished BOTW and said: "oh, I wish I could play this massive map again... but in the dark", God, this underground map is so annoying... on the other hand, both BG3 and AW2 were more groundbreaking than TOTK, especially BG3, because, just like Elden Ring, it was able to break out of its niche and reached other players that would never play a game like it otherwise...

[@GameListPlus]

Oh man! What an upset that would be! I just started Alan Wake: Remastered yesterday! I want to finish it before I play AW2. Thanks for watching!

[@Joyexer]

I find it not suprising, that Starfield isnt nominated for game of the year. It was very hyped up and objectively didnt deliver. Star Citizen is already a better game then Starfield and it isnt even finished...

[@GameListPlus]

I haven't tried it! I'm going to check it out. Thanks for watching!

[@xSARCASTICxROMANCEx]

“Does Baldurs gate 3 deserve GOTY” what kinda of question is that? Of course it does. That simple.

[@GameListPlus]

Totally agree! Not everyone thinks so though. Thanks for watching!

[@tatangegeboy7318]

nice game bro

[@GameListPlus]

Haha thanks for watching, which do you think deserves the award?

[@Ythari82]

I think BG3 should win simply because it is a genre defining game and it broke a lot of boundaries. It was able to capture Gamers who normally never would’ve played a turn based CRPG because they spent the time and effort to make amazing cinematic dialog and cutscenes in a genre that usually just stays at an isometric view. Those scenes are what are all over the marketing of the game and IMO is what broadened the appeal. While the combat is also amazing, if all BG3 had was an isometric view to show off in marketing I don’t think it would’ve brought in as many new players to the genre as it did.

[@GameListPlus]

Great points! Something I love about the game is that the isometric view isn't fixed. It's something that doesn't seem like a big thing at first, but it makes Diablo IV feel so stiff after playing BG3. Thanks for watching!

[@Ythari82]

@@GameListPlusyeah I feel you. I tried to go back and try the new season of Diablo 4 and after a few hours went back and started a third BG3 run lol. This time a Dark Urge redemption (good) run

[@GameListPlus]

@@Ythari82 haha exactly! The multiplayer is a better couch co-op experience to me as well.

[@netweed09]

?? ''Genre defining''???? 🤣😂😂 That was FF16 that actually took _Massive_ risks - combat, story mood, all of it! Yet you stan for an isometric top-down 2.5D game that hasn't really changed at all once you scratch beneath that shiny new UHD Bump-mapped coat of paint from it's pointy-clicky boredom in over _20_ years!! Figures.

[@jackunvailable]

Even if Baldurs Gate 3 didn't deserve GOTY, it certainly shouldn't go to TOTK lol. Don't get me wrong, it's a great game and I loved playing it, but for a game that reuses most of it's assets and mechanics from a *launch title* to the console 6 years ago, it just doesn't stand up against the rest. Personally, I would've said Mario Wonder, that game was incredible, innovative, and used it's own assets.

[@GameListPlus]

Mario Wonder was great! I did a review for it. At least it got nominated! Thanks for watching!

[@AKABoondock19]

It NEEDS to be bg3

[@GameListPlus]

I hear you. It really is a fantastic experience of a game. The amount of freedom and choice is astounding! Thanks for watching!