Baldur’s Gate 3 dethrones Zelda Tears of the Kingdom and aims to steal the title of GOTY from her.
Since the end of last year, the video game industry has agreed that the year 2023 will be made of great vintages in terms of video games. Between Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo IV or Final Fantasy XVI, titles with great potential are not lacking. But the one that caused a sensation with all the players – or almost – It is Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. Released on Nintendo Switch exclusively, the sequel to Breath of the Wild was particularly anticipated, which earned it record sales and an almost certain place for the title of GOTY (Game of the Year – game of the year). At least, until now.
Indeed, Zelda has just been dethroned by a very recent release, Baldur’s Gate 3. If this name is not foreign to you, it is because it has been in the mouths of all players for a few weeks. Released on July 25, the title offers the ultimate role-playing experience for anyone who loves medieval fantasy vibes. It is on Metacritic, the most prestigious rating system, that Tears of the Kingdom admit defeat to Baldur’s Gate 3.
The principle of Metacritic is simple. The site lists all the press critics and compiles their notes to make a score. The evaluations left by the players also count, to give a score out of 10 which can sometimes clash with professional critics. Baldur’s Gate 3, as of this writing, gets thus a score of 97 and a user rating of 9.1. It’s better than Zelda which displays a score of 96 and a rating of 8.3.
The GOTY in our hearts
That said, Tears of the Kingdom already compiles 3 months of use, which can alter the first impressions, even unanimously positive. Baldur’s Gate 3 being a game that tests itself even better over time, it is likely that a number of tests will be released in the coming weeks, so you will have to watch the evolution of its score which could take a hit. However, it stands out as highest rated game of the yearwhich already predicts his excellent predisposition to be elected GOTY at the Game Awards 2023.
In our test already, we described the title as “the ultimate role-playing game“, one of the nuggets of this year:
This title, lovingly sculpted with respect for the legendary foundations of the DnD universe, offers an absolutely gigantic freedom of choice and action that contains all the ingredients for a memorable adventure. […] Baldur’s Gate 3 is the ultimate role-playing experience that so many other studios have tried to emulate but never succeeded. Already one of the best titles of the year without a doubt.”
Baldur’s Gate 3, and after?
In September, let’s not forget that another behemoth will show up. It is Starfield, one of the most gigantic space adventures in the history of video games. Bethesda, no stranger to international success, is banking heavily on its next flagship. The studio is already touting the merits of its bombastic storytelling, its thousand explorable planets, and its visual immersion. The only obstacle to its success remains the rigor of the studio, which is also known for releasing games riddled with bugs, which can easily spoil a launch.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, due out in October, also has a shot at snagging the prize, although it doesn’t seem to feature any big innovation unlike its rivals. It will remain one of the most anticipated titles of the year.
