[GameSpot] - These Baldur's Gate 3 Mods Make Larian's Hit RPG Feel More Like Dragon Age

[343iBot]

Playing Baldur's Gate 3 via mouse and keyboard is very much an isometric RPG, complete with a zoomed out, birds-eye view of the action and players moving characters via clicks of the mouse. But what if that weren't the case?

Thanks to modders, Larian Studio's hit RPG can be transformed to feel more akin to something like BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins or CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3, complete with a more zoomed in, third-person camera and WASD movement controls.

As highlighted by PC Gamer, the WASD Character Movement mod from Ch4nKyy and the Native Camera Tweaks mod by Ershin combined change Baldur's Gate 3 into what feels like a completely different game. With Native Camera Tweaks installed, players can choose to zoom in for a more traditional third-person perspective while running around the world of Baldur's Gate 3 and interacting with its various inhabitants. This way, they can notice all the little details that are almost impossible to notice from the game's default camera angle. Even better, players always have the option to zoom back out to a more isometric view as they see fit, like in combat.

The WASD mod simply makes the game feel more like a third-person RPG, giving players direct control over character movement. Though the feature isn't functional quite yet, the WASD mod will receive the option in the future to have the game swap between WASD controls and the game's standard movement controls upon entering and exiting combat, which should make for an even more seamless experience. For a look at how the two mods work together, check out the video from dimetequiero above.

It's worth noting that playing Baldur's Gate 3 via a controller or Steam Deck does make for a substantially different experience than when playing with a mouse and keyboard, sporting a more zoomed-in camera and radial menus for players to use. However, the Native Camera Tweaks still come in handy even when playing with a controller, allowing players to zoom in much further than the default camera allows for.

Larian recently revealed stats from Baldur's Gate 3's launch week, highlighting how the game has broken into the top-10 all-time most concurrent players on Steam and has already been collectively played for 1,225 years. Paladin, Sorcerer, and Warlock have proven to be Baldur's Gate 3's most popular classes, with Cleric clocking in as the game's least played class.

Baldur's Gate 3's first major patch is expected to arrive soon and is said to include thousands of bug fixes and tweaks. Those fixes will be rolled into the PlayStation 5 version of Baldur's Gate 3 at launch. The game will make its console debut on September 6 for those who purchase the standard edition, with preloading set to begin on September 4. Those who preorder the Digital Deluxe edition will be able to get a head start, with the ability to preload on August 31 and early access to Baldur's Gate 3's first act on September 2.

View the full article