Baldur’s Gate 3 vs. Starfield: Varied RPGs of 2023 | Kaser Focus

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I've said this before, but 2023 is an absolutely wonderful year to be a gamer. There have been so many well-made and enjoyable plays, and even relative flops (like Forspoken and Gollum) have at least been interesting. Today, in the second half of the year, we got several excellent RPGs in quick succession. In recent months we've had Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Baldur's Gate 3 and now Starfield. After playing all four of them, it's been a treat to see how different they are and what they have to offer.

The two that invite the most comparison are Baldur's Gate 3 and Starfield, having been released relatively close to each other. Baldur's Gate 3 is a Dungeons & Dragons inspired title with rich and almost over-engineered missions, towns and characters. This is a traditional adventure, with its twists and turns mixed with familiar flavors of fantasy and intrigue. Starfield is more of the large-scale exploration-based adventure we've come to expect from Bethesda, set against the backdrop of a futuristic sci-fi setting. Both offer a role-playing experience, but with very different roles offered.

Apart from the Starfield release, the news this week hasn't been very rosy. Embracer has shut down Volition, the developer of Saints Row, and may also lay off others as part of its restructuring. Sony is raising the prices of PlayStation Plus, at least as part of its annual pricing structure. But on the other hand, we had a perfectly enjoyable Super Mario Bros. Wonder live, which looks like a delight.

On a personal level, I finally finished my review of Starfield, after a few sleepless nights. I can't wait to see everyone else's reactions, both during the early access period right now and when it officially releases next week. I fully intend to explore the parts of the game that I haven't found yet - and there are plenty of them. Then I'll finally have the opportunity to try out Armored Core VI, and maybe also the new visual novel Master Detective Archives: Rain Code.

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