A Baldur's Gate 3 Adventure Gone Wrong: Player Fumbles and Misses Entire Act 3
05 Oct 2023
It's not every day one gets to hear about a player who blunders through a major plotline and subsequently misses out on a crucial part of the game. But in the adventurous universe of Baldur's Gate 3, that's precisely what happened with one particular player, adding a humorous footnote to the game's lore. The player in question stumbled upon the gloomy ending in Act 2, unknowingly skipped the entire Act 3, and was left with the impression that they had triumphed over the game. Little did they know, their journey was far from over.
The intrigue begins with Gale, one of the game's companions, who is saddled with a monumental task. He carries within his being a formidable magical force, likened to a nuclear weapon. As players engage with Gale, they uncover his mission to annihilate the Absolute - a colossal Elder Brain that governs the Mind Flayer tadpole implanted in numerous individuals worldwide, including the player's character. Gale's aim is to get close to the Absolute and unleash his magical energy, essentially causing a grand explosion that would obliterate him, the Absolute, and anyone in close range.
During the encounter with the Absolute at the conclusion of Act 2, Gale is presented with an opportunity to fulfill his mission. If players permit him to trigger the explosion, they are led to a unique, although rather underwhelming, ending, which leaves the world in a precarious state. The narrator sums up the situation succinctly, saying, "It is an ending, of sorts. Though not the one destiny had in store for you." A pragmatic player might reconsider their decision at this point, reload the game, and make a different choice. However, in a satirical Reddit post titled "I'm so incredibly stupid", user megaderp675 confessed to an unconventional reaction to this situation.
In the post, megaderp675 candidly admitted to allowing Gale to trigger the explosion, rolling credits and assuming that they had concluded the game. They later realized that they had completely bypassed Act 3 and hadn't even set foot in the city. Despite this being a legitimate ending, it wasn't the most favorable one. This revelation sparked a lively discussion in the comments section, with many players agreeing that from an in-game standpoint, the ending made perfect sense. After all, players were presented with a golden opportunity to eliminate the greatest threat to their world. The fact that the players' demise was anti-climactic was viewed as a realistic, albeit harsh, outcome.
To conclude, the experience of megaderp675 serves as a cautionary tale for other Baldur's Gate 3 players. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the game's plot and making informed decisions. It also highlights the intricacies and diverse outcomes embedded within the game, making it a rich and captivating experience. In the words of the player Ithinkillgrowthis, who shared a similar experience with Skyrim, "Turns out I didn’t know what the game was about." It's clear that in the world of gaming, sometimes, the greatest victories come from not just winning, but understanding the game itself.