Veteran DnD designer bestows the ultimate praise on "fantastic" Baldur's Gate 3

You don't need me to tell you that Baldur's Gate 3 is absolutely brilliant - Larian's trophy cabinet speaks for itself. At this point, the studio is likely used to the glowing praise, but hearing it from a Dungeons and Dragons veteran will feel particularly satisfying. In a new interview, Bruce Nesmith - a former creative director at TSR who shaped the tabletop universe, before working for Bethesda on The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series - has labeled BG3 as the best DnD game ever made.

Nesmith has waved his magic over countless DnD modules and spinoff board games throughout the '80s and '90s. However, those in gaming circles may also recognize his name from his time at Bethesda, designing quests for The Elder Scrolls Morrowind and Oblivion, as well as Fallout 3. He then made the step up to lead designer for Skyrim, one of the best RPGs of all time. So, he seems pretty qualified to give his verdict on Baldur's Gate 3.

In short, Nesmith is an enormous fan. Speaking to FRVR, he says that Larian "did a fantastic job with Baldur's Gate [3]," commending it for its "synergy with the 5E rules" and fully embracing its DnD roots.

"Obviously, [Larian] loved this project, they loved the game, and that came through," Nesmith says. "And they didn't try to hide behind anything. One of the things that happened in the earlier years of role-playing games on a computer is that you'd often get a lot of inappropriate comedy poking fun at the game, instead of poking fun with the game. And [they had] a monotonous grind of doing repetitive activities in order to get yourself up in level, and neither of those things are there in Baldur's Gate 3."

He also doffs his cap to the game's beautiful graphics, voice acting, and the fact that every decision feels consequential while still telling a "coherent story."

So, when asked which project does the best job at translating the tabletop experience of Dungeons and Dragons into a videogame, there's only one answer.

"I would absolutely put, right now, Baldur's Gate 3 at the very top of the list," Nesmith says, "but I have extremely fond experience with Baldur's Gate 2. That was two-dozen years ago and that was a fantastic game. I loved the heck out of that game."

These sentiments about BG3 aren't exactly rare, but hearing them from a person like Nesmith certainly gives them a lot more weight. As someone who knows that world, and RPGs, more deeply than most, praise of that nature likely means more to Larian than the silverware it's hoarded.

If you're finally getting around to Baldur's Gate 3, or weighing up yet another playthrough, here are some of the best BG3 mods to spice things up further. Alternatively, see what other titles we've placed alongside it on our overall best PC games list.

Is there a DnD game that you think gives BG3 a run for its money? If so, I wanna hear about it. Come by the PCGamesN Discord to give me your spicy take.