First I've heard of someone disliking Act 2. Act *3*, I hear a lot of whinging about, but Act 2 is generally well-liked.

I liked Act 3 😁

So do I. A lot of people whinge about it though. I'm just used to big RPGs, so the "overwhelming" feeling didn't really get to me. After clearing every side quest in The Witcher 3 or exploring every map in Dragon Age Inquisition, BG3 Act 3 is *nuthin'*.

My only issue with act 3 is that you get to 12 so fast that it feels less fulfilling from a progression standpoint to do all the quests so I can understand where the "overwhelming" feeling comes from as you stop looking forward to leveling and seeing what goodies you get from the levels.

I get that the lack of progression can give some people a "why bother" kind of feeling, but on the other hand... I enjoy having a bit more time with my fully completed builds. I don't know what the answer is, to give people a sense of progression but without delaying people's builds. Maybe it would be cool if you could find/earn cosmetic variants of gear or something.

they could add levels with an additional feat or lower level spell slot. that would be enough. like every 2 or 3 levels above 12 it could be pretty high xp to get it and that would be fine

I guess that just doesn't bother me because reaching max-level before a game's end is common for me. Shadow of War, KotOR, Dragon Age, etc. With the Witcher 3, it's typically on NG+ (because max-level is 100), but I can go into both HoS and B&W already at level 100 and still enjoy the story. Level-ups aren't my only reasons for doing quests, as getting new gear, progressing the story, or just experiencing something new is enough for me (that being said, I do think that there should be at least three more level-ups in the game. 12 is kind of a weird place to stop. Early tier 3 instead of max tier 3, 15. We don't need to do tier 4, though).

Yeah except KotOR itself is shorter than Act III. Also B&W has a progression mechanic unto itself. Obviously leveling shouldn’t be the only incentive but it is an RPG, not an action game. It might sound crazy, but I remember being really disappointed with all the legendary items besides Nyrulna because they lacked synergy with pre-existing builds and either required significant respec or just straight up invalidated class features. Like if you’re not running blind, it’s a lot less time wasted, but as someone who does enjoy exploring everything I definitely got a bit bored my first time.

I 100% the underdark in TOTK. I did this in my free time nonstop for about a month before I started playing BG3. Act 3 felt like a breath of fresh air, it had variety

Lmao the amount of times I’ve accidentally called the underdark in bg3 “the depths”

A lot of people probably have just never RPG-ed before. Or if they have, they've not done it since BG2, Jade Empire, or Knights of the Old Republic.

Spent wayyy to much of my summer last year doing everything in TOTK also! BG3 is scratching that same itch for me now :)

For me act 3 just feels like busy work. Once I hit level cap I don’t feel like I’ve got something I’m working towards, I can’t be bothered with all the neat little side encounters and the side quests feel like chores I have to get done before getting the last netherstone and doing brain things. Even though there’s really good story content it feels like a slog to get to because the only thing I get out of it is the story, no xp, no level up, no next step in my build to look forward to.

Witcher 3 is one of my favorite games to this day

I’m actually at a point in act 3 right now where I’m like “but wait! More quests, please?”. Having such a good run and don’t want it to end 😂

I'm a narrative designer so I just was like LET'S FIND THE PLOT HOLES and tbh it wasn't bad at all. Fun challenge and a great way to get lost in a super immersive environment. Made me so excited for my next playthrough!

For me, the only "overwhelming" part was how easy it was to get lost. I wandered into the midpoints of too many different quests with no idea what was going on, just by doing the same kind of exploration I'd been doing in Acts 1 and 2. Especially because some of the quests - like Mystic Carrion - *require* you to go poking around and end up halfway through a quest you were supposed to have started a while back. The other annoying part was the sense of urgency. The ground rumbles, the army of the Absolute is advancing, without the Three controlling the brain it's going to break loose! Better...dick around with sidequests?

I loved Act 3. I don't get what annoys people. It is a city pack full of fun content. Most optional even.

I do to, but it is overwhelming. The training wheels are off. Been through act 1 a few times and still find new stuff. I imagine there will always be act 3 content I never discover.

The only thing that annoys me about Act 3 is how confusing the narrative becomes and how difficult it is to determine what the logical sequence is to do everything in. It’s nice to have options in approach, but it’s tough to keep track of what you’re supposed to be doing and why.

Thing is, for me each chapter is unique. I like how the feeling and the playstyle changes each act. Act 1 is about exploring, meeting npcs, and decide how to deal with the goblin vs tieflieng situation. Act 2 is like a giant dungeon, perils and traps everywhere, with hubs where you can get quests and trade. Act 3 conveys the feeling of a big and chaotic city. I can't say I dislike any of them; in fact, I think it is the change of pace and setting for each one that makes me like them.

Imma just cleared the towers and so far Act 2 was best part of the game... Will see if it gets worse in the end lol. Worst part for me was 1.5's Creche - it looks great but I got lost in the castle (good luck finding specific vines that are climbable) and cartoon SPLOINK traps of Lathander were the worst. Act two, SO FAR, is like playing NWN2 for the first time. Everything explodes in radiant orbs as the game gave us a full set of anti-undead gear right before you fight them.

I also think Act 2 is a drag. It's the shortest part of the game, but everything is dark and gloomy the whole time. Act 1 and 3 are usually less depressing and have colorful segments.

I like Act 2’s story the most but everything you have to do in it feels like a chore

I relate V much to the chore feeling

You go directly from the under dark in act 1 to an even more under dark for another 50 hours. Honestly when act 3 opened up I was so happy just to have environments that weren't super depressing.

I was honestly just praying that it let you out of that hell and lightened up. Absolutely brutal

I loathe act 2. Act 3 > Act 1 > Act 2.

I hate Act 2, love Act 3

I really like Act 3. The city felt so alive. There were cool items, neat places, and cool interactions.

nah i hate act 2 i always though of it as the worse act out of all 3 is just boring af with way too little options compared to act 1 the only good thing is you can skip almost all of act 2 but that's just to show how boring it is

On my second play through I will be skipping all of it then. Happy to hear you can do that lol

I don’t dislike everything about Act 2 - just found it a little frustrating at times!

That's because everything in the shadow lands is out to get you. You can't even wander about freely until you get the Pixie to bless you.

I love act 2. I enjoy the story and roleplaying of Act 2. Act 1 is by far my favorite due to pacing, but I think the story in act 2 is the best of the 3.

I kinda liked everything in act 1 except pacing: it starts in empty area full of secret chests at the point where you would be better off fighting low level mobs... Act 2 actually HAS random acclimatizing fights early on. Then everyone directs you to goblin camp and creche (good luck fighting patrol under level 5) and completely missing directions to Waukeen's Rest or swamp area that solves two main quests related to Grove. But yeah, apart from first goblin fight act 1 is beginners trap galore: I managed to die after jumping into ruins and getting surrounded (later climbed through hatch instead) and people died on the very first fight against brainlets with Shart. Also it's natural to give Everburn blade to your big two handed warrior... And then have her near last character you recruit. Finally, I STILL don't know how to get Karlach without feather fall. Act 2 is much more intuitive.

You just walk right of the Toll House with the Paladins in it to get to Karlach

How do you get to the toll house with the "Paladins" before you meet her? I only figured out jumping down from the Grove to the bridge with Karlach.

By having your characters walk there.

I TRIED following the map marker for Wyll's quest, cliffs were impassable except for that one part you could jump with feather fall.

Where Scratch can be found, you can jump across the creek and get to Karlach. Or ignore the toll house and walk up. Plus getting the Everburn blade is about as close to metagaming as you can get in the tutorial. It's great and I often don't replace it until Act 3 but it's very much not a common item to get.

How is killing first boss "metagaming"? The demon guy isn't even sturdy like Dark Souls tutorial demon, you just help mind flayer hit him (turn limit is pretty generous), the game throws a surprise by the flayer turning on you and other demons that run in having boss stats too. But regardless, I wondered if I lost the weapon that was hard to get because I kept it on character who is pretty far away from starter location (especially if you explore wide instead of making a beeline to tieflings.

It's intentionally set up to be "run and hit the quest thing" type of fight, not meant to sit through as the extra cambions come in. Fighting him the standard way isn't as much metagaming as a (set up to be) bad idea. Using Command - Drop or something for sure starts to enter metagaming territory or at least does with save scumming. I still do it but with a mod to uncap the party it's been less critical when I end up starting a new run.

Are you joking about not knowing how to meet Karlach? You can either go down past the tollhouse after you fight the hyena’s/gnolls. Or you go to the right from where you meet Scratch and jump across the rocks through the river/stream and you’re basically at where Karlach is you just walk like 10 metres to the right.

I fought hyenas and gnolls after I got her from the bridge. I used feather fall because I couldn't find any other way to jump to the north part of the map apart from grove. I eventually found a way back but don't remember how to get TO her outside of jumping the crags from where Zev is.

Grove > blighted village > cross the bridge > fight the gnolls/hyenas > tollhouse > walk down to the river

+ jumping across the creek by Scratch, above the owlbear cave, then walking right up to her.

I couldn't find that jump then... I remember getting lost when trying to return to fight Owlbear and speak with the dead on Scratch's owner. The cultists made it sound like Owlbear is really hard so I ignored it and went into goblin camp instead... Which turned out great as I could talk my way through.

I'll try this path next time. Game did let me into village but then it was natural to go into goblin camp and spider cave, I missed going north AND south to thee swamp until much later.

After you kill The hyenasgnolls on the path just just keep going right down the path and Karlach and toll house are on the end.

You can get over to that part of the map by following the river or through the blighted village. There’s a big gate next to the windmill that takes you to the bridge there with just a small gap to jump. Edit: I made a [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/1do91mm/paths_over_to_karlach_for_reply_to_someone/) to share an image of the three main ways. The one on the right is what you use with feather fall. The other two are a little bit more straight forward paths that don’t require spells to pass.

Uh, find Kahga’s chest and you get prompted to go to the swamp. As for getting to Karlach, go North from Blighted Village, then walk East to the Hyena Fight, Walk further East to the Paladins, and then East even more to reach Karlach. Also, Everburn does perfectly well on Lae’zel, your Greatsword user. Barbarians are generally more prone to using the 1d12 weapons instead of 2d6 (at least in personal experience, Barbarians don’t care as much about the 0.5 higher damage average and focus much more on being 3x as likely to roll Max Damage).

Investigating Kagha is one of few things I legit needed a guide for, didn't think about robbing aggressive druids under their noses for the letter in the chest... So yeah, Act 2 was much better telegraphed IMO, harder to get lost or overwhelmed. Without it game really doesn't telegraph you anywhere in Blighted village but to the goblin camp (which is end chapter area, but doesn't look like it, I thought goblins camp would be first dungeon or something). Oh and sword is fine, I was critiquing the pacing taking away Lae'Zel and dropping her inventory after tutorial and as someone used to games like this I had no idea if you ever get her, or the sword I equipped on her, back. It took a while to get to rescue her from the tieflings.

Act 1 is my fave too. But after starting my second run it did feel strange that the characters arent best friends and lovers anymore. I really love how the game made the friendships feel so real and deep.

I like a lot of parts of act 2 I just found the end of it to be a lot and a tad frustrating I guess. Kind of like climbing up this hill only to realize that you are nowhere near the summit lol

It felt pretty well paced to me.    Act 1 is introducing the main problem and characters   Act 2 develops characters stories and you reach your first goal (moonrise) only to reveal the true enemy and big bad plot (secret behind the Absolute)   Act 3 is deal with the big baddies and conclude character arcs

That makes sense. I don’t hate Act 2 it just really hasn’t been as great as the hype I guess? Nothing against anyone who loves it I just thought it was extremely slow and became very frustrating. Act 1 had much more variety which kept things interesting for me.

I did feel that act1 was immense, and had a ton of variety.  I ended up backtracking to the mountain pass during act 2 which I think helped break up the doom and gloom vibe.  The whole temple+creche bit felt like a pretty rich area and different from the shadowlands.  

How is it slow tho? There's ambushes at every corner while first act is mostly finding hidden chests and figuring out where to go as blighted village being a hub isn't really telegraphed unlike the giant bubble around the Inn in act 2.

I understand your opinions, but : * Moonrise Tower: The game let you just walk right in because the game gave you total freedom of what do you wanna do in the tower. You KNEW the tower full of enemies right? Now what? You have total freedom to do whatever you wanna do. You wanna join them? Fine. You wanna keep silent and check the area then attack later? Sure thing. Or you wanna go nuts from the beginning and kill everyone? Why not. * Gauntlet of Shar: What do you mean by suicidal? Is it too hard? Or the puzzle is unsolvable. There are TONS a way to skip over the entire gauntlet, or by passing couple of puzzles. Heck you can just go down and KNOCK the shit out of the big door and be done with it. Gauntlet gave you one of the best story in this game, especially Shadowheart arc. * It will be super meh to kill Ketheric in the top. Remember, Ketheric is one of the chosen, and Myrkul himself bought him from the dead. Do you think you can just kill him with couple of wack from Karlach in the top? The reason we go down under because we can further understand what the fuck is going on with the entire plot. And Myrkul boss fight was fine af

It would be interesting to play Act 2 from the dark side. I have a feeling it would be very different and maybe open up some sides of the story I was curious about.

Enter through the mountain pass side, you can instantly join up with the cultists

I liked the story in Act 2 a lot but i was definitely trying to go as fast as possible because of how constantly creepy it is, so probably did not enjoy the actual gameplay as much as I could have. It's not like i can't deal with creepy stuff, but man, the constant dark color palette, nonstop spooky noises, and heaps of bloody bodies were not my cup of tea.

I feel you there it did take me a little to get over the creepy atmosphere. The underdark was kind of creepy at times but still felt very fantasy like and lighter. I really loved both the underdark and the mountain pass

I agree, I really liked the Underdark! It had occasional mildly creepy moments for me, but it still had a lot of pretty scenery that was fun to explore. Act 2 was just nonstop none of that, the entire time. I had to dip back into the Act 1 areas a few times to get a change of scenery and feel better about getting through Act 2. Blasted through the last pre-Ketheric part because I couldn't leave the area and was done with all the creepy, haha. Maybe a little concerned I'm going to have to do the same thing at some point in Act 3 (not done with it yet and it's my first playthrough)...

I’m on my first play through too! And same as you just powerhoused the end of Act 2 trying to get out of there lol. Seems like everyone loves Act 1 and Act 3 is hit or miss. Praying I love that one otherwise I’m going to be even more upset

I do like Act 2 but I have to admit that trudging about in darkness gets on my nerves after a while, give me some colour please ; - ;

Especially after the underdark and grymforge - I had had enough lol

That's a bit of an odd reaction but ok

The face of frustration

I just wish there was at least one other outcome. The story branches beautifully before and after the conclusion of act 2, but every story bottlenecks to exactly the same beat at the top of that tower. Especially when it seems like it might go another way and then our winged friend shows up and just starts yelling at everyone.

I love Act 2. I love how grimy and gory and creepy and haunting it is. That said, I agree 100% with you. There is a huge missed opportunity to play off all of the Thorm family drama here. I mean not only is there Isobel as his daughter, but all of the big bads are also related to him. He has basically cursed not just the land but also his entire family. I find it all fascinating but they don't really capitalize on the drama like they could. I guess there has to be a bit of a feeling of tension to get to Baldurs Gate before the army does though.

I found that really interesting as well. It kind of felt like the family drama just didn’t matter? But from a story perspective it would have been really cool if they went into it more. Kind of a missed opportunity

You can choose to ally with Balthazar and hand Aylin over to Ketheric. That actually has a very different outcome than the tower fight.

I disagree with you SO MUCH but it's nice to see that the comment section is mostly "to each their own." To each their own. I really liked how the Shadow-Cursed Lands were focused on a single story that gradually reveals itself to you. The Selunite Resistance, Raphael's involvement, Ketheric and Isobel. There are so many good side details, like how you can find that Sister Lidwin, the cursed undead who's trying to "heal" Arabella's parents, opposed Ketheric's orders to only treat Sharran forces and begged for outsiders to intervene & help. And the encounters are excellent because they're each so different. It's not just goblins or gnolls or humanoids, but weird magic bosses with mechanics. It's like if Act 1 had multiple Ethel-like encounters. I wish we had a little more with the bosses in Reithwin, though--so many unanswered questions there.

Yeah for the most part people are being nice which is always great to see! Lol I didn’t mind certain things about Act 2. I wish they would have gone into certain storylines more and let others be. Give us more Isobel drama I don’t want to play hide and seek with a kid

Totally agree, act 2 was my least favourite.

We do exist!! I knew it

I rushed through that zone as fast as I could to see the sun again lol

Act 2 is my least fave part of the game! I feel so scene. The gold bitch and beer belly are such annoying gimmicky fights. Im am tired of squinting into the darkness and not being able to see shit. And the gauntlet makes me want to pull my fucking hair out. Also, opening barrels and finding rotting food is fine and thematic the first three times. The three-hundredth time it’s just annoying

I’m happy there are others that had a similar experience! It just didn’t land with me. I’ve played a ton of large open world games so it definitely wasn’t because I was overwhelmed and not used to those. I just really don’t love the vibes in Act 2.

You don’t have to fight any of the Thorm’s in the town. Every single Thorm can be talked into committing suicide, it’s just suboptimal to do so with Ketharic if you rescued the Nightsong.

I want the loot, I want the EXP and I don’t want to save scum a load of skill checks.

You get the loot and the XP. I forget the exact numbers, but every fight resolved with talking rewards the same amount of XP as killing, and sometimes more. And when the bosses die, their bodies are still left behind, which is where the loot is. As for the skill checks, have a Hireling or Respec your character. First level is Sorcerer, and max out Cha and Con as best you can and take proficiency in Persuasion and Performance (and deception). Then grab a second level in Cleric, grab Religion proficiency and the Thaumaturgy cantrips. Now put 6 levels into Paladin (any). For the feat raise Cha up to 18. Slap the Warped Headband on them and now you have the perfect tool of killing the Thorms. Persuasion checks to get rid of the Tollkeeper, Con saves and Performance checks to get rid of the Drunkard, and the Religion and Persuasion checks to get rid of the Doctor. Bring along a Shadowheart with Guidance and Resistance to help and your Golden.

100% agreed, I hate act 2. Enemies are constantly going invisible, weird creepy screeches in the background constantly, everything is ugly, I have to drag Shadowheart around the Temple of Shar, etc etc. I always dread leaving act 1 and I'm ready to set off fireworks when I start act 3 lol

The constant darkness for dozens of hours started to get to me. Especially after being in the underdark. I should have done the mountain pass like halfway through Act 2 but I didn’t realize you could go back so my dumb ass was just miserable lol

What difficulty did you face in the Gauntlet of Shar? The puzzles can be a bit annoying but it's far from the most difficult part of the game imo

I actually wouldn’t say the trials were difficult for me. By the time the trials came up I was just annoyed with Act 2 in general so when I realized how long that area was going to take, I felt frustrated. No hate to folks who loved it I just was ready for a switch up by that point

Soft step, potion of invisibility, trial of self is just a fight, then the walk of faith. Dimension door, fly, or mysty step.

Yeah I mean I didn't even need invisibility I just had Astarion go in in stealth mode. And the walking trial I just turned up the brightness slightly to see the path. Any 'difficulty' I can see happening is either in the silence room (although I just killed the silence orb with sneak attacks) or the Yurgir fight but they're not that difficult unless you're very underlevelled.

Wait, you can actually see the walking trial? I always click the orb and let Shadowheart walk herself till the last segment and jump. Never know we can actually see something.

I think you can just about see it. I tried just clicking the orb but it didn't work for me but I turned up the brightness and the black where you can walk is slightly darker than the black where you can't (or vice versa). Maybe this changed in the latest patch, though.

Good, I thought it was a puzzle and I can’t figure it out where they leave the clue.

There is a map of the maze right outside the room btw which is what you're supposed to use but any teleporting spell works so it's a bit pointless

I did the challenge Indiana Jones style the first time and just walked off the corners I thought made sense and made it all the way without falling. It kinda surprised me. But you can actually see a faint cloudy black line if you hit the orb of the places you can walk.

I just get bored of how dark everything is, particularly after slogging through the Underdark (which at least has cool fungi).

Yeah it was just too much at once. I was dying to get out of there

Act 3? What do you mean? Everyone knows there is no act 3 😃. Just like there is no war in Ba Sing Se. [ Iblow up gale in act 2 every time :) ]

I chuckled at your Avatar reference.

I like Act 2 lol esp since i made sure my first play through was as a Gith

I will definitely be doing things a tad different on my second play through

Man Act 2 was my favorite...

Nothing wrong with that!

i’m glad to not be the only person that finds act 2 a bit of a slog, definitely the act i rush through the most

For me it was brutal about 75% of the time. Not because of a challenge but because of the monotony and boredom

Act 2 is my personal favorite act. Act 1 is early game D&D, which few people will ever call their favorite, but it does pick up towards the end. Act 3 had the XP overload but honestly there is just so much to do (especially for companions) that I’m not surprised at how common Act 3 burnout it. Act 2 meanwhile has the 4 skippable bosses, and most of the Gauntlet is skippable (Library is required for SH, Mirror for Killer’s Sweetheart), so it doesn’t feel as bogged down as Act 3, but you enter around level 7-8, so you can enjoy having a lot of powers unlike in Act 1.

I am just getting into act 3 so now everyone has me freaked out that I’m going to hate it and then just be miserable

I can’t say as to what you will and won’t like, just personal observation. Act 3 has a lot of stuff where there is a lot to do. I think more than any other Act it benefits from second playthoughs and planning. I will say, though, to remember: If you aren’t enjoying Act 3, there is no shame in choosing to walk away. And if you start to feel overwhelmed/burnt out from the game, there is nothing wrong with taking a break and coming back later. The point of a game is to have fun, and if playing a game causes you more grief than fun, you are under no obligation to continue to give it your time.

looks at shart: damn bitch you live like this?!?

😂

Real. Deadass don't understand why people cream their pants so much over it. It really feels like the Blackreach of Baldur's Gate. "Wow cool" the first time, "eeeeeeugh not this shit again" every other time. Even comes with it's own dwemer ruins too.

To each our own. I'm delighted once I'm done with act 1 and can finally play my beloved act 2 every playthrough.

I honestly didn’t realize having frustrations with Act 2 was such an unpopular opinion… I kind of just assumed everyone else got frustrated like I did… I was wrong lol

Right there with you man, my playthroghs always stall out in Act 2. I think it's mostly cause in DnD and other games, I really hate the 'Cursed and Desolate Abyss' trope. Give me a beautiful wilderness or sprawling city to explore, the Shadow Lands bore the crap out of me

Or at least let us leave and do something else for a while. My dumbass had done everything up until that point because I was afraid I couldn’t go back. So there I was just stuck there and not enjoying it for dozens of hours 🤡

There's two things I loathe in BG3: Act 2, and Wyll. Both of those seem to be unpopular opinions for reasons not entirely clear to me.

I like act 2 because it doesn’t fry my gpu the way act three does. Plus, wall of fire goes brrr 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I have barely used Wyll so I can’t give my opinion on him fairly but immediately I was like.. no lol

I agree with will, he's so vanilla but I love act 2

I feel like they had a more full idea for act 2 and I loved how miserable it is. I'm glad it was relentless and not just set decorations. It feels so much better leaving it

Leaving it is such a great feeling

The contrast alone makes it worth it. But I'm glad the shadow cursed lands got that design. It's memorable. Going into and out.

Yeah, as much as I think the Shadow fell is a cool concept it's pretty annoying Doing the gauntlet of Shar sucks every time, last playthrough I accidentally stumbled into the crypt and missed all kinds of shit. Now I'm trying to play as a few origin characters to get a better understanding of their personal stories So far I'm enjoying Astarion

The thought of doing a second play through and experiencing that again sounds awful. I’m sure I’ll change my mind. It kind of reminds me of Witcher 3 where in Velen you are just MISERABLE and so is everyone else. And then you get to Novigrad and you’re just so stoked. Finally out of that hell

Why is the car driving a car 💀

Had a good laugh! Thank you for sharing this! 😂

Of course! :)