Larian Studios and Bethesda Game Studios are two video game developers that have created relevant role-playing games over the years. Two of their most important creations are Baldur's Gate 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, considered masterpieces of the genre. Not surprisingly, both titles have been universally acclaimed and won multiple awards, including The Game Award 2023 and Game Developers Choice Awards 2011, respectively.

Despite the time that has passed since the release of Skyrim, it shares many features with Baldur's Gate 3. There's no doubt that Larian Studios' game took a lot from Skyrim as inspiration for many of its mechanics and stories. That said, let's analyze  Baldur's Gate 3 vs. Skyrim  showdown to find out the strongest points of both titles.

• Release Date : August 3, 2023

• Developer : Larian Studios

• Publisher: Larian Studios

• Platforms : Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, macOS, Xbox Series X|S, Steam

• Metascore : 96

Baldur’s Gate 3 was the best RPG of 2023. Mirroring classic mechanics of the best specimens of the genre and the tabletop experience of the Dungeons & Dragons game, Baldur’s Gate 3 has built a world and story worth telling and playing.

Contrary to other role-playing of recent times, Baldurs’s Gate 3 mixes the freedom of roaming through a vast open world with a flexible quest network and a turn-based combat system. The result is a motley experience that shines in each of its sections, as just a few RPGs can do it.

When it comes to crafting immersive role-playing experiences, Larian Studios stands out as one of the best developers in the industry, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is a shining example of their expertise. Luckily, you can snag your copy at an unbeatable price from RoyalCDKeys. Click the link below to grab yours now!

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• Release Date : November 11, 2011

• Developer : Bethesda Game Studios

• Publishers: Bethesda Softworks | Nintendo

• Platforms : Personal computer, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5

• Metascore : 94

The Elder Scrolls franchise has been with us for thirty years, starting with the release of The Elder Scrolls: Arena in 1994. Since then, many installments have been released, including expansions and a free-to-play card game.

Skyrim is the fifth main installment in this classic series and a sequel to the previous installment, Oblivion. This fifth title takes place two hundred years after the events of Oblivion. As such, Skyrim continues to develop the richness of the world of The Elder Scrolls, of course, with a new perspective and the ability to freely explore Skyrim, the northernmost province of Tamriel.

Skyrim stands out as one of Bethesda's finest games, a sentiment echoed by numerous specialized sites, gaming communities, and my own personal opinion. It's not just a good game; it's a masterpiece featuring ingenious mechanics, well-crafted characters, and a majestic world to explore. If you haven't experienced this Bethesda RPG yet, you're missing out on something truly special.

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Let’s break down each of the main aspects of both titles in this Baldur’s Gate vs Skyrim article to get a meaningful answer about it.

Both Baldur's Gate 3 and Skyrim have been applauded for their overall gameplay. From the smallest detail to the unfathomable world-building, both titles emanate majesty, creativity, and a complete sense of connection and organic journey.

Skyrim and Baldur’s Gate have similar gameplay, at least in general. Both are fantastic role-playing games that unfold an adventure in an open world that you can freely explore while developing your skills and attributes through an experience point system. Both titles also share the classic mission structure, which allows you to advance the plot and obtain crucial information about the world, resources, weapons, and other relevant items.

What is the big difference between both games regarding gameplay?

I have to mention the perspective through which you experience the game, which is crucial to understanding the level of immersion of each title. In Skyrim, you can play from a first- or third-person perspective, while in Baldur's Gate 3, you experience the game from a top-down perspective. In this sense, Skyrym feels more immersive than its counterpart, while Baldur's Gate 3's camera helps reflect the board-based nature of the game.

Verdict . Even though it’s a question of personal taste, I must lean toward Skyrim due to its enveloping point of view that grants a unique playthrough.

Even though Skyrim was released thirteen years ago and originally for the PlayStation 3 console, it looks fantastic to this day, at least at first glance. Bethesda did a great job recreating a detailed world that stands out for its organicity. However, regardless of the developers' efforts, the passing of time is noticeable in some aspects. For example, most of the textures are flat, and the lighting is unrealistic. Objects appear illuminated by an internal rather than external light source. It is even more obvious in all the darkest corners of Skyrim. It cannot be any other way since Skyrim is a child of its time.

Baldur's Gate 3 takes advantage of the power and possibilities of PC and PlayStation 5, offering high-quality graphics that are a delight to the eye. In fact, the visual style of Baldur's Gate is not particularly creative or notable for its aesthetics. Still, each environment, dungeon, biome, and landscape is spectacular in its modeling, design, organization, and development.

Verdict . One of the points that makes Baldur’s Gate 3 a great game is its graphics section and how the developer treated models, textures, organic illumination, and stuff.

As excellent RPGs, both Skyrim and Baldur’s Gate 3 depict a rich plot and a vast storyline with multiple ramifications. Skyrim, on the one hand, drags a story that dates back to the entire history of Tamriel, putting in perspective the ancient wars between dragons, humans, and the ten races that inhabit the territory.

As you traverse the nine administrative holds that comprise the Skyrim region, you have the opportunity to join all the guilds and all the companions you find in your journey, allowing you to develop your Dragonborn character to their fullest potential. Your ultimate goal? To vanquish Alduin the World-Eater, a dragon of immense power fated to bring about the destruction of the world.

On the other hand, the plot and storyline of Baldur’s Gate 3 are two of the reasons why this title is considered a magnificent RPG with a vast and profound lore that enchants even the most reticent of players. The Forgotten Realms, the Dungeon & Dragons land where BG3 takes place, has over fifty years of story and is a wealthy scenario for the interesting characters that populate the world. The multiple characters existing in BG3 reveal a deep and intricate storyline that involves any main quest and a lot of side quests that enrich the voyage.

Verdict . Baldur’s Gate 3 builds a storyline that will take your player character to all the places of The Forgotten Realms. Undoubtedly, it is a sublime story you should play.

This point is directly related to the previous one, as characters and relationships are often the main reasons why a main plot and story is good or not. In Skyrim, you control the main character, Dragonborn, who is completely customizable from the start. In Skyrim, players have the freedom to choose from ten races and determine their gender, allowing for a highly customizable gaming experience. From there, the possibilities are endless — you can become a renowned assassin in the Dark Brotherhood, a valiant fighter in the Fighters Guild, or even a master thief. While Skyrim boasts a plethora of intriguing characters, Baldur's Gate 3 also features a diverse and captivating party, making for an equally engaging experience.

At the beginning of Baldur's Gate 3, you can customize and create your character from scratch or choose one of six pre-made characters. These six original characters can be recruited throughout the game, as well as four other optional characters. Each of them has a deep plot, motivations, and reasons to start a journey with you. Furthermore, the narrative voice represented by Amelia Tyler – the Dungeon Master – really nourishes the characters by adding several layers of complexity.

Verdict . Baldur’s Gate 3 is unbeatable in terms of character quality. Most players will agree with this conclusion.

Skyrim was probably one of the first titles to understand how to build a competent open world. Yeah, it’s true; its predecessor, Oblivion, also features a vast open world, but Skyrim took things even further and to levels never seen before.

As I mentioned above, Skyrim features a vast and freezing open world located in the northernmost part of Tamriel. This region is characterized by a strong mountain chain with high peaks and deep valleys covered by black and dark forests. The same Bruce Nesmith, the creative director, individual developer, and designer behind TES and Dungeons & Dragons, has reflected a design philosophy through which worldbuilding works as an interconnected, integral, and organic being. Skyrim also entails dozens of settlements and zones of interest you can explore at your own pace while marveling at the biomes and landscapes you often encounter.

I feel the worldbuilding of Baldur’s Gate 3 is not as organic as its counterpart. It feels more like a fragment of a bigger world –indeed, it is. This situation gives you the feeling of always going a little further without being able to do so. Besides, worldbuilding is not so rich, according to my point of view, since it feels more linear and with fewer details.

Verdict . In one sentence, Skyrim features one of the best worldbuildings ever created.

Baldur's Gate features a classic weapon system where weapons are classified by type and rarity. Nothing off limits! Each arm has its range, properties, and actions that you can unleash to cause different effects on the enemy. Still, Baldur's Gate 3 features hundreds of weapons, providing a substantial arsenal for selecting the right one. Also, the quests involving legendary weapons are simply amazing. Sometimes, they remind me of Dragon Age.

Skyrim is close to the philosophy of Baldur's Gate, where weapons completely affect the course of events and the nature of our character. It also has hundreds of weapons that you can upgrade, each with a unique advantage. Many blocked weapons can be unlocked and discovered along the way through Skyrim. Unlocking secret weapons requires delving into the darkest corners of the map. Obtaining any of these weapons will make you the well-rounded hero you need to be.

As for spells, BG3 pays more attention than Skyrim to ranged magical attacks, highlighting magic, sorceresses, wizards, and so on. In the combat department, I prefer Skyrim's real-time battles, as they provide strong sensations and exciting moments that make you bleed.

Verdict . I should say that there is a tie, but I must lean toward Skyrim because the battles are absolutely marvelous.

Skyrim is a triumph when it comes to fighting powerful monsters and bosses that make you cringe. Each dungeon in Skyrim has as its final enemy a devastating boss that a single player must defeat. Of course, some enemies are stronger than others, and most of the time, you won't know how to kill them, but with practice, you will achieve your goal.

Additionally, Skyrim also features an extended thesaurus of enemy creatures that abound on open plains and underground dungeons. Simply put, every corner of Bethesda's Skyrim is full of life and deadly enemies that will make you think about your next move.

Enemies and bosses in Baldurs Gate 3 are not as impressive as in Skyrim – the first-person point of view of Skyrim helps a lot to experience these bosses like devastating threats– but still, they deliver interesting battles where everything can happen. However, since Baldur’s Gate 3 encompasses a turn-based combat system that focuses on strategies, teamwork, strengths, weaknesses, and positions on the board, its boss battles can be a bit slow but equally exciting. Moreover, bosses have incredible designs, and their battles are really fun.

Verdict . Skyrim is a victory in this category, as its bosses are destructive, unpredictable, and deadly.

Suppose you follow the world of video games. In that case, you already know that The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, one of the best Bethesda games, and Baldur's Gate 3 have received worldwide acclaim, winning video game awards in 2011 and 2023, respectively. Both titles offer great, well-written adventures in always amazing worlds that you won't be able to erase from your mind easily, as is the case with other titles like Fallout: New Vegas or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

I encourage you to get these incredible titles and start living your next journey through their imaginary regions and unforgettable characters. To do this, browse the RoyalCDKeys website and claim them at an incredible price! You are surely gonna play them!