#also if someone wants to write a convincing pitch for dragon age inquisition you're more than welcome to i just cannot bring myself to

[thedragonagelesbian]

I feel like you would be the right person to ask this question so I hope you don’t mind me coming to you!!

I basically only play bg3. It consumes me. But now, on my 5th run, I think it would make sense to branch out into other fun games. Is da a good one to start with? Do you know of anything else that might be good for a bg3-head? Thank you!! Send my love to Cyrus etc

Omg hi anon first and foremost Cyrus is grateful for the love

I'm more than happy to give recommendations (and as my username might suggest, I'm highly biased toward one of those recommendations). A couple of questions to consider about what you like about BG3 that you might find in other games:

Do you like the darker parts of BG3 (i.e., Durge) & don't mind outdated mechanics & graphics (and/or modding)?

Check out Dragon Age: Origins. Your classic 'save the fantasy world against impossible odds' RPG, with a certain apocalyptic darkness as you and your ragtag team of heroes scramble to defeat an invasion of blighted monstrosities called darkspawn. Mind the Mature rating especially for Origins, but I personally think that it's the best introduction to the Dragon Age setting and lore-- your character's backstory is deeply meaningful and does a wonderful job contextualizing your unique perspective in a world that is much more politically rich (if often insufferably center-left) than what BG3 offers.

It also came out in 2009, which is as evident in its occasional deep dives into misogyny as it is in its low-def textures and agonizingly slow combat. If you decide to go within Origins, you can send me another message & I'd be happy to offer some mod recs for making the game look & feel more contemporary (and with more bisexuality, which is always important).

Do you like bisexual misfits just trying to survive?

Check out Dragon Age 2. You play a refugee trying to provide for their family in a city marred by deep political inequity and social injustice. The game is of a smaller scale than any other in the series, focusing on just one city, and you have less flexibility in designing your character, but the story built within those limitations is excellent. Not for nothing, but Cyrus was originally an OC I made for DA2. The companions are splendid, the romances are exquisite, it very much has the BG3 tadfools vibe of a collection of wounded people (who are sometimes at each others' throats) trying their very best to make it through a world that is, at every turn, against them.

Gameplay-wise, the combat is much less real-time strategy like in Origins and much more fluid (& imo fun). The graphics are also significantly better than Origins, though far below BG3's. The game can feel quite repetitive, as it reuses assets, level designs, and enemies frequently (it was in development for less than two years...), and if you love the blank canvas of Tav, Hawke might feel too narrow/prescriptive.

Do you like BG3's turn-based combat, TTRPG mechanics, and strategic gameplay?

Check out Owlcat's Pathfinder games! I've only played Wrath of the Righteous personally, but I've heard good things about Kingmaker too. Their gameplay has a steeper learning curve than BG3, because Pathfinder is a more complicated system and the games cater in part to intense strategic minmaxers. BUT there are many build guides online, the game has plenty of difficulty settings (and the Toy Box mod lets you finagle things further), and I've been getting by just fine on Normal using the companion auto-builds & making my own haphazard build choices for Cyrus.

And there is a strong role-play component. WOTR's setting feels very much like the Forgotten Realms/Sword Coast of BG3 (though, for lack of a better term, de-WOTC-ified). While the story feels a bit cliche at times (magic chosen one rallying an army against the tide of darkness-- here in the form of demons), the deep lore and dark tone keep it interesting & fun. The companions and their romances are also excellent (...dare I say I find the romance writing to be more sensual & intimate than BG3's sex scenes???), and I especially love how Owlcat handles & writes inter-party dynamics.

Coming from BG3, I should also warn you that there is a VERY limited CC. Even more limited than BG3's slider-less presets. You don't get up close & personal with your PC that often, as the game is always in an isometric perspective, and that may be a turn-off too.

(All the Dragon Age games have good but not imo excellent character creators-- more facial customization than BG3, no body customization, and plenty of mods for expanding hair options)

More interested in action (maybe even very intense action), exploring, poking & prodding an open world?

We've reached the edges of my personal fantasy RPG knowledge, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Elder Scroll games and the FromSoftware games like Elden Ring. I'm neither a hardcore action nor an open-world RPG person, but if you are, I think these games could serve you well!

I am also always a supporter of indie games, so here's one much smaller fantasy recommendation. Porpentine Charity Heartscape's With Those We Love Alive is an emotionally intense text-based game about trying to live in a repressive, surreal fantasy world. And while they aren't games you can sink hundreds of hours into, I'd encourage you to browse itch.io and find fantasy games there too!