The town of Baldur’s Gate in Baldur’s Gate 3 acts as an enormous hub space for a number of high-stakes dungeons and boss fights. They’re all gnarly encounters that put your end-game builds to the take a look at, and for essentially the most half, they’re all an entire blast. I might ramble on about all of them—The Iron Throne, Cazador’s Palace, the Bhaalist Temple—however my favorite by far is totally, 100% non-obligatory, and simple to overlook fully until you are searching for a particular merchandise.
I am speaking concerning the Home of Hope. This dungeon opens as much as you when you refuse Raphael’s shady provide to provide the Orphic Hammer, and I am about to sing its praises. If you would like to go in utterly recent, all you must know is that you have to discuss to the service provider on the Satan’s Payment. You too can click on the hyperlink above for a full step-by-step information.
Earlier than I get into full-tilt spoiler territory, I ought to observe that doing the Home of Hope would not (from what I can inform) lock you out of any main story selections, until you are actually eager on making a take care of Raphael and giving him the Absolute’s crown. Even when you’re not within the Orphic Hammer, it is also price doing for a number of highly effective magical gadgets—plus a possible ally for the ultimate battle.
Go to hell
The 9 Hells in Dungeons & Dragons are completely horrible. To present you an thought of simply how horrible—have you learnt what a Lemure is? It is a huge, stinking lump of flesh produced from the souls of the damned, sitting on the backside of the infernal meals chain. When you’ve led a sinful life on the Sword Coast and do not get in good with a satan, it is doubtless you will be became one while you die. They’re in fixed ache, barely keep in mind their outdated lives, and may regenerate from a pile of ash. They’re additionally known as ‘squidges’, which might be cute if their existence wasn’t so cursed.
The Home of Hope actually drives residence simply how hopeless a life within the Hells is. Raphael, up till this level, has introduced a really charming entrance. Rifling by his residence whereas he is away offers you a glimpse behind the silk curtain, and divulges simply how proper you have been to keep away from coping with him. It is haunted by damned souls with a number of the creepiest, coolest voice work and writing within the recreation.
One soul has been made to assume they are a canine, one other’s cursed to be an everlasting voyeur—one has been cursed with abdomen rats for time immemorial. Larian doesn’t pull the punches on simply how evil this dude is. He’s a satan, and the one remorse he has is that he solely has an eternity to torment the souls in his care.
Simply as Baldur’s Gate 3 nails a number of different facets of the D&D canon—the alien physique horror of thoughts flayers, the area dominion of the gith, the bloody terror of the god of homicide Bhaal—the Home of Hope is a wonderfully executed rendition of a satan’s lair. Civilised on the floor, however drowning in torment.
But there’s additionally—fittingly—a glimmer of hope. I will not go too deep into the small print, however Raphael’s unbreakable pet may be considered one of my favorite sidequest characters. She’s well-acted, humorous, and genuinely charming, single-handedly retaining the dungeon from feeling too desolate.
Down comes the claw
Baldur’s Gate 3 has quite a lot of nice boss fights, however I genuinely assume your brawl with Raphael may be the very best marriage of theme, mechanics, and story the sport has to supply. Even the sport’s finale, which I loved tremendously, sticks much less in my thoughts.
Claiming the Orphic Hammer causes Raphael’s safety methods to set off, and also you’re pressured to scramble to free his final sane prisoner—chased by large, flaming boulders the entire manner. Breaking her chains, you make a useless dash to the exit, solely to seek out the smug infernal bastard ready for you, launching his ambush while you’re proper in entrance of the exit.
It looks like a failstate, like a type of encounters a DM throws at you after two hours of asking “are you positive?” throughout a heist gone incorrect. It is prefer it’s designed to punish you, to show you a lesson about penalties—Raphael himself has 666 well being, there are pillars that buff his harm tremendously, Cambions who can disarm your fighters, and explosive Imps wielding eldritch blasts. Oh, did I point out you may barely use radiant harm? Sorry, Paladins, your gods don’t have any energy right here.
However this battle additionally occurs while you’re at your strongest. By this level within the recreation, you have simply hit considered one of D&D’s largest energy surges, and also you’re doubtless geared up with some completely damaged magical gadgets. Surviving this battle and successful looks like dishonest, such as you’ve thwarted a dungeon grasp who was so uninterested in your shenanigans they threw a lethal encounter at you. It seems unattainable, however it’s simply proof of how far your merry band has come.
Additionally, I’ve bought to speak concerning the tune. After my match of nervous laughter Raphael’s HP pool, I realised he was singing. The satan you realize will get his very personal diegetic Disney villain tune that performs whilst you battle him—it is sinister, tacky, and it elevates the entire thing. You may hearken to it now, however then you definately actually ought to Go to Hell—it is price each second.
