Baldur’s Gate 3 players believe they were ‘catfished’ by the game’s developers when given the option to fully customize their Tav’s Guardian.
Released in August 2023, Baldur’s Gate has taken the gaming world by storm. Not only was it crowned Game of the Year, but it also won Best RPG, Multiplayer, and Community Support.
The game takes players on a wondrous journey to and around Baldur’s Gate. With the ability to customize every aspect of the main character and determine the story’s outcome, Baldur’s Gate gives players the ultimate RPG experience.
One of the biggest draws to Baldur’s Gate has been its character creation. Once completed, players can create their Tav’s Guardian, who will watch over the character throughout their journey. But Guardians are not what the community originally expected. Fair warning – spoilers ahead!
Baldur’s Gate Guardians aren’t what players expected
A post to the official Baldur’s Gate Reddit called out Larien Studios for giving them a false sense of security when creating Guardians. What were once considered to be the overseers of their character became a reality nightmare.
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“Larian knew exactly what they were doing, giving players the opportunity to customize their dream Guardian at the start of the game,” said the poster. “I spent almost an hour customizing my perfect waifu with lots of eyeshadow and black lipstick, only to get to act 3 and find out that it was a GODDAMN MINDFLAYER the whole time.”
Mindflayers are the main ‘antagonists’ of the game, who take the main characters hostage at the start and implant Mindflayer parasites into their heads. With a ticking timebomb in their heads, the characters have one of two options – break free from the control or succumb to it.
“The dream guardian is a really clever piece of psychology,” responded one person. “The game asked me to make them, so they must be trustworthy and reliable. They could have made them a standard pick, male or female, but no, making you design them has that greater emotional pull.”
The Act 3 twist had many commenters beneath the post with a mix of shock and awe. Some thought creating your own enemy was devious, but others thought the storytelling could not have been more fitting. Either way, customize your Guardian carefully during your next playthrough.