Gaming

Baldur’s Gate 3: Why you should play the 2023 Game of the Year

Now is the best time to try it out

Published

December 9, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Last night, Baldur’s Gate 3 won the coveted Game of the Year award at the annual Game Awards for 2023. Though the title rightfully got millions of players this year, getting into the 2023 Game of the Year is still a daunting challenge, especially for those who don’t have experience with the turn-based RPG genre. If you’re also scared to commit to a genre you’re not familiar with, I’m here to tell you that you still absolutely should.

Who am I?

When the year started, Baldur’s Gate 3 was not on my radar at all. In fact, I wasn’t a fan of turn-based games. My only experience with the genre was through Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. Though a turn-based game, it’s hardly similar to Baldur’s Gate 3. And at the end of the day, I’d still prefer a quicker-paced action-adventure over a turn-based slog.

I am, however, a fan of roleplaying games. There’s just something appealing about putting myself in the shoes of a game’s protagonist and taking them through their story. Now, most of the big RPGs today have turned into giant collect-a-thons. Playing through them was a chore. That, and modern games just doesn’t allow for a lot of roleplaying.

When I saw people playing Baldur’s Gate 3, I was captivated. You could play as anything you want. You could roleplay however you choose. Every decision and dice roll absolutely mattered. Even if it was still at full price, I had to get it.

Creating a character

Steam has a two-hour policy for refunds. If you’ve played a game for less than two hours, the platform will grant you a refund automatically if you ask for it, no questions asked. As the logic goes, two hours is enough for players to tell if a game is worth keeping. Two hours, however, is not enough to get to the meat of Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s just enough to dip your toes in and get a feel for the game’s mechanics.

I used to laugh at RPG players who spent hours on the character creation menu. I never fiddled around with sliders and customization options. I wanted to get into the game as soon as possible. That changed with Baldur’s Gate 3.

While the game still has a lot of options to change how your character will look (including, yes, genital size), the character creation screen focuses a lot on how you want your character to be. I spent a good chunk of time figuring out the best race and class for me. Should I be an evil monk or a goody-two-shoes bard? Oh, and do these black horns go well with how I want my tiefling’s junk to be?

The prologue

Right after creating a character, the game quickly catapults you into the fire. A mind flayer — a tentacled humanoid that looks like child of Cthulhu — abducts your character and infects you with a parasitic worm that can turn you into a mind flayer like them. Your first job is to escape the mind flayer’s spaceship.

The introductory prologue teaches players the basics of Baldur’s Gate 3 — moving, fighting, and talking. However, one of the biggest aspects of the prologue is the introduction of two vital characters you can add to your party: Shadowheart, a selfish half-elf cleric, and Lae’zel, a brash githyanki fighter. From the beginning, these two characters are at each other’s throats. Unlike a lot of games that immediately portray teams as well-oiled machines, Baldur’s Gate 3 thrives on conflict. Party members are often at odds with one another. A lot of times, you’ll find yourself playing a mediator. Sometimes, you might even do something that causes them to leave your camp for good.

The focus on character-driven actions makes it so compelling to follow everyone’s stories to their conclusion. Every player will have favorite characters and interesting ways to deal with their conflict. They’re not just warm bodies you can throw at enemies. It also helps that Baldur’s Gate 3 has the best voice action and motion capture I’ve ever seen in a game. After you play the game, every other game will pale in comparison.

The moment everything clicked

After the prologue, the game drops you into the meatiest part of the game. The first act is a vast playground. Though there are goals, players are invited to tackle the game however they want — peacefully or with a sword in hand. This is also when the most important part of the game rears its head: the dice roll.

As with the traditional Dungeons and Dragons experience, everything is determined by the roll of the dice. In battle, the swing of a sword is determined by a dice roll. Planning before engaging is important just to account for the randomness. More importantly, dialogue and actions away from battle are determined by the same dice. Want to pick that locked door? Roll for dexterity. Want to talk down a rampaging barbarian from attacking you? Roll for persuasion.

The moment this is all clicked for me was a moment shortly after the start of the first act. My party runs into a dying mind flayer. The game asks me if I want to explore the monster’s mind. Since it was dying (and I felt that I had enough intelligence), I said yes.

Cue the dice roll.

I rolled a natural 20, the best possible roll because it’s an automatic win. However, this encounter was one of the rare moments when the game asks for a second, more difficult roll right after passing the first.

Cue the next dice roll. I went for it. After all, I rolled a 20 beforehand.

I rolled a 1, the worst possible roll because it’s an automatic failure. Unbeknownst to me, this was a death-saving roll. If you pass, you live. If you fail, you die. And I failed spectacularly.

The mind flayer took control and killed me. Fade to black.

Game over.

Aghast, I could do nothing but applaud. I wasn’t even two hours into the game. Though it was a kick to the gut, I was amazed at how willing the game was to let go of your hand. This isn’t an easy traipse through a fantasy land. It’s a complicated maze that will take you through a lot of unexpected twists and turns. I knew I was in for a good time.

Randomness defines the community

It’s understandable that making randomness a feature might turn some players off. If you can’t rely on pure skill, what’s the point?

However, the concept of failure does not mean an end to the game. Yes, my particular experience ended in a game over screen. Most don’t, though. A lot of times, failing a dice roll often means the opportunity to tackle a problem in a different way. Failed to persuade an enemy to lay down their arms? Maybe you can sneak past them. Failed that? Well, time for a battle.

Baldur’s Gate 3 makes failure fun. Every playthrough is automatically unique. It also adds to the community aspect of the game.

After a lengthy session, my first instinct is to go to the game’s subreddit and read what other players did in their playthroughs. Every single time, I would find an encounter I’ve never seen before or a result I haven’t tried yet. I’d immediately want to hop back on to see if I can replicate how they did with my character.

Outside of the actual game, Baldur’s Gate 3’s biggest appeal is its community. It’s almost like sharing war stories around the campfire. Every experience is valid, no matter how good or evil a playthrough can be.

A generational game

The game’s six awards should speak for themselves. Larian Studios created a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a fresh gaming experience, near infinite replayability, unmatched acting, and a supportive community.

Even at full price, the game is worth every penny. If you haven’t tried this year’s Game of the Year yet, there are so many reasons to go for it. It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played.

Gaming

Genshin Impact, Duolingo partner for limited-time quest

Win various rewards by going on a 3-day streak

Published

December 9, 2025

GadgetMatch

Genshin Impact has partnered with Duolingo for a limited-time 3-Day Streak Quest in the Duolingo app.

The collaboration between the popular open-world RPG and the educational app features Teyvat’s travel companion Paimon.

Genshin Impact characters Tighnari and Cyno also make an appearance, as well as Duolingo’s beloved green owl Duo.

From December 8 to 27, players and learners from select regions can unlock the “Genshin Impact Quest” in any course on the Duolingo app.

Users who complete learning exercises for three straight days with receive the following in-game rewards:

Custom avatar “Diligent Study”
Themed namecard “Celebration: Dream Reader”
Unique Sumeru-style dish “Spiced Fried Chicken” and recipe
Collectible in-app statue of Paimon and Duo
Primogems

The reward redemption code can be claimed from the “Shop” page in the Duolingo app before December 30 and redeemed on the title before January 31.

To make the challenges more exciting, all four characters will show up on each quest to cheer on learners.

The collaboration follows the recently released Genshin Impact Version Luna III, which introduced Durin, a new 5-Star Pyro character with dual battle forms. There is also a new story chapter set in Nod-Krai.

Gaming

Razer Raiju V3 Pro review

Competitive controller that knows exactly who it’s built for

Published

December 3, 2025

Rodneil Quiteles

When I first unboxed the Razer Raiju V3 Pro, my brain immediately went: okay, this is exciting. It had that wow factor — that feeling of holding a piece of tech that’s meant to do something special. It’s the kind of controller that makes you want to jump straight into a game just to see what all the fuss is about.

Build and feel — familiar, but also very not

Coming from the DualSense, the first surprise is the weight. The Raiju V3 Pro is definitely lighter, but not in a cheap way. Holding it felt different, wider even, and my hands were a little more relaxed because of that added space.

The grip texture is great — no fear of slipping, and it feels particularly good on the bottom of your palm.

The face buttons? Smaller surface area, longer travel. Premium-feeling overall, though I’ll be honest: I’m not entirely convinced the Raiju V3 Pro’s feel matches its price tag. That’s mostly because I’ve tried some GameSir controllers that felt surprisingly similar for a fraction of the price. But still — this feels like a product built with intent.

Gameplay experience — where it actually comes alive

Most of my testing happened on NBA 2K26 because… well… that’s the game I always end up playing. And this was the moment the TMR thumbsticks flexed. I found myself doing more dribble combos and experimenting with shot styles using the right stick simply because I had zero fear of drift.

I also jumped into a few fighting games — TEKKEN 8 and My Hero One’s Justice 2 — then humbled myself in several Death Match sessions on Call of Duty Black Ops 7. I even swung through Spider-Man Remastered for a bit. Across all of these, the controller felt responsive, fast, and ready for whatever chaos I threw at it.

HyperTriggers and extra inputs — surprisingly useful

The triggers were most noticeable during my Call of Duty matches. I still sucked at it — let’s be real — but I can totally see how better players would squeeze more value out of the locked fast-trigger mode. The surprise twist was how useful the triggers were for fighting games. Having minimal travel made reaction-based inputs feel snappier and more controlled.

As for the back paddles and claw bumpers: I thought about taking some of them out, but ended up keeping everything on. Eventually, they became little fidget points that didn’t interfere with gameplay.

Mapped the extra trigger to Square to make it easier to hit the Triangle + Square combo for self alley-oops.

In practice, I rarely used them because I’m such a muscle-memory player… except in NBA 2K26. I mapped self alley-oops and flashy passing to the extra triggers, which helped because 2K moved those combos around this year.

Thumbsticks — the star of the show

The TMR sticks? Excellent. Smooth, accurate, fluid — all of it. I had fun abusing them without worrying about drift, and NBA 2K26 really let me push them to their limit. COD: Black Ops 7 was harder, but I think that’s more on me than the controller. Maybe a sensitivity tweak or two will fix that over time.

Customization — only what I needed

I’m not the type who loves deep tweaking, so I mostly skipped Synapse. I only used the mobile Razer Controller app to remap the extra triggers. And honestly? That was enough. The controller already felt good out of the box.

Wireless performance — HyperSpeed does its job

No lag. No hiccups. No difference between wired and wireless — seriously. HyperSpeed Wireless worked wonders and felt as reliable as any cable-connected controller I’ve used.

Pain points — minor, but noticeable

There are a couple of things worth noting.

The big one: no haptic feedback. The DualSense’s signature feature simply doesn’t exist here. Razer says this controller was designed with real pro players, and removing rumble seems to be one of those “it’s not needed in esports” decisions.

Honestly? After a while — especially during fast-paced games — I didn’t miss it. Haptics matter more in story-driven titles, and this controller isn’t really meant for those anyway.

One more thing: I couldn’t turn on the PlayStation with the Raiju V3 Pro. I still needed a DualSense for that.

Who is this for?

This controller is for people who play fast-paced, competitive games. Plain and simple.

But it’s also for players who want a controller built to take a beating — the kind that survives long sessions, intense button-mashing, and weekend-long gaming marathons. Its battery life is impressive, too, making it a great backup for when your DualSense suddenly taps out mid-game.

If you want a premium esports controller designed specifically for PS5, this is one of the best — if not the best — option right now.

If you want rumble, adaptive triggers, or a cinematic gaming experience? This isn’t it.

Is the Razer Raiju V3 Pro your GamingMatch?

If I had to describe the whole experience in one line: I’m swiping right because the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is an excellent piece of tech.

But it’s not for everyone, especially not for its asking price (EUR 209.99 / PHP 12,990). You can argue there are cheaper options — absolutely — but most of those lean heavily toward PC.

In the PS5 space, especially for competitive players, this is probably the strongest contender you can buy today.

Gaming

Helldivers 2 reduces gigantic file size by 85 percent

From 154GB, you only need 23GB now.

Published

December 3, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

The problem with games today is how big they are. Try installing Call of Duty today and see how much of your hard drive it obliterates. This problem is most apparent with live-service games. Unfortunately, one unlikely suspect of this is the critically acclaimed Helldivers 2, which currently clocks in at around a whopping 154GB. Thankfully, Arrowhead Game Studios has done some cleaning to reduce the game’s phenomenal file size by an impressive 85 percent.

Released last year, Helldivers 2 presents an enjoyable third-person shooter which pits players, solo or in a group, against hordes of hostile aliens or rogue robots. Despite being difficult, the game wants players to have fun. However, because of new content getting added constantly, the file size can get to big for modern machines.

Today, in a new update currently in beta, Arrowhead, with the help of PlayStation port specialists at Nixxes, has reduced the required file size of Helldivers 2 to only around 23GB. That’s a gigantic reduction, swirling around 131GB of savings.

Despite the huge reduction, Arrowhead says that performance does not take a backseat. At most, the new file system can cause only a few seconds of more loading times, and that’s only for the few who still use HDDs.

Currently, the new file size is an opt-in beta update. Players will need to change their settings a bit, as guided by Arrowhead’s blog post. They also advise anyone who uses mods to take caution since the new files might break compatibility.

Ultimately, the main goal is to make the new file size the default state of the game. If you don’t want to opt into a beta, hang tight for the more definite update.