Can someone give me a quick tldr why everyone is losing their mind over this?
I don't know anything about this game or it's predecessors.
Is it just a fantasy RPG or what's the hype all about?
How is it different from other fantasy RPGs?
It's a sequel (even though in name only, pretty much) to one of the most popular and well-regarded CRPGs of all time, made by a developer with a great track record and lots of public goodwill, uses the incredibly popular official D&D IP, was hyped even before Early Access started in 2020 and has now been in EA for three years.
How is it different from other fantasy RPGs?
I only played like an hour or two yesterday, but the game leans really heavily into the "simulated D&D-campaign" flavour. You have a narrator acting a lot like a DM and you have very prominently displayed (and animated!) dice rolls for loads of actions and skill-checks in dialogues.
Beyond that, wealth of multiple choices and consequences for your actions have been touted as selling points, but I have not played enough to know about any of that.
It's incredibly polished so far, though I still find facial animations (especially eyes) somewhat lacking. But I just played through Cyberpunk and that is a high bar to reach in that specific department.
To me, video games are never worth 60 dollars. Ever. I usually wait until they are on sale and if they don't go on sale I just never play then.
I get FOMO for about a week and then it fades away entirely. Most of the time the amazing game everyone is losing their minds over ends up getting massive complaints once the rose colored glasses wear off.
I also rarely pay full price (maybe 4 times since and including Portal 2), but the developer's previous game Divinity: Original Sin 2 has given me about 120 hours of play time with a friend, plus 70 more solo. There's every indication BG3 is bigger and more diverse, so I expect it to cost AT MOST 50 cents per hour, probably a fair bit less.
To me, video games are never worth 60 dollars. Ever.
Was a video game worth $40 in 1995? Because if you paid that back then, that's the equivalent to $80 today.
So yea, paying $60 sucks, but game prices haven't kept up with inflation at all. Not to mention the $40 game in 1995 took a dozen guys months to create, while a $60 game today takes 5+ years and hundreds of people.
Normally you'd be right, only this game has been in early access for three years before release. That time playing it in beta made me more excited for the final game than any other game. It is a game with depth, layers and complexity. After 10 hours with it, I'm certain: it is my GOTY