Baldur’s Gate 3: Solve Silent Library & Beat Balthazar | Gauntlet of Shar [3/3]

Drown this vicious killer in her own blood.

Baldur's Gate 3 is a hit with fans and critics alike, boasting an incredibly high Metacritic score of 96, making it one of 2023's highest-rated games, and one of the highest-scoring PC games of all time. But as great as it is, people still have hot takes, and thousands of fans have flocked to Reddit to share their own.

Baldur's Gate 3 has a pretty cool selection of companions for you to choose from, each with their own unique charms and quirks that makes travelling around with them and watching them interact with each other an absolute joy. However, a certain blunt Githyanki has caused somewhat of a stir on social media this past week, as some believe Lae'zal's status as the game's least popular companion is because female characters are held to a much higher standard than male ones.

Baldur's Gate III is arguably the game of the summer, and it isn't even out on consoles yet. Developer Larian Studios has taken a "it'll be out when it's ready" approach to releasing the game on various platforms. After becoming an instant hit on Windows when it came out of early access earlier this month, Baldur's Gate III will land on PlayStation 5 and macOS on September 6th. The exact Xbox release date is still unclear, but Larian has finally confirmed the massive RPG will come to Microsoft's consoles later this year.

Throughout Baldur's Gate 3, you will spend time with a strange skeleton at camp. He's called Withers, and not much is known about him other than the fact he can respec your class and summon the dead to fight for you. But given his scene at the end of the game and the tomb you find him in, there's clearly more to Withers than meets the eye.

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Not everything in Baldur’s Gate is entirely true, and you might learn this while reading Baldur’s Mouth as you’re exploring Baldur’s Gate 3. The city’s newspaper likes to embellish some details, especially if a story is particularly good. During the final act of Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s a character named Estra Stir who you can speak with, and it turns out she’s a journalist for the Baldur’s Mouth.

Karlach is one of the few companion characters you can find while playing Baldur’s Gate 3. Shortly after meeting her, you’ll discover that an infernal engine has gone into her chest, replacing her heart. It’s a device that can only function in Avernus, and she’s trying her best to repair it throughout your campaign. However, she has few options available, and it looks like the deck is stacked against her.

There’s an official ending to Baldur’s Gate 3 in Act 2, putting an end to the threat of the Absolute. Getting this hidden ending requires using a specific character and preparing him for one big confrontation. It’s a hilarious little ending — and even if it isn’t the best ending, the credits do roll. If you want to finish the game in 50~ hours instead of 75~ hours, you can do that and earn the ‘Hero of the Forgotten Realms‘ achievement. Learn how to get this completely ridiculous ending below.

We’re continuing through the massive Gauntlet of Shar dungeon in Baldur’s Gate 3. To progress into the heart of the temple, we’ll need to find three Umbral Gems. Each one is hidden behind a Trial. There are three trials to complete, and each one requires a different skill — we’ll have to sneak past shadows, fight mirror images of ourselves and finally take a leap of faith across a bottomless chasm. Each trial is a puzzle and we’ll explain how to complete them all below.

The Gauntlet of Shar is a massive, puzzle-filled dungeon that’s required if you want to complete Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3. Before you can take on Ketheric Thorm, you’ll have to fight through this gauntlet of tough enemy encounters and trials. Before you can even reach the area, you’ll need to unlock special protection against the Shadow Curse. After that, getting there is a breeze — but the tough enemies protecting this lair are going to be a challenge if you’re not prepared.

By Adi Robertson, a senior tech and policy editor focused on VR, online platforms, and free expression. Adi has covered video games, biohacking, and more for The Verge since 2011.