Player drops a popular Baldur’s Gate 3 companion, says Act 2 got even better
Playing Baldur's Gate 3 without your favorite (or maybe slightly annoying) Cleric? Someone gave it a shot, and it completely changed the experience.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is still one of the most popular games out there, even nearly two years after its full release, and that’s without any DLCs. But to be fair, it’s no surprise. Even though Larian has wrapped up the development to focus on a new project, the replay value is insane. You can create so many different characters, make choices that completely change the story, and pick companions to join your adventure. Sure, some party members are more likable than others (though that’s always up for debate), but let’s be real, some of them feel almost mandatory. But what happens if you ditch them and actually try playing without them?
Act 2 feels different without Shadowheart
ClintMcElroyOfficial shared on Reddit about playing through BG3 without Shadowheart, the first companion you usually get in the prologue. Even if you don’t help her escape from that mind flayer pod, you can still run into her later in so many places and recruit her. So most of us probably picked her up right away (because who doesn’t want a Cleric on their team), and kept her around all the way to the end. Plus, Shadowheart plays a big role in Act 2, so finishing the game without her feels almost impossible.
Source: Baldur's Gate 3; Developer: Larian Studios
ClintMcElroyOfficial, playing their Dark Urge character, to put it nicely, took care of Shadowheart during her fight with Lae’zel at the camp in the middle of the night:
Gotta say, act 2 without Shadowheart's input was awesome. Especially saving Dame Aylin, it got to be a cool moment where my Durge really committed to serving Selune, and committing to resisting her urge (and later Bhaal) for her friends.
Tbh, as much as I miss Shadowheart, I kinda dread future playthrough's where I have to hear Shar this and Dark Lady that all throughout act 2. Even if her Act 3 redemption makes it worth it.
And I fully understand that. I really liked Shadowheart too, but she did start to sound like a bit of a broken record at times. A lot of people can’t stand Gale, so I can totally see why some would ditch him. But dropping Shadowheart? That’s a whole different kind of playthrough, especially if you’re running a Dark Urge character and leaning fully into the evil. That said, I can’t imagine any BG3 run without Astarion. His story has so many different possible outcomes.
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Author: Olga Racinowska
Been with gamepressure.com since 2019, mostly writing game guides but you can also find me geeking out about LEGO (huge collection, btw). Love RPGs and classic RTSs, also adore quirky indie games. Even with a ton of games, sometimes I just gotta fire up Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, KOTOR, or Baldur's Gate 2 (Shadows of Amn, the OG, not that Throne of Bhaal stuff). When I'm not gaming, I'm probably painting miniatures or admiring my collection of retro consoles.
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