Larian Studios’ game has plenty of mods, which shows just how popular Baldur’s Gate 3 has become.
Sometimes we understand why modders burn out. The reaction to Relysia’s True Third-Person Camera mod for Baldur’s Gate 3 is a perfect example of this. It’s a labor of love that gives the CRPG, which is traditionally played from a bird’s-eye view, an over-the-shoulder perspective. Baldur’s Gate 3 already has a third-person view mode; you just need to plug in a controller and the camera will drop down to provide a more console-like RPG experience. And if that weren’t enough, there’s also the Native Camera Tweaks mod. Over the past few weeks, hundreds of people online have pointed this out, each convinced they were the first to make this vital observation.
Relysia saw these posts and, with admirable patience, created an eight-minute video demonstrating how her mod differs from the others. With the True Third-Person Camera mod, we can actually look up. When playing with a controller, the viewpoint is locked at a downward angle and cannot be changed. The Native Camera Tweaks mod also allows you to look up. However, when you need to switch back to a more distant view, you have to manually adjust the camera. With the True Third-Person Camera mod, all it takes is a simple press of the asterisk button.
The True Third-Person Camera mod also uses an over-the-shoulder view that’s slightly offset from the center by default. The other options use a centered third-person view by default. This difference is evident when comparing the 2013 and 1996 versions of Tomb Raider. While the viewpoint in Native Camera Tweaks is adjustable, this requires editing a file. In contrast, the True Third-Person Camera is compatible with the Mod Configuration Menu, which allows you to adjust the camera position in real time right from within the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is better than many other CRPGs in this regard because a lot of effort was put into making it look good, even in close-up dialogue scenes. Of course, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, when we look up while underground or on the lowest floor of a building, we discover places where we weren’t expected to go. We also want to switch to the standard camera view when sneaking or when a party member points out something nearby that we can’t see. If Larian had built this option in, it would have created extra work for them in fixing things that are forgivable when revealed by a mod. The mod also reverts to the normal camera view when combat begins. However, Relysia plans to fix this in an update by adding an immersive combat mode, which keeps the camera close to the action throughout combat.
Much of the appeal of PC games lies in our ability to customize everything to our nitpicky preferences. There are several ways to do this, even if it means using two similar mods with slightly different effects. The True Third-Person Camera is available on Nexus Mods, as is WASD Character Movement, which fully recreates the experience of playing Dragon Age as a turn-based game. While you’re at it, be sure to grab Party Limit Begone as well.
Source: PCGamer, Nexus Mods, Nexus Mods, Nexus Mods, Nexus Mods
