Baldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 3 features a massive number of changes, but the one biggie is that its early-game Mind Flayer transformation is now absolute nightmare fuel. Forget the previous version’s boring old puff-of-smoke, this is as gruesome as it gets.
If you’re wondering what the hell we’re talking about, you may have missed Baldur’s Gate 3’s button-pushing moment. We’re getting into very, very mild spoilers here but, during the game’s opening section, you find an NPC imprisoned within a glass tube. There’s a button nearby and if you’re seized by the Father Dougal-style urge to push it, it turns the NPC into a Mind Flayer.
It’s meant to be horrifying but it isn’t, really. There’s just a cloud of smoke and, hey presto, they’re a Mind Flayer. You can almost imagine the original NPC crawling out of a trapdoor while her squid-faced pal climbs in. At least, that’s the way things were. But, as spotted by Reddit user Lasernist, Patch 3 dials the transformation up to 11.
“Nobody asked for this, but we made the ceremorphosis scene on the nautiloid more horrifying. You’re welcome”, developer Larian Studios remarks in the patch notes. There’s still smoke, or mist, but the transformation is still deliciously detailed. You can see that the NPC’s calamari lunch doesn’t agree with her and.. well, you’re best off seeing for yourself.
Nobody asked for this but we’re absolutely glad it’s there. And knowing that could happen to your character, it should lend an even greater sence of urgency to your quest to get your tadpole removed. It also beats that Mass Effect 2 scene as the most disturbing glass-tube related demise.
If you’ve not played Baldur’s Gate 3 its full release is out now on PlayStation 5, PC and, with this patch, Mac. It’ll arrive on Xbox Series X|S later this year. Here’s how we’re getting on with it.
