Baldur’s Gate 3 is a massive role-playing game that can take up to 100 hours to complete, depending on the choices and actions of the player. However, one player has managed to finish the game in just over 10 minutes by using a very unconventional and explosive strategy.
The Secret of Gale’s Chest
The player, who goes by the name of Mae on YouTube, uploaded a video of their speedrun, which shows how they beat the game in 10 minutes and 23 seconds. The key to their success is Gale, one of the companions that can join the player’s party. Gale is a wizard who has a very dangerous secret: he has a magical nuke inside his chest.
Gale’s backstory reveals that he tried to impress his ex-wife, who is a goddess named Mystra, by creating a device that could store her divine essence. However, the device malfunctioned and exploded, killing Gale and Mystra. Gale was resurrected by another god, but with a catch: he had to carry the device inside his chest, and it would detonate again if he ever died.
The Ultimate Sacrifice
At the start of Act 2, Gale receives a message from Mystra, who tells him that he can redeem himself by using the device to destroy the Absolute, a mysterious entity that is behind the events of the game. The Absolute is revealed to be a giant mind flayer brain with a crown of potent magic, and it is guarded by three powerful villains: Ketheric Thorm, Enver Gortash, and Orin.
Mae’s speedrun involves getting to the Absolute as fast as possible and triggering Gale’s device to blow up everything. This effectively ends the game, but with a very dark twist: the Absolute’s magic is also keeping the illithid tadpoles from transforming the infected characters into mind flayers. By destroying the Absolute, Mae unleashes a horde of mind flayers upon the world.
The Tricks of the Trade
To achieve this feat, Mae uses several tricks and exploits to skip most of the game’s content. First, they boost Gale’s Strength to 17 during character creation, which allows him to jump farther than normal. Then, they use the Enhanced Leap spell to triple his jump distance and bounce through the game’s areas.
They also use Shadowheart, another companion, to cast Sanctuary on Gale, which prevents him from being targeted by enemies. They also use Misty Step, a spell that lets them teleport short distances, to bypass some obstacles and enemies. Finally, they use an elevator glitch to skip two boss fights and reach the final area of Act 2.
Mae’s speedrun is impressive and hilarious, but it also shows how much content and depth Baldur’s Gate 3 has to offer. The game is still in early access and has not yet released its third act, which means there are still many secrets and surprises waiting for players who want to explore its rich world.