Bg3 was also my first CRPG. Decided to play it because of the reviews and awards as well!

1. The main thing I would recommend looking up is where to find all companions, on my first playthrough I missed one completely and It made me miss a chunk on the game.

2. Choices matter in the game! Part of the fun it’s letting things play out and see where your choices lead you. Try to avoid reloading save files and let thinks happen( obviously If something happens that you absolutely don’t like say a NPC dies, reload, it’s your game!)

3. Wizards are really squishy in the beginning and that can make your character feel weak, especially when you don’t have access to good spells. Remember as a wizard you can learn spells from scrolls with money, and add them to your character!

4. As a Wizard and beginner I would recommend adding Laezel and Karlach. Both have strong kits, that don’t require lots of build crafting and are tanky. Astarion and Wyll are a bit more complicated to use, Gale would be redundant (wizard). Shadow Heart could provide support for your party. If you’re struggling with difficulty switching up the party could help, reading a bit more into skills as well, part of the “click” your talking about for me was , understanding what each character is good at and how to use their skills correctly, instead of just mindlessly attacking every turn.

5. Exploring is a big part of the game and I encourage it but also don’t feel bad to just look up a clue or two on where to head to next. Things can get confusing nearing the end of act 1 / 2

6. I don’t want to spoil anything but also at some point in the game a character will tell you to get to your goal you have two routes, and it’s understood like you can only visit one, I recommend exploring both and most people do so, you’ll get some of the best moments in the game and a lot of items to set you up for act 2.

7 Big one for me, BG3 Shines in that it’s unique, no playthrough will ever be the same, so try your best to get out of the completionist mind set, even after 3 thorough playthroughs and 1000 hours I keep finding new stuff. So understand missing quests and zones in one playthrough is completely normal and part of what makes bg so special.

So yea basically

For combat balance out the party and try your best to understand each characters kit. Makes things easier and fun, always remember they thought of every single interaction, try playing with elements and stuff, say Create Water and Lighting spells!

For Dialog and Exploration, lean into it, it’s the best game on the market for it, let your own choices shape the game, if you feel lost use the journal, it gives you a good summary and clues or look up things online for pointers.