Baldur's Gate (PC) - Reviews

(4.6)

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20.10.2016

After falling in love with Neverwinter Nights I looked back to see what other previous RPGs there were. So I came across Baldur's Gate and given the dated look I opted to buy this version rather than the enhanced version as I just didn't know if I'd like it. This installs well on my windows Vista machine but I can't say whether it works on newer systems. The disc is needed in the drive to play but there's no online installation and it installs really fast.This game is dated. The opening cutscene is actually quite good but you'll noticed the dated feel to the game as soon as you play. The view is from a permanent top-down and slightly to one side angle.You can't even spin the camera around to other angles but it's just not necessary in this game. You start off by choosing your character, female or male and then choosing their class and specific skills. Being female I always end up choosing a female character (makes me feel like I'm in the game!) but be warned the female characters are busty and not wearing much when you start off the game. You can soon equip your character with items and armour but initially it's like their just wearing a leotard outfit - you get to choose which colour.The game starts with a tutorial level. There's no time limit in this place and you can wander around for as long as you like. Being an RPG there's a lot to do and take in. Various characters will give you missions to complete and they all get written down in a journal. As I said I'm used to the Neverwinter Nights mission screen which you can select each mission in turn and read what the objective is, but with the journal mode you have to scroll through all the other missions you've already decided to take on and it can get confusing if you've taken a bit of a break from this game and come back. The most important missions to move the game story along are not listed separately from side missions so it gets confusing this way too. Once a mission is complete too it's written down, (like when you are assigned the tasks) one by one. So to see if you've already completed something you have to read through the whole diary and find the bit that says that.Unlike Neverwinter this game allows you to control more than one character. You can have multiple characters in your party, up to eight. When battling this can get tricky. You can pause the game to get a breather and select each character's move before unpausing to continue but it's very tough to remember to use any special moves and I kept focusing on my one created character and forgetting that I could control the others in the midst of battle.There are a lot of extra characters that can join your party, and you can choose which ones you want with you. They all come with their own past story you can read and some come with their own missions too.The world in Baldur's Gate is huge. Although everywhere can be seen on a general map, as you wander around the map and walking off in a new direction you'll enter new areas that are charted on your map. Even once you've uncovered all the areas there's still a lot to do and see in each location.Unfortunately the main problem with this game is the difficulty. Unlike modern games like Neverwinter where I feel I can win, eventually, this game is so hard that it is tough to stay motivated to play on. I have barely scratched the surface of chapter two and I know there's many more to play. The game is hard to play because other enemy characters are so tough to beat and almost every enemy I come across is so much stronger than my party of characters that my lot just end up dying...all the time! (There's even an in joke in the game where there are grave stones with inscriptions that read so-and-so died X amount of times')It's not only hard to control a group of characters but it's also made harder by the fact that the game UN-pauses when you are in inventory mode. When the inventory screen shows up you can switch weapons or armour and pick up spells, etc. This is where the game contrasts to Neverwinter (and why it's tough to play if you've had a modern RPG experience first). I'm just not used to the game unpausing when in inventory and what's worse is that I keep switching back out of inventory only to find everyone dying and it's too late to use my new weapon. So use the save feature a LOT. Save every few minutes, before you walk up to someone, after you've won. You'll need to save your game a lot or else all characters could die and you'll have to start again far back in the level.SO:Baldur's gate has a good storyline (though I can't comment on the ending yet) and you do feel like playing this game and getting through it, but the frustratingly hard gameplay, at least at the earlier levels makes it hard to want to keep going. Especially as you keep trying different tactics on the same enemy and they just keep killing you. I've taken to sometimes wandering about aimlessly around the map as I know what enemy I have to beat to move the story along but I'm hoping I can 'level up' enough to actually beat them! The map stays the same, as do missions you've already started when the chapters move on.Despite this frustrating slow reason to stop playing, something keeps calling me back to this game. I take a break from it but I always want to return. It's dated with it's overall look (poor quality graphics compared to today), sound and feel in gameplay but the story so far is a good one and keeps me engaged in the game. I love RPGs for their open gameplay where you get to choose a lot of what you do and this one, despite it's age, this doesn't disappoint.Would I go for the enhanced version after trying this one? Probably not. I'm just not as excited by this game as I am by Neverwinter or some other later ones I'm now trying. But for an old game, it's a good one and great to get this version if you don't want to spend a fortune or are unsure if you'd enjoy it.

27.3.2010

I have played these to death and every few years pick them up again and have another go. I would recommend you google, download and install some user modifications to play these games:"bgtutu" allows you to play the original and expansion using the Baldur's Gate 2 game engine if you have it."bg1 unfinished business for tutu" and "unfinished business" adds content that was cut from the finished versions of both games. So without changing the feel of the games they are fleshed out a little."bg widescreen mod" allows the user to change the resolution to modern display resolutions.You control a hero of the soldier/mage/ranger/healer variety using a point and click interface with an isometric view and 2D artwork.When you click on an enemy your character will auto swipe at them until they are no more. You can intervene with a pause button and a selection of special commands. During you journey you can seek the aid of upto 5 companions at a time. The world consists of a large number of countryside maps that reveal their neighbours when you reach the edges. You are free to wanderThe map design is expertly made:You start in a single area that will not open up to anywhere else until the plot is advanced.The spine of the map contains a main quest and story.The outer areas of the map are free to be explored or ignored at your leisure.Special new areas are revealed in line with an advancement in plot.To me this is the perfect map design. The first area gives you a chance to get to grips with the game. The spine gives you a tight script, direction and a world that you can affect. The outer fringes give you a sense of freedom and openness and a sense that the world carries on regardless of you. The introduced areas give you a sense of advancement and reduce the overwhelming size of the world to begin with.You are given all the wonder of a fantasy book. You start off in a safe and stuffy environment with an urge for adventure. Disaster strikes you a left alone, confused and vulnerable. You have freedom but not daring to leave the path, you head for the one place you know that may provide safety. Companions join you which brings both relief and the conflicting feeling that you can't trust them. You eventually find companions you can trust and together you grow strong whilst chipping away at the strength of a slowly revealed enemy. At the same time you learn to rely on your companions and get involved in revealing banter....and you get the idea.The game mechanics are fantastic.In a classic party of six. The mage is unbelievably weak. One good shot from a bow and the mage could be in a critical condition. However if the mage pulls off a fireball uninterrupted they can cause devastation to a group of enemies. A warrior can hold off a group of enemies for the mage but their health will degrade and they require the aid of a cleric to keep them in battle. The warrior is also of low intelligence and susceptible to spells and traps. The cleric can buff the warrior and remove curses but a better option is to seek the support of a good rogue who can sneak and back stab a mage and seek and remove any traps. Do you want a beast of a barbarian who can cut foes in two with their huge sword or a virtuous paladin who improves the perception of your party to strangers? It is the weaknesses as well as the strengths that make a good party based game as it requires co operation between members. It is the options available that make the party yours. You cannot just pick and choose who you want either. Most characters have past relationships that come first or grievances. The party becomes less ideal as you take the characters into account and that brings it all the more to life.For the large part you use standard equipment and magical weapons and such are rare. I don't want to find my millionth magical weapon in a fantasy game. I want my treasure to be treasured! Nor to I want several levels of sword.The enemies are of a predictable difficulty to you along the main plot driven routes with a few nasty surprises to add to the sense of danger. Travel into the wilderness though and who knows what you will face. These areas become less of a worry to the experienced traveller but to become an experienced traveller you must venture into these areas. This type of world gives meaning to a levelling system.**WHY ARE THERE NOT MORE GAMES LIKE THIS**The game loses a star due to the availability of compilations of the complete series.

4.8.2011

This series and Planescape: Torment stand out to me as major bench marks of good games. They have a intriguing overarching plot, exciting and thrilling side quests. The characters are both diverse and unique from the NPCs to your own companions, you'll find someone you like. And even if you wish to not carry on the story and instead muck about you can. Then be levelled up and powerful ready for next big mission.The voice acting for such a vast game is amazing and some of the work really shines through. I first played this about seven years ago, and now seeing it again. I know what a gem it was and wish more games tried as hard as this did. And it even had a terrific sequel.

7.9.2015

Well, I can honestly say that when I started this blog, I never thought that I’d be reviewing the instruction manual to a game. That said, I just couldn’t help it – it’s a work of art in itself, a booklet that’s simultaneously a manual of how to play Baldur’s Gate (and its add-on pack, Tales of the Sword Coast) and a historical report on the lands, the races, the wars and the warriors who have shaped the Forgotten Realms.Baldur’s Gate is a great RPG game, one that set a new standard for generations of gamers and which is memorable for computerising the Dungeons and Dragons rulebook. This then, the instruction manual, has set a new standard of its own. If you’ve ever played the game,

18.8.2014

Baldur's Gate is one of those classic games that never date and always offers reply value; a simple change of character will give you a whole new outlook and play style. One of my favourite things about the game is that it's old enough not to need the latest computer and plays perfectly on my old windows vista laptop without ever crashing. Great game for travelling . Great story, excellent strategy RPG .

25.5.2019

It took me a while to get this game to work. I had to experiment with running my laptop in various compatibility modes to stop it running extremely slowly. But now it works fine and I look forward to happy evenings playing it.

23.10.2011

This is genuinely one of my favourite games and is what got me into RPGs. I am a bit sad that I can't play my shiny new copy on my shiny new PC as it won't even install much less run on windows 7.