8. Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition 1 + 2
Developer: Beamdog| Release date: January 16, 2013 | Steam page: Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition
What is Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition? The game is a remaster of the RPG hit Baldur’s Gate, which originally released in 1998 and is regarded as a true classic. The Enhanced Edition provides you with the revised content of the classic.
The RPG is set in the “Forgotten Realms” world of the well-known Pen & Paper game Dungeons & Dragons and operates according to a similar gameplay system. You view your group from an isometric third-person perspective and control the actions of the characters in turn.
You can play Baldur’s Gate either alone or in multiplayer mode with friends. Together with your party, you embark on a journey to explore a vast game world: fight enemies in dungeons or discover hidden places. Even outside of the story, you can find dungeons or solve puzzles.
The individual characters who accompany you on your journey each have their own backstories, which is reflected in their dialogues, especially in the second part of Baldur’s Gate. You decide whom to take with you on your journey as a companion.
In general, players praise the gripping story in Baldur’s Gate, which shines with love for detail and variety. Depending on how you make decisions in the game, you also have an impact on the further course of various side quests.
The co-op play in Baldur’s Gate 3 has also delighted the editorial team: Damn, the multiplayer of Baldur’s Gate 3 is actually good!
Yes, Baldur’s Gate is outdated, not very modern, and far from accessible. The battles are tough, and an action gamer might give up quickly. I also needed two attempts, and yet Baldur’s Gate is the best RPG I’ve ever played. No other game comes close. Even the unusual Planescape: Torment had no chance with me. And I even installed Baldur’s Gate from five CDs (!) back in the day before I eventually got it on GOG.
The game world is vast, the story about the children of Bhaal is exciting, and the combat system is beautifully tactical and challenging. To this day, I’ve easily spent over 600 hours in this series and have countless memories associated with it. Just in Durlag’s Tower, I could puzzle for hours, and I still grin when I think of the “sächselnden” characters in the game. Or I stand in Candlekeep and listen to the singing men.
Not to forget, there is still a vibrant mod community around Baldur’s Gate today, diligently fixing bugs and providing new content. Give the game a chance and definitely buy the even better Baldur’s Gate 2, which offers some of the best companions you can find in party RPGs to this day. In my eyes, it remains unmatched.
Characters like the cleric Anomen, who always tries to hit on Aerie. Or the dark elf Viconia, who drives Aerie to suicide if you don’t intervene. Or the arguments within the party when you romance two ladies or gentlemen at the same time. Or Edwin in BG1, who attempts to kill Dynaheir. Such complex, believable, and multi-layered reactions are truly hard to find in today’s RPGs. And that’s what makes Baldur’s Gate (1+2) so good for me.
My tip: Definitely install the “BG1 NPC Project” for Baldur’s Gate (via gibberlings3.net), which makes interactions between the heroes in part 1 even more extensive.
Who is Baldur’s Gate worth it for? Baldur’s Gate is worth it for anyone looking for a comprehensive, complex RPG with challenging combat. If you can overlook the outdated graphics of the Infinity Engine, you will find an extensive RPG that can keep you occupied for many hours. The interactions between the characters are still unique to this day.
The revamped Enhanced Edition mainly offers support for higher resolutions and additional comfort features like Steam achievements. However, if you purchased the old games, for instance, through GOG, you can also receive all paid features for free through the active community.
