<i>Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition</i> review: Flawed, but still classic

Revival shows the original's age, and also its agelessness.

Read the whole story

 

[hazmatzak]

For those wondering what they did that's so great - they did re-create the GUI completely for bigger resolutions and scale the graphics better - so it plays nicer at higher resolutions.

Moving this to the BG2 engine would have been nice, also. There's a lot of fun cross-class combos you can do using kits in BG2 that don't exist in BG1. It means the optimal way to play BG2 is often to scrap your BG1 character rather than port your character across.

I thought they did move to the ToB engine, so kits and such do work in BG1:EE.

 

[TerribleTony]

Regarding the mods: A lot of the old mods are being worked on to make them compatible with BG:EE. I'm holding out for them to finish Unfinished Business before I give it a run through.

 

[enderandrew]

Several lines in this article seem to suggest that Baldur's Gate EE only includes the first game, plus its expansion; this is not correct. This extended edition also includes BG2, plus its expansion, all in a single package. Special class kits such as Kensai, etc. are playable from level 1. (thus the inclusion of a new NPC Neera, who is a Wild Mage, a special class kit originally only available in BG2)

I believe you are mistaken on both parts.

This is just the first game and expansion. They will be releasing BG2:EE later. And they did use the BG2:TOB engine for the EE (with new fixes as well) so you can use kits in BG1 now.

Though you can also do that with mods. For my current playthrough, I'm playing what is called BGT - Baldur's Gate Trilogy. The whole thing is played in the BG2:TOB engine.

 

[daropi]

I loved Baldur's gate 1 and 2...great games. Also loved Icewind Dale. But I hated Infinity engine. The combat was crappy, the pathfinding was worse than a blind mummy, the UI sucked, graphics were not so good even for the time and so on.

I would've loved to buy a redone version of Baldur's gate, like a BG mod using Dragon Age engine or something even better.

Having the same exact thing as it was 15 yrs ago?...I've grown up and so have my tastes unfortunately and I'm not all that satisfied by such a minimal improvement for $20.

A shame because I would've LOVED to spend money on Baldur's Gate and that entire lineup of games....

 

[F16PilotJumper]

I read this entire review and I feel like I didn't learn a single thing. What...enhancements...does the Enhanced Edition offer? Why should I play it instead of the GoG version of the original? How has the game translated to modern systems?

 

[qchronod]

Is this where Boo in Megatokyo comes from??

(I never played RPGs outside of the first act of Diablo II and a few hours of Diablo III)

 

[michaelogaz]

Several lines in this article seem to suggest that Baldur's Gate EE only includes the first game, plus its expansion; this is not correct. This extended edition also includes BG2, plus its expansion, all in a single package. Special class kits such as Kensai, etc. are playable from level 1. (thus the inclusion of a new NPC Neera, who is a Wild Mage, a special class kit originally only available in BG2)

I believe you are mistaken on both parts.

This is just the first game and expansion. They will be releasing BG2:EE later. And they did use the BG2:TOB engine for the EE (with new fixes as well) so you can use kits in BG1 now.

Though you can also do that with mods. For my current playthrough, I'm playing what is called BGT - Baldur's Gate Trilogy. The whole thing is played in the BG2:TOB engine.

Was going to mention this. Get both games at gog.com for the price of this "enhanced" edition. Install the mods and play a better version. (Unless I'm seriously missing something in the review?)

 

[princeashitaka]

Was the path-finding improved? I'd appreciate to see this answered, please.

 

[enderandrew]

It looks like most of the 400 fixes and enhancements listed for BG1 are basically listing the features of the BG2 engine, and community fixes from mods.

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion ... -list-pt-1
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion ... -list-pt-2

You can download those mods for free for the classic Baldur's Gate.

 

[Talarian]

The Ugly
•Winning a tough fight, reaching for the chest and reward, only to be immediately killed by a trap

As an old school 2nd Edition DM, this is actually kinda hilarious. And totally accurate.

 

[Penforhire]

iPad version.... squeee! Unless the interface is a hot mess.

 

[malor]

But Infinity Engine combat isn't particularly good. In practice, it means spending a lot of time pressing pause and unpause, then watching a bunch of tiny people run around while hoping none of your party members ends up dead.

Being deadly honest here, that's you not being particularly good. Assuming that the sequel has the same options that the original one did, you can set autopauses on all sorts of different criteria. One of those is 'end of round'.

Original D&D was composed of rounds, in which everyone (friendly and enemy) took an action, based on an initiative die roll. Slow actions, like spell casting, might take a long time to complete, giving enemies a chance to interrupt or react. This was more or less required in the pen and paper era.

Baldur's Gate, being computerized, took this to continuous time, where every character is basically running their own rounds, and you can autopause as each character finishes an action. This allows to tightly control each character, all the time, just as thoroughly as you could for pen-and-paper AD&D, but still allows for interruptions of long actions, which are typically very dangerous. (long, slow spells will usually have devastating results.)

If you're just watching your characters running around, and hoping they don't die, that means you're not playing very well, not that the game is no good.

 

[MosesZD]

Or it could be a shameless cash grab by EA who is known for churning and milking franchises to death. At least that's how I look at it as a gamer who has seen more of his beloved developers/franchises destroyed by EA than he cares to think about...

 

[CrookedKnight]

D&D is turn-based. The infinity engine is a real-time system that uses those turn-based rules, and it shows. Oh GOD does it show.

 

[Evan E]

Or it could be a shameless cash grab by EA who is known for churning and milking franchises to death. At least that's how I look at it as a gamer who has seen more of his beloved developers/franchises destroyed by EA than he cares to think about...

Umm...this has practically nothing to do with EA. Overhaul Games, which is made of former BioWare employees, is a separate company, and had to negotiate with both BioWare (who had to clear it with their parent company, EA) and Wizards of the Coast to get this done. EA's pocketing some money, but they did nothing to actually get this done other than giving their permission.

 

[Windspear]

I did everthing in Baldur's Gate. I mean EVERYTHING. I was so burned out I just barely able start an hour into Planescape and BG2 and just gave up. I keep all the discs in a corner hoping some day I will play Planescape and BG2.

Baldur's Gate and Grim Fandango has been burned into my soul.

 

[minijedimaster]

The fact that this is not on Steam is mind boggling to me. Way to limit your market exposure. Also, if the Android/iPad versions end up being good I may at some point pick it up there. $20 for the version on PC that gives you not much over the original + free mods is just retarded. This is $10 MAX for what it offers, and only then if you could get it on a convenient platform (that people actually use) like steam.

 

[aeberbach]

No Linux version after all? :/

There was a Mac user in the 90's, Peter someone, who would post in every "for sale" thread in the aus.ads.forsale usenet group:

"What platform does it run on?"

Making the point that while everyone knows that XCOM never came out for Macintosh, it was not beyond the realms of possibility that it might have been quietly ported and released. And nobody should discount the Macintosh as a gaming platform, because it had awesome games like Dark Castle and one day there could be more!

Your post reminds me of him.

Anyway, I'm really excited by this release. Somehow I never played Baldur's Gate and I'm eagerly checking the iTunes store for the iPad release.

 

[enderandrew]

The fact that this is not on Steam is mind boggling to me. Way to limit your market exposure. Also, if the Android/iPad versions end up being good I may at some point pick it up there. $20 for the version on PC that gives you not much over the original + free mods is just retarded. This is $10 MAX for what it offers, and only then if you could get it on a convenient platform (that people actually use) like steam.

Valve wants DLC sales to go through their store as well, whereas EA said they should be able to sell DLC as an in-app purchase without giving a cut of those sales to Valve. EA said Valve was unreasonable and they'd never again allow any of their games on a service with such policies.

Nevermind that on iOS, in-app sales go through iOS and Apple gets a cut. On Android, in-app sales go through Android and Google gets a cut. EA still has games in both services.

So EA started their Steam competitor, Origin. Origin used to be the name of a truly amazing game development studio that EA killed, so now they're bringing back the name for a terrible service. I've had nothing but trouble receiving codes for products I've purchased via Origin, or getting things to work.

EA's boycott of Steam may just mean I have to boycott at EA products in the future.

 

[zadred]

Was the path-finding improved? I'd appreciate to see this answered, please.

I never had a problem with path-finding after I upped the Path Search Nodes argument in the Config/ini file.

If you don't have other humans joining you, you fill out your party by recruiting a variety of different non-player characters, like Imoen the thief, Jaheira the druid, Viconia the cleric, or most famously, Minsc the barbarian and his "miniature giant space hamster," Boo.

Minsc is a ranger with berserker flavor (as the fighter kit berserker was not available in the original), not a barbarian.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

I like most of the dice rolls, what I don't like is ammo and the awkward spell system.
The hit roll is fine for a mostly turn base or quasi real time game. I mean its not like The Witcher were you should have more real time combat dodging than a hit rolls persay.(or at least a doge roll boost when you are dodge in real time). Hell I love morrowinds system but for the to hit for range weapons. Really all morrowind needed was a range/damage script that worked more based on range armor and the damage you do. A shame everything's gone cheap and easy....

 

[malor]

I did everthing in Baldur's Gate. I mean EVERYTHING. I was so burned out I just barely able start an hour into Planescape and BG2 and just gave up

Wow, BG2 is much better than BG1. On a technical level, it's a complete implementation of 2E D&D, at least the combat parts, where BG1 was only partial. And on an adventure level, it's hugely bigger, tremendously intricate. You do yourself a real disservice with your burnoutitude!

Torment is pretty different, and some people love it, but most people don't seem to, anymore. Ten years ago, if I turned someone onto that game, they were hooked, but these days, they don't seem very interested. I think its time in the sun may have truly passed.

 

[enderandrew]

Was the path-finding improved? I'd appreciate to see this answered, please.

I never had a problem with path-finding after I upped the Path Search Nodes argument in the Config/ini file.

The problem is particularly bad in dungeons where paths are narrow. If your party of six has two people going down a hallway at once, the party members in the back assume the path is blocked and look for another, much longer route, including down hallways you haven't been down before, running all over traps.

If the engine were smart enough to know that just because a path is temporarily blocked by other party members in that spot for a second, it should know that those party members are in fact moving.

This has been called out in the Project Eternity Kickstarter threads as one of the biggest failings of the IE engine that hopefully Eternity will fix in their engine.

 

[binarycrusader]

Valve wants DLC sales to go through their store as well, whereas EA said they should be able to sell DLC as an in-app purchase without giving a cut of those sales to Valve. EA said Valve was unreasonable and they'd never again allow any of their games on a service with such policies.

Which, to be perfectly frank, is quite fair. Valve is responsible for hosting the files and allowing customers to download them again and again "forever". They're also responsible for maintaining the steam servers, store, payment service, community features and more.

Not that I think you're arguing against that...

 

[zadred]

The problem is particularly bad in dungeons where paths are narrow. If your party of six has two people going down a hallway at once, the party members in the back assume the path is blocked and look for another, much longer route, including down hallways you haven't been down before, running all over traps.

I guess I just never noticed in those smaller corridors because I'd never send my whole party down one at once. Last thing I needed was a fireball or lightning bolt trap to hit the whole party because I wasn't zealous enough in my trap searching or my rogue couldn't hit the DC.

 

[Giolon]

To answer many of the repeated questions:

What's new?
Ported to the BG2:ToB Engine, incl Races and kits (available as a mod)
3 new party members
400+ bug fixes (many available via mods and fan patches)
Cross platform multiplayer support, with forthcoming matchmaker.
Support for high resolutions and widescreen (available via mods)
New Black Pits combat arena
New modernized Journal interface
Better, cleaned up modding support (I cant't vouch for this personally but I've seen it come up from the Devs, particularly for UI mods)
Ongoing support, patches, and updates including cross platform cloud saves in the future headed up by some of the original developers.
Some community mods being updated to work with this version.

What does the GoG version have that this EE doesn't?
Downloads of wallpapers and other assets that were included with or used for promotion of the original release.

Why did I buy this if most of it is available via mods for free?
I don't have the time or will to deal with hunting down, installing, and applying mods in various combinations anymore. I just want to fire a game up and go. My time is valuable and this edition saves me time and hassle at the cost of a $20 bill. I'm ok with that. The fact that I'll soon be able to play on my iPad (which will be a separate purchase that I'll easily make) is the ultimate bonus. Everyone is not going to feel the same way, but I've been having a blast reliving my formative RPG gaming days with this edition. Plus Neera is adorable.

Side Note: I pestered a friend into buying the GoG BG, which I also own as well, and when he played it he got an incurable BSOD crash every time he went to Beregost for the first time. He picked up this edition and has run flawlessly through Nashkel Mines so far. That isn't to say there are no bugs or issues people are having with this version, but there are people actively developing on the game and working to fix them ASAP. You can't really say that about other versions out there.

 

[Deleted member 192806]

Still, this model of character interaction is largely a simple prototype of what came letter.

Latter.

 

[Azhrei]

I remember buying the original very soon after it first came out because of all the hype the game was getting and absolutely hating it. I liked what little story I saw but couldn't get past the use of AD&D's system and never beat the game. As someone who never played AD&D, it was an opaque mess of stats and charts and obscure systems and terms. I thought about giving the game another try when I heard they were doing an enhanced edition but this review reminded me of all the reasons I didn't like it the first time around. Maybe I'll dig out my old discs from the closet and root around for some mods but I expect I just won't be able to get past AD&D.

 

[Camp Freddie]

So... do you still get instakilled as a level 2 noob by the first assassin in the first village of the game. I remember he'd cast mirror image, then 2 magic missiles. If you got unlucky, the first magic missile would kill you (automatic hit, no cast time, 3D4+3 damage - and you have between 4+d4 and 10+d10 HP total). If you got lucky, you still had to kill him in 2 rounds before the 2nd magic missile went off.

I had to reload a dozen times until I just gave up and let one of the party members take one for the team and die (yes, die. None of that "KO'd" crap here). In later playthroughs I managed to kite him into some guards, which is only possible if you know he's coming and meta-game to avoid talking to him until he;s between you and the guard.

Of course you might not even make it that far, since even the weakest wandering mob (gibberlings in the starting zone) can kill you in 2 hits.

I loved all the BG games, but they were damned unforgiving.

 

[ounkeo]

This is great and I'll buy it, but anyone know when Fallout is coming? I still consider Fallout the mold by which current RPG's actually aspire to, whether they know it or not.

 

[Deleted member 92645]

The fact that this is not on Steam is mind boggling to me. Way to limit your market exposure. Also, if the Android/iPad versions end up being good I may at some point pick it up there. $20 for the version on PC that gives you not much over the original + free mods is just retarded. This is $10 MAX for what it offers, and only then if you could get it on a convenient platform (that people actually use) like steam.

Valve wants DLC sales to go through their store as well, whereas EA said they should be able to sell DLC as an in-app purchase without giving a cut of those sales to Valve. EA said Valve was unreasonable and they'd never again allow any of their games on a service with such policies.

Nevermind that on iOS, in-app sales go through iOS and Apple gets a cut. On Android, in-app sales go through Android and Google gets a cut. EA still has games in both services.

So EA started their Steam competitor, Origin. Origin used to be the name of a truly amazing game development studio that EA killed, so now they're bringing back the name for a terrible service. I've had nothing but trouble receiving codes for products I've purchased via Origin, or getting things to work.

EA's boycott of Steam may just mean I have to boycott at EA products in the future.

Well boycotting Steam is their loss, instead of getting (a part) of my 19.99$ and a cut from my future $$$ in DLC, BG.EE's publisher will get nothing from me. I went on the game's website this week excited to buy this new edition and then I realized I had to register with a new website to get the game then I looked at my original BG1 CD on my shelves and thought, why bother... If the game had been offered on Steam, it would have been an instant buy and EA (or any other publisher involved with this game) would have received a nice part of my 20$...

P.S. English is not my first language, so sorry if my post is difficult to read haha

 

[Kesh]

I bought this, and ran it for 20 minutes, and then closed it and haven't opened it since. I was expecting an enhanced remake of Baldur's Gate, not the original repackaged.

What's sad is that you can get a truly enhanced experience if you have the original BG 1 and 2 by using Tutu or Baldur's Gate Trilogy. You get BG1 in the BG2 version of the Infinity Engine, plus some true enhancements like better character interaction, romances, plus custom-made fan content - some of which is actually good!

Not sure what I paid for, by comparison...

You paid for a version that's being currently supported under modern operating systems & hardware, rather than having to hack it if something wigs out.

 

[giantbee]

If you already have BG for windows, is there any reason to purchase this version?

No, in fact, what this shockingly superficial review fails to address is that this new version has a lot of bugs with many common setups, and a lot of the assets (including the UI) don't work on the PC in aq higher resolution, blurry and upscaled. Also, it's riddled with bugs, if you play it for any amount of time- check the game's forums for more details on these

There are a few reviews out there written by actual gamers, some of whom understand RPGs. One of the more useful ones is:

http://www.gamebanshee.com/reviews/1102 ... eview.html

I'd say that right now, if you own the originals, mod the hell out of those and play them, if you're missing them- it will work a lot better. That doesn't help people like me, who wanted an actual iPad dungeoncrawler, mind.

 

[garapito]

Remember the '90s? They're back—in RPG form!

Rowan, sir, you win all the internets with that Simpson's reference.

Remember ALF, he's back. In POG form.

 

[skyywise]

Is this where Boo in Megatokyo comes from??

(I never played RPGs outside of the first act of Diablo II and a few hours of Diablo III)

Dear god, I haven't thought about that webcomic in years, but yes, Baldur's Gate is the inspiration for Boo the hampster in Megatokyo.

 

[ScifiGeek]

If you already have BG for windows, is there any reason to purchase this version?

No, in fact, what this shockingly superficial review fails to address is that this new version has a lot of bugs with many common setups, and a lot of the assets (including the UI) don't work on the PC in aq higher resolution, blurry and upscaled. Also, it's riddled with bugs, if you play it for any amount of time- check the game's forums for more details on these

There are a few reviews out there written by actual gamers, some of whom understand RPGs. One of the more useful ones is:

http://www.gamebanshee.com/reviews/1102 ... eview.html

I'd say that right now, if you own the originals, mod the hell out of those and play them, if you're missing them- it will work a lot better. That doesn't help people like me, who wanted an actual iPad dungeoncrawler, mind.

Thanks, that is a better review, from someone who is actually familiar with the original games. Stick with your originals. Or get GOG version and mod as needed is the better choice.

This doesn't bode well for getting this running on iPad.

 

[schizomilkman]

I loved BG, but I couldn't get in to BGII. I started playing multiple times and I think the advanced level spells were overwhelming to me. I mean, it came with like a 100 page guide on the various skills/spells your characters can use. I liked the simplicity of the lower level game.

 

[jrose]

I'm pretty sure that if anything is proving an interest in Baldur's Gate 3, it's the mountain of cash Project Eternity is sitting on.

If you're interested in Baldurs Gate 3, it already exists really. Dragon Age Origins.

 

[giantbee]

This doesn't bode well for getting this running on iPad.

Sadly, it doesn't. That said, because the iPad version is currently AWOL, I feel like I've had a lucky escape. I was quite excited for this release, but having seen the PC version, I think I'd be mortified if I paid for it, in its current form.

Are there any really first-rate dungeoncrawlers for the iPad that I've missed, by the way? Seems like a bit of a gap in the market.

 

[giantbee]

Anyway, I'm really excited by this release. Somehow I never played Baldur's Gate and I'm eagerly checking the iTunes store for the iPad release.

..then I suggest you read some slightly more thorough reviews than this before parting with your money. I'm not actually sure if the reviewer even played the "enhanced edition", looking at what he wrote.

This might sound snarky, but it's not intended to be, at least to you. Seriously, read some other reviews, you'll thank me.