Baldur's Gate
by Black Isle Studios
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Video Game Reviews of Baldur's Gate
Customer Review: After 6 Years It Remains One of The Best
Summary: 5 Stars
I unearthed this gem among my collection of old games after a recent move, and I promply popped it in to play out of nostalgia after experiencing a string of disappointing RPG's on the PC. 2 Weeks later I emerged to write the review this wonderful game deserves.
The game is set in Faerun, of the Dungeons and Dragons fame. Don't worry though you will not need to know basically anything about Faerun at first to enjoy the land and it's people, which is why this game is so wonderful. Once you are in the game and playing you will not feel out of place at all. If you are looking for a unique and seamless fantasy setting then you have found it. This is a beautiful world teeming with life and unique characters and once you finish Baldur's Gate, I know you will read up more on this "Faerun." It is that immersive.
Soundwise, this game was a breakthrough in video game entertainment. Bioware outdid itself with its ambient environmental effects. Enter a forest area and you can hear birds and natural wildlife along with trees swaying and wind blowing. When rain comes, it comes with excellent audio. I'm telling you, crank up your fancy speakers and listen! You will become immersed. The towns are constantly alive with sounds of commotion and people shouting. Masterful. The combat sounds such as spell effects and weapons hitting flesh along with the music is commendable as well.
You all play CRPG's for the story right? Even as a couple of Diablo fanboys scamper out I'm going to tell you that the Baldur's Gate saga is one of the great storytelling achievements not just in videogames but literature as well. Call me crazy but I enjoyed the story that much! Oh and don't read the crap novels based on this game the author did it no justice. Baldur's Gate follows the player character as he/she sets out from his warm, cozy lifestyle in the fortress-library of Candlekeep and takes off into the unforgiving land of Faerun. This comes on the heels of your foster father Gorion's urgent warnings. You are sent out into the world fresh for adventure, and there are many twists and turns along the way including one at the start, which will hook you for the rest of the game. Even in Candlekeep things aren't what they seem and without spoiling anything I can tell you that the story blossoms as you advance. You will never feel like saying "What the hell am I actually doing here?"
The gameplay is simple and intuitive. Party navigation is a breeze, and over 15 NPC's can be recruited into your party of 6 as you progress and their unique "banter" amongst themselves really never leaves you bored with your party. Combat is simple and the weapons are fun. Character development is one of the richest ever found in an CRPG. As for all this anger about the rules of D&D and how they "suck" in a CRPG, I can safely say that you should not worry one bit if you are looking for a rich roleplaying experience. I never bothered with 2nd edition 3rd edition and all that crap, the rules are fine and everything is calculated "behind-the-scenes" for you so it never takes away from the experience. Everything is seamlessly done and for a person looking to immerse themselves in a wonderful world the rules should never come up and detract from your game. You DO NOT have to be a Dungeons of Dragons fanatic to pick up this game and enjoy adventuring. It really is quite a masterpiece by itself.
With a lot of areas to cover and hundreds of quests and mini quests (I'm not kidding) you are looking at least 30 hours of gameplay, 20 if you "powergame" and rush through. That's real value for the 10$ max you're paying.
Graphically the old game is showing its age, I must admit. The 640x480 resolution and low-bit sprites are all here, but strangely enough it did not detract from the overall experience one bit. For all you "What are you crazy, 640x480? This ain't the stone age!" people who might pass up on this game because the graphics are dated, do no despair! There is a great mod/upgrade for Baldur's Gate called BGtutu which converts the engine to the newer Baldur's Gate II engine, with dramatic effect.
There's no reason to doubt me and countless other gamers out there that consider this the Holy Grail of CRPG's, there is a reason for that. The reason is that Baldur's Gate is one of those special games that you will be proud to own and look back on it in another 20 years as the "genre-reviving","genre-breaking" masterpiece that it truly is.
There's not much left to say, except that if you are a person that is reading this review right now, in front of your computer, and searching for that different RPG, that is not just hack and slash then end your search my friend. You have found your gem and it is called Baldur's Gate. Give it a go, and when you're done and well on your way to installing it's sequel do what I did and recommend it to someone.
Customer Review: Awesome! says mom of 2
Summary: 5 Stars
Love the game! Bought this three years ago and still enjoy. Lots of Strategy involved (ie not just a fighting game, ergo women can enjoy too). Thought the fact that my players couldn't advance beyond a certain point was a flaw until reading another review - thank you!. Great way to lose yourself at the end of the day (can consume great amounts of time but easy to leave off and start again). Great adventure! Customer Review: BEST FRIGGIN' GAME IN THE WORLD!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this game for around four years now, and I've yet to come upon anything as great as this. This is a giagantic world of the fantasy-tinted middle ages that I've yet to learn all the secrets of. I've played through it nearly seven times, and it never seems to get old what with the six racial options including elf, dwarf, human, half-elf, gnome, and halfling, the many, many unique characters that you may choose to adopt throughout the game, and the INCREDIBLY engrossing plotline. Get this game, if you don't like it... then there must be something wrong with you.Customer Review: Tip Your Hats
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a gamer ever since I could think enough to be one, and Baldur's gate is quite possibly the very best game in the world today. To be a proper PC gamer, you have to be one who cares not about graphics, or animation stylings, but storyline. A true PC gamer sees the true worth of a game in the emotion which you percieve in playing it, and the true feeling of joy in the playing. GAMING SHOULD NEVER BE A CHORE. That is the thought of a true PC gamer. And this game is a wonder of the PC world. Of all the 30+ pc games, 5 xbox games and 15 gamecube games that I own, few have even begun to give me the same feeling as this, and none have ever completed it. Though this game might not be a graphical wonder, it is a 2-d world that is still more beautiful than any 3-d attempt. This game is bursting with replay value, and is never a bore or a trouble to play. It is my greatest game of all time.Customer Review: a well example of pc gaming...
Summary: 4 Stars
Well...I must say that this game is just that: it's not the best game ever, but it is really fun and you'll play it a lot supposing you like D&D/AD&D or RPG's. That being said, allow me to get to the nitpicky stuff.One major gripe with this game that I have is teh experience system. It divides up the experience rather then give each party member an exact copy of the amount recieved. Another problem is the amount of "Cosmetic" strikes and how you miss a lot. I guess that is for "realism" but it just annoys me. Also, sometimes the game is REALLY non-linear so you have to get a guide or talk to EVERYONE in a place to see where you need to go.
Other than that, this game is really good and will keep you playing it forever. The story is really good and the rest of the game is good, I will not spill details, although most of you have already gotten the game and beaten it. Well i must go, hope you enjoyed the review...