Baldur's Gate
|
|
Our Price: $29.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $7.00 (click here) Category: Video Games See more product details |
|---|
I can quite confidently rate Baldur's Gate as one of my most enjoyable gaming experiences. Familiar with the "Forgotten Realms" package and prefering AD&D 2nd Edition rules, I was overjoyed to see that the theme created for BG followed these guidlines.
I have been a PC gamer for several years and have followed the fantasy / adventure genre since reading Lord of the Rings back in the mid-eighties. Having enjoyed early PC titles released under the then SSI logo, such as "Champions of Krynn","Pool of Radiance" & the "Eye of the Beholder" trilogy, I have been patiently waiting / hoping that another RPG would be created to effectively capture the AD&D gaming experience. I believe that wait is over.
There are too many pros to outweigh cons in this game. For a gamer who enjoys depth and structure in the storyline without being too cumbersome, BG delivers. Your character walks a fairly linear plot throughout the BG series, but it does not bore. On the contrary, a lot of thought has gone into the creation of the BG storyline and the result is captivating, just reward for avid RPG gamers who want to become part of an original saga.
Excellent pre-rendered graphics, realistic creature/character animation, a huge gaming area, countless sub-plots and appropriately composed music all combine to create a magnificent fantasy-adventure masterpiece.
I have completed BGI, BGI - TotSC, BGII and will grab BGII - ToB when I see it. But I chose to review the original, as the series only gets better as it progresses.
With some refinements to the storyline seen in BGII such as further detail in graphics, heaps more of the classic monsters (...), hugely increased xp cap (although you can't get 9th level spells until playing BGII - ToB), and a splash of 3rd edition rules - I have no concern going back to BGI and begin questing as a lowly 1st level character - the same level of enjoyment remains. For me, the re-playability of this entire series scores a very healthy 10/10.
Having given this review, I'm sure this game would not be for everyone. The sheer scope of the BG series and depth of storyline may be too tedious for those gamers who prefer more "in your face", hack 'n slash style, rapid level advancement.
If I could possibly tarnish the experience I must say, I had only 2 real dissappointments in playing the BG series.
Firstly, the actions of the NPC's and most encountered enemies were somewhat simple. By that I mean, although the AI improves a little in BGII, they have no real common sense. I imagine it would not be too difficult to make NPC's / Monsters a littel smarter - definitely worth a thought.
Secondly, and I understand the point has been raised before, there is no real dungeon-crawl available in BG. Durlag's Tower exists in BG - TotSC & a brief sortie through the Underdark in BGII make up for this though.
All in all - a superlative effort - will keep me happy for another 10 years.