Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
***Special thanks to a good friend who proof-read this review; they said they wanted to remain anonymous, but thanks nonetheless.
Unlike many of the individuals who have purchased this title, I had not previously been exposed to Baldur’s Gate before this variance made its way onto the Steam store; I can, however, say that I anxiously awaited its rerelease on Steam, and even purchased it at a much higher price-point than I ever had and would with any other title. Baldur’s Gate is a game that deserves its praise as a classic open-world roleplaying adventure game based on the Second Edition (2e) of the Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) tabletop d20 game developed by the late Gary Gygax; Baldur’s Gate, followed by the Neverwinter and Dragon Age series, supports the DnD 2e core roleplaying game mechanics. As an avid player of DnD 3.5 and 3.75e (the Pathfinder system), I had not experienced much prior exposure to 2e other than that which I researched online and from my older Dungeon Mastering books, and, therefore, was able to view Baldur’s Gate as an original concept instead of ‘just another DnD adventure path.'
Here are some things that I found particularly enjoyable about Baldur’s Gate:
Connectivity to Dungeons & Dragons - Right down to the equipment, combat tactics, roleplaying capabilities, and intriguing characters, Baldur’s Gate provides the sheer thrill of roleplaying that is offered by the tabletop renditions of the Dungeons & Dragons games. The game utilizes a simultaneous real-time and turn-based approach to combat, which will be described under the Gameplay portion of this review. Included in this title are six playable core races, a multitude of classes that influence each character’s style of play, the ability to multiclass, and the capability to interact with party members, which further enhances (no pun intended) the roleplaying experience. Since it utilizes the same mechanics as those in the tabletop roleplaying system, concepts such as THACO scores, Initiative modifiers, and alignments make an appearance; to those that are not familiar with the concepts, they are very simple to grasp and there are online guides dedicate to both Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons & Dragons that aide newer players in learning the roleplaying system.
Gameplay - As stated previously, Baldur’s Gate utilizes a combat system that is both turn-based and real-time in that actions rotate between characters within a confrontation as a sequence depending on each character’s Initiative score; basically, whoever’s quicker will end up going first in the rotation. The game also employs a simulated d20-or 20-sided die-roll to resolve the degree of success pertaining to given actions such as lockpicking and attack actions. Outside of combat, players can speak with other characters, both in and out of their own party, which may alter a given character’s alignment status. Some characters also have the ability to perform certain actions such as picking locks as a Rogue archetype (pressing V while out of combat), or casting passive Charm spells on non-player characters for specific gains. In all, the system is so intricate and open that you can practically do whatever you want, within the game’s limitations, of course. There is also a multiplayer component to Baldur’s Gate in which you can import characters you have created and play with friends throughout the game.
Truly Open World - At the beginning of Baldur’s Gate , you are given a background story, a sufficient reason to proceed through the main campaign’s questline, and the chance of receiving your first companion character. That’s it. From there, you are free to explore the massive map however you wish while obtaining side quests, battling formidable foes, and gaining companionship with other notable non-playable characters. There are also game modifications (mods) to expand the map and the game’s story. How much more ‘open’ can you get?
The Black Pits - If you are searching for a different pacing outside of the massive world within the main campaign, then the Black Pits game mode is for you. This story is primarily driven by combat, in which your created party of six must fend off waves of enemies who utilize various tactics and themes in order to liberate your team from the Black Pits fighting arena. As straightforward as this may seem, it is extremely fun in a tactical manner, and permits the player to enjoy the core combat mechanics of the game without having to worry about the text and speech components; of course, there are secretes to be found within the Black Pits proving grounds.
TL:DR - Like the person I would like to dedicate this review to, this game is an ‘original’ soul with intricate mechanics that will either make or break you. I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys open-world, roleplaying, or strategy titles, and would highly urge Baldur’s Gate to those who play tabletop roleplaying games, especially Dungeons & Dragons . Thanks for reading.
Do you feel this review helped in any way? Feel free to visit my Curator Page at Spearpoint Reviews.
Originally posted August 1, 2015. Last edited May 1, 2018.
Unlike many of the individuals who have purchased this title, I had not previously been exposed to Baldur’s Gate before this variance made its way onto the Steam store; I can, however, say that I anxiously awaited its rerelease on Steam, and even purchased it at a much higher price-point than I ever had and would with any other title. Baldur’s Gate is a game that deserves its praise as a classic open-world roleplaying adventure game based on the Second Edition (2e) of the Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) tabletop d20 game developed by the late Gary Gygax; Baldur’s Gate, followed by the Neverwinter and Dragon Age series, supports the DnD 2e core roleplaying game mechanics. As an avid player of DnD 3.5 and 3.75e (the Pathfinder system), I had not experienced much prior exposure to 2e other than that which I researched online and from my older Dungeon Mastering books, and, therefore, was able to view Baldur’s Gate as an original concept instead of ‘just another DnD adventure path.'
Here are some things that I found particularly enjoyable about Baldur’s Gate:
Connectivity to Dungeons & Dragons - Right down to the equipment, combat tactics, roleplaying capabilities, and intriguing characters, Baldur’s Gate provides the sheer thrill of roleplaying that is offered by the tabletop renditions of the Dungeons & Dragons games. The game utilizes a simultaneous real-time and turn-based approach to combat, which will be described under the Gameplay portion of this review. Included in this title are six playable core races, a multitude of classes that influence each character’s style of play, the ability to multiclass, and the capability to interact with party members, which further enhances (no pun intended) the roleplaying experience. Since it utilizes the same mechanics as those in the tabletop roleplaying system, concepts such as THACO scores, Initiative modifiers, and alignments make an appearance; to those that are not familiar with the concepts, they are very simple to grasp and there are online guides dedicate to both Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons & Dragons that aide newer players in learning the roleplaying system.
Gameplay - As stated previously, Baldur’s Gate utilizes a combat system that is both turn-based and real-time in that actions rotate between characters within a confrontation as a sequence depending on each character’s Initiative score; basically, whoever’s quicker will end up going first in the rotation. The game also employs a simulated d20-or 20-sided die-roll to resolve the degree of success pertaining to given actions such as lockpicking and attack actions. Outside of combat, players can speak with other characters, both in and out of their own party, which may alter a given character’s alignment status. Some characters also have the ability to perform certain actions such as picking locks as a Rogue archetype (pressing V while out of combat), or casting passive Charm spells on non-player characters for specific gains. In all, the system is so intricate and open that you can practically do whatever you want, within the game’s limitations, of course. There is also a multiplayer component to Baldur’s Gate in which you can import characters you have created and play with friends throughout the game.
Truly Open World - At the beginning of Baldur’s Gate , you are given a background story, a sufficient reason to proceed through the main campaign’s questline, and the chance of receiving your first companion character. That’s it. From there, you are free to explore the massive map however you wish while obtaining side quests, battling formidable foes, and gaining companionship with other notable non-playable characters. There are also game modifications (mods) to expand the map and the game’s story. How much more ‘open’ can you get?
The Black Pits - If you are searching for a different pacing outside of the massive world within the main campaign, then the Black Pits game mode is for you. This story is primarily driven by combat, in which your created party of six must fend off waves of enemies who utilize various tactics and themes in order to liberate your team from the Black Pits fighting arena. As straightforward as this may seem, it is extremely fun in a tactical manner, and permits the player to enjoy the core combat mechanics of the game without having to worry about the text and speech components; of course, there are secretes to be found within the Black Pits proving grounds.
TL:DR - Like the person I would like to dedicate this review to, this game is an ‘original’ soul with intricate mechanics that will either make or break you. I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys open-world, roleplaying, or strategy titles, and would highly urge Baldur’s Gate to those who play tabletop roleplaying games, especially Dungeons & Dragons . Thanks for reading.
Do you feel this review helped in any way? Feel free to visit my Curator Page at Spearpoint Reviews.
Originally posted August 1, 2015. Last edited May 1, 2018.
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