Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition

I havent played Baldur's Gate in an age but it's just like I remember. Can't wait to level my Archer and do a full run of BG1, BG2 and maybe even BG3. Thank you to Good Old Games for ensuring this classic runs on modern systems and giving me a little bit of my childhood back!

I was introduced to Baldur's Gate (and for that matter, the world of D&D) by Baldur's Gate 3. I enjoyed many playthroughs of that game over many hundreds of hours. And then I tried Baldur's Gate 1, followed by 2, and now believe Baldur's Gate 1 + 2 is better than 3. Granted, there was a little bit of a learning curve but I think you'll get used to it pretty quickly. The story that continues between the two games, the amount of imagery, breadth and depth that the developers were able to convey using primarily text, the vast world you can explore outside the titular city, and of course the many characters you can meet and recruit along the way, are just some of the many reasons why this game has been played and replayed for over 25 years. Some reviews for the Enhanced Edition are critical of the changes the Enhanced Edition, and while understandable and perhaps even justified for fans of the original editions, I do not believe they detract but rather add to your experience. Plus, buying this on GOG gets you both the enhanced and the original editions so you can play what you prefer. I'm on my third playthrough of Baldur's Gate 1 + 2 and am trying out mods which will inevitably add many years worth of replay value to a game that already has many years worth of replay value.

After seeing many reviewers that are disappointed with the enhanced edition I thought I'd play both. I haven't played BG before so I am not coming at this with nostalgia-tinted glasses. I've also played other older games like this so I am not coming from a coddled modern perspective. I played both of these unmodded, by the way. Also, I played about 2 hours into each. Beamdog’s Enhanced Edition is better. Gameplay-wise it comes with some QOL additions i.e. MMB grab panning, zooming in & out, a bigger viewport. The UI is not great but it is better than the original due to it being a lot clearer. They’ve also added a “Reveal Details” button which is very useful to see interactable items and doors, although in at least one case something can be found probably too early (maybe a note with the location of the item would have been read?). The only thing I have an issue with is the replacement of the FMV’s with motion comic. Motion comic—with it’s strange warping and noodle-y bending of still images—always looks worse than the most primitive 3D animation. I think an option to choose between the two would make this a better experience. That would bump my review to 5-stars. Basically the Enhanced Edition has a better feel. The in-game "cutscenes" are timed better as well. The games themselves are good but it is 2e so you may not want to play as a mage or you might do something drastic.

If you're into those deep, story-heavy RPGs, you might want to give this a shot. The graphics are kind of a mixed bag—the environments and characters look a bit old, but the artwork in the cutscenes is actually really well done and detailed. They've also thrown in some new features, like better targeting and more options for creating your character, which is pretty handy. Plus, there are new characters to meet, which is a nice touch if you've played the original. All in all, Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is a solid way to dive into a classic RPG with some modern tweaks. It's not perfect, and it definitely has that old-school vibe, but if you're into rich stories and don't mind spending some time getting into it, it's definitely worth checking out. Just be ready to invest some time—it's a big game!

It's a game I didn't have the chance to play when it came out and now I'm enjoying it like a kid.