"Camaraderie, adventure and steel on steel, the stuff of legend - right Boo?" Baldur's Gate was my first hardcore computer RPG, and what a way to start! At the time I was hopelessly lost in the unfamiliar AD&D system, had no idea what an RPG was and overall - no clue as to what I was doing! But there was the thirst to play. And Baldur's Gate with its immense game-world (so huge only that only a complete newbie could fail to be intimidated) - was there to provide. Days melted into weeks, weeks into months, replay upon replay until I knew every corner of the Sword Coast better than my real life neighborhood. The five companions that followed my main character became like dear friends - Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc and Xan - but one possible pick from all those available. Some, like Minsc and Boo became NPC superstars known widely through the gaming community. With a party of such colorful characters battling hordes of monsters was a joy.The combat system was an addicting blend of balancing stats with real-time reactions, something that while not strictly knew - changed role playing games for good. The isometric graphical engine "Infinity", wonderful in its 2D glory was used in many of the best RPG's of all time: Baldur's Gate II, Icewwind Dale, Planescape Torment... Even today, when run on higher resolutions (courtesy of mods) it looks great - a measure of comeliness 3D games can only dream of. Finally we come to the series highest achievement - storytelling. The Baldur's Gate saga, which includes the sequel "Shadows of Amn" and final expansion "Throne of Bhaal" was a never before seen feat in the world of computer games. Its a trilogy of games centered around one character with an epic journey that could take months to complete, coupled with a great sense of continuity and more content than anything else before or after. I will not discuss the details of the plot, suffice to say that its impact in the world of role playing games is equivalent to the Lord of the RIngs in fantasy literature. That is, essentially, what Baldur's Gate is. Its immense size is only matched by the insane ambition to outdo everything before it, and as it turned out - everything after it. The apex was reached with Shadows of Amn, which to this day has no peer in the world of epic fantasy role playing games. The original is a more subtle game, dwarfed by its successor but still mandatory playing for anyone who wants to familiarize himself with the world of computer role playing games and to follow the plot from its humble beginnings. Baldur's Game needs no recommendation. Just play. And remember to eat once in a while.
Even in the once diverse point and click adventure game genre, the Gabriel Knight games were an oddity. What set them apart was the professionalism of their writing and depth of plot and characters. Jane Jensen, who essentially created GK, took a very mature approach to creating Gabriel and Grace and the result were endearing and interesting protagonists. A lot of work and research went into creating the mysteries they were to resolve - that much is apparent at every turn. Whether it is voodoo in New Orleans, werewolves in Bavaria or templars in France - all of stories in GK were immensely enjoyable and immersive. Sins of the Fathers may be the oldest of the lot (the other two being the Beast Within and Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned), but it every bit as enjoyable today - simply because that sort of depth seems to be gone out of computer games. For those of you who are just starting to enjoy GK I can only tell you, i wish I was in your place! Hopefully the other two games in the series will also come to GoG. Happy hunting Schattenjäger's! *A word of wisdom: Save often, Gabe can die!
