The beginning of one of the most epic IPs of all time. In my opinion, still the best characters and the best final act of any story-driven RPG. One day they'll make games like this again: where you can play as whatever kind of person you want, where your background and your choices matter, where writing is snappy and "voicey" and smart all the way through, where you feel like you've just seen the greatest movie ever when the credits roll and you think about the characters for years afterward. Or maybe that's just me. I'm a big fan of pause-and-strategize over "mash buttons as quickly as possible," so I'm nostalgic for combat like this, too. But there are no games exactly like this one, IMO, though many have tried (including its own sequels). This is the real deal, pure uncut genius, and only Baldur's Gate 3 has come close to giving me the same feeling, even after nearly twenty years.
Just hearing the music gets me emotional. What a ride. Beautiful settings, memorable characters, earthshaking stakes... storytelling at its best. <3
I play games largely for story, and this is possibly my all-time favorite for worldbuilding, character, and overall writing. I have replayed it more times than I can count, and with the number of ways you can customize your POV character, and the way that changes the mood of the story, it's a gift that just keeps on giving.
The customization of units, both functionally and aesthetically, is absolutely amazing. The lore is mystical and magical and everything you expect from a high fantasy game. Could play this forever!
