Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition

...the game I own more copies of than any other, with the possible exception of Morrowind, but who's counting? Incidentally, it is also the last game I ever bought on release and the only one I've ever bought the Collector's Edition of, but that's beside the point. In any case, I can't believe that I'm only doing my third complete playthrough right now, and I'm amazed by how much I MISSED the first two times! That's because the companions have so much content that you don't get to see when you don't have them in your party, and the first time I mostly stuck to the first few I encountered (of which some DON'T have their own quests) and didn't change the party basically until the end, and the second time I solo'd a Kensai->Mage, which was fun in its own right but again, I missed all the companion stuff. So, do yourself a favor and not only play with companions, but don't be afraid to switch them around a bit, to spice things up. Yes, this may result in sub-optimal XP distribution, but then again you will gain a lot of XP for the additional quests and A LOT more playtime and fun! There was also a time when I used to be a bit disappointed by the lack of open wilderness locations compared to the first one, but I must admit they tended to be somewhat empty in BG1 and the (still many and much more diverse) environments that are there are so immensely dense with content it is absolutely staggering. It is also a much more complex and sophisticated game, in a good way! In open world games like Elder Scrolls I tend to enjoy the early game more than the late game because of the greater sense of accomplishment and danger, but not here! Yes, your characters get more and more powerful, but so do your enemies - in a good way, not the level scaling crap of, say, Oblivion. And with great power come hundreds of awesome spells! Mastering them is certainly a challenge, but one that's very rewarding. The AD&D rules may be a bit janky, but it's not a perfect game, just very, very close

Bought purely as a nostalgia item I got sent back to my teenage years when I first booted this up. I recently purchased BG II: EE as the month this review has been posted (December) and have already logged quite a few hours into the game. If there were any bugs as others have mentioned I have yet to come across them but then again, I am also playing on a iMac so I may not run into the same issues. BG II EE takes what the original did and expands upon it by adding more NPCs and widescreen which the original needed a mod for. Gone are the wonky windows 98 graphics controls, everything is set to look great from the beginning and any other changes can be made from the in game menu. For those that haven't played BG2, this is basically the cornerstone of today's open world and ended RPGs. You start in a dungeon and end up in a large world with over 350 some quests to complete (more since ToB and other items have been added in the EE). You can solo but it takes time and effort to go that route but the party dialogue and playing is fantastic. I haven't tried the multiplayer aspect yet as I mainly bought to play single player but if it is anything like the original BG2 then I am sure it will be a blast to play. The overhauls in this game, in my opinion, aren't worth what they are asking for but do add functionality and usability to the game. This isn't to say to not buy the game, but if you have the original I would be skeptical on purchasing this one unless you have the extra cash to throw at something like I did. Bottom line, BG 2: EE is what I wanted from the original. Despite owning the original on GoG I still purchased this one and do not feel as though I wasted my money. The game still plays great, offers challenge unlike most newer RPGs that literally tell you where to go, and has the option to play with others and have a great adventure.

There are more, far more Bugs in the enhanced Version as in the original. If you have the original BG 2 from 2000, better you tried with it. The actually Version 2.3.67.3 is to bugy. If there the possibility that came an patch in the near future????

Whew, what a waste of money. I've owned the original game on CD-ROM for... however long it's been out. Twenty years? This game has long been a favorite and every few years I'll go back and reinstall it. I came upon the "Enhanced Edition" by chance and purchased it. I was excited to see the minor additions and breathe some new life into a game I loved and had long-since memorized. I was also looking forward to not digging out my dusty old optical drive. What I got... well, it doesn't work. I got a black screen. That's what I got. The original Baldur's Gate "Enhanced Edition" worked for me and was a mostly bug-free experience. The dated CGI cutscenes have been replaced by equally dated looking single-frame animations you would expect to find in a freeware game. I enjoyed revisiting the game, and quickly murdered with prejudice BeamDog's additions to it as they were all incredibly annoying, badly acted, and poorly written. After beating the original, I turned to Baldur's Gate II and that's where my real troubles began. I cannot make this game start. All I get is a black screen and the sound of creaking wood when I attempt to import my character from the first game. When I attempt to create a new character, I die instantaneously and it takes me right back to the black screen. I have to use Task Manager to quit the game. I have tried reinstalling it. I have tried ensuring the game is up to date (it is). I've tried multiple compatibility modes and I've tried running as admin, windowed mode, etc. I've tried visiting BeamDog's forums and there is no help to be found for the issue, and merely a note that they are "tracking" it. The post with this particular error was last updated in July of 2014, which just goes to show you how on-top of things BeamDog is and how much they care about their customers. This game is broken and should be avoided by EVERYONE. Do not give these charlatans your money!

This is likely the greatest video game with the words "Baldur's" and "Gate" in the title. A worthwhile playthrough in 2025 and in 2055. It captures the adventure of Dungeons and Dragons, but with an intense, serious story. It has one of the GOAT villains, companions who are nuanced and interesting, with clever stories associated with nearly each one. Particularly in conversation with Baldur's Gate 1, this game presents D&D as slightly more grown up. Its characters are less silly than they were in BG1, more nuanced, and you see them interact in ways that are specific to them, and non-trivial. It can also be said that when it comes to Romance in cRPGs, they truly saved their best for first. Few games in the future will approach romance as one aspect of characterization, furthering the stories of the characters caught within. Instead, most other games treat Romance as fan service, a treat for a player, rewarding them with titilation. In terms of combat mechanics, the game can be frustrating, and it can have quite a learning curve, especially if one is not familiar with 2nd Ed D&D mechanics already. However, it comes together in a complete package for those who allow themselves to learn and grow as they become more familiar and experienced with the system. You level up as a player alongside your characters, growing each according to your experiences. Do not let yourself die having never played this game.