...lacks polish, missing features, has a few bumps and sticky places, periodic malfunctions, some areas seem somewhat bare...
Nevertheless, it's a blast to play.
There's lots of detailed content and places to explore and lots of choice with an intriguing story.
Characters are lively and don't feel or look like stiff dolls. The animation is so good I regularly get lost in the conversations and haven't skipped thru them like I usually do.
I'm more than happy with my $60USD investment and I'm just getting started. GREAT JOB Larian! Looking forward to seeing how the game develops over the next year (or so).
This game not a bit a classic BG-seria. Don't get it wrong, it's still a good,really good game, if you don't expect from it to be another game you mostlikely will enjoy it. But if you hope for a "good old Baldur's Gate", you probabbly gonna be disapointed.
I have had some issues with regular crashing; that said I had fun experimenting with different classes and play styles to go with the different companions. The game is trying to push an update now and it keeps failing. Not a good sign when the update fails.
I don't normally write reviews, but this game is a masterpiece! Great all round role playing experience with a quality story, voice acting and cut scenes. Some of the Larian silliness I could do without, but overall they've done a great job.
Well, I could write plenty about this game. I initially was sceptical, a little afraid of what it might be after Siege of Dragonspear. But, I decided to give it a go. And here's what I found:
First, plenty of design attention were put into it. Even the EULA on first run (do read it, enjoy).
Music is giving me a little Ultima7 vibes. Interface, while weird inistially, is quite convenient. I can clearly see inspirations of other titles, intentional or not (I'm saying Planescape: Torment, Arcanum...), and in most positive aspect of that. Gameplay is good, combat is fun. Setting is modern D&D, and this IS DIFFERENT from what original Baldurs Gate were - keep that in mind so you won't disappoint yourself. Still, take it as it is (meaning - D&D5), and you'll be fine.
Characters - some likeable, some not, but everyone of them... Let's go to meat and soul of this game.
Acting. So damn good. Everything is voice acted AND individually animated. And it's not Oblivion acting. It's top f-ing notch theatrical AAA-class acting all the time.
I don't want to give spoilers, but dayomn, it really tempts me to describe performances. This is Absolut (he he hee, Larian - see what i did here? :P ) feast of entertainment. Hollywood should learn from those guys.
Regarding what other reviews touched on - bugs, well I haven't encounter many (one graphical glitch and small issues with Vulkan, but on DX11 is fine and I should update my drivers). There was recent f-up with saves due to retracting one hotfix, as you will see in reviews, but should be temporary (and Larian, srsly, give option to stay with affected version instead of rolling back), so most likiely when you are reading this it will be no issue. And no, I did not had issues with GOG installation.
TL;DR
Not D&D3 or 3.5 like classics, but D&D5, great acting, plenty to see. 10/10 from me.
