I cannot overstate how awful this "expansion" is, in every single way. The writing is absolutely horrific, it's plagued with bugs, and it's changed many of the characters and themes in completely nonsense ways.
The game is okay itself but there are so many things that make it worse.
There are bugs, the UI is weird, graphics are stupid cartoon like, and the voice acting is horrible (with a few expections.)
Why in the **** does the difficulty automatically lower when u reload a few times. No! Just no! If I fail, then I try again, not change the difficulty instantly!
Oh and the journal is now a piece of cluttered garbage. Can't find anything. Pls why.
And then the most controversial topic. I must first say that yes, you can have your opinions about these things but please don't shove it down our throats. If there is a transgender character or whatever then write it well. Not like "My name is Mizhena, I'm transgender! Notice me!" And when you talk to them you don't get any possibility to comment other than "What a lovely name!" or "How interesting." Where are my evil choices? Oh I don't get to say anything bad to a transgender person? Okay then. Bad writing.
Also why does Minsc have that line about ethics in adventuring ? Real life references and politics out of my game. Now!
I am disappointed. I waited for this game for a long time and I get this? If the developers have to beg for positive reviews...? You deserve my low rating review.
I'll go play the originals. As should everyone else.
Cheap cash grab made by untalented lazy people who are trying to trick you and rob you of your money by hiding and abusing the name of legendary game. I rarely say this, but this is disgusting, and this practice needs to stop. Vote with your wallet and teach greedy lazy people a lesson.
I don't spend much time reading about the drama going on with gamergate and so forth, but I started playing Baldur's Gate when I was 10 years old and continued for many, MANY years after that.
First of all, be aware that an extremely large amount of the positive reviewers OPENLY say that they haven't even played the game but they "support an openminded game". So essentially they want YOU to buy a game YOU might not even like because they identify with it's political message.
I just got out from a 10 hour session of the game, and I am very pleased I was not the one to pay for it. First of all, I just want to say that it is a BUGGY piece of an expansion. I don't put too much blame into this, because the original games were like that too for quite a while, it takes time for polish to happen and hey, patience is a virtue. Multiplayer however is not functioning and they need to sort that out ASAP.
As for the "political" aspect of it, I didn't read anything about the background of the writers before I started playing, but now it all makes sense. It's not something I would support and it's definately not something I would recommend to people who actually loved the REAL Baldur's Gate. I played through BG1, Tales of the Sword Coast, BG2, Throne of Bhaal.. This is NOTHING like that. If you're absolutely new to the series, maybe you wouldn't be as offended as I was at how this series has been utterly raped with a +3 two handed sword.
I don't care what your political standpoint is on this "SJW business is, because I lack one of my own. But the fact is that if you want games and expansions that follow the soul and spirit of Baldur's Gate and the Forgotten Realms setting, this is not something that you should support or would enjoy for that matter.
I was going to buy it. I won't. I don't expect anyone to match Baldur's Gate in its original form because that was perfection. But this is something completely different that doesn't even belong.
/Disappointed BG fan