Frankly this is another classic. I love it. It has aged well in that the expansions that came out since its original release have fixed a lot of the issues that I had with this game the first time I played it many years ago. NWN1 might still be better, but this is a fantastic game on its own as well.

Apart from Temple of Elemental Evil, the only DnD based game younger than Windows XP that isn't total shit. Deserves 4 stars just for this.

really great, pretty much is dragon age origins but deeper

Thought I might give it a go, as Chris Avellone has (had) a good track record in my book.... after a few hours of playing this game is just going to be uninstalled: - Bugridden game. Starts in the first village when one of your team gets stuck between NPCs and a fence. Continues with your followers running towards the enemies when you are telling them to back off. keeps getting worse... - inventory system like it is 1992 all over again.. not a 2000s game - difficulty level is plain too hard, unless you learn D&D rules and optimize your stats. Normally combat setting on easy should get rid of this optimization requirement, but here, even in easy the player runs towards a sure death at every encounter - loading / saving is slow for such an old game on a modern machine. (not really a bug, but just tops the experience) - windowed menu is way to cluttered - companions are not even believable. Oh hello obvious thief... now oh I do have to help you because I need a thief in my team and the class system imposes it even though you are unbelievably stupid and would deserve to die if we were even slightly role-playing. - interface can't keep north up. Mouse can't be set properly, whatever you try. navigating the team is just pain upon pain. - scenario .. weems very classic at the beginning but I just won't play further to check if it turns out good or as bad as the interface is. - Oh and finally... D&D rules... I knew it before buying and bought it anyways. OK I did get over them in PS:T, but the game system is really outdated, relies too heavily on leveling and is just to a usual RPG system what neanderthal is to sapiens. Just keep your money and if you are looking for a scenario heavy game in a D&D setting go to Planescape Torment, if you don't care about D&D, try the newer Torment, Fallout 1&2, Shadowrun HK, Might and Magic 4+5, Nehrim... Hell even Bethesda did better than this when making Morrowind and Oblivion.

The game has some highlights (namely good humour, good companion characterisation and use of 3.5 DnD). But these can't offset cliched worldbuilding and extremely linear storyline (with almost no sidequests). The main quest tries to make itself look varied, but it's still one huge railroad with player grinding, grinding, grinding from station beginning to station end. Once campaign is finished, the only incentive I feel for replaying the game is trying another build, because everything else - except character drama - is going to be the same as last time. It's a damn waste, when you can make such a variety characters only to put them through more of the same.