Baldur's Gate
Rating:  -
This game is wonderful. Customizing my character was very entertaining (and one of things I enjoy the most about RPGs, and the small side quests are numerous and interesting. There any many areas that serve no particular purpose other than to gain some XP doing quests. This, I think, is a weakness of the succeeding games in the BG series: there are not enough exploration options available. The possibilites of your party are nearly endless, since there are many NPCs, all of whom have their own strengths. However, there is little NPC interaction, which is disappointing. There are some annoying aspects of gameplay (which is what caused me to downgrade this game slightly), such as the fact that the characters are excruciatingly slow, and have a poor pathfinder feature, which leaves them w/ a tendency to go places other than where you planned. You will be challenged from the first shocking event to the final show-down...and you will enjoy it the entire way.
Rating:  -
Firstly, my congratualtions to Bioware / Wizards of the Coast / TSR for their wonderful creation in the Baldur's Gate Series.
I can quite confidently rate Baldur's Gate as one of my most enjoyable gaming experiences. Familiar with the "Forgotten Realms" package and prefering AD&D 2nd Edition rules, I was overjoyed to see that the theme created for BG followed these guidlines.
I have been a PC gamer for several years and have followed the fantasy / adventure genre since reading Lord of the Rings back in the mid-eighties. Having enjoyed early PC titles released under the then SSI logo, such as "Champions of Krynn","Pool of Radiance" & the "Eye of the Beholder" trilogy, I have been patiently waiting / hoping that another RPG would be created to effectively capture the AD&D gaming experience. I believe that wait is over.
There are too many pros to outweigh cons in this game. For a gamer who enjoys depth and structure in the storyline without being too cumbersome, BG delivers. Your character walks a fairly linear plot throughout the BG series, but it does not bore. On the contrary, a lot of thought has gone into the creation of the BG storyline and the result is captivating, just reward for avid RPG gamers who want to become part of an original saga.
Excellent pre-rendered graphics, realistic creature/character animation, a huge gaming area, countless sub-plots and appropriately composed music all combine to create a magnificent fantasy-adventure masterpiece.
I have completed BGI, BGI - TotSC, BGII and will grab BGII - ToB when I see it. But I chose to review the original, as the series only gets better as it progresses.
With some refinements to the storyline seen in BGII such as further detail in graphics, heaps more of the classic monsters (...), hugely increased xp cap (although you can't get 9th level spells until playing BGII - ToB), and a splash of 3rd edition rules - I have no concern going back to BGI and begin questing as a lowly 1st level character - the same level of enjoyment remains. For me, the re-playability of this entire series scores a very healthy 10/10.
Having given this review, I'm sure this game would not be for everyone. The sheer scope of the BG series and depth of storyline may be too tedious for those gamers who prefer more "in your face", hack 'n slash style, rapid level advancement.
If I could possibly tarnish the experience I must say, I had only 2 real dissappointments in playing the BG series.
Firstly, the actions of the NPC's and most encountered enemies were somewhat simple. By that I mean, although the AI improves a little in BGII, they have no real common sense. I imagine it would not be too difficult to make NPC's / Monsters a littel smarter - definitely worth a thought.
Secondly, and I understand the point has been raised before, there is no real dungeon-crawl available in BG. Durlag's Tower exists in BG - TotSC & a brief sortie through the Underdark in BGII make up for this though.
All in all - a superlative effort - will keep me happy for another 10 years.
Rating: -
HI, i just had to write a comment. Although the game is getting old, it is the (in my opinion) best story-based singleplayer (multiplay is allowed, but i think the game is more suited for singleplay) ever next to Planescape:Torment. The story is exiting and very nicely made. When you start as a level one character, you fell like experiencing the game fully. There are lots of classes, races and aligments for one to pick, so the roleplaying is superiously splendid. As already expressed, the game is HUGE too, with five CDs.
Baldurs Gate 2 and its expansion is out now. They are very nice, but BG 1 gives an unique experience, and for 20 dollars, it is a very cheap experience too. If you dont like it, remember that it is not a new game. Instead, it is historical.
Sorenzo
Rating: -
Baldurs Gate is the best game I've ever played. It gives you the freedom in a RPG you've always looked for. You can go anywhere and do anything.Gain up to five players on your team, all with their own special abilities.You can get tons of accessories-Helmets,ammors,swords,mace,bows,clubs,slings,rings,
amulet,boots,and lots more.This RPG is different from the rest
when you get level ups the enemies just dont get weaker or stronger but smarter. The enemies include:orges,gnolls,skeletens,giant spiders,wizards,other humans,badits,wolves,hobgoblins,and plenty more.In some RPG they say you get to custimize your characters. In this game you can choose:human,elf,half elf,hafling,dwarf,gnome,then choose from a paladin,ranger,warrior,fighter,mage,druid,bard,then choose your skills,then your weapons(you can buy different ones though.This game takes a lot of time to beat. It is truly a Great Game
Rating: -
The graphics of Baldur's gate are tight. The game world is huge, spanning 5 full CDs. You can explore everywhere, battle monsters and complete quests and other missions. The character creation is highly detailed allowing you to choose from a variety of attributes for each race. If you like rpgs, get this game! You can play on-line too, but I haven't tried that yet. :)
|
