Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition

The game where it all began with Baldurs Gate and CRPG games for me. I loved it then and I can still smash my way through it in 2025.

This game allows you to customize your experience, playthrough, character, and journey in a unique way. I recommend this game to anyone who likes fantasy and DnD

First point-and-click RPG I ever played, and it kicks my butt every time. 10/10 Great game

I just played BG1, SoD ,and Black pits. Very awesome game here! Three fun adventures. I got it for a great price.

I came from BG3 and Im feeling like DD is awesome. Looking foward to bg2!

Baldur's Gate has some weak elements, elements that have not aged well. Quest design, characterization, exploration, itemization, and just the overall content, are all done better in BG2:EE, and even in some other RPGs.

That said, the soundtrack is awesome, really nailing the vibe and tone of such an adventure, and the exploration can be fun, because it genuinely feels like you're on a journey.

In this day and age, I believe it's a game that's good purely thanks to the sum of its parts.

Mods that I can't live without:

The Tweaks Anthology:
Increased movement speed outside of battle. The vanilla movement speed is painfully slow.
100% Spell Learning. I find the vanilla spell learning to be flawed; it's too easy to save scum on higher difficulties, and as such, I rather just have it be a guaranteed success.

Nice to have, but not a must, and probably not recommended on a first playthrough:

SCS (Sword Coast Strategems). Has plenty of options, but most importantly it significantly improves the AI.

I liked the overall intrigue behind the plot, though there are several aspects of the game that are annoying or forgettable.

If ur a fan of old school crpgs i recommend it, it has good mechanics and role playing, with a lot of content and quests, the story is amazing and the game is pretty open (not siege of dragonspear tho its pretty linear for some reason) this game has good writing and characters along with great combat that is real time turn base, where every one takes a turn attacking but without u having to pause the combat unless u want to. 9/10

This game sill holds up even 27 years later. From how the narrative itself, if you weren't spoiled from this many years later or from the difficulty of LoB, inspires intrigue from the way it drip feeds you the mystery of why you were attacked; this being done through each of the characters as they even have their own personal stakes themselves, minor or otherwise. From how each class, especially magic classes, inspires creativity from the player as you can approach each encounter from a variety of angles. Even outside of it through utility spells like FRIENDS. The main downside I can think of for this game is that both from a gameplay and narrative perspective it doesn't allow the player to play as an evil aligned character as it doesn't make much sense to play as one without meta-gaming. of course, this is alleviated somewhat through the evil aligned companions being powerful but the reputation system in the game doesn't support this as they just leave if your reputation is too high which forces the player to just kill random NPCs in order to keep it down without getting it too low, hence the meta-gaming. Other than that it is a fantastic game.

Baldur's Gate. If I remember correctly the first GUI game. I have enjoyed this game for years before the Enhanced Edition came out. Now, I'm going back and replaying it for the first time as the Enhanced Edition. Beamdog has added some voice acting that was not in the original game but it's not much. Over all, the game is as good as it was when it was released in 1999 if I remember correctly.

If you want to use the cheat codes like the original you can just look for the instructions here on Steam or on YouTube. All of the old cheats still work and can help with some of the quest if your having trouble. One thing not in the cheat codes is a scroll for Stone to Flesh. You will need that at one point in the game so stock up on them, you're going to need them.

Overall, I rate this as a 10/10 for nostalgia and 10/10 on game play.

Don't think there is a single game I have gotten more value out of than baldurs gate 1. My 416h as of writing this isn't correct as I had this game on CD before the steam launch. The writing is superb and the painted environments has aged well. The sprite based rendering leaves a lot to be desired though but I think you forget about it quickly. Highly recommend playing it with lossless scaling as the game can feel pretty choppy otherwise because of the forced 30fps.

There is a reason why people say this is one of the best games ever made and you should play it to find out why.

I had mixed feelings about this game. The game is actually good, if you can deal with the outdated graphics. There were times I thoroughly enjoyed playing this and also times where I got really bored with the pointless exploration. Overall the story was also good and I also enjoyed the adventure and exploration aspect at times, but not always (sometimes it was too much exploration for too little content). Also didn't particularly enjoy crawling through dungeons slowly while detecting traps. You have to go very slow or even the most skilled thief won't detect the trap on time. Hitting the XP cap also took the incentive out of exploration in the late game. I don't think there should have been a cap like that given how difficult some fights can be even at the max level of a character.

Its definitely not beginner friendly and if you are new to D&D like me, it can be a little difficult in the beginning. I had to refer a lot of stuff on the internet to understand why some combats were happening the way they were happening.

I think the hype around BG3 kind of spoilt this for me as well since I only bought this because I wanted to play BG3 and decided I will play from the beginning of the series.

Still despite the negatives, as an independent old classic game, it was quite good and it feels criminal to give it a thumbs down. However, it is what it is and this game is not something I will go around recommending to people.

It has been 10,000 years and I have still not escaped Durlag's Tower.

Great game if you enjoy mental anguish and have an appreciation for older titles. You really feel the nostalgia even if you never lived it.

A great update to a classic. It may be old fashioned now, but it's still engaging and somehow relaxing.

Imagine some said they would make one of your favorite meals and they will improve it with fresh ingredients. You are super happy because you haven't had it in a while and you loved it when you had it before. Then BeamDog comes to your table with a plate and sets in your table, it looks great and you can't wait to dig in but before you start BeamDog jumps on the table and pulls down their pants and squats on the table over your plate. You ask BeamDog what the hell are they doing? BeamDog proudly states "We are adding our unique sauce to the meal", You shout out "No!, I don't want this, it's disgusting!", BeamDog replies "Don't be a bigot, how can you tell it will be disgusting when it hasn't even come out of my ass yet?".


This is what it felt like being tricked into buying this game and meeting Neera for the first time, the writing was so bad I thought I was having a stroke. I still have the original BG1 & 2 discs which I will play instead of this desecration.

It's been said evil can't create only destroy and that's what BeamDog did.

I am happy the didn't get to make Baldur's Gate 3 and I hope all their future games fail for the crimes against creativity.

I feel really stupid for being tricked into buy this when I already had the original disc, I wasn't expecting a dehanced story and experience.

I was going to buy the entire infinity engine collection from them; Ice Wind Dale (one of my favorite games of all time) and Planescape Torment but after what they did to Baldur's Gate I will never buy another game from Beamdog ever again.

It's Baldur's Gate, I bought the EE like many for the Dragonspear because that only to play that, Sadly Dragonspear was a huge let down.

This is the top down RPG for medevil fantasy, no contest. Will probably play this several times through my life. If anyone is ever looking to play the game with someone like they've never played before then you know who to call. 22/10 wish magic was real ngl

MY TORTURE IS OVER!!!

The game is fun and interesting with its writing and worldbuilding, like the side quests are fun to read and learn of the world that I was playing, especially the tales of the coast expansion. But I always think that the combat is either really boring or frustrating with its real-time auto and pause combat system, never satisfying. I was always thinking I could be playing something else whenever I was in combat.
I also think that the companions in this game are kinda meh, they have some interesting dialogue when you first meet them, but as soon as they join you, they are there only to help in fights, thats it. AND what I find really annoying with them is that some of the companions are linked with each other, like Jahera and Khalid, which can be frustrating when you are planning a team.

Even with all the problems I have with this game, I still think that if you are a big fan of RPG games, play this game.
6/10

I absolutely love Baldur's Gate 3. Knowing how differently this game is structured, I went into Baldur's Gate 1 looking for an entirely different experience, but holding a spark of passion and creative love that could ignite a project as massive and wonderful as Larian's hit game.
I wanted to like this game so badly. I dropped it and felt genuine guilt for never getting back to it.
If passion and love were put into this game, those feelings were lost on me. Here's why BGEE did not click with me:
1. A lack of intrigue. Plot is the basic foundation of well-made D&D experience; I have played many D&D games with more significant plot hooks than that of BGEE. I never felt empowered; I never felt pushed into a tough spot; I never felt that my character was truly in danger; I never felt compelled to do much of anything.

2. Lack of choice. I expected creaky mechanics; I did not expect a complete lack of apparent choice. Choices do exist... but choices don't FEEL important when they are. This game creates an illusion of choicelessness.

3. As one should expect, the game is "creaky." This can be part of the charm, and it's just an affect of the genre and time period the game was made in, so if you know just how creaky this game is... don't worry about it. To be clear, I knew the game would be creaky, but the real-time combat (not turn-based!) was just too odd for me. Perhaps this is just a matter of taste.

4. Not a lot of dialogue. The characters are incredibly likable, but you just won't hear from them much.

These issues will particularly bother BG3 fans, so buyers beware. However, this game is very, very loved, so check out some other reviews and come to your own conclusions. Maybe watch a bit of gameplay on Youtube so you know what you're in for.

The game has a somewhat simple but endearing story and premise, and it throws some curve balls in your way. Playing with friends is always tons of fun and you won't notice the time go by. BE AWARE that getting the game to work online with other people can be very chaotic, sometimes it just doesnt work at all.

One of the classic RPG's from the late 90's that defined how these types of computer games were designed and played. The enhanced edition simply ensures that it will run on modern operating systems and fixes some old bugs and rebalances a few aspects of the game. However the core gameplay and story are still intact.

The game has a surprisingly refreshing and simple design, quests are generally very straightforward but not dumbed down. Your general actions have short, medium and long term consequences in the overall narrative without any of your choices feeling like it is the right or wrong one. One thing that is not very well implemented however is the alignment system. While creating a character you will be asked to pick an good/neutral/evil alignment from the classic D&D alignment selection, but as far as I can tell there is no penalties for acting out of alignment. There are a few hard coded things that can happen if your alignment is selected evil/good but it does not effect your ability to rescue kittens from trees as an evil character. Generally, if you are good to people, your reputation increases and people treat you as a hero regardless of your alignment. Plus your party members may leave or refuse to join your party if you act a certain way.

The combat is one of the biggest strengths and the most freedom you are probably given in the game. Practically all of the spells and things you are able to perform with them in D&D 2.5 is ported in to the game and that allows for some very wild ambushes, combat manipulations that you can perform. However nearly 70% of these things can only be performed by mages or other spellcasters. So if you wish to engage with the combat system in a deeper manner you may wish to create a spellcasting main character or choose to get a spellcasting party member pretty early on. Spellcasters in this game are absurdly powerful and your average run of the mill fighter simply doesn't have the tactical options to handle an early-mid game spellcaster on their own. One amazing tip I can give when dealing with spellcasting enemies is to bring a magic missile wand, or equip lots of casts on your party members. The simple magic missile will always stun an enemy mage once it hits and thus will disrupt their absurdly powerful fear/nuke spells that they will use to wipe your party members early on.

And remember, Q -> Quick Saves, L -> Quick Loads, use this to your advantage if you think the game is being a bit more mean to you than you think it should be :)

This game has held a special place in my heart for as long as I can remember. Being a kid and playing this with my dad was one of the happiest memories I have as a child. Truly a beautiful series I’ll always treasure

Just purchased BGEE on Steam and loaded it on my M3 Macbook air. I've played 14.5 hours and just worked through what appeared to be all my game saves vanishing. Turns out I had somehow clicked into the DLC that I hadn't played yet, but nothing in the interface gave me a clue to that until I desparation clicked "Import Game" and saw my saved games as an option. It was clear to me that it was the DLC as soon as the game started. Thanks for the minor heart-attack, Beamdog and Steam!

A legendary fantasy adventure epic, and a blueprint for the best RPGs yet to come

★★★★★★★★★☆

If there was ever a game that perfectly encapsulates the essence of what most would imagine under the idea of "epic fantasy adventure", it would be the first Baldur's Gate. Nowadays a legend of its own, well-deserved right, the 1998 masterpiece is still remembered most fondly by those who it had charmed in the previous century – and rightly so. While Baldur's Gate at the time of its release reaped heaps of critical acclaim for the way it "revitalized" computer RPGs, when you re-visit it now, what stands out the most is the sheer genius of it's legendary writing, picturesque/fantastical yet also brutally realistic and authentic world and lore, and the overwhelming number of gameplay possibilities stemming from one of the best game adaptations of D&D ruleset.

"Tonight you dream of blood. Not of blood on a blade or the blood on your hands, but an ichor that runs as a torrent through the Realms. A flood that pours across the fields and forests. An ocean that floats you to the world's edge, and threatens to cascade off into the void."

"The blood seems a frightening thing: a massive force that sweeps away all resistance. As a whole it is a monster and it cannot be stopped. Were it to be viewed from on high, it would seem to cover the entire world in its red-black embrace."

"You, however, do not have such a lofty perch. From within the deluge you can see it does not move as one, but is filled with currents, eddies, and undertows. Pockets of calm afford breathing space, whilst violent whirlpools threaten to rend limb from limb. Ultimately it seems undirected, mindless, and meandering. You may be caught within, but there are still options open: still choices to be made."

"The tide presses on, but you press back. Let the blood rage, as it will: you are in control of what is yours, and that is all you can ask."

After the endless praise being thrown in Baldur's Gate's direction, if you are someone who is just looking to experience it for the first time today, you might be asking about what exactly is in it for you. What does this 25+ year-old game has that more recent titles in a more "visually appealing" packaging do not? The simple (although abstract) answer is - it has "soul". Each part of the game breathes and sweats authenticity, and while the game world feels appropriately threatening, it also WANTS you to explore it and experience it in it's totality.

Another aspect I found particularly unique about BG is it's (nowadays) highly unusual approach to the story. Whereas most fantasy epics would give you goals and aspirations of immense proportions, after the initial plot twist, you are merely tasked to investigate an iron shortage in the region, which then gradually and gracefully evolves into the narrative behemoth later on. The game also does not push you into doing anything - you generally uncover the overlaying conspiracy because you WANT to know, want to understand what your character's legacy really entails. It is one of the many different things that make BG one of the most realistic and believable fantasy worlds in the RPG history.

Generally, whenever someone feels reluctant to give BG a try, it is for one of the two reasons: 1) outdated graphics and 2) the outdated gameplay. Whereas the former is remedied by a stellar art style and the Enhanced Edition treatment, the latter is BG's both boon and bane. AD&D ruleset which felt revolutionary and fresh in '98 has not aged well in every aspect. That said, if you can overcome the initially brutal and unforgiving learning curve, you'll be rewarded with some of the most in-depth role-playing systems any RPG can offer, with the number of approaches to different situations depending only on your imagination and creativity.

Baldur's Gate is one of those games that everyone taking gaming/RPGs to any degree seriously should experience. I see it often appearing on those "X games to play before you die" lists and while many argue over most of these games' right to belong there, Baldur's Gate (and especially it's no less legendary sequel) are the undisputed cornerstones of the must-experience titles.

Positives & Negatives

[table]
[tr]
[th] Positives [/th]
[th] Negatives [/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ Masterfully handled static isometric graphical art style that, although outdated, still captures the magic of the old-school RPGs and plays into ingenious environmental storytelling[/td]
[td]- There are some seriously outdated mechanics mainly stemming from the archaic AD&D ruleset - anything from having to re-roll continuously for acceptable starting attributes (which is just an unnecessary game of patience), plenty of spells being useless due to how the dice roll works, counterintuitive approach to Armor Class (which was fixed in later additions), and more[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ World/Level design – while Baldur's Gate has an overall simplistic approach to the Sword Coast's map design, the overall cohesion and care put into each chunk having its own distinct personality and purpose elevate it to heights rarely seen in the games that followed after[/td]
[td]- Speaking of outdated systems, some gameplay mechanics end up being stupendously annoying and frustrating - path-finding is constantly refusing to work, or the AI Scripts doing different things that they are supposed to[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ One of the best-written fantasy stories of all times, where each narrative component flows from one to another with flawless precision and grace, with one of the best endings in RPG history[/td]
[td]- While I spend a lot of time praising the character work, the actual companions leave some things to be desired - don't get me wrong, the sheer number of interactions between different party combinations is staggering, but compared to Baldur's Gate 2, after the initial meeting, the companions is just kind of "there" for the ride without too much to contribute narratively[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ Unforgettable characters with their own motivations, dreams, fears, and desires, independent of the main player character[/td]
[td]- Enhanced Edition new additions-specific issues: the new comic-style cutscenes don't do the originals justice, 2 of the four new companions aren't interesting, and the new full-fledged content (SoD, Black Pitts) leaves most indifferent[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ While I point out some negatives, Baldur's Gate's utilization of the AD&D tabletop systems is nothing short of a genius for the time – the more time you put into learning all of the interactions, synergies, and planning strategies of the individual combat systems, the more you feel like an absolute tactical mastermind, which is a feeling few games can evoke so well[/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ Enhanced Edition brings this beloved classic to a polished technical state with all of the quality of life fixes it was due[/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ Random encounters (be it ambushes or something you run into when exploring) are yet another aspect of the game that makes it stand out - most of them reach the first Fallout's level of quality, intrigue, and surprise[/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ Timeless soundtrack that perfectly underscores each encounter, situation, or environment it plays over (and massive bonus points for Conan-like main menu theme)[/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]+ While it is rather sparse, every piece of voice-acted dialogue is a work of art [/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

If you haven't played this game then I don't know where the flying f*ck you've been but please...do yourself a favor and buy this game and play it and know it was the best purchase ever. sincerely Jimmyus Paladin of Torm.

I have finished this game 3 times over the years and, man, on the third time this was hell of sludge. I still recommend it, though, because it is a classic RPG and there is still some entertainment to be had.

First thing I hate about this game is the f-ing trash mobs. Walk in the wilderness for a few meters and you get jumped by a billion gibberlings. Walk again on the trail you had already walked a minute ago and bam! Another f-ing horde of gibberlings.

Speaking of wilderness, most of it is just an empty space worth not exploring at all with few points of interest. Just a waste of time to make you hit another ambush.

The story is… I guess there is a story, but it is hidden behind walls of text of exposition dumps and yapping. The writing is not that great. Same can be said about the followers who sometimes react to what you do, but that is mostly based on reputation. Otherwise, they are just an extra body to throw on the enemy that complains and b*tches all the time with few exceptions. And their stats also are not very good.

Then there is new content that was added over time to the base game. Some of it is not that bad like Durlag’s tower, but most of it is also not that great, including the writing which actually blends quite well with the base game because both are not that great. There are followers with their own quests even, shame I didn’t like any of them.

Despite all the bad, this game scratches a certain itch of nuking fantasy creatures with fireballs and missiles, so “6 out of 10” game.

really really doesn't holdup anymore but dang I loved this game when it was the gold standard.

Baldur’s Gate is nothing short of a legendary experience — a true masterpiece that has shaped the entire RPG genre. From the moment you step into the Forgotten Realms, you're transported into a rich, immersive world full of deep lore, unforgettable characters, and thrilling adventures.

The storytelling is phenomenal. Every choice you make matters, and the branching dialogue options create a game that feels truly yours. The companions you meet along the way are iconic — with their own personalities, backstories, and quests that make you care about every decision you take.

The gameplay perfectly captures the spirit of classic Dungeons & Dragons. Whether you're planning intricate strategies in battle or navigating moral dilemmas, every moment feels meaningful. The sense of freedom and player agency is simply unmatched.

Visually, even in its original form, Baldur’s Gate is charming, and the enhanced editions have made it even more accessible to new players while preserving its timeless magic. The music, the atmosphere, the writing — everything comes together in a way that few games ever achieve.

Baldur’s Gate isn't just a game — it’s an epic journey that stays with you long after you’ve finished. A must-play for any fan of fantasy, storytelling, or role-playing games. Truly one of the greatest games ever made!

I remember playing this game growing up when it was a 6 CD game. I never got to finish the game then and I really enjoy being able to play it.

Fun, immersive D&D adventure, brutally difficult and demands some serious strategy for some of its encounters.

Didn't even take me 27 years to get to this instant classic.

As always, I started out playing an Elven wizard, but apparently it wasn't yet agreed upon in 1998 they'd get 20% more content. With BG1 you get sucky gameplay (constant resting to refresh spells) in exchange for nothing. It's much more fun to go with a fighter. After a long discussion with ChatGPT, I ended up choosing Kensai/thief (don't be lawful!) multiclass for my second, much more fun, playthrough. I exploited basilisks (in story mode you don't have to find out about Protection from Petrification) to quickly level him up (Gibberlings3 Tweaks Anothology to remove the exp cap) and sliced and diced to my heart's content without traps, chests, or the occasional pickpocketing quest ever stopping me.

GameBanshee's maps are an excellent way to see if you missed anything: https://www.gamebanshee.com/baldursgate/walkthrough/candlekeep.php They're really thorough, but you can go even more in-depth here: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Baldur%27s_Gate_Wiki Like you might want to find out how to score Paws of the Cheetah boots to move around quicker, but some of the more cheaty patches will make you move fast out-of-combat anyway. Also you can increase the framerate cap to 60 in Baldur.lua. If you enable cheats there, CTRL + 8 will roll all maximum stats during character creation if you don't feel like spending hours at a slot machine.

BG1 has 5x as many companions as you can handle. It's meant to be this way. Only some of them have companion quests and certain ones are pretty much deemed 'the canonical party' (Imoen, Khalid, Jaheera, Minsc, Dynaheir). I liked completing their stuff one by one and then ditching them at some inn in case I ever missed them (I didn't).

I chanced upon some crtiticism over Siege of Dragonspear, but I thought it was lovely. Really showed how far you can stretch Infinity Engine on modern setups. And the story was fine as well.

If you're ever stuck completing a quest because you forgot to pick up a random ring or dagger somewhere and it disappeared, use the EEKeeper character editor to add it to your inventory.

10/10
I've been coming back to this game Since 1999 when it came with 6 separate discs. It absolutely still holds up 26 years later.

Pros:-
- The added Enhanced edition characters bring some great dialogue. (Purists hate them)
- Great Class and race variety.
- Hundreds of weapons, armours, wands and other items to use.
- intricate tactical combat.
- Beginner friendly with a plethora of guides and youtube videos to help you plan and gear up.
- You can Import your main character straight into Fall of Dragonspear then/or Baldurs Gate 2 to continue your characters story.

Cons:-
- Character models haven't aged well.
- A lot of reading required to understand the story fully.
- Character stats and abilities not explained very well and will probably require third party guides.

If you like Role playing games then this is a must!

This is a good remaster of a really old, but amazing game. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves RPGs, especially fans of BioWare's golden days. The controls take some getting used to, but there is also a 'story mode' option for anyone who just wants to play for the characters and story. In this mode, your character and team don't take any damage so don't shy away from this game if you're uneasy about the gameplay!
Overall, this is a great game. Its story will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. It's also a good look into where the RPGs we know and love today came from, even if it's been updated.

It's basically required playing for any CRPG fan.

I would very much like a small update that adds back the original cutscenes.

Hands down one of the best games ever made. I keep coming back to it year after year, only because the story is so good. True to D&D.

This one's better than the third one because I can actually rest without being propositioned like it's some kind of fantasy dating sim

Old school game that is as fun today as it was in the 90's

Old classic, with bad pathing. But the music is great while you reload your saves over and over again.
Maybe you will like it?

Best Baldur's Gate, played this game 1000's of hours when it was first released in the late 90's. Great story, fun game play, and uses the most familiar to me D&D rule set 2nd edition.

Had a lot of fun going down memory lane to all the absurdities of AD&D, enjoying shit like THAC0 and admiring how the LOWER the armor class you have the BETTER. It's also great fun when a wizard has 4 hp and can barely do anything in a fight, but can absolutely win a whole encounter with a well placed sleep or color spray. I love these spells actually being good and doing something unlike in 5th Edition!

That said, this game has a ton of problems and really isn't an old gem worth going back to. Other related games have great writing, but this game's writing is verbose, tedious, and not all that interesting. Most of the quests are fetch quests and aren't very memorable. The new characters added in the enhanced edition are way, way more fleshed out than anything in the original game.

Since there isn't a lot of dialogue and intrigue to chew on, the combat and exploration are the main appeal of the game. Exploration is mostly crawling through mostly empty zones trying to find the two or three interesting things in that area.

The combat is fun in the sense that you are trying to make the most of your limited resources, especially healing and spells. Fights are straightforward until they aren't. Poison is ridiculous and you learn pretty quickly to take some Slow Poison and antidotes with you. Another big issue is when you fight any magic user at all, they will cast Confusion on your party and half or more of your guys will be disabled for a long ass time. It sucks, and dispel magic doesn't even remove it. Only way to prevent it is to drink a potion to block the magic beforehand.

So a lot of fights go like this: explore, find someone, they are hostile and you get rocked. Then you try again and plan a little better but still get rocked. Then you chug potions and prepare before the dialogue even starts. Go in, do a lot better and win, then move on. You basically have to earn metagame knowledge of a fight before you can beat it. To some degree, all CRPGs are like this, but it got really tedious for me here. It's really hard to improvise, and most of the best spells and wands are area of effect and will absolutely friendly fire your guys in you don't plan well. Melee enemies quickly run right into your ranks before the fireball can even be cast. All of this really drove me crazy. Would not recommend to anyone unless you are really curious about AD&D or you played BG3 and are dying to know the Baldur's Gate backstory.

The classic RPG that broke nearly a decade of not-so-great D&D computer games. This is what has set the standard since it's release and re-release as an Enhanced Edition that adds some content, improves a few, and quashes a few more bugs.

If you really enjoyed the original Baldur's Gate or want to get into this classic then I highly recommend it unless you're vehemtly opposed to classic isolinear combat.

Honestly, a crappy game given today's standards, but it has a nihilist and a guy who insults me constantly.

I have a lot of nostalgia for this game. I had played 2nd edition AD&D for close to a decade before I played this. It faithful reproduction of those rules made the manageable to play because I knew the system.

This game has steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with those old rules. I firmly believe learning 2nd edition AD&D is worth learning to play this game.

What can be said that hasn't already been said about this game? Still great 20 years later.

Play this, it's great, but don't bother with Siege of Dragonspear. It's got some good bits but there's just a long, boring grind at the end.

With a surprisingly small number of mods applied this thing is still well worth your CRPG time in 2025. That is an amazing accomplishment for the dev team that made BG1.

Big mention of BG2 Radar Overlay which I feel like is a must have nowadays.

I have to original and had to get the enhanced. This game set the standard for computer fantasy gaming. If you want to delve into the genre, this is without a doubt the very best.

You must gather your party before venturing forth.

GOOOOOOOOOO FOR THE EYES BOO!!

You. Again.

Heh, your a queer fellow.

These voices have burned into my brain.

There are some very silly bugs (e.g. getting stuck around stairs, reputation loss from self-defence that causes everyone in your party to aggro for no fault of your own) that have made me scared of old games, but it's such a good timeless RPG coming from someone who is allergic to CRPGs.

I like the story much better than the one about that PC in BG3. That backstory in BG3 is just ridiculous, but you feel like an actual person with so much more at stake in this one.