Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition

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.

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.

The game would definitely be an acquired taste for younger gamers, but for someone who loves old-school RPG's it was a hit. So many maps to explore, so many companions to choose from, and tons of mods available to spice things up (mods not included).

I love this classic, really love RP part and choices. Really good story! It is some hasle to get into it as new player and you should find some youtube videos to explain gameplay, also use steam guides and bg fandom wiki!

Would I recommed OG BG? Since it is my childhood absolutely, however in comparison with modern RPGs this title has many gameplay aspects that might not make you interested in playing - some of those can be solved by using various QoL mods (such as Dragonspear UI++, which makes the whole interface much closer to new titles).
The other aspects you just have to roll with, the progress might feel too slow paced at times - which on other hand rewards you with intriguing story and interesting side quests.

TL;DR: You're going to enjoy if you do not mind slower paced RPGs that has older UI and few odd gameplay rule choices.

very hard to learn and sound wont work. ran through all the options to try to get sound to work, works on all other steam games, just not this one.

“The streets will run red with blood when my work is finished.”
~Sarevok Anchev

Baldur's Gate is a legend. It was one of those game-changing things that made huge impact on the whole CRPG genre. For many reasons. First, there was D&D. Not like we didn't have games based on Dungeons & Dragons before, those SSI titles, for example, were quite famous, but BG brought all that on the whole new level. While using the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, it pretty much simulated the whole tabletop thing, while making it look like our usual diagonal-down CRPG at the same time. Some mistakes were made, but still, for their very first game, BioWare (a young Canadian team formed by newly graduated doctors) did an amazing job. Second – BG introduced an advanced pause mode. The same one we still use in, say, Bethesda's Fallout. While being a real-time game, BG managed to avoid messy battles by letting us giving commands during the pause. The juiciest part, though, was dialogues.

Heavily inspired by Star Control II (and already improved in Fallout series), those became even more cool in BG. Technically, dialogues in BG were less complicated than what we had in Fallout. In Fallout, lots of your stats played a key role in dialogues, while in BG those stats checks relied mostly on charisma. But that's not the point. The point is – BG was a true RPG. All of those D&D alignments? Those were there and they actually mattered. While most of the other games wanted us to be good (ish), BG allowed us to choose. For real. Good, evil, everything in between? It was there. Our choices mattered and NPCs treated us accordingly. What's even better – the game was lore-heavy. BioWare actually bothered and studied lots and lots of Forgotten Realms literature, thanks to which not only we've got in-game lore books, there were also tons of nods that only the fans of that settings understood. Heck, we actually met characters like Drizzt Do'Urden from R.A. Salvatore's novels and Ed Greeenwood's Elminster Aumar! And, of course, the original story was an epic tale that revolved around the dead god. An evil one too, which made both good and evil paths even more satisfying. BG was... I dunno, to me, a huge D&D fan, it was a bloody religion back in the days. Therefore, to just say that I do recommend it is to say nothing. But. As you can see, this here is not an original BioWare's game. It's Beamdog's “Enhanced Edition”. And it's... not the same thing.

First of all, who da f*ck are Beamdog? Well, it's a company founded by ex-BioWare Trent Oster (who worked on original BG's models) and Cameron Tofer (original BG's co-coder). Means that they know what they're doing, right? Right? Well, unfortunately to us all, it doesn't really look like it. Where should I start... Let's just say it's one of them mobile-oriented remasters that come with all sorts of in-built “cheats”. There's a difficulty selector now and the lowest option comes with a “god mode”. Means you can't die, OK? And while usually I don't mind things like “rewind” feature in old platformers, this? It feels like a bull. Poorly implemented too, especially since you still can be killed by certain spells. That's not my biggest complain, though. My biggest complain is “press the button to see secrets” feature. Originally introduced in a sequel, it doesn't make sense in the first game at all. See, BG was designed to have secrets. Those pixel-wide guide-oriented stashes that were close to impossible to find without knowing exactly where to look. Enhanced Edition? It shows you them all. And it ruins the game a lot. Think about it. One of the best armors in a game (the best for fast characters) requires you to hunt down some strong enemies, pay quite a lot of money and wait. But you know what? Thanks to how you can see all secret stashes now, you can just go and pick one up minutes after you'll finish prologue. What. The f*ck?

There's more. Like they've added new expansions. One of which is just an arena, while another one acts a bridge between first game and its sequel. Which is cool, but they've also raised the level cap there. Why is that bad? Because you can export characters to BGII. Again, you weren't supposed to be that overpowered originally. Even the core game, while having an official old expansion called Tales of the Sword Coast included by default, becomes more imbalanced now. Like they did some changes in D&D thing. Which is good. On paper. I mean, rangers were supposed to have dual-wielding weapons according to the original rules. It was one of the biggest mistakes BioWare did and since I love rangers, I used to complain about that a lot. But think about it. BG was a finished product. And it wasn't designed for dual-wielding rangers. Now what Beamdog guys do? They give rangers two swords and let 'em pick up the best armor early in game. What. Were. They. Thinking?! Sure, BG was never a perfectly balanced experience. But this? This is a mess.

There's more. The core game comes with some new places and characters (companions included). Again, sounds like a good idea, but no. It lets you earn more experience easily, it adds things that game wasn't designed to have (like those item bags) and... It feels stupid most of the time, really. Remember Garrick? A bard that wanted us to protect his mistress from some baddies? Beamdog placed one of the new characters right next to him. Why is that bad? Because situation is exactly the same. We've got two possible companions now, one next to another, both with the same exact prelude. Again, WTF? They even placed another bald guy next to Minsc and guess what? The dude placed so poorly he has no way but to help us against one of the assassins even without recruiting. The good thing is that you can romance the new guys (romances weren't a thing until sequel back in the days), but guess what? Only the new guys are romanceable. Which is... Weird. To say the least. Heck, Beamdog even managed to mess up the lore! Original version happened a bit later in Forgotten Realms' timeline, while Beamdog moved it a bit earlier, which... Let's just say there'll be things mentioned now that weren't supposed to happen yet. They even added the new bugs, while obvious problems like Nester's dagger sprite weren't addressed at all.

In other words, the Enhanced Edition of good ol' BG feels more like a mod. Technically, there's a lot of new content, life improvements and, of course, it's more comfortable – the map is way better, you can change the font size, copy notes to your journal, switch between “improved” visuals (which are just blurry mess similar to filters from emulators), etc. But somehow, it ends up being as far from the original experience as possible. Does that mean that you shouldn't pay for this version? Not really, no. BG is still a fantastic game that even in this form feels totally awesome. Many of the problems I've mentioned you won't even notice without knowing about how things were supposed to be originally. Also, there are lots of people who like adding all sorts of mods to their games. And before you ask, yes, I'm one of those who always prefer the vanilla experience, but still, I'm not bi****ng about things not being the way they were when I was younger. I'm complaining about the changes not being thought-through at all. Somehow, Beamdog managed to do more damage to Baldur's Gate than our pal Sarevok. And one of the most epic role-playing sagas out there totally deserved better. Dixi.

Game is wicked...Took a bit to get used to the controls as Ive played all the BG series on PC etc and ecpected to be similar. Beauty graphics and storyline so far.....

Just dont feel like Beamdog puts much effort in their Enhanced Editions, and this game further reflects that to me. Not impressed at all. This game deserves better than Beamdog.

Some would say this is the best game ever made. These people are wrong, this title goes to the second game in the serie. But Baldur's Gate 1 is a close second.

I hadn't played this game for well over a decade, but decided to play the Enhanced Edition with a friend who never played it at the time. Baldur's Gate is a janky experience, the UI is ugly and bloated, and the game does not do a good job explaining systems that are, in and of themselves, also needlessly opaque. These are things modern RPG's do do better. Having said that, once you learn how to interface with this game, you will find something incredibly special. The story is riveting, the world is beautiful in an understated way with pastoral meadows and handpainted castles, and there's tons of freedom regarding what type of character(s) you want to play. It's also one of very few games that are genuinely funny, with the mix of serious stories and funny one-off encounters mirroring a good tabletop session.

There's a lot to be said about how the philosophy of this game is very different from most modern RPG's. Beyond the game just being kind of awkward to operate and poorly explained, there is also genuine choices made by the developer to make the game feel unforgiving and deadly. People are squishy, getting stabbed or bitten is dangerous, it is easy to wander into areas that you are simply not yet equipped for. However, because of this there is also more of a sense of genuine progression. Areas that you will struggle with early on will become not just possible, but trivial. Enemies that used to make for dangerous duels will fall to you by the dozens. It is a different style than the more flat or level-scaled worlds of modern RPG's, and in a way it can sometimes feel like the game punishes you for exploring. However, it's always possible to find a solution to the problem the game poses you, even if it might require some preperation. Just like you will come across encounters that will be difficult, you will sometimes get the drop on foes or have the perfect tools for the job, and being able to exploit your opponents and mow through encounters makes the game feel fair, because it is harsh on both you and your enemies.

Overall, I don't blame anyone that bounces off this game. We've made a *ton* of progress in terms of game design since Baldur's Gate. Anyone that tells you that this game is perfect and it's been downhill since 1998 is blowing smoke. However, if you can get past the jank, the actual game underneath is beautiful and awesome and a pure labour of love. It's worth it. Give it a try. Maybe ask your nerd friend to explain thac0 to you and save yourself some pain.

One of the first games I ever bought as a kid, back when games came on CD's. I remember this one being in it's own book and my father remarked how "massive it must be because of the fact that it had 7 CD's. I have about a thousand hours in this game and it's gameplay and storytelling are absolutely timeless. It will forever be one of the greats and is worth a playthrough or two if you've ever considered yourself a forgotten realms or RPG fan.

Brings back great memories of playing The Forgotten Realms Gold Box Series.

Playing through a second time and its really good, once you tune into its really good, the enhanced edition makes a difference. I would definitely recommend it.

Hard to get into don't get me wrong and it's hard to say when you finally "get" it but, when you do it's a very satisfying play.
don't be afraid to lower the difficulty as it is a steep learning curve and that's with some dnd experience under my belt (5th edition), but 2nd edition (aka advanced dungeons and dragons) is a VERY scary looking system. I promise if you ask questions and really take a little time to thumb through some material it actually gets pretty intuitive as you go deeper.
Most importantly set the difficulty to where your having FUN that's the MOST important thing to keep in mind
HAVING FUN.

You can read the review in English and Polish :)

ENG: Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition – A Classic Reborn

Released in 1998 by BioWare and later remastered by Beamdog, Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition brings the legendary RPG back to life with modern enhancements while preserving the essence of the original.
Story & World

The game transports players to the Forgotten Realms, where they take on the role of an orphan raised in the secluded fortress of Candlekeep. Soon, dark forces set events into motion, leading the protagonist on an epic quest filled with mystery, betrayals, and legendary battles across the Sword Coast. The enhanced edition stays true to this masterful narrative while adding new content to deepen the experience.
Gameplay & Mechanics

Following the AD&D 2nd Edition ruleset, the game features real-time combat with a pause function for strategic planning. Enhanced Edition improves the interface, introduces UI scaling for modern resolutions, and adds quality-of-life improvements like better pathfinding. Additionally, new characters and companion quests offer fresh story elements for veterans and newcomers alike.
Graphics & Sound

The original hand-painted 2D environments have been polished, supporting higher resolutions without losing their charm. Michael Hoenig’s iconic soundtrack remains as captivating as ever, perfectly setting the tone for adventure.
Pros & Cons

✅ Rich, immersive world with deep lore
✅ Strategic combat with meaningful choices
✅ New characters and companion quests add replayability
✅ Improved UI and widescreen support
✅ Cross-platform play for modern devices
✅ Classic soundtrack enhancing the atmosphere

❌ High difficulty curve, especially for newcomers
❌ Some outdated mechanics remain unchanged
❌ Occasional pathfinding and AI issues

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition is a must-have for both long-time fans and new players looking to experience one of the best RPGs ever made. The improvements make it more accessible while staying true to its roots, proving once again why it remains a cornerstone of the genre.

If you enjoyed my review and would like to support me, feel free to check out my Fantasy Games Archives Music & Soundtracks channel, where I share the best game soundtracks! 🎶

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PL: Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition – Klasyka w Nowym Wydaniu

Wydane w 1998 roku przez BioWare, a następnie zremasterowane przez Beamdog, Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition przywraca do życia legendarną grę RPG, wzbogacając ją o nowoczesne ulepszenia, a jednocześnie zachowując jej klasyczny charakter.
Fabuła i Świat

Gracz wciela się w sierotę wychowaną w odizolowanej twierdzy Candlekeep. Wkrótce mroczne siły zmuszają go do wyruszenia w epicką podróż pełną tajemnic, zdrad i legendarnych bitew na Wybrzeżu Mieczy. Edycja rozszerzona pozostaje wierna tej fascynującej historii, dodając jednak nowe wątki i postacie, które wzbogacają przygodę.

Rozgrywka i Mechanika

Gra korzysta z zasad AD&D 2. edycji, oferując walkę w czasie rzeczywistym z aktywną pauzą. Enhanced Edition usprawnia interfejs, wprowadza lepszą skalowalność ekranu i poprawia mechaniki, takie jak ścieżki poruszania się postaci. Dodatkowo nowi towarzysze i zadania wzbogacają fabułę zarówno dla weteranów, jak i nowych graczy.
Grafika i Dźwięk

Oryginalne, ręcznie malowane lokacje zostały poprawione pod kątem wyższych rozdzielczości, nie tracąc swojego klimatu. Kultowa ścieżka dźwiękowa Michaela Hoeniga nadal urzeka i świetnie buduje atmosferę gry.

Zalety i Wady

✅ Bogaty, wciągający świat i głęboka historia
✅ Taktyczna walka z wymagającymi decyzjami
✅ Nowe postacie i zadania towarzyszy wzbogacają rozgrywkę
✅ Ulepszony interfejs i obsługa szerokich ekranów
✅ Możliwość gry na różnych platformach
✅ Klasyczna ścieżka dźwiękowa budująca atmosferę

❌ Wysoki poziom trudności, szczególnie dla nowych graczy
❌ Niektóre przestarzałe mechaniki pozostały niezmienione
❌ Okazjonalne problemy ze ścieżkami poruszania się i SI

Ocena końcowa: 9.5/10

Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition to obowiązkowa pozycja zarówno dla fanów oryginału, jak i dla tych, którzy chcą poznać jedną z najlepszych gier RPG wszech czasów. Ulepszenia sprawiają, że jest bardziej przystępna, ale nadal wierna swojej klasycznej duszy. Ta gra nie bez powodu pozostaje kamieniem milowym w historii RPG.

Jeśli spodobała Ci się moja recenzja i chcesz mnie wesprzeć, zapraszam na mój kanał Fantasy Games Archives Music & Soundtracks, gdzie dzielę się najlepszymi ścieżkami dźwiękowymi z gier! 🎶

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There are mods that will make this great game even better, but it is still good without them if you're a new or returning player.

Amazing, immersive RPG with with a really interesting quest line. Defenitley would recommend

Oldie but a goodie :D Never played this game before but it fulfills my rpg needs. 10/10

I finally beat this for the first time. Has a simple story with complex gameplay and rules. Persistence was key for me, but the journey was worth it. I already transferred my character to BG2 and am looking forward to beating that game for the first time, as well.

An absolute classic and the grandaddy of BG3. Admittedly a bit pixel-heavy for the modern age, but with a map completely packed with secrets and quests that add richness to the main story.

Beat Baldur's Gate 3 and wanted more Baldur. Definitely an old game and in some aspects you have to meet it where it is at, but I'm really enjoying my time with it. Would recommend.

I just don't know what to say, something that started with a simple curiosity about what the first Baldur's Gate was like and turned into love, besides it being my first D&D, I had no idea about anything, I didn't know how to play or how to set up my class and yet I learned the hard way (dying, dying, dying, dying).
The story is fantastic, the side quests divert you from the story in a natural way that makes you immersed in the game world. The companions are incredible (Branwen is my favorite)
I did it twice before this review because I felt like I had to play the game more than once to enjoy what I learned the first time.
9/10
Fantastic only Fantastic

TO THIS DAY, no one has been talented enough to create a game as perfect as BG, IWD, and BG2. The format for these games is the BEST ROLE PLAYING FORMAT EVER CREATED. The ability to customize your character with your own pictures, artwork, and sounds is like something from the future, even though it is past. These games are like the successful Apollo missions. Masterpieces.

It's a good game, but I've heard the sequel is better. I personally was not that invested in the plot, but the writing was enjoyable enough for me to finish it. 7/10

A nostalgic experience that is through and through enjoyable. My dad had PC copy from the early 2000s that I grew up around. I didn't remember the story at all or gameplay, just watching him play, now me playing it has fulfilled many old memories.

Baldur's Gate is the seminal rpg that defined a generation. There is much to love about this game if you can get past the AD&D mechanics.

This is an old game and it shows. Gameplay is really slow. If I played it a few decades earlier I would probably have enjoyed it.

BG II is better.

Starting at level 1 kills this game (and doesn't make any sense for most of the NPC's).

Thus begins one of the most nuanced and best told stories DnD has to offer.

One of my favorite games as a kid. Wonderful to see it updated and available again on so many devices and with the ease of steam install on modern hardware/os.

The original Baldur's Gate was a classic which launched dozens of clones for a reason. Baldur's Gate 3 may have all the headlines now but, while this enhanced version of the original may lack the cut scenes and flashy graphic, it remains one of the best games you can experience.

Ever since I've done a few playthroughs of Baldur's Gate 3 and several others from Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition, I found myself motivated to give the first Baldur's Gate a try, wondering if it's still fun to play and see if it still hold up after it's original release all way back in 1998.

Where it started

Back around in 2024, I was giving a try with Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition for the time. While I really enjoyed the game despite I played the original campaign first before the expansion modules (it was...very grindy for the first time), I found the opportunity to give BG1 a go. As much I have been wary of how clunky and how very unforgiving the game is, I have gathered some notes for what class/kit to play as and then decide the rest if I'm going with a full party, light party or solo. Allegedly, I picked solo as if I may have an much easier time than in a full party while micromanaging them which, that's mostly true but, dealing with the encounters and inventory management became a different story. As I got through the mid-game, I found myself being turned off from continuing through the rest of the game for whatever reason until I finally gave this game another chance sometime later and then I eventually embrace it.

The Gameplay may push you off if you are not used to it

As far the gameplay of BG1 goes, it's based on AD&D 2E. Given that I have played BG3 and NWN:EE first before BG1, I am somewhat familiar with it's stuff but, I sometimes cannot get over the jank or the clunky nature with this game. This is where people will get turned off with this game or any of other Infinity Engine games, even more so with the pseudo real-time that is still wonky. Depending on your experience with other CRPG games whether if it's new or old, you may get pushed off with how the game and it's mechanics work. If you have some experience with D&D, then I'm sure you won't have much of a problem with AD&D 2E but otherwise, you will be confused, struggle or worse, embrace the PAIN. You will die a lot and find yourself loading saves way more often than a drunken dwarf trying to brawl in an tavern. The game can get very unforgiving and difficult, even more so in early game but, do not give up! If you learn your way through encounters with effective strategies or tactics or reach the point where things spike up, then it's all worth while. Of course, you can always tone down the difficulty if you really want to which I can't stop you by doing so. There's a reason why the Enhanced Edition included it to begin with.

If you want my advice to make the game be a bit easier and not go through all of the pain from start to finish:
1. Spend some time to get yourself familiar with the mechanics.
2. Take some consideration with the party's composition, it also varies on what your character is playing as.
3. Take a look at the Arcane and Divine spells and see what's effective the most, either by finding out or guides by other people. Some of the spells can make encounters a breeze.
4. Arrows are king, no joke.
5. Look up for guides.
6. Save often!

How I feel about the Enhanced Edition

Despite I never played the original 1998 version, the Enhanced Edition brought many improvements to the game, especially making it playable on modern systems, stable build, easier accessibility to multiplayer, more moddability, etc. It's definitely a great way to play this game nowadays, either if you are completely new to the CRPG genre, have never played any of the infinity engine games or hell, if you never played any of the classic Baldur's Gate titles. Of course, the game is still clunky as is regardless of the improvements that were made for the enhanced edition, just slightly less so than the original version which it isn't saying much.

As much I praise the enhanced edition, I have a few things that I did not like about it. The "newly" made cutscenes and the new companions that you find during your journey through the Sword Coast. I don't know why they remade the cutscenes in BG1, it isn't really necessary to begin with and it simply takes away the charm and the little things that makes the original cutscenes stand out. Thank god they kept the original cutscenes for BG2: Enhanced Edition but you'll have to mod BG1 if you want to restore the OG cutscenes. And then, there's new companions, they're okay I guess but, I understand people are not really fond of them since it does alienate some people not realizing that they were never there from the 1998 version. I generally ignored them and move on, at least some of the class kits are pretty good, though.

Regardless, the Enhanced Edition isn't the best but it's solid enough. Sure, there were some other additions that several people were not fond of and deemed it controversial but personally, I could care less and it didn't affect my experience as much. I guess people could always get the original version instead, add some mods or patches to make it runnable in modern systems and play it from there. It's all up to their choice if anything.

What about other things?

Well, the story is...good! It's just not the greatest than in BG2 does but the writing, narrative and it's presentation definitely shines through the game. I will let you discover it from yourself, if you care that is.

The companions is what really stoods out for the first two games and if I'm gonna be frank with you, there are a huge variety of companions that you can play around for your party. However, don't expect that you can recruit all of them at once, you have a party size of 6, and then you have to consider which one to recruit based on their alignment, quests, their lack of tolerance from one to another (which will potentially cause a leave or make a fight) and then good and evil aligned companions will permanently leave if you party reputation score gets too low (good) or too high (evil). That being said, the way of how they implemented the companions is quite impressive, despite being lackluster in BG1, BG2 does it better in general. It's a pity that it won't be the same as the better the game technology can get, though...

Do I recommend this game?

If you liked BG3 and wanting to experience the first and the second game in the series or have been familiar with the CRPG genre or familiar with D&D in general, then I would recommend this game, though, you should get it when it's on sale. Otherwise, if you won't stand the old mechanics that can become from wonky, janky or clunky, and suffer the pain then, I don't blame you for not picking up this game. Frankly, it's a relic of the time and despite it's age, it still holds up as a strong and absolute classic RPG game. Although, I can understand why BG2 is better in general which it is. The Enhanced Edition of BG1 is still a good way to revisit the game nowadays and I didn't regret it, aside from the pain I endured due to how difficult and unforgiving it is.