Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition

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

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

How I feel about the Enhanced Edition

What about other things?

Do I recommend this game?

genuinely one of the coolest and most amazing experiences. Even in 2024 this game still holds up. I came to this game after playing Baldur's Gate 3 and this game reminds me a LOT of a tactical top down Dragon Age Origins while also having so much of the DND Sword Coast lore and world building I had come to expect from the series. This game definitely feels a bit challenging in the beginning and there is a LOT of inventory management along with overwhelming battles. But, as long as you Q constantly, explore everything, take it slow, and maybe consult a guide or two when your in trouble, you will find one of the most fleshed out incredibly detailed and amazing RPG's ever created. I couldn't believe how much content there was in this game. Every map was jam packed with little interactions. I highly recommend reading all of the journals and item descriptions as well. You could really feel all the love, craft, and care that went into this game by each individual at Bioware/Beamdog. The Enhanced Edition adds so much to the original game as well, I've only heard and seen how much it improved since I never played the original but I've been blown away by how seamlessly they added in everything.

Good story, fun mechanics, highly recommendable if you can live with the old school graphics and sounds

A classic AD&D adventure. This game is a good adaptation of late AD&D / pre-3.0 rules in a CRPG.

An old classic, absolutely worth your time if you enjoy RPGs. The AD&D rule set can feel a bit antiquated or unnatural to new players who didn't grow up with it, but if you take a little time to learn it then it'll be well worth it for this game.

Still a great game - I originally played it when it was first released and am still loving the amount of content and replayability.

Hoo boy.

I must admit that at first I didn't like the gameplay. The plot and point-and-click movement, and UI were completely fine. The not-quite turn-based combat threw me off, seeing as I played BG3 before this -- as well as Fallout 1 and 2 (which were developed by the same studio that made BG1) -- and I immensely enjoyed the combat in those games.

I had started out on Normal Mode, but once I switched over to Easy -- the combat became less agonizing. Leveling up and getting more HP + usable skills helped soothe my frustration.

And I must say that I don't mind older games and their clunky-ness, seeing as I adored playing FO1&2 (I admit I like them better than FO4 lol). BG1 in particular just grinded my gears.

HOWEVER, the plot was quite interesting and the party members I picked up along the way were delightful. Shout out to Dorn for being a great pack mule. The side quests were fun and rewarding.

TL;DR: If you love an interesting story, play this game. If you can't stand old-game combat systems, run for your life.

Great enhancement of the original, with many fixes and a tasteful reproduction of alkl the original qualities.

Played it back in the day, and it's just as addicting now. Also remember it having lots of bugs back int the day, this version I think it crashed once in the many hours of playing. So good job on that, only took 20 something years :)

Absolute classic game. One of the best CRPGs ever. Starts off nice and lowkey rather than being the typical overblown epic 'you are the chosen one' campaign.

This game is a classic. The isometric 90s gameplay based on AD&D 2e can take a bit to get used to, but it's worth it.

The Enhanced Edition makes a timeless classic available on modern PCs. Anyone who likes RPGs and does not require modern graphics to have fun should definitely play through this masterpiece at least once. The quality of the revamped videos is debatable, but apart from that, this is a well-aged game, even a quarter of a century after its initial release.

Nostalgic Bioware. Immersive world and character building, exploration, and storytelling. RTS-like RPG.

A classic, now with a lot of quality of life improvements over the original. Beamdog did a great job. Looking forward to the expansion, too

i definitely think it's a little aged in comparison to its two sequels but i think it still holds up if this seems like yr vibe. very nostalgic and the main content is good. i dont really like the tosc stuff not my cuppa teaa but yea its fun

The writing is better than any modern game and its fun too.

a beautiful CRPG with all of the hallmarks of the late 90s/early 00s boom: broken AD&D combat and a world so interesting you can almost look past the fact that you've died 27 times in the past 5 minutes.

only run fighters. don't think. don't micromanage. just hit things.

Its a classic. Bit date but the story slaps

A great game that I finally got around to finishing in 2024, after finishing BG3. It was so fun seeing all the characters and lore relevant to BG3. The game itself is really fun with great writing/dialogue and very exciting gameplay/party-build customization. I will remember this game fondly

Loved it back in '99 but a pain to play in '25 even with the enhanced edition. I'll repeat what I said in my Ice-wind Dale review (a game that unsurprisingly uses the same enhanced engine):

"The AI is a no-win situation: if you turn it off, you will need to micro-manage your party to perfection and if you have it on, the AI will actively override your commands mid-fight, making the game unplayable".

I wouldn't mind micro-managing 6 characters at once if this wasn't D&D: a game designed for each player to play a single character with dozens of options at any given turn. Tyranny, for example (another CRPG made by Black Isle alumni), not being forced to implement a proprietary table-top rule-set as-is has a much better balance between tactical depth and micro-management.

If you're going to play this for the first time or as a hard-core challenge demanding your full attention for 40 to 100 hours of sweaty game-play, it's going to be worth a full price purchase. If instead you're looking for something less intense and time-consuming: try Tyranny or any number of turn-based CRPGs from Dragon-fall to Rogue-trader.

This is an old classic which I played to death when it first released over 20 years ago, it is well worth a look as one of the genre defining games in the CRPG space.

Great game great mods out there too

It's good old Baldur's Gate from my youth with the fancy new options of BG2. I also like the added companions. I haven't played with the monk yet, but the Dorn the Blackguard is now my Minsc for evil parties and Neera the Wild Mage is my Edwin for non-evil parties.

Baldur's Gate 1 is one of those classic games that sparked the CRPG section of games that we have today. Does it hold up to what it was back in the 1990s? Well, it depends. The game is very CLEARLY old, it has very clunky UI, it struggles in the way it moves its characters, combat is rough, and the game likes to cast a spell every so often called "you will not play the game for two minutes while your characters are stuck in a spider web". It has its faults for certain, but it also has a pretty serviceable story and very fun "bad guy" dialogue choices. If you are a fan of older CRPGs, or really want to see where Baldur's Gate started and aren't afraid of having to deal with some clunkiness and age, then I say give it a try. Though for anyone, it is far from the peak performance of today and I would always recommend to wait for a sale before buying it.

Old school graphics, play style and fun. If you're looking for some retro gaming, Baldur's Gate is definitely one to jump into especially as a foundation for Baldur's Gate 2 and 3.

Its way too easy to get caught in this game. if you have time to kill its a great way to do it

The good part is that Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 are two of the best rpgs of all time, the downside is that BG1 is basically a tutorial for BG2 and the 2nd Edition AD&D ruleset. Aside from that, it's age and it's refusal to adress some of its bugs is definitely a barrier of entry that onle fan patches and game reloads will save you. On top of that it is the slowest of the whole infinity engine catalogue, it doesn't have many levels and levelling up is going to be an event itself and by the endgame you should be around level 7.

Aside from that, everything else is really good. The updated graphics have a charm and appeal that I wish more games had nowadays, let the fans of 2D vs 3D rpgs fight among themselves deciding which is best and enjoy the game for the old-scholl charm that it has.

The music of the whole saga is a standout, the kind of stuff that you would put on your game D&D/Pathfinder campaigns with a good mix of ambience and orchestral, really recognizable and a good nostalgia fuel for anyone.

Being tied to 2nd AD&D the combat can see floaty and counterintuitive at first, knowing the system or checking the pdf manual that comes with the purchase helps quite a lot in this regard and will spare you many deaths. That said, these games aren't quite easy, is not a constant struggle but the encounters that just overwhelms you because of sheer numbers or a spell that use on you for the first time will make sure that you want a few saves on your back just in case you find yourself in front of a death encounter that you didn't deserve to die for it, specially here since you are going to play with a low-level party and you don't have yet the resources to fully prepare for many contingencies.

The story is good, not masterpiece but just enough to keep you going and making guesses about the grand mysterie until the final dungeon. There are a good amount of oportunities to define your character and make flavorful choices.

If you like old-school rpgs, want to play older editions of D&D or just like wrps in general and have some tollerance for some compatibility issues (it may or may not crash on you, but not to the point that it becomes a problem) then check it out, if not this one, check out the sequel, you don't need a lot to fill in gives a higher level party, has a very high level-cap, and it's story is quite better, also it let's you transfer characters from the 1st endgame to the 2nd.

This and its sequel are my favorite fantasy story not written by Tolkien, The mechanics can be off putting to newcomers but are very engrossing once you get your head around them. I have loved it since I was 8 and I think I will return to it every few years for decades to come.

I felt like I needed to play this after loving BG3 and I ended up loving this too, for the most part. The world, setting, lore, atmosphere and characters are easily the best parts of this game, and that's what matters the most in CRPGs in my opinion. The gameplay I have very mixed opinions of, but my opinions leans towards being negative.

So the story is very engaging and manages quickly to make you interested in what's going on, and the writing and dialogue has flavor. Quest givers have personality, so even if the actual quests they hand out aren't always the most exciting you still want to finish them. One odd thing for me though are companions; they have a lot of charm and personality... during the short conversations you have when recruiting them. With only a few exceptions, most companions have basically no further dialogue and involvement in the story after recruiting them. This is so jarring when they DO have developed personalities, and will set up players expecting good companions for disappointment. Which is why I recommend any player to go install the BG1NPC mod, which adds tons of dialogue for all companions, which made the adventure feel a lot more lively.

As for gameplay, it's certainly from a different era and there are a lot of game design I just don't care for. I dislike how the massive areas you need to explore are shrouded in two layers of fog of war, and you need to scour every inch of the map for potential quest encounters or valuable loot since you can only see a few feet ahead of you. Oh, and you move very slowly. And then you get to combat. As long as you know how to pick battles appropriate for your progress, it's pretty simple most of the time. Just make sure your tanky companions initiate combat and the AI will deal with most fights with you only needing to manually assign commands occasionally. The only way the game knows how to make the gameplay difficult is by having mage enemies and their CC spells. The most reliable way to deal with that is to rush down the mages or disable them with your own mages before they can disable your entire party with some AoE panic/confusion spell. I don't know, maybe I was doing something wrong but fights with mages (of which there are many) just felt very tedious to me, even if I tried to stay prepared. And I find fights to feel very cluttered and chaotic thanks to being real time with spells flying everywhere and the combat log moving so fast. So when the final fight had a barrage of deadly and debilitating mage spells my party wasn't properly kitted to deal with unless I wanted to load an earlier save to purchase the exact potions and scrolls I needed to negate most of it, I just said fuck it and turned on story mode so that I could finish the game. It sucks that I felt the need to do that, but I wasn't really having fun with the combat and the entire final stretch of the game just kept throwing these fights at you.

I bought this because I ADORED the Baldur's Gate 3 like no other, and it was around $5 for the winter sale. Do not let the graphics fool you, this game has an insane amount of content and things for you to get sidetracked with. I love a game with some good old school table top elements, and they get it down perfectly. The story-telling so far is amazing just like Baldur's Gate 3. If graphics aren't an issue for you, I'd try this game out ASAP.

Game is great

The original game came out in 1998, my life hasn't been the same ever since. A classic and second all-time favorite after BGII:SoA. If one is a fan of D&D, 'Baldur's Gate' franchise is an absolute must.

This 26 year old game still remains one of the most immersive, lore heavy and in depth CRPG out there. This game is an opportunity to enjoy DND 2E rules. They are indeed very different from 5E. Baldur's Gate 3 is a masterpiece and I get it, but this didn't get the BG series praises before BG3 for no reason. It deserves every last praise it gets. This game is a must play for anyone who enjoys TTRPGs.

If you haven't played this game before then I suggest quitting your job, breaking up with your partner, stocking up on macaroni and cheese, turning all the lights off/ closing your currents, and embrace your destiny as a child of Bhaal!

An absolutely classic game, that laid the foundations for future titles, not just for Bioware, but for CRPG's in general. Well worth playing, not just for its historical significance, but because it is a great RPG in its own right.

It does come with a bit of a learning curve. Its modified AD&D 2nd Edition ruleset can be a bit unintuitive. Combat in particular can be a struggle without a good grasp of its mechanics. Being an older game, it doesn't teach you its mechanics in-game, for that you'll have to use the games manual, or a wiki.
For newer players, I would honestly recommend lowering the difficulty, at least until you get a hang of it.
The game does have a story mode, for those who would rather focus on the narrative.

Character progression is satisfying, with plenty of classes and build variety. Gear upgrades feel earned, often tied to quests or defeating powerful enemies. Itemization in general is done better than in BG2, each upgrade feels more substantial at lower levels.

The game nails the sense of adventure. There are more wilderness areas to explore in the first game, and each area generally holds something interesting, like side quests or dungeons. I have fond memories of bumbling around the woods at low level, wolfweres hiding around every corner.

It's a great introduction to the Forgotten Realms, and the start of the Bhaalspawn saga, which follows the same player character through both games. The second game is generally the one that's remembered for its writing and characters, but while the story and character interactions in the first game can be a bit sparse in comparison, what is there is still really well written. It introduces a lot of memorable characters that will become iconic to the setting, and sets the stage for the sequel.

Beamdog did create some additional content for the Enhanced Edition, with a new expansion, and a new set of companions. I would recommend just sticking with the original companions, the ones introduced by Beamdog are just not at the same level of quality.

A great first game in a beloved franchise, that belongs in the library of any CRPG fan.

You must gather your party before venturing forth.
You must gather your party before venturing forth.
You must gather your party before venturing forth.

amazing classic of a game that, if you're able to get passes the dated mechanics, is an absolute BANGER and immediately vaulted itself into my top-ten favorite games of all time. it's just such a expansive world filled with lore & history that i am so glad i took the plunge and jumped into this (& BG2) before i played BG3, i love just about everything about it, including the dnd rule set (despite the fact it is also very dated in it's application)

A really charming D&D game which--even while dated at times, due to its ruleset--offers dozens of hours of fun.

Best game ever! Just because it doesn't involve Imoen as a plot device! Here she always dies for some mysterious reason. Be it sudden thunder in sunny weather or a pack of wolves that attacks her out of nowhere when she's going naked, giggling to herself. And I can't save her! I swear! Wait! What are you talking about, Monty? What do you mean? Xzar went into psycho mode and chased her to make sort of a mummy out of her?! Don't be ridiculous!

Okay, now she's gone missing, and we can discuss some really serious things here. This game is awesome! Better out of two in my opinion. I played it countless times and still return back again. Sure, for many people this game may seem outdated in many ways, especially for folks who came here after BG3. But it still provides great adventure as it was back in the day! Just be ready to die many times during your adventure! Also, as a friendly reminder, use the NPC Project mod, as it makes this game more lively and reactive. Xzar and Monty ftw!

Wait! What again, Monty? Quit distracting me already! Don't you see I'm trying to speak seriously here? *looks into the distance* By the GODS! She's a mummy monster now! Time to put her out of her misery… Huzzah!

First timers, this is a good way to start, and if you're here (like I was) just because you want to import a character from BG1, I would encourage you to read on: I never thought I would say this, but I think this game is better than the sequel. I know. Sacrilege. If you're not convinced by the end of this, or by the scant hours I've logged, feel free to burn me at the stake.


There's a lot of reasons to like this game, so I'll just focus on highlights:


First, BG1 is distinct from BG2 in that the treasure/items you find have greater value. For example, an oil of speed can mean the difference between success or failure in a boss fight. Potions, overall, have a lot more application which, again, is unique compared to BG2. Prior to playing BG1, I sold most of the potions I came across because there are more efficient actions you can take during your round in BG2. Most of the items you find don't exist just to be sold, they have some application or value. Actually, I would say that this process helps you appreciate your progression through to BG2 even more than if you had simply skipped it.

Second, BG1 also makes use of various creatures that serve almost no purpose in BG2 except to be fodder for your unstoppable murdering. Things like gibberlings, wolves, bears, spiders, kobolds, ogres, gnolls, etc. By the way, all of those enemies are essentially chaff by BG2 whereas in BG1, they present significant threat at first, and even late game some of them can hurt you if you're careless. Another example is when you leave candlekeep at level 1, a wolf is extremely dangerous. That isn't an experience you'd get in BG2.

Thirdly, while the companions aren't as "deep" as the sequel, you have access to a greater variety of companions. For me, a lot of the entertainment comes from the banter between members. There's some companions that only join in pairs, some will kill each other, some are totally insane and are just auto-invited because they are hilarious (i'm looking at you tiax). some will even do all of the above.

Lastly, the quests tend to be simpler (except for the main quest of course) which actually I prefer sometimes to having to talk to a bunch of people. An example would be a guy's son goes missing and he asks you to investigate an ankheg nest. To me, that's great. No extra info about your farm, or your wife that got sick and is going to die, and is also mad at this person who will stop you from getting paid because her uncle blah blah blah" Nope. "Hey there's some bugs that might've kidnapped my son, can you go exterminate the lot of them please?" "Sure thing, Mr. Farmer guy". No politics. Nice.


A final note on the DLC for anyone not sure about it for themselves - if you feel like BG1 ends too soon, and you wish for a new game plus, this will scratch that itch for you. If you're looking for the writing style to be faithful to the original, you're going to be disappointed. If you look at it as a remaster with some free extras, it's much better. I have played through the DLC a couple times, and now I go through some of it until I get annoyed and just import my character from wherever I happen to be. Good news is, the DLC portion of the game is entirely optional, and there are some pretty nice QOL fixes (bug fixes, addition of scroll cases which makes inventory management less awful, etc). Also, if you're not a fan of some DLC characters, you don't have to let them in the party. In fact, I understand Neera responds extremely well to disintegrate. I'm not judging, I'm just putting it out there.

Baldur’s Gate, originally developed by BioWare in 1998, has seen significant changes in its Enhanced Edition by Overhaul Games and Beamdog, making it quite different from the original game, at least in my opinion.

I remember playing the original Baldur’s Gate back in 2010, a few years before the Enhanced Edition was released. At the time, I felt the original game lacked so many quality-of-life features that I couldn’t play it for more than a few hours. That said, I have no nostalgia goggles for the original BG, and my review is focused purely on the Enhanced Edition.

...and what an amazing game it is.

Story: I consider the story of the first Baldur’s Gate to be its strongest aspect. As a Dungeon Master for half my life (essentially all of my adult life), I found the game's plot scratched a particular itch for low-level, simple yet intriguing Dungeons & Dragons adventures. It felt like being transported back to my teenage years, reading low-level D&D modules to run for my players or creating my own simple stories filled with twists and turns, all based on a straightforward premise. While the companions are mostly underdeveloped—typically providing just a personal story quest and little else—the antagonists are memorable, each playing a key role in a well-woven web of lies and mystery.

Graphics and Art Style: I don’t remember much of the original game, as it’s been almost 15 years since I last played it, but this Enhanced Edition looks and feels amazing. The pre-rendered backgrounds have a certain charm that adds so much character to the game—a charm that's largely missing from modern gaming.

Music: What can I say about Michael Hoenig's OST? It's a memorable soundtrack that hits all the right notes in all the right places. I've been listening to Baldur's Gate's music for years since playing the original game and already knew most of the tracks well. However, hearing them again in harmony with the gameplay brought a strong wave of nostalgia to the forefront.

Gameplay: I would describe Baldur's Gate's gameplay as a 25/25/50 split between exploration, reading, and combat. It demands a lot from the player because if someone doesn’t enjoy any of these aspects, it will be challenging to enjoy the game as a whole, as each one is integral to the experience. The writing in BG is excellent; while the plot is dark and often profound, there’s also humor and light-hearted moments that can bring a smile between the heavier beats.

While I’ll delve into combat in the Battle System section, exploration is the weaker aspect of the game. Much of the world consists of empty spaces with a few easy battles, some secrets to uncover, or an NPC or two to chat with. Beyond that, there’s a lot of walking and a lot of emptiness. What doesn’t help is that, even after all these years and enhancements, the party’s pathing system remains mostly terrible.

Battle System: The AD&D system can feel counter-intuitive by modern standards, with dated mechanics like THAC0 being a particular hurdle. Building a character—or an entire party—can be daunting, as the game assumes you’re familiar with the system’s rules and does little (if anything) to explain them. Adding to the challenge, the UI doesn’t do much to clarify what’s happening during combat.

The active-time combat with pause often devolves into a chaotic mess, especially during battles with heavy spellcasting. There are no clear indicators of which positive or negative statuses are affecting allies or enemies, leaving players to rely on guesswork or frequent internet searches for clarity.

That said, I still found the combat intriguing. Many encounters were genuinely enjoyable as I reloaded after failures, working to develop strategies and identify the right spells to bring enemies down. However, I would have greatly appreciated clear indicators for buffs and debuffs on every character. And for the love of all that’s holy, give us indicators for AoE spells—hitting my own party with that damn fireball was endlessly frustrating (and yes, I know there are mods for this, but that’s a separate discussion).

Tales of the Sword Coast: To my knowledge, this is the only expansion pack made directly by BioWare, and it’s a decent addition to the main game, offering around 15 hours of extra content if you complete everything it has to offer. Ulgoth’s Beard introduces a few interesting items and several quests to tackle, including retrieving a cloak for a certain mage, traveling to a distant island to solve a mystery, and braving the treacherous depths of a dwarven tower.

While I found the first two quests mostly annoying, the third one—Durlag’s Tower—stood out as the highlight of the expansion. The tower is my favorite dungeon in the game, with challenges that rival the difficulty of the main game's final boss. It’s a well-crafted, engaging side activity that added a lot to my experience.

All in all, Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition is an amazing experience, though it demands a lot from the player. The game’s mechanics are counter-intuitive by modern standards, and it still lacks several quality-of-life features. Yet, it retains a certain charm that’s hard to find in modern games.

Being unacquainted with AD&D mechanics myself, I chose to play on normal difficulty. This allowed me to learn the mechanics, enjoy the story, and keep the experience both challenging and engaging. While easier difficulties are available for those who just want to experience the story, I believe normal difficulty is perfect for new players who want to learn the system and prepare themselves for Baldur’s Gate II or a replay of the first game with better builds and higher difficulty settings.

I haven’t played the content added by Beamdog yet, namely The Black Pits and Siege of Dragonspear, which were introduced much later in the Enhanced Edition. I plan to play them at some point and will return to update my review afterward.

I have been playing this game since i was 10 years old, I am still playing this game at 36 years old, I will play this game until my dying breath. I like to do a full play through once per year, I have managed to mostly honor that.

If you have never played,
Story is 10/10
Able to replay 10/10
Graphics 5/10 - This game was released in 1998, Beam dog has managed to use Baldur's Gate 2 engine to optimize the game play.
Able to free roam and do side quests in which order you like, loads of hidden gear to find, and hands down some of the most fun I've ever had in a computer game.
Please Purchase this game and enjoy it like many others.

It's a classic characters are great and fun tactical D&D. Great stuff.

"Ok, I've just about had my FILL of riddle asking, quest assigning, insult throwing, pun hurling, hostage taking, iron mongering, smart arsed fools, freaks, and felons that continually test my will, mettle, strength, intelligence, and most of all, patience! If you've got a straight answer ANYWHERE in that bent little head of yours, I want to hear it pretty damn quick or I'm going to take a large blunt object roughly the size of Elminster AND his hat, and stuff it lengthwise into a crevice of your being so seldom seen that even the denizens of the nine hells themselves wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot rusty halberd! Have I MADE myself perfectly CLEAR?!"

Exactly as you remember, with some updates.

A brilliant game. Easy to pick up and play. Stands the test of time surprisingly well, although I of course played the enhanced edition. Requires some patience to look at the numbers. Also broken in several respects, but you can still play it easy. Could be challenging, but then you are mostly responsible for the challenge. Some tactics, class kits and so on are simply better than others in a relatively obvious way. The music and the voice acting are refreshing. The art, eye-opening. A classic.

Classic isometric cRPG, that allows you to immerse yourself in the well-known fantasy world. The best non-textbook introduction to Faerûn, its magic, and the mythical beasts that D&D is based on. The game allows for many hours of enjoyable gameplay, telling a fully fledged story. You play the role of the child of Bhaal - the god of murder, trying to prove, that you can take a different path than your bloody heritage. But can you really? Baldur's Gate lets you play as either the hero or the bane of the Sword Coast. The decisions you make matter and are commented on by people living in the world around you. For me, it was one of the first games that introduced me in to the world of gaming and fantasy. I love this game wholeheartedly. I come back to it from time to time to play it again. And again. Thanks to the Enchanced Edition, Baldur's Gate has been given new life, enriched with content that gives the game a new freshness.

Pros:
- great plot
- choose between MANY companions
- ability to choose a romance path for your hero
- perfect introduction to the world of Faerûn
- a classic magic and sword adventure
- a beloved classic

Cons:
- clunky, outdated mechanics that may discourage players

Final rating: 10/10

This game is well made with pixel art, sounds and user interface thats adequate for its time. The game is superb at getting you curious to try out different classes, companions and quests.

However, not everyone will be enthralled with the exact gameplay style of Baldur's Gate. I was taken aback by how frail the characters are, their health being as low as four hitpoints at level one! The games economy seems offbeat with a stay at an inn costing 3-12 gold yet health potions take 100 gold each. And lastly, the spellcasting is very limited and can only be restored by resting.

This game is competently made, but it may not be for everyone.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is an old-school CRPG that is pretty fun, but has a lot of flaws.

Pros
+ The aesthetic is nostalgic, immersive, and reminds me of games like Diablo II and Heroes of Might and Magic III.
+ The ambient sounds in each environment add a lot of life to the game, whether it's the sound of wildlife in the natural areas of the map, or distant conversation in the bustling cities and towns.
+ Most of Baldur's Gate's music is great. The music reminds me of Fable and KOTOR in some places.
+ The amount of NPCs in each town makes it interesting to wander around and see what you'll find. Similar to newer games like The Witcher 3, Baldur's Gate offers a lot of side quests and fun encounters for those looking to delve deeper into the game's world.
+ Adventuring with a 6-man group is genuinely the most fun part of this game. Having to carefully manage my team of different talents is interesting, and exploration is fun.
+ The party system is interesting, although I wish there was more interaction between my party members, I heard this is more common in Baldur's Gate II.
+ The combat, while sometimes wildly unbalanced, can be fun when you execute your group actions well.
+ I like that each character has certain things they are good at. I have optimized my group to have 2 melee tanks and the rest be ranged DPS. Outside of insanely unbalanced encounters from certain NPCs, I never feel like I'm automatically going to lose with this group.
+ Similar to KOTOR and Dragon Age: Origins, Baldur's Gate does not require a deep understanding of Dungeons & Dragons rules or mechanics to play. Simply knowing what armor class and chance to hit is will get you decently far, and most of the spells and gear are fairly straightforward.

Cons
- Most of the loot dropped by non-boss enemies is utter trash that sells for nearly nothing. This means you will have to take on difficult bosses to get anything of value beyond basic gear. This is most likely by design, but newer RPGs do a better job of making the player feel stronger over time.
- The story is minimal and only mildly interesting.
- Characters can only cast a limited number of spells per day, which results in your party having to rest constantly just to use the spellcasters in your group. This breaks the pacing of the game fairly often, and it's easy to see why virtually all modern RPGs use a mana system that can be refilled with potions or regenerated over time.
- The wild variance in difficulty BG1 has means you are gonna be savescumming constantly to not lose party members. Similar to the rest mechanic, savescumming being a requirement to enjoy the game feels very clunky compared to modern RPGs.
- The voiced dialogue is extremely poor and the text dialogue is antiquated and kinda weird. I had to set Voice Volume to 0 because of how annoying the voiced NPCs are. Unfortunately, this setting only affects NPCs in your own party, so some NPCs out in the wild will still shout the same annoying phrases over and over.
- The tavern music is insanely repetitive and gets old fast, which is a problem since you need to enter places like these to rest and trade with vendors. I'm surprised it's this bad when most of the other music in the game is fairly strong.
- I don't like how limited this port is in terms of settings. I should not only be able to use keys A-Z for rebinds, and Voice Volume set to 0 should mute ALL voiced dialogue.
- The game throws too many companions at you too fast. Many companions have quests and are on a limited timer, so refusing their entry into your group may mean locking yourself out of their quests. Any game that requires Google open just to make sure you aren't about to miss out on an important quest is pretty badly designed.

Conclusion

Overall, I really enjoy Baldur's Gate despite its flaws. As an avid fan of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series, I am no stranger to savescumming and janky systems, but I included those criticisms because the clunkiness of this game has and will deter future players from giving it a chance.

I am aware that many design choices exist in this game to incentivize future playthroughs, but most of the issues I have outlined here make the game annoying and clunky to new players. I wouldn't play through this game more than once, and am only doing so because you can import your BG1 characters into 2 as far as I know. I also wanted to play the old games before finally getting Baldur's Gate III.

The story is well written. The characters are interesting. Building up from scratch means you can understand the characters' story and mechanics. There is a good bit of customization options as this game uses AD&D rules.

Didn't get very far, party got stuck behind a wall in the tutorial and would not budge. Bugged out