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The definitive PC role-playing experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 54 / 54
Date: May 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Baldur's Gate is one of the most immersive and enjoyable RPGs that I've played. The plot is very interesting, the characters are wonderful, and I can't put my finger on exactly what does it, but somehow this portrait of the Forgotten Realms draws me into the game world like nothing else I've played before. The first time I fired up this game led to a 24-hour gaming marathon with no food or sleep; that's how engaging it is.

You play a young man (or woman -- you create your own character) forced to leave his home under suspicious circumstances early in the game, and you find yourself out in a hostile world seeking answers about yourself. The story in this game is more personal than the traditional task of stopping the madman who wants to destroy the world, though it still becomes epic in scale, and is very well done.

Along the way you'll meet a number of NPCs (non-player characters), up to five of whom you can take with you and control. Since there are a number of character classes available, and each class has a vast array of special abilities, managing your party requires a good deal of thought, and engaging in battle requires a sound strategy. A well-balanced party is essential. The game itself is very well-balanced, so there are always numerous ways to attack any given situation.

The game is very large, and spans five CDs (six if you include the expansion). You can stick to the main story arc if you want, but there are dozens upon dozens of optional side-quests that you can attack as well. This is part of what makes the game so immersive, I think -- the fact that you so often have very significant interaction with all the minor characters in the game, rather than having them just spit out the same line of dialogue every time you meet.

There are only two drawbacks I can think of to this game, and they are minor gripes indeed. The first is that the game is based on the D&D 2nd Edition rules, which are outdated now, but the game still plays extremely well. You just don't have access to the additional options that 3rd Edition presents.

The second drawback is that it may be difficult to get into this for someone who's already played Baldur's Gate 2. As good as this game is, the sequel surpassed it in every possible way, and so it does feel like a significant step backwards. Don't let that dissuade you, though. Especially at the low price you can now get the game and its expansion for, it is well worth the money. Be sure to check out the sequel when you're done.

Fantastic RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 26
Date: May 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Baldur's Gate is a fantastic game! Baldur's Gate continues to amaze and impress however if you're looking for a quick kill this RPG does not fit the bill. Baldur's Gate has good graphics by today's standards and has an impressive story line which is somewhat linear in nature. The story allows the player to do what they wish. Multitudinous side quests coupled with flexibility in characters allow the game to be played many times over which offers hours upon hours of play. The interface is well organized and easy to use, the music, story line, and great technical aspects of the game immerse the player into the story. Bioware is notorious for their thorough game testing resulting in outstanding reliability. There is one patch available for download on the Bioware web page along with another update that allows for support of DirectX 8.0. You can't go wrong with this title.

This game smoked my social life!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 21
Date: August 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I recently purchased this game with the expansion at the store for 20 bucks. For that price I couldnt go wrong, what with all the great reviews about it. I had a few problems after the installation with some "assertion errors" but the online troubleshooting sites helped me out. It turns out that the problem was mine, not the game's.
Anyway, at first, I wasnt sure how much I would really like this game. I thought it might have the tendancy to drag on. Actually, I have put some time into it and now I am so engulfed with this game that I have been staying up until wee hours in the morning with it. Theres is always something to do, somewhere to explore, people to help out or kill. Theres so much going on that I have yet to even come close to the city of Baldurs Gate! Ive been content with traveling elsewhere. Thats part of the beauty of the game. The fact that it doesnt force you to do anything in any order or, like most games, force you to go to area A, find object B, kill Boss C, proceed to area Z, etc. I like the fact that I know there is trouble to the south in the mines, but I feel like hanging out in the hills, looking for an insane mage. Ill get to the mines later.
Everytime this game is played it will be different depending on your choices. While im waiting for Baldurs gate2 to be shipped with the expansion, I might as well roll up a totally different character, play the game in a new sequence, and recruit the NPCs that I told to get lost the last time around. Ill take Brage to the Garrison of the Flaming Fist so they chop off his head and give me the bounty instead of giving him shelter in the church.
In short, the game is fun. It has been making me decide to stay in on nights that I should have gone out with friends. I was disappointed that it had no paper manual, but 20 bucks for this game is well spent. The manual is on disk one anyway.

A classic!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 20
Date: July 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game. Its an epic and engrossing adventure. Its one of the best RPG's of all time. If you like RPG's you cannot go wrong with this game.

You start out as a level 1 character (you get to pick among all the base AD&D 2nd edition character classes) and you have to work HARD to gain a level. By the end of the game you will be lucky to get to level 7 and every level you advance is a real accomplishment. This is not a Diable style hack and slash, it requires and incredible amount of strategy, tatics, long term planning, and plain good luck.

This is a classic AD&D game that comes as close as the computer can to the tabletop experience. You get drawn in and truly feel like your a part of this world as you play. You'll lose a lot of sleep over this game. Buy it and enjoy! Say good bye to the loved ones and they won't see you again for months.

WOW!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 19
Date: October 11, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I usually don't play many Role Playing Games (RPG), but when a friend let me try his edition of Baldur's Gate I was hooked on the fantasy series for life. Let me explain why I chose to start playing the highly-addictive game. 1. The graphics are excellent. You won't see many games with the type of graphics this game has. Yeah there are a few RPGs with decent graphics but they don't compare to this. 2. The game play is simple. Even for me, a novice (at the time), the game was simple to understand. It would be like playing Diablo or Starcraft to a sense. Once you started playing the game more and more, you start to understand the real concept of the game, and then you can start to build you character and learn the more advanced, complex elements of the game. 3. This game is for anyone who has ever wanted to know what it's like to be a knight, or an elf, or even a gnome. It has many different characters. They are all useful in their own unique way. Well I better wrap this up, so here's the last reason why it deserves 5 stars. 4. Last but not least, this is the game that started the BIG RPG push. Yeah we have Final Fantasy for playstation, and don't get me wrong that itself is an excellent title, but c'mon. That's for Playstation not the PC! This is the mother of all RPG's for the comp. If you love RPG's you should have this title in your collection. This is the one that started Baldur's Gate II, Icewind Dale, Icewind Dale II, and finally, The new smash hit, Neverwinter Nights. With out this game and the slew of A.D.&D. and Forgotten Realms games before it we would be still waiting for the right RPG to come along. Well that's my review. Go out and buy this game. It is well worth the $$$ I paid for it and more.

Baldur's Gate: oldy but goody

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 17
Date: June 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When Baldur's Gate came out several years ago, it took the gaming world by storm. Back then, it was innovative, graphically impressive, and completely original.

Some time has passed, and the graphics aren't very amazing anymore, and the game is not so much innovative. But, it still remains one of the best role-playing games of all time. The reason for this is plain and simple: Storyline.

The Baldur's Gate series (Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword Coast, Shadows of Amn, and Throne of Bhaal) simply have one of the most amazing storylines in gaming history. You will laugh, you will cry, but most of all, you will have fun. You will be drawn into a world completely different from our own, with people that aren't so different from you or me (with a few notable exceptions *cough* Minsc). You will never be the same.

I wholeheartedly reccomend this gaming series. While it may be old, it is still a game that changed the RPG world, and a must have for any true RPG fan.

It was the best game back then...and it still is!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: January 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I admit, the nowaday's games have impressive graphics, sound and gameplay and all that crap. But BG is still my favourite game all time (BG 2 is great too, although I like the first one more). Alot of people think this game is boring, and bad combats and all. Those people just couldn't beat the game I suppose without using cheats. Most people are in for the combats and the fighting, those are the same people who think this is a boring game. The best thing of this game are the large maps, the beautiful enviroment but especially the dialogues (you schould read them, it adds alot to the game). I also like this game because there is no pressure, you don't get depressed with it. There are no time-limits, you can play the game as long as you want. I did every thing on the game, also did the minor things that have nothing to do with the important things you have to do to finish the game. It took me 2 years (I don't play like 24/7 you know...) to get in Baldur and finish the game. Aftyer that I was hooked on BG 2, wich I almost finished, but I just wasn't skilled enough. To all the spoiled kids, go play your GTA San Andreas and your Halo 2 or other stupid games wich are just to heavy for a normal computer. Play Morrowind if you want the bad version of Baldur's Gate, but this is truhly the best game ever made. Modern games don't even come close. The only that came a little closer then the rest is Unreal Tournement (I know, it's a whole different type of game), but I got to boring after a while. This is a game that's fun because of what it is, not because of the graphics or something else. Although my copy is broken these days and I'm looking for a new one, but I can find one, maybe I schould buy it back on Amazon.

Great Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: May 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is deep in every way. It is true that it is definatly not a hack and slash game, but that is it's trade mark feature. If you are an avid Diablo or Final Fantsy fan you will probably not like this game a whole lot. If you play Diablo then play this game you will not find many similarities. They do both have the scrolling game screens and you can get awsome equipment. The story line is quite good and you have alot of freedom. You can choose to follow the main storyline and do some of the numourous side quests or you can just play for fun and kill everyone in the entire game. You can be a nice young man or an evil backstabbing women it is all up to you , you can do anything you want , there are no rules. Once you play this game one time you will play it many more times , I guarentee, it never gets old and is a great overall gaming experience!

My "First" Computer RPG

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: September 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This was, as I just said - my first computer RPG. I'm still playing it today.
Some people find the game too hard. The problem with this accusation is this - one cannot lift (in real life) three hundred pounds without dedicated training. The same holds true for any video game. If you challenge a Wyvern the first time you pass its cave, you will probably be killed. If you are a low level, you won't be in luck. Though it is not "necessary" to finish all side quests, you will not be able to face many of the challenges ahead the best you could have.
You must also realize that this game is "older". The graphics are comparable to the first "Myst" game. You can't expext to turn on your monitor and see Max Payne quality graphics. It's not "pretty", but not terribly ugly either.
Also - as a tip from me to you - set your AI Script. If you aren't the best at mangaging all of your people, the AI can help you keep track of them.
The plot is...interestingly minimal. There is so much to do and so many things that can be done. The plot is there, but if you don't play for a year, you can still figure out where you left off. It's basically a conspiracy plot - dealing in secrets and the nearly-lone hero who takes on the huge evil. It's engaging, but it doesn't beat you over the head and annoy you with (many) long speeches of just plot. The game moves, and that's what I like.

Brings back the AD&D nostalgia, and a pretty good RPG too.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: May 16, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Buying this recently, long after the furor has come and gone about BG resuscitating the RPG genre, definitely puts a different spin on how the game looks to me. When the game originally came out, I got the feeling it was hack and slash, not to the extent of Diablo, but still nowhere near the plot and character-oriented style of Fallout (which had come out shortly before and I really enjoyed). I stayed away from it.

A few months ago, my brother borrowed the game from someone and I saw him playing it for a while; I was in the mood for an RPG and no really good ones have come out lately, so I decided to pick it up. For as old as this game was, I have had a ball playing it, although I have gotten pretty frustrated in certain places (usually because I was not powerful enough to go up against the enemies I was trying to fight).

The game is not a graphically stunning masterpiece -- the 640x480 graphics are...well, dated, but still plenty good for an RPG (which shouldn't be about eye candy anyway). The spell effects are fun to watch though, and to me, the game _feels_ right, being an old AD&D player from back in high school. The plot....well, it's not as open as Fallout, but it is still a big improvement on the hack and slash genre. Combat is necessary, and a pretty big part of the game, but I didn't find myself getting really annoyed with the fact. Some of the voice work is really good -- listening to all of Minsc's lines is a hoot (although I know there's a lot of people who find it annoying -- depends on your tastes, I guess). Bioware seems to have done a good job importing the AD&D system to computer form.

Now, there are some annoyances...having to explore all the wilderness tiles in order to get all the special encounters is a real pain and I wish they had found a better solution. The fact that you have to explore the big city in the game (Baldur's Gate) is also a bit silly, and it is annoying that the game does not stay paused if you go into the inventory screen. These were fixed in the sequel.

One thing I do want to say is that it is not clear that you are supposed to go to the expansion areas _prior_ to beating the game. I don't know if this was clearer in the original Tales of the Sword Coast box, but it was not clear to me -- most expansions I've played you play them after beating the original game. In TotSC, you need to go to Ulgoth's Beard and play them through at that time, because when you beat the main plot of the game (I won't spoil it here, even though the game is pretty old now), the game is over and you can't go back and wander the world, completing the expansion quests. Besides, the extra experience you will get from completing these quests (not to mention the items you will pick up) will make the final chapter of the game much easier.

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