Many RPG fans are fondly revisiting an old friend thanks to the recent release of the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition. We take a look at it with new, 2012 eyes and offer our thoughts about it. See what we think and then add your voice to the comments.

There's a timeless quality to the visual styling's of the popular 90's powerhouse. The isometric view, while limiting, allows for the game to be laid out with crystal clear clarity. The hand drawn scenery, the structures, the foreboding ruins, they all transport the player back to a time when game playing came hand in hand with a dollop of imagination. Putting it simply: Baldur's Gate looks a treat.

Read more of Adam Tingle's Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition: Isometric Filled Charms.

Very much worth the money imo. It had been about 7 years since my last play-through of Baldur's Gate so to revisit it as an 'Enhanced Edition' was very much worth while. The graphics look nice, the UI redone and the journal much easier to navigate. In addition there are some tweaks to the inventory and stacking systems. There are new party members with their own quests which adds additional content, very much enjoying Neera at the moment with here chaotic abilities adding a nice random element to combat.

We finally get a masterful introduction video to the game and remasters of all the other cinematics with a nice art style. There is also the Black Pits as additional 'challenge' content to be done.

Myself personally I have played the Enhanced Edition for around 40 hours and I have yet to experience a single crash or bug, but I understand others have and have reported as such on the forums. it seems I am lucky enough to not of been effected.

If your an RPG fan that likes 'adventures' then this is worth trying out if your not a 'it's all about the graphics' kinda person. If you initially bought and played the game in the late 90's as I did and you thoroughly enjoyed it back then, then this little gem is worth purchasing for the revisit.

Planescape: Torment still remains one of the best written RPG games of all time.  It actually paid dividends learning more about the characters in the game, getting EXP as well as side quests.  IMO it is a totally superior game to any of the Baldur's Gate games, which are basic fantasy cliche stuff.  Torment is a MUCH deeper experience.

The other game that suprised people back then was Icewind Dale.  It didn't have the hype that any of the BG games did, but it was actually really well done.  I remember that game having excellent music.

These kind of game will always be my favorites, i was not supposed to buy it now cause i have too many games to play but hell i just bought it minute ago. Now i cant wait to play this great adventure.

I want more game like that and less game like dragon age 2... Im talking gameplay there.

so does BG:EE offer anything for that $20 that hasnt been done by the modding community for free?

I'd maybe pay $20 for a bundle with all the BG titles upgraded, but $20 for just the BG1 is a bit much.

I don't mind the wait.

And yeah, there have been a number of decent mods over the years to choose from, so there better be something in there worth the money.

They should have reworked the graphics more as the gulf between some of the really great rpgs today and this game is too large, despite it being a good game. 

Of course...graphics are not EVERYTHING.  But they are SOMETHING.  And I just bought Far Cry 2, Batman Arkham City Game of the Year Edition and The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition with DLC for about 7 bucks apiece.  I also bought the two dlc's for Skyrim for dirt cheap.  So comparing the value of this offering to my recent purchases of $7 or less, this game loses.  It's a competition for my gaming time after all.

Originally posted by Kenze

so does BG:EE offer anything for that $20 that hasnt been done by the modding community for free?

 

The modding was not bad but full of bug and a pain to install all these patch and mods and all.

So 20$ for me its cheap considering i can play one of my favorite rpg  free of all those incompatibility issues and bugs. The new features are just a + for me.

Originally posted by Kenze

so does BG:EE offer anything for that $20 that hasnt been done by the modding community for free?

Nope

Maybe for BG+BG2 the pricetag may be worth it but still not sure. Like it was previously said I just spent the same price and got a lot more the 1 15 year old game. Steam sales are great.

Originally posted by Yizle

Originally posted by Kenze

so does BG:EE offer anything for that $20 that hasnt been done by the modding community for free?

Nope

 

Maybe for BG+BG2 the pricetag may be worth it but still not sure. Like it was previously said I just spent the same price and got a lot more the 1 15 year old game. Steam sales are great.

It has been stated that if this reissue is a financial success for the Overhaul plan on making original games in the same style, which sounds good enough to support in my eyes. I love this type of game and want to see more made, and that is done by proving that there is a market for them, and that means putting my money where my mouth is.

The tweaks and additions are just icing on the cake.

A must buy IMO

I wish they were making games like these again like Arcanum, Nox, Fallout, BG and Icewind Dale.

Damn good o'days.

I loved the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series, so much in fact I go by the name "King Icewind' at every forum, game, etc. I go. You never played these games for the graphics, you played because of the story(ies).

However, stories aside, they need to show some before and after pictures because the graphics look pretty much the same to me (ie pixelated). And with people today, it's more about show than game.