Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Reviews

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on December 14th, 2012

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The core experience of Baldur's Gate remains as compelling as it ever was with Overhaul's new enhanced editions, and a host of minor tweaks do a decent job of updating it for a new age. Unfortunately, the iPad version suffers from terribly cumbersome and unresponsive controls for getting through doorways and looting that make the simplest tasks as challenging as any battle.

Being negative about anything relating to Baldur's Gate is tough given lingering fond memories and how good the original game remains. Still, you can't view this remake in a fully positive light. Additions and enhancements are of questionable merit and are already largely available with very comprehensive, very stable mod packages for the original game, and major bugs have caused a lot of frustration. Even though replaying Baldur's Gate is a worthwhile trip down memory lane for anyone who appreciates a deep RPG, the lack of notable improvements and new features throws more than a few roadblocks in your way.

And that's pretty much it. Should you buy Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition if you own it on GOG? Probably not. A few optional characters, a Horde mode, and a few built-in modifications do not a Really Special Edition make. You should absolutely play Baldur's Gate if you don't mind isometric RPGs that give you a real challenge, since the writing is still amazing and both the world and combat system are still really deep and engrossing. This may be the one to get if you don't own a copy, but it still needs a few more patches, a Steam release and a price drop before I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Nevertheless, a classic game given a questionable buff is still a classic game. Butt-kicking for goodness, indeed.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is a fantastic way for RPG fans to experience one of the true classics of the genre. Fans of modern RPGs like Skyrim or Dragon Age will notice Baldur's Gate has a lot in common with them. The additional content like new characters, entirely new game mode, and the inclusion of the expansion's content ensure you'll be spending countless hours playing. However, even with the new bells and whistles the game is starting to show its age, and the complexity of gameplay will steer many gamers away. If you don't mind sifting through a lot of text, I highly recommend this game to anyone who calls themselves RPG lovers.

While it's great to see Baldur's Gate handled with such care, keeping the game so close to the original also hampers its chance at appealing to a new audience, especially one unwilling to delve in to such a dense game with deadly consequences around every corner.

That said, for old-hands and RPG fanatics it's a boon and an easy recommendation.

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