Baldur's Gate/Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition |OT| The Long Journey from 1998 to Your Console

[Dancrane212]

Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One
Release Date:

PC - November 28, 2012/November 15, 2013​

PS4, XB1 and Switch - October 15th, 2019​

Genre: CRPG
Price: $49.99/€49.99
Player(s): 1
Format: Digital/Physical
Developer: Bioware/Beamdog
Publisher: Skybound Games
Size: ~6 GB

What is Baldur's Gate?
Baldur's Gate was Bioware's first foray in the RPG space one of the most revered titles in the modern Computer Role Playing genre. In the game you control a party of characters from an isometric perspective as you travel the world meeting characters, making narrative decisions an engaging in Real Time with Pause combat.

What is Real-time with Pause combat?
Real-time with Pause means that the combat takes place in real-time where you order your party to move, attack or take some other action. At any time however you can pause the action and issue orders, you can even set the pause to happen after a specific increment of time.


Touchscreen controls on Switch?
Unfortunately not.

Multiplayer?
"Multiplayer is not supported at this time".



How do these games translate to console?
A significant amount of work was done to translate these games to work well with a gamepad. You now have direct movement control (with the option to use a cursor) of your party thanks to new pathfinding, the UI has been streamlined and translated to radial menus. More details on how the game plays can be found here:

https://www.resetera.com/threads/th...otential-for-custom-nwn1-modules-more.109704/

Are there any resources for a new player?
Beamdog released this Adventures Guide that covers a lot of material.

https://cdn.baldursgate.com/files/AdventurersGuide.pdf

Can I use a controller on PC now?
No. The changes to the game were only done to the console release.

Is this like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance?
No, there is some shared heritage there but the Dark Alliance games are very different from the traditional Baldur's Gate series.

Do I need to be familiar with the Forgotten Realms lore to play these games?
No.

How long are the games?
Depending on playstyle, difficulty and how much of the expansion content you want to engage with the set you take anywhere from 50 to well over 100 hours.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game.php?id=814#search1

What content is included in this release?
It includes both games and all their expansion content such as the Siege of Dragonspear for the original Baldur's Gate.

Can I play these just for the story?
Yes, there are difficulty options that will let you power through combat if you are just interested in the narrative.

Can I buy the games separately digitally?
No, they are bundled together regardless of format.

Xbox One X and PS4 Pro support?
Doesn't appear so.

Metacritic
XB1 | PS4 | Switch

Xbox Tavern 8.3/10

I am glad these games are back, as there is a lot of joy to be had in these D&D based RPG's which both newer and old RPG fans can enjoy. The controls designed for the Xbox controller make the game much quicker to steer and feel more fluid. The game flows a lot quicker than it did in the past too, without all the restrictive loading times associated with CD's. If you are a big fan of in-depth story lines and interesting plot twists in your RPG's, then this collection will be something you'll love.

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NintendoLife 8/10

Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Editions aren't magical ground-up reworkings or spectacular remasters; these are games that are showing their age in many ways and there's no doubt that some of the more recent tributes to the glory days of the Infinity Engine – games such as Divinity: Original Sin or Pillars of Eternity – are, in many ways, more readily accessible and appealing to modern audiences. However, these are still classics of the genre that are absolutely worth persisting with. Once you get to grips with some of their more antiquated ways you'll be handsomely rewarded with some of the deepest combat, best writing, voice-acting and characters you're likely to find in the genre. The Switch really is turning into an RPG-lover's dream machine.

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Eurogamer

That's what I feel about these old RPGs. To play them today, on a platform they weren't intended for, in an era they don't belong to, doesn't feel right. Why not play one of the many other games inspired by them instead - give something new a chance? Look, if you've played these classic RPGs before and you're going back for old time's sake, by all means fill your boots. But if you really don't know anything about Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment, and you're coming at them for the first time, consider trusting the legend instead.

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Official Site
Review Thread
Planescape Torment/Icewind Dale OT​

 

[Deleted member 55568]

I was really excited for these until I found out that you can only get them in bundles, even digitally.

Maybe I would feel better about that if I knew I liked the games, but I've never played a game like that with a controller and don't know how it'll go.

 

[bill crystals]

Counting the minutes until I can grab it on my Switch Lite. These games are absolutely perfect for handheld.

 

[leng jai]

$80 here, seems way too much.

 

[Deleted member 29660]

I remember way back when playing Baldurs Gate II any time I used magic missile it would crash the game.

Funny how some things stick with you like that.

 

[sredgrin]

This is the part where I recommend newbies just skip BG1 and go to BG2, possibly the best game ever made (though, in fairness, I have not played Siege of Dragonspear).

 

[Darkmaigle]

Baldur gate 2 is the greatest video game ever made.

I flunked out of college because of this game

 

[leng jai]

This is the part where I recommend newbies just skip BG1 and go to BG2, possibly the best game ever made (though, in fairness, I have not played Siege of Dragonspear).

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Looks like you have to buy both here though.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

I'm really tempted to buy this. I'll probably wait for a sale though. I've bought these games more times than I care to mention and I doubt I'd play them again for a bit anyway. Plus no Ascension mod hurts a bit. But they look like pretty quality ports, so that's good.

 

[Deleted member 55568]

This is the part where I recommend newbies just skip BG1 and go to BG2, possibly the best game ever made (though, in fairness, I have not played Siege of Dragonspear).

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You have to buy both, even if you go digital. So if you skip BG1, you're paying $50 for BG2.

 

[sredgrin]

You have to buy both, even if you go digital. So if you skip BG1, you're paying $50 for BG2.

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Worth it.

 

[Zassimick]

I unfortunately have a long day at work tomorrow, but I intend to pick these up right away despite not being able to play for a little bit. I'm very excited, and happy to see the positive reviews!

 

[Powdered Egg]

I don't need BG1 Story for 2?

 

[Deleted member 49319]

Too expensive, I'll stick to my BG2 EE on PC.

I don't need BG1 Story for 2?

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Not really, there was almost no story til the last 2 chapters. But still good to know the characters.

 

[simmias]

I (stupidly?) bought the crazy CE with all 5 games, so I think I have to wait until December. But I'm excited to see that the ports are reviewing pretty well!

 

[bill crystals]

Don't skip BG1 you savages

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Don't skip BG1 you savages

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.

 

[Gentlemen]

Don't skip BG1 you savages

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Only if they didn't fix the overflow bug that lets me have unlimited speed pots because phew lad that default walking speed :P

 

[Deleted member 29660]

Anyone remember the forum that use to have people who took their play throughs and basically wrote it out like a story? You had some people who did the full party thing and others who went on to do single man play throughs. I remember coming across it ages ago and it was pretty damn awesome the stories people took the time to write out.

 

[sredgrin]

I don't need BG1 Story for 2?

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BG1 is relatively light on story. There's a near generational shift in storytelling in between games. BG2 also pretty much recaps it (and can retcon some aspects of BG1 as well).

BG1 is also brutally slow at the beginning so can turn a lot of people off, especially if you play a caster.

 

[Deleted member 49319]

BG1 is relatively light on story. There's a near generational shift in storytelling in between games. BG2 also pretty much recaps it (and can retcon some aspects of BG1 as well).

BG1 is also brutally slow at the beginning so can turn a lot of people off, especially if you play a caster.

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I remember in my first playthrough, I played a damn bard.

 

[Darkmaigle]

Anyone remember the forum that use to have people who took their play throughs and basically wrote it out like a story? You had some people who did the full party thing and others who went on to do single man play throughs. I remember coming across it ages ago and it was pretty damn awesome the stories people took the time to write out.

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Shit I remember those! Some were pretty great

 

[The Fabled Englishman]

Don't skip BG1 you savages

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These are among my favourite games of all time and even I think BG1 should be skipped these days.

I remember in my first playthrough, I played a damn bard.

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Nothing wrong with that. The bard's blade kit is one of my all time favourites. A low-rent Kensai/Mage/Thief for people who don't want to bore themselves to death.

 

[saenima]

Anyone remember the forum that use to have people who took their play throughs and basically wrote it out like a story? You had some people who did the full party thing and others who went on to do single man play throughs. I remember coming across it ages ago and it was pretty damn awesome the stories people took the time to write out.

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This one?

The Let's Play Archive

The Let's Play Archive is a collection of entertaining video game playthroughs of all genres and styles

lparchive.org

https://lparchive.org/Baldurs-Gate/

 

[Deleted member 29660]

This one?

The Let's Play Archive

The Let's Play Archive is a collection of entertaining video game playthroughs of all genres and styles

lparchive.org

https://lparchive.org/Baldurs-Gate/

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I don't think that's the same one, though the table of contents with it's updates are very similar to the ones I speak of.

 

[XaosWolf]

Day one patches are up on Switch:
BG Collection - 561 MB
Planescape/IWD - 631 MB

Been playing these without patches since Saturday and the only issues I encountered were with Planescape: slow/laggy map movement and non-menu text not scaling with Text Size option. (The other games' scaling worked) EDIT: With the patch the map issue has been greatly improved and the text scaling is fixed.

Very impressed with the control conversion, though I highly recommend turning on Auto-Pause when Action Bar is selected.

 

[capitalCORN]

Okay, listen up newbs. Let me teach you about THAC0. Fuck THAC0. Just make your 'to hit' bigger while making your armour class lower.

 

[Altazor]

gonna quote myself from the Review Thread, in case some people who have never played any of these games venture into this OT:

You must gather your party before venturing forth.

Ahhhh, the "joys" of THAC0. I wonder how people who haven't played D&D, never mind Second Edition, are gonna learn that - personally, it was a steep uphill climb when I first played BG2 a couple of years ago with NO D&D experience.

But it was worth it <3

If you're a noob: don't be afraid to ask, really. It's not gonna be easy and low-level D&D (if you're going to play Baldur's Gate 1) is... quite an experience.You're probably gonna get killed in two hits while being absolutely unable to hit fucking wolf mutts. It'll happen. You'll get better.

They're fucking great games.

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and I'll add: it's called "Real Time with Pause" for a reason. Don't be afraid to pause constantly in battle - that's the intended gameplay loop.

edit:

and...

Okay, listen up newbs. Let me teach you about THAC0. Fuck THAC0. Just make your 'to hit' bigger while making your armour class lower.

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yup, fuck THAC0.

 

[XaosWolf]

Okay, listen up newbs. Let me teach you about THAC0. Fuck THAC0. Just make your 'to hit' bigger while making your armour class lower.

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Like golf.

 

[SoH]

Okay, listen up newbs. Let me teach you about THAC0. Fuck THAC0. Just make your 'to hit' bigger while making your armour class lower.

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[Figgles]

I might need to quadruple dip on this. Having it on Switch is to tempting.

 

[Deleted member 7883]

someone talk me out of buying this. I'm playing thru Dragon Quest XI and also have Divinity 2 on the back burner—which wouldn't be touched until after I make my way thru DQXI. I'd be playing thru DQXI and BG simultaneouslyish.

 

[bill crystals]

Anyone have any estimates on when this becomes available for me to download on my Switch? Midnight? Tomorrow at like 1PM EST?

 

[XaosWolf]

someone talk me out of buying this. I'm playing thru Dragon Quest XI and also have Divinity 2 on the back burner—which wouldn't be touched until after I make my way thru DQXI. I'd be playing thru DQXI and BG simultaneouslyish.

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Honestly depends if you're interested in the physical version or not because I don't see this being stocked in massive quantities.

Anyone have any estimates on when this becomes available for me to download on my Switch? Midnight? Tomorrow at like 1PM EST?

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They've both gotten the midnight release treatment here in the UK, so worth checking then if you're up. Witcher is up too!

 

[ArbitraryWater]

I'm going to quote myself from the review thread instead of just rephrasing what I already wrote.

I'm genuinely interested in seeing how people who haven't previously played these games receive them. In my mind, the Infinity Engine games are sort of the archetypal CRPGs of the late 90s, so the idea of someone trying to play them on console 20 years later is an... interesting prospect. AD&D 2nd Edition has a lot of quirks and anachronisms that can be difficult to get a handle on (THAC0! Dual-Classing! Save or Suck status spells!) Even if there's mechanically less going on than something like Pillars of Eternity or Pathfinder: Kingmaker, it's a lot more punishing and from an era where these sorts of games weren't really thinking about mainstream accessibility.

I definitely recommend people at least skim a walkthrough before going into any of these, especially BG 1 and Planescape. Quick save often.

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I love Baldur's Gate 1 a lot, but it's going for a very intentional "Generic D&D Adventure" feel with the way it's written and structured and is probably a harder sell for people who know Bioware only from stuff like KotOR or Dragon Age. You're going to spend the first few hours wandering through wilderness areas, your characters being at a low-enough level to barely hit the broad side of a barn and crumple in only a few hits. Most of your NPC companions are fairly straightforward archetypes who will pipe up very infrequently, but there are a lot of them and you can generally assemble a party to your tastes. There are a couple of companions they added in the Enhanced Edition who are far more talkative (and, I'd argue, not great), but as a result they stick out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the cast.

By comparison, Baldur's Gate II is basically the blueprint for Bioware's entire RPG formula going forward, with a much smaller, but more in-depth roster of characters and more directed quest design. You don't need to play the first game to understand the story, so if you're willing to deal with the sort of terrible introductory dungeon and having to figure out higher-level mechanics, it's a smoother ride. (There's also Siege of Dragonspear, which is Beamdog's weird midquel expansion that tries to bridge the two games in terms of both tone and story. It's basically a Baldur's Gate reunion special, and is far better than it has any right to be, but man I bet it would be incredibly weird starting with that or going into it straight from Baldur's Gate 1.)

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Don't skip BG1 you savages

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You know what? I could've probably just said this.

 

[Staf]

Couldn't be more psyched for a game release! Baldur's gate 2 is my GOAT and haven't played it since i stopped playing on PC about 12 years ago. Can't wait to grab my controller, sit in my comfy couch and gather my party to venture forth.

 

[Staf]

Oh and FYI, THAC0 rocks!

 

[Deleted member 21003]

$75 AU for Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 is certainly an interesting choice.

 

[GestaltGaz]

$75 AU for Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 is certainly an interesting choice.

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Yeah :( I love both games, especially 2, but with so many games out now/soon and my backlog I might pass for now. Will pick up later and hope for a discount.

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

Was interested until seeing that AU price tag. I mean they're incredible games but with no multiplayer and costing that much I just cant. Its like 20 bucks each on PC :|

 

[Ombala]

Loved these games but that price is a big nono

 

[Spark]

$75 AU for Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 is certainly an interesting choice.

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It's crazy, especially when the Enhanced Editions have gone on sale for like $9 on PC. Hell, a brand new CRPG is releasing this week (Disco Elysium) and that's going for $60AUD most likely.

 

[Xagarath]

I'll echo skipping 1 and going straight for 2.

I loved 1 when it came out, but it's aged badly, while 2 is still the greatest RPG ever made.

 

[Anoxida]

Barbarians! Don't skip bg1. Baldurs gate is a ROLEplaying game. You're missing out on your own origin story skipping the first game.

 

[Yossarian]

I would buy this and the P:T one, but not at that price. Crazy talk. Guess I'll see what the fuss is about with Outer Wilds.

 

[Kelanflyter]

This is the part where I recommend newbies just skip BG1 and go to BG2, possibly the best game ever made (though, in fairness, I have not played Siege of Dragonspear).

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i won't agree here, i prefered the first one.

 

[Cheesetriangles]

BG1 is fairly good and worth playing. Siege of Dragonspear is better than that and is very enjoyable. Baldur's Gate 2 is one of the greatest games ever made and the height of the genre. BG1 can be harder to get into due to the low level AD&D combat where one bad roll can see you dead. But going from level 1 in BG1 to hugely powerful epic level character in 2 is an amazing experience.

 

[Deleted member 20831]

Okay, listen up newbs. Let me teach you about THAC0. Fuck THAC0. Just make your 'to hit' bigger while making your armour class lower.

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That is is absolutely correct, THAC0 values are so confusing especially when def and attack values do not match.

THAC0 is JANK.

Edit: Can't someone mod the values on the UI not to show THAC0 and show something more relevant like same values for both def and attack?

 

[Cheesetriangles]

You want your thac0 to be lower too really. a thac0 of 20 is garbage a 5 is pretty good. The rub is you want positive bonuses from things like weapons which give you lower thac0. If that makes sense.

 

[Saphirax]

Excited to play through the games again. I never did complete either so I plan on rectifying that.