How good is BG2?

[Curatorr]

I like to consider myself an RPG gamer, playing Dragon Age, Mass effect, Jade empire, neverwinter nights, etc. but have never tried the BG series but because of the sale and EE I am considering giving it a whirl. However I have heard varying opinions about the game, some people I talk to say its the best game they have ever played and others say its not worth picking up. I guess I am just looking for comfirmation one way or the other. How decent/good of a game this actually is in terms of gameplay, storyline, options, and to a degree graphics and bugs? Any input is welcome and I thank you in advance!

[Patch]

This is the all-time, absolute BEST D&D RPG game EVER!! This is the standard against which all other RPGs since have been judged (and usually found lacking!).

[Schnittertm]

Originally posted by Patch:

This is the all-time, absolute BEST D&D RPG game EVER!! This is the standard against which all other RPGs since have been judged (and usually found lacking!).

Others would argue that Planescape: Torment is the best D&D CRPG.

[DrZann]

Originally posted by Schnittertm:

Originally posted by Patch:

This is the all-time, absolute BEST D&D RPG game EVER!! This is the standard against which all other RPGs since have been judged (and usually found lacking!).

Others would argue that Planescape: Torment is the best D&D CRPG.

Others would be right.

[Firzen]

It definitly is one of the (in my opinion THE) best D&D games of all times. The storyline is great and one of the best i played, the gameplay would match Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment and is "similar" to NWN. The options include the usual sound options, minor gameoptions (blood, group-infravision etc.) that make the game a little bit easier or graphically more beautiful (although it would never be counted for as a "great graphics"-game nowadays), and you can manually change the difficulty of the game.

Give the game a shot, start with BG1 (the enhanced editions include the add-ons too)
and if you at least think: "hey, the game is good" try BG2 as it is better than BG1 (just my opinion though).

And: this is one of the game-series where you could just sit hours and hours at the character creation (-> different from nowadays as you can barely choose how your character looks, instead it is a big playingfield of what your character can do).

With the enhanced editions the multiplayer is somewhat easy to handle but you would need a good group (good = everyone has much time on their hands and all are coordinated on what to do, else it is easier to play alone, since you do not need to share decisions).

Oh, and as for the gameplay: you play as a group from one to six characters, the one you create yourself would be your main char, if he/ she dies, its gameover. You can play it as a real time rpg, or you could use the spacebar to play the game roundbased. Depending on the opponent you would need to use clever tactics, otherwise the game will be (extremly) challenging.

Finally: all above is just my own opinion, for the multiplayer part i do have played with one(!) mate and we finished BG1 with a group of four characters, we have not experienced any bugs with BG1 but faced many, many deaths (since we had no thief *coughcough*)

-> If you can live without fancy and good graphics, but instead want to experience a great game: Baldurs Gate (incl. Legend of the Swordcoast) and Baldurs Gate 2 (incl. Throne of Bhaal) would be a great choice!

[VonCurry]

Originally posted by Patch:

This is the all-time, absolute BEST D&D RPG game EVER!! This is the standard against which all other RPGs since have been judged (and usually found lacking!).

/\ What he said, this is the game that started it all... and still blows 99.9% of all the other RPGs out of the water.

[Ilt]

i would personally go with BG1:EE first, since there are still some bugs in BG2. they patched BG:1 so there are very few bugs left in the first game.

also, by playing BG1:EE you will get the full story of the plot, and also learn the mechanics of the game. and since there is 80-120 hours of gameplay in BG1 if you do all the quests, by the time you finish it, hopefully BG2 will be patched.

[Village Idiot]

One of the greatest WRPG ever made and is the standard that all other WRPG is compared to.

[Solid Shane]

Baldurs Gate 2 is the pinnacle of RPG gaming, only bad thing about this re-release is you don't get the awesome instruction booklet that came with the original. I spent hours reading it and the awesome little bits of lore they chucked in it, the instruction book on BG 1 was awesome as well.

[Wayfinder]

In my opinion, this game is one of ten best video games ever made for any genre on any platform.

[hardwiredsin]

Baldur's Gate II is one of the best RPGs ever created...this is the shining star of my teens and a game I played the ♥♥♥♥ out of when it came out, it still holds up VERY well to this day.

[sucky_mcworthless]

Anyone who says BG2 isn't worth picking up isn't worth talking to tbh.

[Mantarock]

Easily my favorite game of all time. Obviously the graphics are dated, but it's such a phenomenal game with a great story, great characters and gameplay obviously ahead of it's time.

[FhqwhTODD]

Baldur's Gate II is mechanically the best of the CRPGs. Storywise it's beaten by Planescape Torment, but then again EVERY game is. And Baldur's Gate is the game that saved the whole genre of CRPGs. Without it all the games you named in the OP would have never been made because the genre was dead before it came along.

[Spynde]

I think when someone says BG:EE is not worth buying, they mean if you already own or have played the original.

[DrZann]

Originally posted by VonCurry:

Originally posted by Patch:

This is the all-time, absolute BEST D&D RPG game EVER!! This is the standard against which all other RPGs since have been judged (and usually found lacking!).

/\ What he said, this is the game that started it all... and still blows 99.9% of all the other RPGs out of the water.

The first cRPG that was based on D&D was Dungeon, released '76. Although I think Ultima and Wizardry in the '80s really brought cRPG gaming into the mainstream.