Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition

Developer: Beamdog
Release: Nov 15th 2013
Platforms:
Adventure
RPG
Immersive
Classic
Challenging
Dated
Clunky
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition Poster

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition Review

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is widely regarded as a classic and one of the greatest RPGs of all time, offering a rich narrative, deep world-building, and complex party dynamics. Players appreciate the enhanced edition's faithful modernization, which preserves the original's core while adding quality-of-life improvements such as widescreen support, streamlined interface, and bug fixes. The story is praised for its depth, memorable characters, and meaningful choices, with companions playing a significant role in dialogue and quests.

The combat system remains challenging and tactical, rooted in the AD&D 2nd Edition rules, which can be daunting for newcomers but rewarding for veterans. The game's graphics, while updated, still show their age with pixelation and blurry backgrounds. Despite some bugs and occasional interface clunkiness, the game runs well on modern systems and benefits from ongoing community modding. Overall, it offers a satisfying and immersive experience that continues to captivate players decades after its release.

Highlights

Players especially praise the game's narrative depth, memorable companions, and meaningful player choices. The party-based RPG mechanics, with companions who actively participate in dialogues and quests, add significant immersion.

The combat is tactical and challenging, rewarding strategic planning. The Enhanced Edition's quality-of-life features and modern compatibility improve accessibility. The world-building and lore are rich, creating a vibrant, immersive setting.

Despite dated graphics, the art style and sound design support the game's atmosphere effectively. The Throne of Bhaal expansion provides a satisfying conclusion to the story, enhancing the overall experience.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the dated graphics and clunky interface, which can hinder immersion. Some players find the combat system overwhelming and lacking player agency due to its adherence to older D&D rules.

Backtracking and slow progression can feel tedious, and certain companion quests or new content sometimes suffer from bugs. The soundtrack, while serviceable, is often described as generic and forgettable compared to later expansions.

Additionally, some players dislike specific gameplay mechanics such as cooldowns on companion interactions and certain enemy abilities that feel unfair or unbalanced.

Pros

  • Deep and engaging narrative with meaningful player choices and consequences.
  • Richly developed companions who actively participate in story and dialogue.
  • Challenging, tactical combat rewarding strategic planning and preparation.
  • Quality-of-life improvements in Enhanced Edition enhance accessibility and usability.
  • Extensive world-building creating an immersive and vibrant fantasy setting.
  • Satisfying conclusion provided by the Throne of Bhaal expansion content.
  • Ongoing community mod support expands content and improves gameplay.

Cons

  • Graphics are dated with pixelation and blurry backgrounds in close-up views.
  • Interface can feel clunky and inventory management tedious without mods.
  • Combat system complexity can be overwhelming and reduce player agency.
  • Backtracking and slow progression may cause gameplay to feel tedious.
  • Certain companion quests and new content suffer from occasional bugs.
  • Soundtrack is often described as generic and less memorable.
  • Cooldown mechanics on companion interactions can disrupt immersion.

Rating Criteria

Story
Difficulty
Graphics
Duration
Stability
Worth the Price
Capsule image

Rediscover the beloved RPG classic— now enhanced for modern adventurers! Gather your party of heroes and continue the legendary adventure in this story-rich fantasy epic where every choice matters.

Release Date Nov 15th 2013
Publisher Beamdog
Developer Beamdog
Platforms

User Reviews

Very Positive (5,372)
92% Positive 8% Negative

Online Reviews

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Metacritic
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