Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
Nov. 9th, 2014 10:15 amThere was no happier person than I (well, just maybe) when Baldurs Gate Enhanced Edition was released on Android. It had been available for iOS for some time, and I kept checking the way any fan does. Like so many other fans, I have a deep love for Baldur's Gate, akin to having an all time favourite book. That really is what it is - a never ending Choose Your Own Adventure book with fan made mods out the wazoo. Endless possibilities! So much love went into the making of the game that it transcended itself. For some people anyway!
It's crazy to think that a game that came on five CDs now fits in my hands. My first play through took significantly less time - the original game had a bug where the party speed was extremely slow - but I was surprised at how intensely I remembered every aspect of the game. I guess that's what happens when you spend two hours every night for a year devoted to something. Oh, and my computer wasn't exactly blazingly fast twelve years ago either. Out of nostalgia I picked Khalid, Jahiera, Minsc, Dynaheir and Imoen for my party.
I can't tell you what is exactly new about BGEE, except that four new NPCs were added along with an add-on arena game called The Black Pits. The cut scene movies have been changed to look less 1998. There are still some slight bugs, like Korgan's unfinishable quest and that annoying way parties have trouble entering doors. But these are small problems compared to having the game again. I always meant to mod up and play a second time, but never really had the time to do so. The pull to keep the same party was so strong.
Now I am on my second play through with an evil PC. Evil is pretty hard to do, because turning down noble deeds means a loss of experience. People generally don't like you. I am also pretty sure that my goody two shoes chaotic good half elf got a bigger monetary reward for clearing the mines! It would seem that my PC is the margarine of evil. Anyway, I have Kivan, Imoen, Branwen, Xan and Rassad in my party. Rassad is one of the new NPCs and all right. I get a kick out of him because he always says "I will show you great justice!" when attacking anything, even if it's something harmless. If it wasn't for the little things like that, the game would be way too serious :)
It's crazy to think that a game that came on five CDs now fits in my hands. My first play through took significantly less time - the original game had a bug where the party speed was extremely slow - but I was surprised at how intensely I remembered every aspect of the game. I guess that's what happens when you spend two hours every night for a year devoted to something. Oh, and my computer wasn't exactly blazingly fast twelve years ago either. Out of nostalgia I picked Khalid, Jahiera, Minsc, Dynaheir and Imoen for my party.
I can't tell you what is exactly new about BGEE, except that four new NPCs were added along with an add-on arena game called The Black Pits. The cut scene movies have been changed to look less 1998. There are still some slight bugs, like Korgan's unfinishable quest and that annoying way parties have trouble entering doors. But these are small problems compared to having the game again. I always meant to mod up and play a second time, but never really had the time to do so. The pull to keep the same party was so strong.
Now I am on my second play through with an evil PC. Evil is pretty hard to do, because turning down noble deeds means a loss of experience. People generally don't like you. I am also pretty sure that my goody two shoes chaotic good half elf got a bigger monetary reward for clearing the mines! It would seem that my PC is the margarine of evil. Anyway, I have Kivan, Imoen, Branwen, Xan and Rassad in my party. Rassad is one of the new NPCs and all right. I get a kick out of him because he always says "I will show you great justice!" when attacking anything, even if it's something harmless. If it wasn't for the little things like that, the game would be way too serious :)