Hark, AD&D is born again!

RPGs were quite pathetic for awhile, weren't they? RPGs are probably the biggest market right now, and to think they were once as unpopular as puzzle games is mind-blowing. I started gaming just when that drought ended, luckily, but the great titles that came between the Gold Box Series and BG are very few. Fallout and Diablo come to mind, and the latter is considered a half-breed. AD&D is where the heart of RPGs is, it's the classic dragons, long swords, and dwarves setting. Futurisitic settings like those of Fallout 2 are magnificently refreshing, but AD&D is the bread and butter, and Baldur's Gate awakened it once again.

What makes BG so good? It has a great engine, the legendary Infinity Engine, that made all the complications of AD&D gaming seem easy, as they were done behind the scenes. Things like dice rolls were done automatically, so the average player didn't even need to know how they worked. I didn't, and the game played fine. The graphics are relatively horrid compared to Icewind Dale and BG II, but it doesn't harm the game. There are many beautiful houses, castles, woodlands, and colourful leaves littered among the stone paths. The only problem I have with it is the rather large toolbars, which obscure most of the screen. I wish they minimized it, like how they did in Icewind Dale II. But alas, you will get used to it.

The story is pretty good, although nothing riveting. It's a standard mystery involving huge plots that seem small at first. They all lead up to a climatic battle which is very easy if you know how to trap the baddies. But the story is multilayered, and the small fragments will all be connected by the end, making you guy like "ah"! The problem is, the story is linear, unlike Fallout 2. That means that the ending will always be the same, and your actions do not influence the outcome. They may influence your items and experience, but by the end, if you were St. McGood or Maniac #2, it doesn't matter, the game doesn't care. That detracts a bit from the RPG experience, but not many games implement that anyway. Speaking of good and evil, BG is clearly a game meant for you to play as a saint. Cockiness will get you less money and rewards, and one slip and the whole town is against you, destroying valuable quests.

There are a host of NPCs willing to join your party. There are some easy to find, famed ones like Minsc and Jaheira. Some are harder to find, located in remote wilderness areas. I played the game multiple times just to be able to work with some party members I never got around to last time. Most of them are useful, but some are downright irritating, like Branwen, Imoen, Eldoth, and Skie. Some are relatively useless, like Khalid and Biff the Understudy. Most of the guys are good, but some are evil, and will complain all the time about not doing evil deeds. But I never had one leave voluntarily or anything, if that's possible. I don't know what's better, getting NPCs or building your own party. I like the former, because you have to work with what you get, and make the most of it. There's a better feeling of accomplishment when you didn't get to create your own friends.

Like all of Black Isle's RPGs, there are the usual classes, like Paladin, Ranger, Fighter, Thief, Bard, Mage, Specialist Mage, Cleric, and Druid. You can play the game with any of these characters, since there are many NPCs that fill in your weaknesses. I still don't get the concept of dual and multi classing, but I don't really care. I'll learn someday.

The game's not without flaws though. The characters are just too damn slow. I had to summon Boots of Speed for every party member, and still they're slower than the ones in Icewind Dale. Considering the amount of exploring wilderness areas you have to do in this game, hours may be wasted on simply watching your people mucking through forests. Maybe this was a ploy by Bioware to extend gaming time? Just kidding. But seriously, unless you cheat, the slowness really gets to you. Another problem is the disk swapping. There is a lot of disk swapping because you may have to visit towns in the early chapters and such. Therefore, some inconvenience occurs. The last problem is that your characters never become very strong, only ninth level at the max. That's not particularly strong, especially when in Throne of Bhaal you get to be 40th level. Plus, the items are not very powerful or interesting. The most powerful sword is only a magical Longsword +2, I think. And the most powerful armour is Full Plate Mail +1, which is very hard to find. That's very weak compared to games like Icewind Dale, BG II, and etc. Oh yeah, also the NPC's voices are quite irritating. I'd turn them off, but it takes the life out of the game. But be prepared for some rather grinding phrases and voices.

But all in all, BG is still fun in the year 2002. It has a good story, great play mechanics, and is simply a grand adventure. Yet in retrospect, I feel that it was a tad overrated, and Fallout 2 deserved RPG of the Year honours before BG.

PS I got the Original Saga, which includes Tales of the Sword Coast. In a short review, this expansion pack is very worthy. It features 3 main quests, the Island of Mages, the shipwrecked island, and Durlag's Tower. It's quite difficult and will take you around 10 hours to complete, I think. A lot of experience and some good items are to be had in these adventures. It takes place during BG, so the expansion is seamlessly integrated into the original game.

PPS Don't bother with MP, because it's very laggy and buggy from what I've heard. BG is meant to be an SP experience. For MP, go play another RPG.