Baldur's Gate 2 Enhanced Edition - Review After 100%
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2024
- Reviewing the much praised and remembered Baldur's Gate 2
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#BaldursGate2 #BG2 #review - Hry
One thing I don't see mentioned enough in discussions of BG2 is the amazing quality of the background artistry. The cities, temples and even the menus are a really amazing blend of art nouveau and Byzantine design principles - often looking like a mix of the aesthetics of Paris, Constantinople and Renaissance Italy. The atmosphere of Athkatla in particular is really immersive and exotic, and it's a real joy to explore. It's a damned shame it didn't inspire any copycats in this regard.
...morrowind perhaps a little?...
Don't forget the Egyptian undertones as well. It definitely feels a lot more Oriental than the first game...
@@zbnmth r.i.p. morrowind.
@@damedrops8197 I play it on Xbox one and play it fine with a controller.
The ambient sound in the towns is some of the best I have ever heard
Since I started watching your channel, I went back to finish Pathfinder, Divinity, Wasteland 3, etc. and now I've purchased all three BG games. Nice work
How do you have that much free time?! Pathfinder takes forever!
I've just started Wasteland Remastered today and really enjoying it so far. Figured I'd try to give that and 2 a shot before 3.
@@keychainere compared to any MMO, it's a short game lol
@@keychainere My children will have to finish pathfinder, that game is huge
Great review. I fully admit that BG2 is my favourite crpg and a lot of it is nostalgia but it did so much for the games that i really enjoyed after it. I love the strongholds idea and I think it's part of why i liked the kingdom management in Kingmaker. The whole 'meeting ppl in the hall of your fledgling domain' reminded me of the warrior stronghold from BG2 and I liked that Kingmaker went further to build on weaving kingdom management into the main story but I get why ppl didn't like the Kingmaker implementation. I also liked how they made everything stronghold quite thematically different in a way that made sense for each class.
I think BG2 also did really well in putting lots of easter eggs for the D&D nerds who liked the associated novels and lore. Putting in Elminster, Drizzt and other references to other heroes was really good nods to the setting.
Also BG2 had a great manual too! :D
You even got Solamnic Knights and the cannibal Halflings of Dark Sun
Tons of stuff to do, great characters, super awesome spell system, terrific story, intimidating creatures and enemies, compelling maps and areas. What more do you want?
Graphics
@@destroyermakerdownvote
@@destroyermaker Found the graphics slave
@@ViNncentSmith "People who don't like the thing I like have bad taste" Grow up.
BG3
I'm a lover of modern RPG games and thought I would dip my toe into what came before, I mean, I'm in my 40's and have always been a gamer fan, but D&D and the whole fantasy genre just seemed to pass me by at the time.
I've just completed my first run of BG1EE, only one play through so far, then imported my toon in to BG2 which I am currently having immense fun in. I'm only in chapter 2 atm, but so far loving how challenging the game is and how it is making me learn the spells side of combat, which was largely something I just totally ignored in the first game.
I've just watched this video through now, having already started BG2 and it has given me a ton of useful tips as to how best setup my spell casters and mages.
Keep the great content coming, I'm a big fan, from over here in the UK.
I'm on the same boat, I'm a fan of Laryan I played the Divinity series, when I saw BG3 I started to look into this....i don't know if can start them but man it's tempting
Well damn... Your videos are so well done I honestly just feel so lucky to have found your channel...
Got me going back to experience CRPGs for the first time and it's such a lovely time :)
Great review, glad you got a chance to wrap up the series, I look forward to the possible story videos down the line as this has an awesome tale. On the point of evil parties, it's definitely possible, and was a fun challenge finding what evil deeds were possible. One of my favorite threads from back in the day include things like "V: Turned him in to Tolgerias, alive. Actual quote from V when I handed him over:
"No! Please! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" That just made me feel giggly all over." :)
You complete these games quick! I haven’t finished BG2 at all. But I finished the first one like 3 times.
how is that possible? I finished baldurs gate 2 twice, but never touched the first one...
and most people say the second one is better.
@@gurufabbes1 I finished BG2 only once. Though I’ve had more playthrough’s than I care to remember. Most of them I get fed up with the character I created normally around the end of chapter two. I managed to settle on an Archer class when I finished it.
@@gurufabbes1 For some, BG2 "feels" better because the protagonist and party have more immediate options and power at their disposal. Some prefer low level game play, some high. The initial stages of BG1 are a slog. It seems to take forever to finally reach level 2, which is realistically no more powerful than level 1. Level 5 comes well into the story, and that's about when characters feel a bump in their abilities.
I completed BG1 back in the days. Have another session running since 2016 or so. I want to import the character (an Archer) in BG2. I only played it in 3 bursts every 2 years or so. I finally reached Baldur's Gate (the city) some days ago.
Baldur's Gate 2 I completed once without the Add-On and twice with Throne of Bhaal. But I started it countless of times with new characters.
That one time I completed it with 6 created characters in the multiplayer mode. That was totally op. Played a Shape Shifter Druid and reached the armor rating cap by exploiting the system. Because it was possible to carry the curing staff after resting in werewolf form and wearing the White Dragon Scales armor because they forgot to exclude it in the not usable list.
@@michaeltuffin8147 a trip to the garden gets u beyond the slag, near 35k XP, without being actually cheese..maybe a bit of cheese.
Irenicus is my all time favourite villain in game history. He is one of the many reasons why BG2 is a masterpiece.
I'm with you.
Absolutely, a masterfully written character with peerless voice acting. Here's to David Warner, may he rest in peace. I don't know if any "behind the scenes" video was ever made of the making of this game, but it would be incredible to watch.
@@DAh-xo8zm Unlike weak writing of BG3 antagonists, except for Kethric
Too bad Larian is not even close to original Bioware, not mentioning old Obsidian ...
@@ARCHiGAMEZthe BG3 villains may not reach the Irenicus standard, but nearly nothing does. Let’s not act like Bioware does this consistently. Even Sarevok isn’t even close.
Also, every BG3 villain outclasses Melissan.
I'm loving this review series. Glad I found it
Back then, fighting the lich inside a secret catacomb is a Dark Souls like feeling when you finally get to damage and kill it slowly lol.
I remember that fight to this day. He time stops you lol that combat is a perfect example of how much you have to understand spells. Cause unlike 3rd edition and on, mages crush everything at high levels. There was no concentration limits, spells lasted a lot longer, etc. They even used to level slower to try and counter this. A rogue took like 2mil xp to lvl 20 where as a mage took 3.5 mil.
Kangaxx was rough!! Staff of magi fight was a bitch too
Watching this review is so nostalgic to me. I played BG2 in 2002 I think and it was my first big CRPG. I had no idea what I was doing and I actually created a fighter with 12 STR. The companions had to do all the fighting because I assumed I just need more levels to get really good, which of course never happened.
I beat the main story, a lot of sidequests and Throne of Baal expansion, but now I think I should maybe return and do things better. I have the EE version on Steam, so who knows. Thanks for the review!
Really good synopsis of the series. I just got these games on iPad and am going through them…again. Went through them looong ago on my old pentium 2 . Still experimenting with different builds and after all these years There are still companions I haven’t spent time with . So, I find your thoroughness impressive . Wish you the best and thank you.
Does it play well on iPad?
Yes , surprisingly well , sometimes it’s hard to tap on a correct spot but usually it becomes easier when you zoom in (reverse pinch) . All the touch controls are very intuitive. And Baldur’s gate makes any wait in a doctor’s office go quickly so, worth it.
Simply put the best rpg of all time.
Regarding reputation, if you're in the low city guards can spawn in when you're travelling between areas in the city and attack you. You can visit temples and donate money to increase your reputation but there is a cap on how high your reputation will increase this way, you'll need to do some unique quests that reward reputation to increase it further.
Also, unique to Paladins and Rangers, since they have an alignment requirement of lawful good if you do an evil act they will become fallen (which means stripped of all their unique abilities and reduced to a basic fighter class). The game allows you to redeem yourself and do a quest. If you do that you regain your status back. This is freakin cool.
Edit: Don't know about you but 16 base companions is not a low number, tons of replayability just with original characters. EE plus ToB adds 7 more companion characters to the mix.
One thing I did find useful when playing BG2 was to have a copy of The Monster Manual to hand (Ed of course) it helped with some of the monsters .
Yep, that is how I "cheated" as well. :-P
God, reading the manuals, spell descriptions and rules, was quite literally my bedtime reading between '98 and '00 when delving head first deeply into this fantastic world. I've since read all of the R.A Salvatore books and I miss the world something fierce.
Part of the time investment in learning the system was making sure that the time spent here would be so much more.. so much more... invested. I mean I had learned all of this and wanted to explore the world and live it. Just thinking back, I mean, the level 7, 8 and 9 spells are just... not much comes close. A spell such as "Wish". Or "Time Stop".. "Summon Djinn", "Simulacrum". Thats just of the top of my head.
I still get nostalgic when thinking about all the possibilities I saw with this system. It felt limitless in many ways but came at the cost of smacking your head against the wall again and again. It was overwhelming in many ways, but reading up beforehand made you that little bit more prepared. At the end, you felt like a .. god. almost; Funny that.
Exploring Athkatla and, by chance, finding one of the (for me, at that time) most difficult battles in the game, just going into a random house and exploring upstairs. After which, being rewarded, I think, one of the best weapons in the game. At least I used it forever. A Katana. Don't remember the details. Or the talking sword that you can find in the sewers, which was like another companion entirely. I mean, it just had so much to see. so much to experience.
I want your patience
This comment literally summed up my whole life of 1999 to 2002 😅. The amount of time I read those manuals from cover to cover. I was absolutely obsessed with this series. Also, I believe the Katana you're talking about is Celestial Fury. It was so sweet! Damn I miss this game!
Playing BG3 EA? God, it's good. You sound like me, and let me tell you... WOW. Best Baldur's Gate, hands down - _especially_ if you're a mechanics enthusiast. And, yeah, I know that's saying a lot. How about your ranger throwing a goblin off a cliff into the Fan of Blades your bard just summoned for that very purpose? Or let's say your Barbarian knocks something sideways with a bonus action Pummel Strike, dazing it, so your druid can get less resistance from a wisdom save so she can cast Hold Person on the thing, then come BACK to your Barbarian for a main action attack for a guaranteed crit. Let's just say they decided on the plan beforehand xD. All the numbers are so easily crunched, and it's a lot of fun to come up with all kinds of weird strats for different situations. If you're not playing it, run, don't walk...
@@ObscuredByTime My man! Thank you for the tip and for the bordering on a review comment. It was good reading and your enthusiasm is infectious.
I have BG3 on my wishlist in Steam and have been badgering the few friends I know that play it; about it since first I heard of it.
The only thing really theoretically bothering me is the full return to turn based combat but then on the other hand I absolutely loved many Jrpgs and fallout 1 and 2 and so on so might not be as much of a hinderance as I imagine.
What is your take on the turn based system as opposed to BG1 and 2? How is the leveling set up? More like BG1 or higher levels?
Peace!
@@mrbullseye I've been bothered by turn-based done boring many times. I think BG3 is the best turn-based combat I've seen. As far as playing with friends go, I'm sure it would be great. But I would play through it solo the first time. The companion plots and interactions are too good to miss.
As far as BG1 & 2 go, I guess I'm in a minority that wished it had better turn-based support, just so I could turn it on for more complex battles. I was always pausing the game so much it may as well have been turn-based anyway. As far as levels in Bg3 goes, Larian hasn't said. Right now, in Early Access with only Act one available, max level is 4. The highest I'd expect is 12. Why? Because you can bet your barnacles they'll be pushing a sequel, and I would expect that sequel to make level 20 possible. 12 to 20 sounds like a sequel to me.
You're quite prolific.. i hope i can finish the main story of some the CRPGs that i own let alone 100%ing them.. cheers mate get it up
Great video! Any chance for a Planescape Torment story recap?
Keep up the good work!
I had the pleasure to play the original version more than 10 years ago. It is fantastic game on it's own, but what really completed and elevated it for me were the modding communities and the mods they created - new classes, armor, weapons, companions, romances, extended banters, new or improved quests, enhanced AI and difficulty, tweaks and altered outcomes, even a very strong rewrite of the events of the Throne of Bhaal. I remember that for my 3rd playthrough the installation and modding took me a whole day, not to mention about a week of online research of the mods - totally worth it. If you finish the vanilla game, I strongly recommend to check out that which mods are available for the EE, how to install them and do a modded 2nd playthrough.
Ditto. I love the Mods for the original games. The Ascension Mod is a must have.
Compared to the original games, there are not much Mods for the Enhanced Editions. Hence, my preference is for the originals.
I still have my org. CDs^^ Might try them out another weekend.
The original games are works of art, but to the newcomers please stay away from woke versions. They're a blight upon the landscape.
I loved modding BG1 especially, glad to see there are still people out there who remember
@@Caspenar thumbs up to your user name ok...
Relationship with Viconia is by far the best one and gets you some quests and different endings.
As a good aligned protagonist, the options are pretty cool.
"Enemies are immune and you don't even know why". Like an enemy somewhere that can only be hit by normal weapons. I remember it took me a good couple of hours to understand why I could kill a dragon and could not even hit the damn thing. It may be frustrating, but this is one of the reasons why I love this game.
I think it's a shame that more D&D games don't have skill checks that allow you to get full info on creatures and spell effects and areas. investing into the skills a bit can give a bit of general info, while high investment can just flat out say everything possible.
Obviously game guides/encyclopedia prevent this investment from being the most useful, but most people would probably rather just play the game then spend a ton of time reading a wiki or guide.
I thought kangaxx was absolutely unbeatable. Couldn’t hit him, couldn’t survive longer than 15 seconds. Then I watched Daveorn on CZcams, he is an absolute master at the game. Finally learned what is required to defeat him.
The magic golems in Watcher's keep? The game has an in-game book that explains how all the weird enemies in Watcher's keep work.
Clay golems on the other hand... Can only be killed with blunt weapons and to my knowledge there's nothing in the game that tells you that
I recently bought BG II, as it was a game that I barely played but always wanted to put the time and play completely. And thank you for the video, because at the time, I was not playing too many cRPGs and the gameplay feels tough. Now I have some more information and a lot of interest in playing it.
My problem is finishing games, for some reason when I get close to the end I’m not interested anymore. I don’t know how you can 100% all these games, that’s dedication right there!
Same thing happens to me! Idk why either, but there are only a handful that I finished amongst a hundred that I played.
Still my favorite CRPG to this day. I still load up and replay BG1&2 every 2 or 3 years.
Being old enough to have played pen & paper D&D with the rule set (at least close enough), I didn't have any trouble understanding most of the game mechanics when it was originally released (4 CD's, I think? Or was it 6? With a color printed manual and map!). I even knew some of the monster abilities/immunities already, such as only blunt weapons can damage clay golems, from my pen & paper play. Just the fact that even today, 20+ years later, this game can compete with modern CRPG games, and surpass some in story and atmosphere, tells you all you need to know. My favorite is the Shadows of Amn - I think levels 8-20 is sort of the sweet spot for most character classes. Once you get above that level, magic tends to become overpowered, especially for the Sorcerer class, although Ranger-Cleric multi-class is right there in over-poweredness. Glad you enjoyed it!
With SCS (Swordcoast Stratagems) mod cranked to maximum ('Insane' settings), it's one of the most fun games I have ever played. Some fights can take more than 30 minutes, everything, including your guys, is buffed up like people at Mister Olimpia, screen is filled with all kinds of shit, nothing affects anyone until they eat a Breach or Dispel/Remove Magic and they promptly explode because they're not immune to everything anymore.
Race with other mages on who gets to cast Time Stop first, liches spawning Planetars on top of your guys (celestial being with a silver sword that cuts your head if you fail vs death roll). Love it. I am still laughing about that triple Abi Dalzim's Horrid Wilting (white cloud that removes all moisture in an area, hits absurdly hard) that lich had in Chain contingency set to "upon seeing enemy" one-shotting my whole squad, because I forgot to buff with Protection from Magical Energy. I know now what enemies felt when I did the same to them XD.
Amazing work man
This was immensely helpful and helped convince me to finish Baldur's Gate 1.
Bought this when it first came out, this has been and always will be my favorite game. I wish BG3 was actually like this, instead of original sin 3.
I'm enjoying bladur's gate 3 way more than I thought I would. Checking out pervious ones and did not expect it to be this old. What an big difference.
I can remember reloading a bunch of fights when I first played this, they were so tough and I was probably playing on normal difficulty.
Just here to leave my obligatory, "I love this channel so much," comment. I was looking forward to this one.
Also, I FINALLY just finished Pillars of Eternity 1 and I thought the entire game was absolutely brilliant. The story was so fascinating to me. I just started PoE 2.
I loved your lore videos on the Gods and PoE lore in general. Good stuff.
@@aloneaflame9343 I actually only played it up until the first town. Not as hooked. Went back to PoE 1 to do another play through heh
100% gives you about 80% more credibility more than most reviews bro. Ty for the review. I’m gunna play on iOS
Yet another outstanding review. Indeed this is an old game, but even with its age, it’s still one of the best of all time. The story, the villain… almost everything about this game is amazing. And yes, I do agree with the negatives. The game does a terrible job explaining AC, THAC0, resistances, immunities. But for me, it was fun to finally figure out what was happening and move forward with that knowledge. I’ve been playing the BG saga since I was 9 and these games have just stood the test of time. Yes, it’s aging, but with new technology, I hope a remake can be possible.
2nd Edition D&D was weird, man. But they were pioneers in the field and after playing 3rd Edition and beyond I can easily forgive the weirdness of THAC0 and stuff. But I still to this day do not understand the old Saving Throw system and am constantly going, "WHY on EARTH is this a Save vs Wand and why is that a thing in the first place???" haha
Kensai /Mage and Thief/Mage are such very very fun classes to play! Also Sorcerer owns bones.
One of the best atmospheres in a game and the most engaging story i have experienced. A close second is Mass Effect. Remember playing on core rules and having no clue about AD&D, it was hell lol so i don't recommend it either. A good aligned roleplay is the best experience imho and most likely what the devs intended, because there is more internal struggle going on to not to succumb to the taint and to carry on through the Shadows of Amn. Epic stuff.
but your heritage is certainly driving you to seek personal power, above all else... thus evil alignment. :)
Interesting comment, I was intending to play on core rules, but has no clue about DnD
Thanks for the video!
I liked the day and night effects on cities and other areas. Different people and creatures come out in the night. In BG3 its always daytime. Also, the characters in BG3 never get tired and rarely actually need to sleep. Characters in BG2 get weaker, complain, and even threaten to leave if you push them too hard. If you have higher charisma you can of course push them a bit harder to keep going.
Really great video. I'm a huge fan of the game for 20 years and your review is very accurate. The combat difficulty in ToB is completely messed up and the spell combat is pretty complicated and I've never learned(I just use inquisitors dispel magic because it's busted).
In ToB armor class becomes essentially meaningless. Since most enemies will hit you every round, the game turns into a tedious frenzy of potion chugging
This game was so addicting and engaging when I played it in the early 00s when I was an undergrad in college. It is probably why I had bad grades.
Thanks for the review. I played BG1 then went straight into BG2 in about 2003. I thought I'd mention I could transfer my BG1 character to BG2. Not sure if this is till possible with the Beam-dog upgrade but having that continuity was immersive.
You still can
amo este juego, gran video!! y si irenicus is the best villain in game history!
bg 2 is my fav game of all time. borrowed it from a friend maybe a year after release. 4 cd's man 4 ;D!
BTW the romances can be started for any character by console commands at no drawback. It's not much, mostly extra dialogue and problems (Jaheira) but it adds more flavor.
This franchise is one of the best power fantasies ever. You start as a useless juvenile and end up... Holds a special place in my heart for this really.
You are right, finishing the game really sets you apart 👍
One of my favorite CRPG's of all time (alongside Planescape Torment..although I rate that higher because I value story over gameplay first and foremost). I really appreciate you talking about story mode.
I loved discovering how to assemble the BMU. With no guide it really blew my mind back in the day. Wondering WTF are these gold pants for and exporting them from game to game to game.
Great review, liked.
BG2... ah I adore this game. Unlike many I only got into it relatively recently, I did try it when I was younger but it was way over my head and I never got anywhere but now I went through it multiple times and honestly with the mods available I dont think I will ever actually stop playing it. Fantastic game, fantastic characters and adventure.
Btw why were the romances underwhelming? The only reason you mentioned because they are gender and race locked... cmon man, dont be like that. It definitely sucked to play female in the older versions but the romances themselfs are actually great for the most part, Viconia's in particular is very impactful, Aerie gets a lot of development through her possbile relationships etc., it personally added a lot into my playthroughs.
I applaud your deep dive into Baldur's Gate! One of my most favorite series and a huge influence over my interests/hobbies as I've gotten older! I saw you included your Steam profile and was expecting to see you with several hundred hours in each game, but saw you had under 100 for each. How did you do it? Especially BG2 with the companion, stronghold, and level 30+ achievements. Anyway, great review! And as another completionist, I love the concept of your channel. You've earned a sub!
Glad you enjoyed it! You can spam the enhanced edition arena for the level achievements, companion ones took a while, strongholds are available immediately after leaving the starting dungeon so you just have to do a couple quests.
@@MortismalGaming Well done! I am a very slow and methodical player in any kind of game so it was impressive to see! Also just saw you uploaded a review of Icewind Dale: EE. Another classic! So glad I subbed, going to have to go watch a lot of your earlier reviews too.
I got bg2 wayyyyyyy back in the day at sams club, came with an extra disc to install got access to extra weapons and stuff
Another Masterpiece, I know you have a BG3 playlist, but do you think there could be an overall introductory video to BG3 for those that haven't played a modern CRPG like the Divinity series. Especially now that there's an official release date?
Closer to release or right after probably, I'll definitely be making videos on it
Doing my research as an avid DOS2 fan. So fuckin pumped for Baldur's Gate 3
Bought the game recently on sale and was discouraged after I played for a bit cause of how unclear everything was but thanks to your video I'll try it again and stick to it.
I think the main theme of improvement with BG2 over the first game is less is more, with fewer NPCs, fewer quests, and a smaller world, but a denser, more accessible world with more interesting locations, quests, and companions.
I remember the times fondly when i played trough bg2 back in the day for a second time with a swashbuckler class. Towards the late game my char could solo everything. The use any item ability was especially handy, completely broke the game.... aaaah good memories...
🤍 THANK YOU. I love how you explain everything with both newbies and pros in mind - this makes your videos and cRPGs much more accessible to beginners, thank you 🤍✨
29:00 & 29:47 Ha, Ha! I am one of those people you get "up and arms" in defending BG1 & BG2.
However, I did play these games when they were first coming out.
I still go back to this game. Along with Mass Effect this is the best RPG ever made.
RIP BioWare. We hardly knew ye.
The music is great.
In BG1 you most certainly can finish the game with a reputation of 1. At the moment I'm playing co-op with two friends who opted to become mass murderers and just murder everybody in the streets xD. We have become too powerful for the Flaming Fist mercenaries so we're basically above the law. I normally always play a good playthrough so I noticed a major flaw in this evil playthrough: When you kill someone innocent, other than a reputation loss there are *no* consequences. Even that reputation loss is no real consequence since you earn so much gold by the end that paying off temples is no big deal. Its a little immersion-breaking because when you get caught stealing, a few guards are immediately summoned, but when you murder a group of children in the middle of the street everyone just goes about their day like its a regular occurrence... In BG2 they've fixed this flaw by making the whole town become hostile when you murder someone innocent, making many quests incompletable hence no exp rewards...
Long before he voiced Jon Irenicus, David Warner was a great Jack The Ripper in "Time After Time".
Great game. Currently 70% discount on Steam until 23rd of August ;)
2022 and although some have come close, no game has captured the perfection of this game. I'm playing Pathfinder Kingmaker after getting it for 8 bucks on Steam and it's really close but I'm finding it more grindy than adventurous.
Have you tried the 3.5 edition mod? I am doing an MP run atm but after I will try. Curious to see how well the modder was able to adapt 3.5 rules to BG2.
Small correction on the edition number: Back in 80s there was Basic d&d and Advanced d&d. In 1989 2nd edition of Advanced D&D was released and that's the ruleset Baldur's Gate 1&2, Planescape Torment and Icewind Dale uses. 3rd edition of D&D was released in 2000 dropping the Advanced name. Basic D&D was abondoned at this point. Icewind Dale 2, Neverwinter Nights 1&2 and Temple of Elemental Evil uses 3rd edition ruleset. Upcoming Baldur's Gate 3 is using 5th edition rules.
And I wish they could use advanced 2nd, or 3rd edition for BG3 :(
IWD 2 is 3.5 iirc and never played NWN2 sadly/unfortunately but it might be 3.5 too isn't it? I wish they'd make an EE of TOEE which would make lots of "E"'s there haha
@@vinkorfhaxson1008 IWD 2 and Neverwinter Nights 1 are 3rd edition, Neverwinter Nights 2 and TOEE are 3.5 edition. 3.5 is the revised edition of 3rd. I remember them being similar but it's been more than a decade. I just remember that rangers sucked in 3rd but they were ok in 3.5.
Played these games when they first came out. Such a fun series IMO. Though I do agree and wish they never cannoned the end of the story.
My most loved game back in the years. Just awesome. Gonna buy bg3 next week play shit out of it.
One thing about resting... It doesn't heal to full. It burns some healing spells, but otherwise it's effectiveness is limited on health. Potions are really important.
Just rest twice.... Sell the potions... Theyre not important at all
What's the opening music bit in all you videos? I like it, spooky vibes.
A viewer composed it actually, credit and link to their work in the description
@@MortismalGaming thats nice
BG2 is my favourite game of all time - by far.
I love BG. It is my favorite epic CRPG, right next to Mass Effect. I am stoked that Larian is doing BG3... and only hope that the companions are done right. Not sure if they will have a main villain, given the story 🤔
Watching these before I play on Switch for the first time. I was so absorbed with Elder Scrolls and RTS Blizzard titles that I totally missed this whole series.
Another great video. Any chance you'll take on Icewind Dale and Torment or have you had your fill of the Infinity Engine?
The Baldur's Gate series has such a great story (and Boo!) but Icewind Dale is actually the one I replay the most.
I've reviewed them already
@@MortismalGaming Nice! Can't wait to check those out.
I really appreciate your CRPG reviews and I enjoyed watching your BG1+2 reviews. But I don't see how you can criticize the game's rules system. I mean, which rules system should they have used instead in a Forgotten Realms CRPG? When BG 1+2 came out AD&D 2nd edition was the latest edition (when BG2 came out 3rd edition was about to be released - Icewind Dale 2 uses 3rd edition rules btw). When I compare AD&D 2nd edition with the rules of e.g. Pillars of Eternity the former is much easier to comprehend. You should play Pools of Radiance from 1988 which also uses AD&D 2nd edition rules with a turn-based combat system. It's also a great game but even more dated of course. I'd like to know what you think about it or the other gold box games.
Gather party: venture forth.
Impatiently waiting.....
I just bought the first two games for ps4 after I saw the reviews of the 3rd game that just came out don’t have a PS5 yet but this be my first time playing it 😮 Yeah I’m late to the party ‼️
Baldurs gate 2: return of turkey is also worth checking out
I'm calling my kids my "ball spawn" from now on.
Refreshing to hear someone say it's okay to use story mode. Yes the combat can be fun if you get into it, but really the system is old as fuck and super hard to get your head around. it takes a lot of practice to get good enough at it to beat the game and that's not something that everyone has time for or even the inclination to do. The story is REALLY where Baldur's gate shines, its where 95% of the good stuff is, you really aren't missing much by playing story mode.
How is it different now then when it was released? I didn't know anything about D&D when I first played BG and I fell in love with the "system" as you call. I didn't find it "super hard to get your head around", neither did my friends who fell in love with the series as well.
@@Radwar99 i don't know how it's different, I'm not a game designer. But I've played lots of newer games and I've played lots of older games, they are different. The "system" as I call it... because that's what it is, is not as streamlined and easy to understand as modern games and so when faced with "learn to play this 80+ hour, 20 year-old game with backwards Thac0 mechanics" or "hey forget about that just enjoy exploring and playing the story" I can't blame people for choosing the option that will provide them with fun more quickly. It is a video game after all.
If I had known someone was going to get instantly aggro and defensive about my relatively mundane opinions I would have made my own CZcams chanel.
@@1993JoshG So as soon as someone disagrees with you they are automatically "aggro and defensive", got it.
@@Radwar99 yeah its totally cause you disagreed.
Ironically Throne of Bhaal was itself "easy-mode" due to the rule system used, i.e. reduced powers for the named enemies. There was a mod (Ascension) that added all of that back in, plus some other changes. Took me best part of two weeks to find a strategy and then implement it against Demogorgon... as you could no longer do the trick with dialogue (amongst other things). Plus he had a bad habit of hitting party members with one-shot / no-resurrection spells, if you didn't have protection up at all times.
Go for the eyes, Boo!
Video game history, still have the original box on my shelf from when I was a kid, even though I never finished it
Likewise, signed by Viconia herself aka Grey Griffin!
I was pretty turned off of BG1 and never touched BG2, but this sounds pretty different. Might add this to my backlog and give it a shot.
I first stumbled over BG2. Late, in 2010. Only took it cause I needed something to run on my weak ass netbook. But, damn....was I blown away. BG2 is awesome. Best rpg I ever played. Then I tried BG1 bud didnt like it at all. Definitely try BG2 though. That is a very different game.
@@robertosheldon9061 I’m not getting on with BG1, so I might skip to the second! Cheers for your recommendation
Yeah, I played BG1 after I played BG2, and I'm glad, because otherwise, I just don't know.
Greatest game of all time for me. I only play this game now with mods to make it much harder.
Yeah! Hooray. It has story mode.
Lol @the ruleset explanation at roughly 5:15. :)
Thanks.. it’s been So hard... to get into this games... even though I Love storytelling, it all seems alien and overbearing but with this review I might actually buy it for iOS... it helped me finally hear someone talk abou the stories value
I promise you - PROMISE YOU - that if you stick with it, you're in for the greatest digital, single-player RPG experience of your life. You're right - it is a bit alien at first. But, again, I swear it gets sooooooo good.
@@ObscuredByTime Thanks for mentioning it, because this is the kind of game that I will only give value to if other players tell me about it, price is just on the steep mark so knowing others really appreciated it sure does encourage
@@ObscuredByTime Can you Please Please recommend me if I need start with B Gate 1 or if I can just start with this one BG 2.. I have to budget a little right now. Thanks
@@zianawind2970 Absolutely BG2. After that, it's up to you if you want to go back to BG1. The problem with BG1 is it's just not polished. Is it good? Heck yes. But it's no Shadows of Amn - the narrative and character richness especially doesn't compare, imo. I'd hate to see anyone start with one and leave thinking they've had enough. Shadows of Amn leaves you begging for more. The one big benefit of starting with one, though, is that you can port over the character you played in BG1 to BG2, so you already go in with some investment, you know? That and you go into BG2 already used to the mechanics.
Let me amend my answer this way: If you can convince yourself that you will play BG2 no matter what, AND you have the patience to sort of grind through BG1, then go for it. Otherwise, just hype yourself up and get to playing BG2. Get ready for some of the best characters and storytelling in any game, PERIOD. And get ready to laugh! Baldur's Gate has a great sense of humor. By the way, I can't imagine enjoying BG3 to the ridiculous degree that I'm currently enjoying it if I hadn't played the hell out of Shadows of Amn. BG3 is Nirvana for a Baldur's Gate fan. If I had the money, I'd gift it to you, no joke. I'm a broke boy, though =( And NO, I would not jjump to BG3 without playing BG2 - it would be just too much of a subtraction from the experience for me.
Hey, since you really sound like you want to enjoy this stuff, there's something else you can do to sort of hype yourself up and get into it more, even before you play:
You can find many PDF copies online for Dungeons & Dragons _The Player's Handbook 2nd Edition_ it's not a tough read - in fact it's a lot of fun. One minor annoyance for many D&D fans when it comes to BG1 AND 2 is that, while both are based on 2nd edition D&D rules, the numbers fly by so fast, you can hardly make sense of them. In Baldur's Gate 3, by the way, this is handled brilliantly - you're able read the numbers behind everything that happens mechanically quite easily (also, BG3 is based on the _fifth_ edition D&D ruleset, which most people believe is much improved). STILL... understanding the how's and why's behind the mechanics in BG1 and 2 will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the game. Also, by reading the Player's Handbook, maybe a glance through the Monster Manual, will give you a nice "feel" for the game, just through the artwork and flavor text. You'll recognize the D&D in Baldur's Gate right away. It is NOT superficial. It is _core_ -- the world, the classes, the races, the monsters, the spells, etc, etc -- everything is _very, very_ Dungeons & Dragons. So you if you really want to jump in like an enthusiast, I would start with _The Player's Handbook 2nd Edition._ I know it's a big ask, and certainly not necessary. Still, I feel it's bonus enough to the experience that I would throw it out there.
If all goes well, and you end up playing BG3, I'll tell you that players who are familiar with the D&D ruleset in _that_ game have a definite, strong leg up on everyone else when it comes to class builds, party composition, spell selection and using combat mechanics to their favor, and just plain having fun.
I'll likely never get around to playing this game, but it's always nice to just listen to him talk about a game, lol.
I remember that, back in the day, me and my friends used to argue if BG2 or Neverwinter Nights was the best RPG ever...good old times.
23:18 There's an in game tutorial in BG2. But it is optional and not part of the campaign like it should be. For me there's nothing more obnoxious than an unskippable tutorial when I want to replay the game.
May I recommend Temple of elemental evil.There are some amazing fan made mods for this.
like what mods?
@@bigjoncash4297 Circle of Eight?
@@TucoBenedicto is that a mod? ill check it out.
@@bigjoncash4297 Circle of 8 is the best. The team also did a complete recreation of Keep on the Borderlands.
"YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE COME TO THIS PLACE!"
"HELM'S BEARD!! I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS! ALL MY LIFE I have worked for the Order! CURSE THEM ALL!"
"AHHHH! We are all friends now. You, Boo, and I. Hamsters and Rangers everywhere REJOICE! *hamster squeak*"
I remember back in the day I rented like 10 Arnold movies just so I could crop out sound bites to use my own customized sound set. It was awesome.
Predator roar for starting combat. Steal stuff, "Money, that's what I need money."
Just bought these on the switch for £7:99 for the 2! So looking forward to starting them. Does anyone know how do they stack up against Divinity 2? Anyway hoping to finish in time for BG3 to be released on PS5
If I love dragons age and elder scrolls type games, Is Baldurs gate for me?
Dual-class ftw!
The dual-class system is the best.
The mobile version of BG2 is on sale right now for less than 2 bucks!
Its one of my favorites. Like most of these games, I stumble through the first time figuring out controls etc, then grow to enjoy it much more the 2nd (or more) is a lot better. Playing it right now and honestly, I prefer these to most of the newer ones. Dragon Age was pretty good. SKYRIM Elder Scrolls is legendary and I cant believe they are waiting so long to do another. Neeria is nothing short of annoying as fuck. And of course, cheap. Have a good day everyone. I have not played Throne of Bhaal yet. Maybe just because I am older, but I like it very much
I was about to say, thank god for this clunky UI :D Modern RPGs all look the same when it comes to that. The interface always looks like some sort of luxurious airplane lifestyle magazine. Giant squares with a minimal, decidedly un-medieval font. And the icons for spells and abilities always look the same, made to be sprawlingly colourful and that's that. Give me any day the crude-looking squares and fonts of old, and spell/ability icons with some rusticness to them. I want to feel like I am about to use not just an arcane, but an archaic, old incantation devised by a withered wizard thousands of years ago, not by a Pokemon playing gif maker in the 2020s.
One question my friend, do enemies respawn in Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 enhanced edition or not? Because I want to know if they respawn so I can enjoy the game.
I don't believe they suppressed the tutorial in BG2, but perhaps it's not available if you imported your party.
I remember it being inside Candlekeep, with some interaction with people from BG1 and then a little fight in the cellars against kobolds.
I'm currently doing a slow evil run, going through BG1 at the moment, and i don't find it that impossible to navigate even with guards fighting (i play in classic system difficulty though, with 3 customs and only 1 companion)
I couldn't find in the menus etc anywhere at least
So your saying he did not actually 100% it? 😇
Maybe in the EE, but original BG2 starts in Irenicus' Dungeon, long after you've left the Sword Coast and Candlekeep.
BG1 had a fairly good tutorial he mentioned, which takes place in Candlekeep. This may be what you're thinking of.