This is one of those few RPG games that rule on the computer. It takes a bit to appreciate Baldur's Gate though. Understand that this game is not the following:
1) This is NOT even remotely close to a console type RPG (a.k.a Final Fantasy-like game). Think Dungeons & Dragons on your computer. If you have had experience with the board game or the previous computer games, you're set for this. The rules are exactly the same =).
2) Don't expect huge stats, dishing out damage in the 9999s as you'll find in other RPGs. In fact don't expect Level ups really. It takes a couple of hours to level up. Instead, expect to be doing damage in the 1-20s.
3) Don't expect too much strategy. It's not Starcraft or C&C either. This is how the action works, you click on an enemy and your character goes over and hacks it up. You tell them where to go and who attacks who. You watch. Much like Diablo II, expect a lot of pretty battles. Sounds boring, don't worry its horrendously addictive.
4) Don't expect a big plot. It has one, and its good, but doesn't stand out as much, because you're given freedom to go where you want and therefore finish various quests and explore till you feel fit to head up against the last boss.
So what makes this game so good? Well it's fun. You get a very detailed world, which you can explore with a friend or two (multiplayer capability). There are hundreds of quests to go on, tons of items to get. It takes a while to learn, it takes a while to start the game, but once you have a reasonable party, its incredibly fun.
This game is not for everyone however. If you're a fan of action games you might not have the patience for this game. Or if you're a console RPG fan you might find this a very different change of pace. That can be good or bad. Baldur's Gate is a great game in turns of exploration and customization. It shines best in those areas. If you like to spend time lurking in huge dungeons, wandering through big towns, and buying and selling items a whole lot, you'll enjoy this game. However if you're more of the type who plays FF games to build levels, and destroy the boss, well don't expect too much of that.
Baldur's Gate is however, a great game to start this genre of comptuer-RPGs, if you're new to this. If you're not new, get Baldur's Gate II or Diablo II. They're much longer and more challenging. Also the graphics are better and the gameplay is improved.
Baldur's Gate has a number of gameplay problems, along with some errors. You will have to download a patch. Also the screen is far to small for those with good computers. There's no higher res options either. Still, if you have a Celeron 400-500, this game will run smoothly.
last note: Get the DVD version if possible, because there is a lot of CD switching to do. This is the one really really annoying thing about the game.
BALDURS GATE 4 IN 1 COLLECTION PC XP/VISTA DVD-ROM BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED DVD CASE Publisher: Interplay Platform: Windows xp/vista ESRB/Age: (T) Mat...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.