The original Baldur’s Gate was released in 1998 and was BioWare’s second game after Shattered Steelcreak a little under all the polish that
the enhanced Infinity Engine offers.
It’s not too much of an issue if you
insist on using the AI default, as
the game immediately pauses upon
entering combat and then you can
simply click an enemy and everyone
in your party will immediately attack
them as their AI dictates. As groups
of enemies get larger, though, you’ll
want to manage your crew better and
this is where the game slows down,
as you have to click on a character,
then press X to bring up their spell list,
weapons, etc, choose what action
you want them to perform, and then
select the enemy you want to attack.
It’s one of the few aspects of both
games that highlight their mouse-
driven origins. It does get easier with
practice, but it serves to highlight that
while the developers have done a lot
to improve both games, not everything
can be disguised.
All that glitters...
Another aspect that’ll prove
contentious with newer gamers
is the games’ visuals. These titles
were never designed to be run at
the resolutions they’re now capable
of. Thankfully, a number of useful
graphical options have been added to
ensure they scale as well as they can,
but there’s no denying they’re now
looking long in the tooth. Graphics
are just one element of these games,
though, and the gripping storylines,
fantastic interactions with your ragtag
group of heroes and the sheer wealth
of content available – all expansions
and the 2016 release, Siege Of
Dragonspear are included – are what
matters here, so the value for money
is excellent. Aspects of Baldur’s Gate II
have aged better than the original
(plus you can import your Baldur’s Gate
party) but both games are still superb
from a story perspective. The 2016
release, Dragonspear, is a worthwhileaddition, too, working as a bridge
between both games.
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II
may be old, but it’s remarkable just
how relevant Beamdog has made
them feel. Some will struggle with
many of their more archaic aspects,
but everyone else will find a pair of
utterly absorbing adventures that will
take an absolute age to complete. QHAVING A
BHAAL
An impressive aspect
of these remakes is
that they cater for a
number of different
difficulty levels –
seven, in fact.
Masochistic players
can jump in at the
Legacy Of Bhaal
setting, as it makes
Insane difficulty look
like a leisurely walk
through the Forgotten
Realms. If you just
want to enjoy the
plots of both games
Story Mode is a good
option, as it features
weaker enemies, the
ability to copy spells
without the risk of
failure and no
permadeath. Handily,
all difficulty levels,
with the exception of
Legacy Of Bhaal, can
be freely switched
between.“That original
point-and-click
method of
control is still
available”
FAR LEFT Combat
takes a little
while to get
used to, and
feels a little
fiddly at first.
RIGHT The
expansions
highlight the
flexibility of
both games’ RPG
engines.OXM VERDICT
A solid pair of
adventures,
lovingly
remastered, with
excellent extras.8
LEFT The Sword
Coast is a huge
place, and each
location is
filled with
treacherous
monsters and
treasure to
discover.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 075REVIEW