Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition

Baldur's Gate II is considered by many as the epitome of old school RPGs and a must play for any gamer. Heavily improved over the previous Enhanced Edition, its high price point and few new quest bugs are the only reasons you may consider getting the cheaper, original edition over this one.

If you’re a fan of RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play this game. Keep in mind that it’s not easy and that the governing system isn’t for everyone; however, get past that, and there’s a classic that compares to any behemoths of the genre even today.

One of the best RPGs of all time returns. This new edition succeeds not because of any enhancements added by Beamdog, but because the game BioWare created is still as strong as it ever was with only dated design and mechanics holding it back.

Baldur’s Gate II is not a game to be missed. With an epic story, memorable characters, hundreds of hours of dungeon crawling, questing and adventuring, Baldur’s Gate stands tall among the classics.

This refurbished version of Baldur's Gate II is true to its source material and does a good job in making one of the best fantasy epics in the history of computer role playing games available for a modern audience.

The original game is a classic. The “Enhanced Edition” is a near-clone, with some additional content. If you haven't played it before, or would like a deep RPG to put on your tablet, this is a good buy.

While the Scale User Interface is the true hero of this release, it would not exist if it weren’t in the service of Baldur’s Gate II and its expansion. If there was ever a good time to replay Shadows of Amn or to sink your teeth into its considerable flesh for the very first time, then it is now.

It’s very convenient and nice. It’s convenient and nice to not have to install a handful of mods on the original version in order to get it to look not terrible. It’s convenient and nice to have small quality-of-life things added that new players won’t even notice while Baldur's Gate veterans will likely welcome them with open arms.

For Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition, Overhaul Games kept the same philosophy as the first game released one year ago. Improving a game that is already perfect is a dirty job, but they've finally done it.

Doesn't do enough to be the uncontested definitive version, but provides a fresh perspective on an exceptional RPG. [March 2014, p.72]

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition captures the essence of what makes fantasy RPGs so beloved.

There’s no doubt that Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition is a product of its time, but there’s also no doubt that it’s an absolute classic of the RPG genre.

If I were to rate the original game after all these years, I would still give it 9 out of 10. The elements added to the Enhanced Edition would score 6,5, maybe 7 on a good day. [01/2014, p.46]

Thirteen years ago one might have titled this game as the crown jewel of role-playing games. But today, the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate II shows us clearly how times have changed in the gaming world. It's the perfect excuse for those who want to back to the golden gaming era, but newcomers to these kind of games might have a hard time becoming immersed.

It's hard, it's obtuse. It's big, it's beautiful. It's cruel, it's arbitrary. It's an adventure.

Baldur’s Gate II is one the most beautiful RPG of the Infinity Engine’s golden age; here it is, ready for newbie gamers to enjoy but probably still a step behind the original version.

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is a well-executed restored piece, unlocking tens of hours of great fun to the new generation of gamers, while making it possible to remind the best game by BioWare to those, who remember it, in a comfortable way.

Not quite there as far as what can be expected from an enhanced edition, but it definitely does the original justice.

If you want to replay Baldur’s Gate II or are an RPG fan who hasn’t played it this is definitely the version to get, but unless you’re desperate to get it now I suggest waiting until a Steam sale.

Quotation forthcoming.

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition has a similar problem to the previous installment: it has to compete against lots of free mods. Fortunately the developers have learned a thing or two and now the game has longer, more complex missions and some clever technical novelties. It's still a game for older, more hardcore gamers, but it's important to appreciate the fact, that Enhanced Edition finally offers a lot more than any free mod does.

Although it doesn't feel as "enhanced" as it should, it still is one of the best video games ever made, and if you've never played it, this could be a great option to do so.

An excellent opportunity for those who loved the original to play it again, but newbies will need the patience of a saint to survive the complexity of its gameplay.

One of the best RPG of all time came back on iOS with Bhaal and Black Pitts expansions, but we have probably lost the system control in translation. Baldur's Gate 2 is still a great game, but does not fit well on touchscreen devices.

As much as I've gotten used to modern, hold-your-hand RPGs like Mass Effect 3, there is something to be said for this take-no-prisoners blast from the past, especially if you love old-timey D&D as much as I do.

As a classic RPG with some of the best writing and purest example of D&D mechanics in a videogame you really need to play this, but as a ‘remake’ this needs more work to be worthy of the same praise as its older brother.

The Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal is, especially on mobile platforms, and excellent reason to give the games (another) chance. Hardcore fans won't get many improvements though and are better off modding another version.

The enhancements aren't quite ready for prime-time, but Baldur's Gate II remains one of the greatest RPGs of all time and an unsurpassed D&D experience. The improvements to the interface are fantastic, and if the new content gets the final wax-and-polish it deserves, it will be too.

Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition is a game with a very specific audience – those who are familiar with the inner workings of D&D and/or played the game when it first came out. It’s not that newcomers can’t enjoy it, but the game almost deliberately stacks the deck against them.

Still a fantastic RPG that didn’t lose any charm over the years. Sadly, the developers of this new edition are far less charming, because they charge money for something resembling an undercooked mod. [Issue#238]

The only meaningful thing separating the two versions is the inclusion of new characters and quests, and those additions aren't quite strong enough to make Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition an easy recommendation.

While the enhanced edition isn’t bad, its new features don’t do enough to make it the quintessential version of the game to own, at least not when the original is still so damn good.