Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 424 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 299 out of 424
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 424
  3. Negative: 81 out of 424

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  1. quartzlcc
    Nov 18, 2013
    7
    Bottom line: Good improvement/stabilization. Multiplayer actually works decently. Mediocre additions. Reasonable price. Beamdog is effective but slow, and a bit sloppy.

    Improvements/stabilization: Beamdog worked hard to make BGII run properly on new machines, and in general, just work a whole lot better without performance varying overly much between different computers. They crushed a    Bottom line: Good improvement/stabilization. Multiplayer actually works decently. Mediocre additions. Reasonable price. Beamdog is effective but slow, and a bit sloppy.

    Improvements/stabilization: Beamdog worked hard to make BGII run properly on new machines, and in general, just work a whole lot better without performance varying overly much between different computers. They crushed a whole lot of bugs, and introduced some new ones. Not unexpected. They have done a fine job of squashing new bugs, and in general I've found BGII:EE to contain minimal bugs. BG:EE had a horrible number of bugs on release, but thankfully as they are on the same engine, nearly all of the bug fixes that they worked on for the past year in BG:EE carry over to BGII:EE.

    Multiplayer works decently: Deal breaker. Baldur's Gate seems a perfect match for multiplayer, but in the original games it was incredibly buggy and prone to stop working at any given moment. Not only have they fixed most of the bugs with multiplayer, they also gave us a matchmaking feature so we don't have to manually hand out our IP addresses to people. That said, it's worth noting that they promised a matchmaking feature over a year ago, initially stating it would be in BG:EE upon release. They only recently got it working a few weeks ago. If you're jumping in now, then huzzah. But it's worth noting how slow these guys are.

    Mediocre additions: The areas in BGII:EE look great and pretty true-to-the-original, which is excellent since the new environments looked very much out of place in BG:EE. I find the characters very disappointing, however. While Baldur's Gate always blended the world of the Forgotten Realms with the rhetoric of today somewhat, Neera goes over the line. She very much feels like apart of our world and seems out of place in the Forgotten Realms setting. That said I do enjoy her personality, but it's worth noting she's terribly Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately her voice acting seems uninspired, this time around. While she sounded very bubbly in BG:EE she sounds a little bored in BGII:EE. I'm not sure why. Hexxat is game-breaking, a complete box of contradictions, basically existing purely to throw Evil Partiers a bone. Oh, and probably to convince iPad users (who will have to download the characters as DLC) to buy her once they Google her stats. She feels very much like one of the NPC add-ons that a modder added to the game, not like she was written by a professional. Dorn stands as wasted potential; what could've been an incredibly interesting character is just a flat, one-dimensional character instead. According to his stats he has a 15 Wisdom, which is fairly high, and yet from his actions and words he seems to be one of the least wise characters in the game. Game director Trent Oster bragged that he was an "unapologetically evil" character, and I'm sad to say that he was quite right. Dorn has absolutely no conscience, not semblance of honor or restraint in any situation. Not only is that gratuitous, but it is also bad characterization, boring, totally inhuman and unrealistic. I had high hopes for Dorn, perhaps too high. It would seem though that Beamdog is incapable of analyzing human nature and understanding the existence of evil, and as such, they will never be able to write a realistic and relatable evil character. A shame. If you have never played BGII before, I would say to instead seek out Viconia, Edwin, and a certain Throne of Bhaal exclusive NPC if you wish to witness genuinely interesting evil characters. Indeed, it would seem that the Sun Soul Monk Rasaad is the only character who actually fits in to the established universe in Baldur's Gate II.

    Reasonable price: The only people saying that the price is unreasonable is those that already own Baldur's Gate II. Yeah, of course you think it's overpriced at that point; all you're looking at in that case is an upgrade. For those who have never played however, $25 is a steal. Since there is no real way of deciphering between those who own the original and those who do not, it is $25 for us all. Besides, Beamdog needs the money so that they can expand and perhaps stop doing such slow and somewhat sloppy work.    … Expand
  2. greenman19
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    Reviews should be about the game, not the price tag. Whilst I do believe it is a bit pricey, it's worth it. Baldur's Gate 2 is quite possibly the best RPG ever made, and BG2:EE is the definitive edition with worthy additional content.
  3. detrimental2
    Nov 18, 2013
    10
    This was my favorite game back when I was a young teenager and now it is becoming my favorite game of today. I would play it for hours and hours back in the day. I can happily say it's still the game I remember with the added benefit of having been modernized! The new UI is amazing, love the new characters/quests, and the quick loot button has made looting much more enjoyable. I can't waitThis was my favorite game back when I was a young teenager and now it is becoming my favorite game of today. I would play it for hours and hours back in the day. I can happily say it's still the game I remember with the added benefit of having been modernized! The new UI is amazing, love the new characters/quests, and the quick loot button has made looting much more enjoyable. I can't wait to really get back into this game so I can experience it all over again. Very excited!… Expand
  4. Cmill98
    Nov 18, 2013
    10
    This is the greatest RPG ever made, everything about it is flawless. I have played this game my whole life and love it! How people give it a 0 because it is overpriced is truly stupid. Also compared to the priceof games today, you get one of the best games ever for 35$ cheaper than the standard 60$ price tag. Get this game and love it as much as I have!
    10/10
  5. IndigoFox
    Nov 18, 2013
    10
    Once again I can't be more happy that my favorite game has been remastered. A huge improvement over the original and the redesigned multiplayer is a huge plus, and like the first re-release of Baldurs Gate I can't wait for it to be released on the iPad so I can multiplayer across systems. I will continue to play this reminiscing for hours. Thanks beam dog
  6. HivanGrosny
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    Nice graphics, nice improvements, amazing new areas and companions. Finally multiplayer-based, you can enjoy Baldur's Gate II with your friends or people from all over the world and, finally, role-play like a boss. A classic brought back to life, in the best way. The only problem (if "problem may" be called, assuming you don't play videogames very often) are some nasty bugs. But hey, we'reNice graphics, nice improvements, amazing new areas and companions. Finally multiplayer-based, you can enjoy Baldur's Gate II with your friends or people from all over the world and, finally, role-play like a boss. A classic brought back to life, in the best way. The only problem (if "problem may" be called, assuming you don't play videogames very often) are some nasty bugs. But hey, we're waiting for the new patches.… Expand
  7. CNaish
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    I loved BG2, but trying to get it to run and look half decent on Win8.1 just isn't worth the hassle. Along comes BG2:EE with some extra characters, zooming in/out, and TONS of bugfixes. I can't wait to see more from the Beamdog team and would happily recommend this to friends. Yes, it's 25$, but I also think of it as crowd-funding their next game, which could even be Baldur's Gate 3.
  8. tchaymore
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    A brilliant throwback to a day when RPGs were longer on story, if a bit shorter on graphics. I really enjoy using the isometric graphics. It lets me relax about instantly responding to threats and instead think about how I want to play the game.
    My only complaint about the graphics is they look a bit washed out and I would like a bit more differentiation in the color scheme. Sometimes    A brilliant throwback to a day when RPGs were longer on story, if a bit shorter on graphics. I really enjoy using the isometric graphics. It lets me relax about instantly responding to threats and instead think about how I want to play the game.
    My only complaint about the graphics is they look a bit washed out and I would like a bit more differentiation in the color scheme. Sometimes hard to find my characters on the screen.    … Expand
  9. Ohrwurm
    Nov 18, 2013
    10
    This is the best game ever made and people complain about paying 25$. The enhancements are more than enough since 1. You should support the devs for putting the love in this and hopefully if it makes enough money they'll make BGIII, 2. 25$ is pocket change compared to games like CoD:G that offer you 5hrs of SP and looks like it was also made 10 years ago, 3. extra contents that mods do notThis is the best game ever made and people complain about paying 25$. The enhancements are more than enough since 1. You should support the devs for putting the love in this and hopefully if it makes enough money they'll make BGIII, 2. 25$ is pocket change compared to games like CoD:G that offer you 5hrs of SP and looks like it was also made 10 years ago, 3. extra contents that mods do not have and 4. who wants to spent hours on end trying to get the game to actually work with mods?! this takes a few clicks, 10 mins of download and you can play!… Expand
  10. Nioshi
    Nov 18, 2013
    10
    This is an incredible game that has been graced with amazing enhancements. I've loved this game for a while now and was so happy to see it was getting an upgrade. I disagree with others that the game is overpriced. Many HD remakes are either similar in price or even more expensive. I have and will play this over and over again because of the quality. The artwork for the black pit area wasThis is an incredible game that has been graced with amazing enhancements. I've loved this game for a while now and was so happy to see it was getting an upgrade. I disagree with others that the game is overpriced. Many HD remakes are either similar in price or even more expensive. I have and will play this over and over again because of the quality. The artwork for the black pit area was amazing! Beamdog is doing amazing with what they have and I will continue to buy games from them… Expand
  11. toggle101
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    Gorgeous new areas, at least 15 hours of new storylines, and revisiting your old friend BGII with a polished new interface. No problems here, unless you're really reaching for something to complain about.
  12. syrupofsquill
    Nov 18, 2013
    0
    A pointless re-release with nothing of real value added. They've patched in some widescreen support and UI scaling, something that was available with free mods and the cheaper original version of the game. As far as I can tell they have only remastered character sprites so all other artwork is just rescaled and blurry in high resolutions as a result. No doubt it's a classic RPG but thisA pointless re-release with nothing of real value added. They've patched in some widescreen support and UI scaling, something that was available with free mods and the cheaper original version of the game. As far as I can tell they have only remastered character sprites so all other artwork is just rescaled and blurry in high resolutions as a result. No doubt it's a classic RPG but this version is simply lazy, a waste of money and an obvious cash grab design to capitalise on nostalgia and a resurgence of the genre. If not having to spend 30 seconds googling "baldur's gate II widescreen mod" is worth $25 to you then knock yourself out.… Expand
  13. MikeZillaGames
    Nov 17, 2013
    10
    BG2 is one of the greatest RPGs of all time. And with this recent release, the game is still just as great.

    When I was young, I bought it expecting something like Diablo...but BG2 is much bigger, and much deeper...the game is huge. Funny thing was I had no idea how the hell the AD&D rule set worked when I bought the game. I didn't even know what numeric values like "2D6+1" meant    BG2 is one of the greatest RPGs of all time. And with this recent release, the game is still just as great.

    When I was young, I bought it expecting something like Diablo...but BG2 is much bigger, and much deeper...the game is huge.

    Funny thing was I had no idea how the hell the AD&D rule set worked when I bought the game. I didn't even know what numeric values like "2D6+1" meant because I had never played D&D and never made the connection to "2 six-sided dice plus 1 damage" til much later. The whole game was a learning experience, but ultimately when you do get some understanding of how it works the D&D rule set makes the game all the more enjoyable because of the sheer number of cool spells and items and character customization options that the D&D rule set allows.

    This game was way ahead of it's time, too. The voice acting and writing are great, and the alignment system makes interacting with other characters interesting and adds replay value. Each party member is interesting, with the own personality, alignments, and side quests to perform. You can even establish a romance with a party member if you treat him/her right.

    I can't really recommend this game enough. The one thing I would consider before buying it is the game's length and learning curve...which aren't that problematic.    … Expand
  14. Brenno
    Nov 17, 2013
    10
    Great game! I had the original release, which I loved, and am very pleased with this new release also. For myself, the greater clarity, the widescreen resolution and the added content have proven very effective at revitalising this classic game. I thoroughly recommend this game to both old fans and new players alike! A special shout out to one of the new NPCs, Hexxat. A very cool story arc! Enjoy!
  15. socokid
    Nov 17, 2013
    9
    To every other person that has either never played this game, or it has been over a decade (Hi!), the $25 is definitely worth it. I had forgotten how satisfying this game is. So, much, fun...

    The responses by die hard fanatics of the original game seem meaningless to me. If you have been playing BGII for 10 years straight, modded up to your eyeballs, then I would certainly suspect that    To every other person that has either never played this game, or it has been over a decade (Hi!), the $25 is definitely worth it. I had forgotten how satisfying this game is. So, much, fun...

    The responses by die hard fanatics of the original game seem meaningless to me. If you have been playing BGII for 10 years straight, modded up to your eyeballs, then I would certainly suspect that $25 may not span the difference between what you have, and what is offered. *shrugs*

    However, speaking to the "norms" out there, this game is absolutely highly recommended. I felt just a little bad having to leave the game to type this...    … Expand
  16. Valarian25
    Nov 16, 2013
    3
    Dont get me wrong.. Baldurs Gate 2 is among if not the BEST RPG EVER MADE

    However.. the enchantment part is lacking allot. Not at much bugs as in BG:EE but still a few... new characters are still annoying and most of the old content blow the new away by far... The new character Hexxat starts off as a good companion but gets quickly changed into a bland generic lesbian character    Dont get me wrong.. Baldurs Gate 2 is among if not the BEST RPG EVER MADE

    However.. the enchantment part is lacking allot.

    Not at much bugs as in BG:EE but still a few... new characters are still annoying and most of the old content blow the new away by far...

    The new character Hexxat starts off as a good companion but gets quickly changed into a bland generic lesbian character that locks out all the male characters playing.. so everyone playing a Male char gets locked out of any extra romances in the new game.

    If you really love BG2... you most likely have a modded version thats better.. and there are allot of free content to download thats better with some work

    And for this price its better to a bundle copy from GOG    … Expand
  17. Monkeyfighter
    Nov 16, 2013
    10
    I do agree with the fact that the game being $25 is fairly steep, but giving the game a 0 because of it is complete and utter stupidity. This game is a great game and I have been enjoying every moment of it. It is well worth the $25 I spent on it. If you don't want to get it at full price, I would get it when it goes on sale at least!
  18. orctown-troll
    Nov 15, 2013
    10
    I strongly disagree with views this game is over-priced.

    Beamdog is doing great work extending the long term viability of these classic titles. The enhanced version of Baldur's Gate was superior to the GOG version (which I also own). This version is a legitimate rebuild and extension of a great game that allows it to seamlessly function on new systems. Thanks for a great rebuild of a    I strongly disagree with views this game is over-priced.

    Beamdog is doing great work extending the long term viability of these classic titles. The enhanced version of Baldur's Gate was superior to the GOG version (which I also own). This version is a legitimate rebuild and extension of a great game that allows it to seamlessly function on new systems. Thanks for a great rebuild of a great game! If you at all have any love for this game, be sure to support all the honest efforts to extend its playability into the future. People who moan about $26 as 'too much' for a game like this are losing perspective on the true value of work in this industry and perchance need spend less time playing games and more time working in the REAL world. You want the industry to support classic games? Support mods by all means, but also definitely BUY games like this so that the teams doing the work can continue to provide great games for all of us. Buy the GOG version. Mod your original version AND buy this. Then you will truly be in a position to give an honest (and constructive) review. I wonder how many 'fans' ready to score bomb this are sitting on big libraries of torrent-stolen games.

    Most irritating thing is that if these butt-hurt moaners really can't afford it, they only have to wait a few months till they can get it for pennies on a Steam sale. How painful that is NOT!

    Get some bloody perspective!

    Orctowngrot    … Expand
  19. Nogard123
    Nov 15, 2013
    0
    If you want a true enhanced version of bg2 just install the original version and download some mods for it.
    The price is just too high for such old game so imho you're better off with the original game.
    I can't say i like the spellbook and character menu graphics much,the original ones where better. Because it bg i can't give it a lower score than 5,but next time i will play it,it    If you want a true enhanced version of bg2 just install the original version and download some mods for it.
    The price is just too high for such old game so imho you're better off with the original game.
    I can't say i like the spellbook and character menu graphics much,the original ones where better.

    Because it bg i can't give it a lower score than 5,but next time i will play it,it will be the original.

    So go get those mods, installing them is easy,you just need to take your time for it.    … Expand
  20. AmongstYou
    Nov 15, 2013
    9
    Definitely an improvement. I really love revisiting a classic like this and finding it better than I remember.
    I wish Overhaul the best with their endeavors. Here's hoping we get Baldur's Gate III.
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Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Best PC Game of 2013
62
#62 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Everyeye.it
    Feb 14, 2014
    90
    It's a great chance for all the fans out there to relive history of western RPG. Enhanced graphics and interface make this a great remaster of an immortal classic.
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  2. God is a Geek
    Feb 3, 2014
    80
    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.
    Read full review
  3. PC Gamer
    Jan 31, 2014
    84
    Doesn't do enough to be the uncontested definitive version, but provides a fresh perspective on an exceptional RPG. [March 2014, p.72]
See all critic reviews »