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. lifeofbrian
    Jun 17, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game has only had 1 small patch in the last 7 months (and that patch came shortly after release). Basically they've been forgoing patching in favour of getting both BGEE and BG2EE on Android. I would recommend you instead buy BG2 from GoG (or anywhere that sells the original game) and use the BG2 fixpack on it. It will solve all of the major and the vast majority of the minor bugs in the original BG2 and you won't get the multitude of bugs (which can include everything from your weapon proficiencies getting wiped clean to not having access to your slayer form for more than one use, to your character getting stuck on the screen from a dragon's wing buffet) you get with the "enhanced" edition.

    The new characters they introduce are decent but nothing that is resoundingly different from the many mods already available for the game (a number of which aren't available with the "enhanced" edition). Also most of the new characters quest lines are bugged (and have been obviously for the last 7 months).

    Overall I would buy the game from GoG (or anywhere that sells the original game) for less than half the price of this release. Not only will you save money but between the fixpacks and all the available mods for BG2 you'll get far better value for your money.    … Expand
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. trojanvirus
    Nov 19, 2013
    3
    This game was initially release in 2000. That's 13 years ago! Although this game was a beautiful RPG for its time, this time is past. I am sure it would be nice if we were all still running Windows XP, but its over. These kind of games should be commemorated in a hall of fame, not re-sold at an inflated price.
    The game does not stand up to current graphics or gameplay, although it is a    This game was initially release in 2000. That's 13 years ago! Although this game was a beautiful RPG for its time, this time is past. I am sure it would be nice if we were all still running Windows XP, but its over. These kind of games should be commemorated in a hall of fame, not re-sold at an inflated price.
    The game does not stand up to current graphics or gameplay, although it is a classic when it comes to PC-RPGs.    … Expand
  8. Totallynotashil
    Apr 4, 2016
    0
    game is **** don't buy it unless you like giving games with **** gameplay **** story and ****ty Gamergate jokes as well as a Transginger character for no **** reason at all other then for the developers to wack each other raw while moaning about how progressive and accepting they are.
  9. Elco32
    Jun 26, 2016
    0
    Game is less stable than the GoG version. Not worth it over that. Also do not support SJW nonsense by buying this version. This was nothing more than a cash grab by some morons that want to push their social agenda on everyone else. I think they should be sued for this by the IP owners because it spits on the original great work in every conceivable way.
  10. XxSoULxMaNxX
    Oct 25, 2015
    6
    If you can get past the abysmal ("enhanced") graphics and total lack of community-supported, verifiable modifications, then it is an enjoyable game. The combat (in light of the visuals) can look like a cluster of various, indistinct colors interacting in strange ways...with games like Pillars of Eternity out, it is hard to justify for me a prolonged investment of time.
  11. holytaco
    Aug 31, 2014
    6
    Baldur's Gate II is the best RPG ever made. Overhaul's idea -- take a classic game, update the engine and add some content is brilliant. After all, the era of yearly computer upgrades is over and only a small set of self-described gamers buy machines solely to play games. Why not add content to a game that can run on an email and web browsing machine? Again, brilliant, right?Baldur's Gate II is the best RPG ever made. Overhaul's idea -- take a classic game, update the engine and add some content is brilliant. After all, the era of yearly computer upgrades is over and only a small set of self-described gamers buy machines solely to play games. Why not add content to a game that can run on an email and web browsing machine? Again, brilliant, right? Unfortunately, the idea is better than the execution.

    The good --

    The developers have added a nifty zoom function that allows the game to played on high resolution screens. They also added a feature they call a 'quick loot bar' that makes some of the game's mundane tasks go by quickly. After ironing out some troublesome bugs the game now runs better than ever.

    The bad --

    The new content just isn't as good as the original and the developers have taken a heavy hand in quashing criticism. The new NPC 'Hexxat', a vampire thief and lesbian love interest, was panned by all but the hardcore defenders of the company -- but you won't find these negative reviews on the official forums; the critical threads have been deleted or locked and the critics have been banned. I quickly became bored with Hexxat and never finished her storyline. Another NPC character 'Dorn', an evil blackguard, was put in to please those who disliked the heroic narrative of the original game. If your idea of fun is playing a protagonist that slaughters innocents at a wedding party then this NPC is for you -- he didn't do anything for me.

    In brief, good idea and poor execution. If you liked the original game and would like to play it again I would recommend buying it. If, however, you were hoping for a game with lots of new content you will be disappointed.

    Also note -- the developers have asked the hardcore fans to post positive reviews on this site. I would read the mixed reviews before reading the 10 / 10 and 0 /10 reviews.    … Expand
  12. Razhomon
    Mar 4, 2015
    2
    I don't know about this being enhanced but this game is an eyesore. I know they say this game is a classic etc but just look at the graphics. The surroundings are ok but the characters.. Man.. they are pixelated like we are playing in an HD monitor and the characters are like from the 80's. If you can play with your characters looking blocky then I think your fine. But if you are like meI don't know about this being enhanced but this game is an eyesore. I know they say this game is a classic etc but just look at the graphics. The surroundings are ok but the characters.. Man.. they are pixelated like we are playing in an HD monitor and the characters are like from the 80's. If you can play with your characters looking blocky then I think your fine. But if you are like me No WAY! just painful to watch . Just 30 mins into the game then I said I've had it! goodbye. I'll never buy a game like that again!… Expand
  13. Sabatasso
    Dec 23, 2013
    1
    When they first started on re-creating this classic game I had expected more. This is hardly different from the community modded version I already had so I am actually wondering what they actually did themselves.
  14. zadkielmodeler
    Nov 22, 2013
    5
    Well, as a person who has always loved BG and BG2, its hard for me to write this review.

    The original content in its unchanged state is still wonderful and prizeworthy. I however will be reviewing the content added to it by Overhaul games. Not its original awesomeness. Lets talk about releasing a game. Whoever forced the deadline down the developers throats needs to be fired and    Well, as a person who has always loved BG and BG2, its hard for me to write this review.

    The original content in its unchanged state is still wonderful and prizeworthy.
    I however will be reviewing the content added to it by Overhaul games. Not its original awesomeness.

    Lets talk about releasing a game. Whoever forced the deadline down the developers throats needs to be fired and blacklisted. The devs did not even have the time and resources to move over the new portraits and sounds from Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition 1. There are soooo many bugs. I have had the golem in the very first scene not talk for 5 minutes till after he was suppose to do so, leaving Irenicus chattering to himself like a madman. It also left me trapped in the cage for 5 minutes, since Imoen can't break you free until the golem finishes talking. Not much further down the road you run into another bug, the Genie doesn't appear to offer you the sword in the air elemental plane.

    On the same track.. The multiplayer is broken. Not just a little broken, like crashes on gamestart, timeouts abound, unable to rejoin unless host exits and restarts and in some cases all parties have to restart BG EE2 to be able to play together again if even one of them crashes. It can even corrupt save game files on area changes. And tends to crash everyone but the host on chapter transitions Beamdog.net /their multiplayer hosting is a wreck.There is a just a list of games. No filters. They could do filters by campaign, by location, by password or not. You don't even get alphabetical sorting. If there are 1000 games and your friend is hosting. You have to scroll down and read 1000 games until you reach your friend's game.

    Black Pits 2. Well, there was some solid voice acting. Its actually funny at some points.The story line is better and more well developed than black pits 1. There are more people to interact with it does a much better job of creating the setting and feel. You can tell they put some real effort into it. It is a little short, but not as short as blackpits 1, Or at least it doesn't feel like it. .But its very challenging. This can be good or bad depending on whether you are good or bad at making parties, it also challenges you greatly to manage your income. Not a lot of new weapons and armor, mostly just reusing other stuff. If all aspects of the game were as well done as this, it would be amazing and I would give a shining stamp of approval.

    My overall thoughts are, if you are getting it for Singleplayer only, then its great. Personally I like having all of it nicely packaged together on a steam account so I don't have to keep track of all the disks. For me that has significant value. So no matter where I go or what computer I have, I will always have Baldur's Gate 2. However, that praise really goes to Steam and Beamdog, not Overhaul games. They don't get credit for that.

    If you were getting it for multiplayer, my thoughts are to wait a few months and let them release some hot fixes and patches. IF its still broken at that time then forget it. If not then buy and have some fun.

    I would also recommend getting it for addon content. Despite all of its flaws, it does have a very active modding community, with a wonderful set of support forums. If there is a bug, it is likely known and there could even be a work around. The devs got it right in creating a strong user community.

    So overall, 5/10 for the new content. For the original content 9.5/10    … Expand
  15. deskrit
    Sep 1, 2014
    3
    The original Baldurs Gate 2 is considered by many to be the best RPG of all time. Enhanced Edition is a half arsed, repackaged, joke of an "update".

    The new content is trash. This is low grade, modteam level stuff and not the good kind. Other than obviously having a proper audio studio, the voice acting is even comically bad. The writing on the new characters and the Black Pits 2 is    The original Baldurs Gate 2 is considered by many to be the best RPG of all time. Enhanced Edition is a half arsed, repackaged, joke of an "update".

    The new content is trash. This is low grade, modteam level stuff and not the good kind. Other than obviously having a proper audio studio, the voice acting is even comically bad. The writing on the new characters and the Black Pits 2 is just a joke. The combat of the Black Pits 2 is effortless. Effortless in that they basically put old mobs in the arena, changed the names, and said "hmm just make them immune to everything, figure out a way to hack the engine so that this creature is not even effected by things that are not actually possible in the games rules, make that creature ignore AC/Saves/resistances, this creature just add a couple 0's to the HP number, and this other one lets just triple its damage and add instant kill abilities, oh and forget about QA its not important". The Black Pits is actually really great in concept, and I wish Beamdog had been competent enough to execute it with even a modicum of quality. It should also be noted that as of this writing, there is a pretty good chance that if you try to import your party from the EE of Baldurs Gate 1's Black Pits, it will probably crash the game and corrupt the file. That right there is a good idea of the quality of the new content.

    They created a pittance of new content, and then didnt even QA it enough to make it functional. The only redeemable bit of it has one of its best features (start a party in BG1 EE Black Pits, play through the BG2 EE Black Pits with the same party much like the original vanilla games) is about 50/50 on whether or not it will eat your party when you import. Make a backup before you even try.

    The biggest problem overall is that QA is non existent. Over the years fans have patched and improved these games to an impeccable state (these as in BG1, BG2, IWD and so on). Beamdog basically threw all that out and just scaled up the art, and dorked around with the source code enough to break everything. The game crashes and soft locks in the most exciting and unexpected ways. Its amazing that a game with access to millions of dollars and professional game developers can utterly ruin something that a bunch of fans made perfect for free. The entire EE re-release series is so buggy that its widely considered to be a practical joke, or possibly some sort of social experiment. Its easy to see why if it wasnt for the fact that money was spent, and is charged, for this game.

    Baludurs Gate 1 and 2 are masterpieces. Undisputed examples of "video games as art". Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 Enhanced edition are terrible, half arsed "updates" to games that were already perfected both technically and content wise long ago. If you want to play these games for the first time or want digital copies, then just buy the pack avaialble with the original versions of all the Infiinte Engine games that has been avaialble for years and install the latest community updates and enjoy yourself. Do not give Beamdog reward for trash, because the greatest danger is that they have said they wish to make Baldurs Gate 3 someday, if they make enough money on these re-releases.

    That would be a travesty, and if you contribute to that then I hate you. And yes, I hate myself, because I have these stains in my Steam list too :(    … Expand
  16. Triobugbear
    Dec 3, 2016
    0
    I would give the original game from 2003 when I played it 10/10

    This enhanced edition is worthless. The new NPC is a Lesbian Feminist Vampire Thief. Seriously after all this time and out of all the possibilities in the D&D setting this was the best Beamdog could come up with? The ironic thing is there is a Secret NPC called Wilson, a Giant Bear, who is actually fun and the sort of    I would give the original game from 2003 when I played it 10/10

    This enhanced edition is worthless. The new NPC is a Lesbian Feminist Vampire Thief. Seriously after all this time and out of all the possibilities in the D&D setting this was the best Beamdog could come up with?

    The ironic thing is there is a Secret NPC called Wilson, a Giant Bear, who is actually fun and the sort of addition I would look for in an enhanced version of the game, but his inclusion is a "secret" and its not so easy to get him.

    Overall a very average game, however additional points must be deducted as the lack of professionalism by the "community manager" is unforgivable. Banning people on their official forum over the years for no good reason, spreading lies as to why people were banned, insulting fans of an established IP because they criticize a game which is average at best is not acceptable    … Expand
  17. Isaacssv558
    Dec 17, 2013
    4
    Baldur's Gate II is one of the best games ever. That said the enhanced edition brings very little to the table for those who already have the original. It might be good for someone who is new to the series and doesn't want to fiddle with mods but for everyone else the "Enhancements" are not worth a second copy of the game. My personal BG2 install has at least 8 new recruitable charactersBaldur's Gate II is one of the best games ever. That said the enhanced edition brings very little to the table for those who already have the original. It might be good for someone who is new to the series and doesn't want to fiddle with mods but for everyone else the "Enhancements" are not worth a second copy of the game. My personal BG2 install has at least 8 new recruitable characters ranging from vampires to drow to he-who-cannot-be-named-without-spoiling-the-story. It also has widescreen, MUCH better spell graphics and is only unstable when over 100 drow are on screen. In conclusion this is a good entry point to the series but not worth buying if you have the original.… Expand
  18. 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
  19. cpederso
    Jan 13, 2014
    0
    I see a lot of people complaining about the game being overpriced and they are correct but for the wrong reasons. The game is overpriced because they are charging mostly for features that have been provided by the community for free for a decade now.. Spend 10 minutes on google and save your money.
  20. Tatzen
    Mar 14, 2014
    4
    The original is superb, but this re-release does little to expand or improve.

    The good news is the graphics are slightly improved. Better inventory screens and paper dolls, and you can zoom in/out more. There's also widescreen support. Some new content, 4 NPCs come included with the PC version. The bad news: The game itself is buggy, and the new content is simply not worth the    The original is superb, but this re-release does little to expand or improve.

    The good news is the graphics are slightly improved. Better inventory screens and paper dolls, and you can zoom in/out more. There's also widescreen support. Some new content, 4 NPCs come included with the PC version.

    The bad news: The game itself is buggy, and the new content is simply not worth the price. This is a $25 game, and is not worth that value. I found the game crashing periodically, which simply did not happen with the original.

    An example of the rather slipshod work, the import/export characters option is broken, every time I import my character, the game re-calculates the bonuses each character gets due to strength, dexterity, etc. So if my character should start with +2 to hit, becomes +4 if I import it since the game re-does the calculations. It becomes +8 if for some reason I need to import her again! Unlike the original game, the Enhanced edition does not allow you to "Pre-Generate" characters and import them, I suspect that they knew that importing a character into an existing game was broken..

    The new NPCs are pretty atrocious and the dialogue that my character has been given sounds like a comedy routine. When I was chatting with Hexxat, my character was given dialogue option A) "I"ll help you without question" or option B) "Some jerky 3-line comeback that was out of place in this game" or option C) "Too bad for you. Goodbye". Pathetic choices. And the voice acting was amateurish for most of the new characters.

    Go get the GOG.com version, take some time to mod it if you want (you would have to do this anyway to the Exhanced version if you wanted tougher enemies or more challenge), and enjoy the game at a much lower price. The GOG version is often on sale too, for 50-75% off, you can't go wrong! And the original version is compatible with more mods, and with more custom portraits, that the enhanced is not able to use.    … Expand
  21. Zubacz
    Dec 4, 2013
    5
    This is Baldur's Gate, so it is bound to be awesome, however this Enhanced Edition is a much worse experience than the original. Apart from the technical improvements, the game has diminished in quality. The new characters are mostly boring, especially the new to BG2- Hexxat. She is boring in her normal interactions but her romance is just ridiculously flat. A collection of singleThis is Baldur's Gate, so it is bound to be awesome, however this Enhanced Edition is a much worse experience than the original. Apart from the technical improvements, the game has diminished in quality. The new characters are mostly boring, especially the new to BG2- Hexxat. She is boring in her normal interactions but her romance is just ridiculously flat. A collection of single sentences pretending to be a dialogue. Dorn is unrealistic, a terribly created evil character, that does not even compare to the genius of Edwin, Viconia, Sarevok or even Korgan. Neera's story is predictable but at least has some depth to it, despite the ridiculous quests. I am told Rasaad is slightly more interesting, bu I haven't tried him.
    Overlooking the quality of the writing though, the game is so bugged it's just unpleasant to play. New content is terribly buggy- missing monsters, dialogue triggering out of nowhere making little sense, looping character comments, that break the game and so on.
    Buggy new content can be understandable though, however the whole game bugs really often now. Randomly added stats on character creation, missing dialogue, game getting stuck for no reason. It is just unpleasant to have to use the console and third party programs to fix the bugs or create work-arounds for glitches.

    If you are new to Baldur's Gate 2, do not buy this version. Get the original and download the resolution and widescreen mods. It might sounds hard, but the time you will spend in Enhanced Edition searching for console commands or ways to approach glitches will definitely be longer than installing the mods for the original BG2+ToB.
    If you are a veteran BG player, I'd wait a year or so, before getting this. BG1:EE only became worth paying for after patch 1.2, which came out almost a year after release. In it's current state the game is just unpleasant.    … Expand
  22. hazsch
    Apr 8, 2020
    10
    Baldur's Gate 2 is, to many people, the best RPG of all time (myself included).

    I'm unsure of what people are complaining about with the price... it's $20. It also goes on sale all the time. I've played well over a 300 hours of the original and spent a good chunk of time with the Enhanced Edition. The new content Beamdog added has been fantastic (though I wish we'd get some Siege of    Baldur's Gate 2 is, to many people, the best RPG of all time (myself included).

    I'm unsure of what people are complaining about with the price... it's $20. It also goes on sale all the time.

    I've played well over a 300 hours of the original and spent a good chunk of time with the Enhanced Edition. The new content Beamdog added has been fantastic (though I wish we'd get some Siege of Dragonspear related content in here... Corwin and M'Khiin, anyone?) and the base game is what should come up when you search "perfection" on Google. The characters, areas, music and story are absolutely phenomenal. The way the game shows you the mechanics and the numbers of the game has been completely streamlined by Beamdog, and you no longer actually have to understand THAC0 to be good at the game.

    The mod support for this game is out of this world. Not as robust as Neverwinter Nights, but there are people out there today creating amazing content for this game, as there have been for the last 20 years.

    I could go on, but there are people singing their praise about this game everywhere. Every "top 10 RPGs" list has this game on it. It is the RPG that defined the genre as something truly incredible. Baldur's Gate 2 sits on a throne, and the Enhanced Edition is the definitive version of it.

    Buy it. Play it. Love it.    … Expand
  23. pwnoz
    Jan 12, 2014
    0
    I love Baldur's Gate, but the enhanced edition is much worse than the original. Multiplayer is super buggy, lots of crashing (chapter transitions don't work in multiplayer, cutscenes crash, etc), major story events can get screwed up (certain characters may not leave the party when they're supposed to), the added Black Pits II was released in a state where they openly said on their forumsI love Baldur's Gate, but the enhanced edition is much worse than the original. Multiplayer is super buggy, lots of crashing (chapter transitions don't work in multiplayer, cutscenes crash, etc), major story events can get screwed up (certain characters may not leave the party when they're supposed to), the added Black Pits II was released in a state where they openly said on their forums that it's unstable in multiplayer and you shouldn't play it. Certain spells that worked fine in the original are completely broken (Harper's Call doesn't work at all). They don't seem to be too concerned about fixing it either as there haven't been any patches in about 2 months. It's rather embarrassing. I've had way more issues on this brand new updated version than I ever had playing the original. Just get it the old one from gog and add some mods.… Expand
  24. KaienShiba
    Feb 28, 2015
    0
    Simple the game mechanics are the worst ever, spells that can go through walls or do a 90 degree turn, dual classing from either thief or to thief has back stab severely broken and no patch to fix all the bugs by overhaul, best to by the game from black isle, it's cheaper and works right with limited patching, gave the original 90/100 give this piece of garbage 1/100
  25. Finneous
    Nov 20, 2013
    10
    $25 for countless hours of quality entertainment...well worth it, especially considering that this is an enhancement of the best computer RPG ever made, and it plays excellent on a Mac! You can't even take your girlfriend to the movies for $25 these days, a measly 2 hours of entertainment. It takes all freakin' night just to finish 1 dungeon in this masterpiece. If you enjoy fantasy$25 for countless hours of quality entertainment...well worth it, especially considering that this is an enhancement of the best computer RPG ever made, and it plays excellent on a Mac! You can't even take your girlfriend to the movies for $25 these days, a measly 2 hours of entertainment. It takes all freakin' night just to finish 1 dungeon in this masterpiece. If you enjoy fantasy role playing games, this game is required playing!… Expand
  26. Irishpride1960
    Nov 21, 2013
    5
    Usually fighting bugs is confined to the start of an RPG, but bugs remain a constant enemy as the game progresses, there is a patch in the works, but hold off until it's implemented to see how well it works. BG2 EE is a great idea, but badly executed. The price may be a sticking point for some, but for others that don't want to mess around with mods, its a fair price, but not worth payingUsually fighting bugs is confined to the start of an RPG, but bugs remain a constant enemy as the game progresses, there is a patch in the works, but hold off until it's implemented to see how well it works. BG2 EE is a great idea, but badly executed. The price may be a sticking point for some, but for others that don't want to mess around with mods, its a fair price, but not worth paying until its well patched.… Expand
  27. Khyron
    Nov 21, 2013
    10
    The vanilla game was fantastic, but the game engine is dated and very unappealing now.

    Beamdog's done a great job in overhauling the game engine, stabilized it, made it more visually appealing and added a lot of new great content.

    Worth every penny of the pricetag.
  28. 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
  29. mforww
    Nov 21, 2013
    9
    First, let me lead off with why BG2EE is the best version of Baldur's Gate 2: the EE version actually allows me play BG2.

    The glitchy old Infinity Engine has been overhauled by Beamdog so that it's now compatible with newer Intel chipsets. Previously, I had been unable to get the game to work on my computer despite digging through a bevvy of mods and forum-post fixes that were dated    First, let me lead off with why BG2EE is the best version of Baldur's Gate 2: the EE version actually allows me play BG2.

    The glitchy old Infinity Engine has been overhauled by Beamdog so that it's now compatible with newer Intel chipsets. Previously, I had been unable to get the game to work on my computer despite digging through a bevvy of mods and forum-post fixes that were dated anywhere from circa 2005 to 2011. So when I heard of the Enhanced Edition I knew I would pony up whatever the asking price was regardless of what other "extras" they threw in.

    What I didn't realize was that the game would ultimately sell me on the legitimacy of its $25 price tag. Obviously with this being a decade old game and available on the cheap at GOG.com, the price tag is the enormous elephant in the room for any purchaser, and accordingly this review wouldn't be complete without a discussion on the bargain-value proposition. Are you getting your money's worth for the extra $20?

    In two words: hell yes.

    Once you see the quality and content of the new NPC's, their new personal quests, the Black Pits, the new areas, and the general overall graphic improvements (including the ability to zoom way out praise the lord for this) you'll be sold. Not only those features, but the inclusion of altogether new classes like the Shadowdancer and Sun Soul Monk help keep the game fresh. Considering the going rate for DLC these days (as I look pensively at the $29.99 price tag for the new X-Com expansion on Steam) I can say that BG2EE is worth it.

    If you're on a budget I would encourage anyone to pick up BG2 in any form that they can get it (well, assuming you can get the old version to work on your computer, at least). But, if you can spare the extra change, you'll be picking up the best version by a mile with BG2EE.    … Expand
  30. bld249
    Nov 21, 2013
    10
    Great update to a phenomenal game. Extra characters/quests/items are nicely worked into existing game plot and a worthy addition. While the game is $25, it is worth every penny if it brings us that much closer to BG3.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
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  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]
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