Baldur's Gate

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 909 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 805 out of 909
  2. Mixed: 68 out of 909
  3. Negative: 36 out of 909

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Bib
    Jun 7, 2004
    10
    I love the atmosphere and the chance to go into old times like that. all the adventures. The decisions you can chose. The temple missions. The game is just outstanding. id give it a 20 if it were possible.
  2. Sai9s
    Jul 8, 2004
    10
    I haven't had this much challenge and fun in an rpg in forever, i'm finally glad an outstanding ad&d title has finally been released.
  3. PatrickG
    Dec 2, 2008
    10
    10 years later after it's release Baldur's Gate is still a fun and amazing RPG experience to play. When Bioware created this game, the created a enjoyable story with good graphic and sound effects and music. There is a good balance with what technology can do and how to make the game fun. The engine support tons of options to the player to interact with the world: talking to 10 years later after it's release Baldur's Gate is still a fun and amazing RPG experience to play. When Bioware created this game, the created a enjoyable story with good graphic and sound effects and music. There is a good balance with what technology can do and how to make the game fun. The engine support tons of options to the player to interact with the world: talking to NPC, getting sidequest, customize equipment of the party and their progression with proficiency and spells to learn, finding and disarming traps, replenish missiles stock, use potion or not, weapon is destroyed... need to replace it, found a new magic item... need to identify them... the interaction and options goes on and on. The battles are the core of the experience and this is where I think BG shines the most. The player can choose different tactics to approach a situation: cast defensive spells, go spy, backstab, run and hide, cast healing spells, protect some member, boost a fighter, charm an enemy and make him attack its friends, find a inn to sleep... The game offer lot of challenges and has the complexity to keep the player always looking for his next move which create a sense of need and can be define with great addictiveness. The great story line and it's sidequest keeps the player involve in the progression of this marvelous game. I'm rediscover this classic with an enhanced and updated version thanks to Baldur's Gate TuTu. Worth to play and replay if you like epic game D&D game with an easy interface to control your party - which I found was missing in all the neverwinter nights games after.… Expand
  4. [Anonymous]
    Jun 7, 2004
    10
    I've never been addicted to an rpg as i've with bg, the game can get impossibly hard but those are the best parts, where you have to think up the greatest strategies and the wackiest at that!
  5. MedillenA.
    Mar 5, 2007
    10
    one of the best RP game ever. and for the record, the n00b who ended dead with kobolds must have been really a very awful player. I really don't see how that is actually possible.
  6. Bakleth
    Mar 17, 2008
    10
    I still go back to this game even now(2008). It's the only one that's always got a place on my hard drive. Plot driven, but not linear. Want to wander for a few hours looking for random encounters?Want to pile headlong into the best story in RPGs? Yes, I know it's over 10 years old and the graphics won't stand up against anything modern, but the gameplay simply has not I still go back to this game even now(2008). It's the only one that's always got a place on my hard drive. Plot driven, but not linear. Want to wander for a few hours looking for random encounters?Want to pile headlong into the best story in RPGs? Yes, I know it's over 10 years old and the graphics won't stand up against anything modern, but the gameplay simply has not been beaten yet.… Expand
  7. JohnR
    Jun 9, 2008
    10
    In my view the Infinity Engine games will never be bettered for all-round quality. Baldur's Gate was the first PC game I ever played and it's still the first game I install on any new computer I buy. The good points are too many to mention and I don't want to write an essay, so suffice it to say that Baldur's Gate is, along with it's younger brother BG2 and perhapsIn my view the Infinity Engine games will never be bettered for all-round quality. Baldur's Gate was the first PC game I ever played and it's still the first game I install on any new computer I buy. The good points are too many to mention and I don't want to write an essay, so suffice it to say that Baldur's Gate is, along with it's younger brother BG2 and perhaps Torment, simply the best game ever created.… Expand
  8. Lefteris
    Jul 25, 2005
    10
    One of the best RPG!!!!
  9. MetaPhysical
    Dec 5, 2006
    10
    A truly *epic* RPG game that has revolutionized what the gaming industry now sets as a standard for its games - this game can totally engross the player in its amazing, seemingly limitless world, fully catered with an excellent plot, amazing playability, and everything one could probably ever want in an RPG.
  10. DannyM.
    Sep 18, 2006
    10
    The best RPG of all time, for having created a perfect plot in a world you can travel about in for hours.
  11. Nova
    Mar 21, 2008
    10
    Amazing game- great graphics for the time, wondrful story and character development. Download Baldur's Gate TuTu and you can play BG using the BG2 game engine - more diverse weapon proficiencies etc. Can revitalize this game for people who have played it through 300+ times like me.
  12. TheMitherer
    Sep 30, 2011
    10
    Superb game which spawned a superb sequel (a quite rare achievement in itself). People tend to prefer its successor but this game is actually better in some respects. No less than 25 joinable NPCs and many many areas to explore. The beginning can be quite tough but once you are over it the game is rewarding, suspenseful, amusing, intruiging and challenging. Travelling through wildernessSuperb game which spawned a superb sequel (a quite rare achievement in itself). People tend to prefer its successor but this game is actually better in some respects. No less than 25 joinable NPCs and many many areas to explore. The beginning can be quite tough but once you are over it the game is rewarding, suspenseful, amusing, intruiging and challenging. Travelling through wilderness areas always keeps you on your toes - am I going to meet some kobolds, a greater basilisk or just some madman who likes hearing the sound of his own voice? The diversity of weapons, armour, spells and enemies is necessarily limited by your low level but there are enough interesting items and encounters to keep you going throughout the game. One of the joys of this game is that almost any battle can be won by any group (or soloer) just by using the right tactics. Away from the combat, the NPCs have good interactions with each other and the PC and actually have minds of their own. The fact that all NPCs will say something out loud when you click on them is amazing in itself. The story also keeps you motivated and has some very good twists. Unbelievable replayabilty. Play as a thief with Imoen, Branwen, Kivan Xan and Shar-teel. Or maybe be a mage with Kagain, Coran, Safana, Tiax and Garrick. In 1998 this game wiped the floor with everything and it can only be judged on that. This made me a gamer and despite its age I would never hesitate to call it one of my all time favourites.… Expand
  13. Synplasm
    Feb 15, 2012
    10
    I must have had about 7 different computers since this game came out and this game has always been one of the first things that I've put on the hard drive of every single one of them. I 've also bought the whole series 3 times. Over 50,000 possible parties of 6, no two of which would play out the same. This says it all. An emphatic, nailed-on, incontrovertible, fantastic 10.
  14. DantheMan
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    'Legendary' is a term much bandied about these days but this game is one than genuinely deserves the adjective. Many people consider this game to have single handily have saved the single-player RPG genre on the PC just when it looked dead. It represents a definite turning point in the history of gaming. This can be hard to appreciate today because even I'll concede that the graphics'Legendary' is a term much bandied about these days but this game is one than genuinely deserves the adjective. Many people consider this game to have single handily have saved the single-player RPG genre on the PC just when it looked dead. It represents a definite turning point in the history of gaming. This can be hard to appreciate today because even I'll concede that the graphics are dated. But the truth of the matter is that RPGs have never been about graphics anyway. What made Balder's Gate innovative it was the first RPG to actually use NPCs to advance the story in a mission critical way. It put their stories, their personalities, their goals on a footing that was equal to your own. What made it show-stopping was the nature of those personalities. They were all different, all unique, and they all didn't necessarily care about you. You had to not just manage combat but manage people if your little band was going to finish the game.

    Yes, the combat can be unbalanced at times. There are a few bugs. But if you cannot laugh when Minsc shouts, "Go for the eyes, Boo" there is something wrong not with the game but with your life. If you want, you can break this game down and find all it's flaws; they exist. But if you don't cheer sitting in your chair when Minsc shouts, "Butt kicking for Goodness!" you have no heart. This isn't just so much a game as it is an experience. That, it seems to me, is what an RPG is all about. It's about creating experiences; it's about making memories. It's playing your role to the hilt and loving it. Baldur's Gate might not have been the best, some people argue the sequel is better, but it was the first to offer that immersion in a way no other game had up until that point in time. If you haven't played this game you should. Because this is where it all began.    … Expand
  15. Skulb
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    Out of all the AD&D titles released as computer games Baldur`s Gate is probably the best of all of them. In addition to the good characters, nice story lines, clean interface and good game play you find in Fallout, Torment, Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights as well as in the sequel to BG there is a great sense of exploration in this game. Even with repeat runs there is a powerfulOut of all the AD&D titles released as computer games Baldur`s Gate is probably the best of all of them. In addition to the good characters, nice story lines, clean interface and good game play you find in Fallout, Torment, Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights as well as in the sequel to BG there is a great sense of exploration in this game. Even with repeat runs there is a powerful compulsion to fully reveal all the maps to make sure you haven`t missed anything, and above all most of the areas in the game are totally optional. This means that the game is almost completely non linear, letting you choose for yourself when to do what, something almost entirely lost in RPGs since the original Baldur`s Gate.
    On top of this the soundtrack is awesome and so are the sound effects and graphics, which really hold up pretty well even 16 years later.
    Special mention also needs to be made regarding the NPCs in Baldur`s Gate, which are almost all magnificent. Some are annoying, like the awful Branwen with her battle shout "BY TEMPUS`SHIELD!" which still drives me up the wall. Some are comical, like Xzar the insane mage or Minsc the addled berserker. Some of them have story connections, like Minsc, Dynaheir and Edwin and all of them have interesting stories to tell if you keep them in your group and to top it all off inter NPC banter depending on which of them you keep around, giving you endless reasons for replaying the game with different NPCs in the group. And during all this the voice acting is perfect in every way, and the entire system of NPC based groups gives you the best reason in the world to explore, if gear and being obsessive won`t do it for you,, since you might otherwise miss one of them.
    My personal favorite is Kagain, the depressed, mean dwarf fighter with a drinking problem who keeps saying "I need an ale..." when combat begins. Some people may want to make their entire group from scratch but this can be done by setting up a multiplayer session anyway so it shouldn`t be an issue.

    On the "negative" side the game is absolutely merciless, exactly like the AD&D franchise it was based on, with casters easily able to wipe out your entire group with a single cast of hold person, charm person or something similar, which you can`t deal with too well until about level 5. Similarly archers are a pain in the butt, and single ones will oneshot low level mages while a group of them will make you tear your hair out. Of course the only solution to this is exploration to make sure you find all the gear, potions and spells you can possibly get your hands on to be able to survive. Also some areas are very annoying to explore, and the Firewine Bridge and ruins in particular. The AI will cause you to cry in confined and laborious locations, and especially when there`s respawn.

    Of course all this frustration is authentic and a relic of the AD&D experience which is the setting where most nerds who were young in the 70s and 80s got punched in the nose for the first time after getting their best friend`s level 9 paladin killed by mistake, or causing the 29th level 2 dwarf warrior in a row to get killed by hobgoblins right outside town with all the other nerds mocking the victim. Ritual burning of character sheets ahoy!
    Sadly Baldur`s Gate has save games which break that good `ol nerd torture. Of course you`d never be able to finish the game without them, but real men play it without loading and saving. My personal record is level 5, at which point I was killed by gnolls, exploding in a shower or body parts.    … Expand
  16. Biss
    May 20, 2011
    10
    The best Exploring-RPG, that Black Isle ever had created. Only the Love Interests are missing. But that's not really a minus, because they are introduced/invented in the second part.
  17. Mystril
    Oct 24, 2011
    10
    Wanting to give BG2 a 20/10, this would at least be a 19/10... I liked the sequel better, it was bigger, flashier, prettier, funnier, just better in every sense of the word. But that does not mean that this isn't a game that should be on every gamers shelf. I still have the old 7-cd pack on my shelf, and every time i see it it stirs some fond memories. Even if I was only 12 when it cameWanting to give BG2 a 20/10, this would at least be a 19/10... I liked the sequel better, it was bigger, flashier, prettier, funnier, just better in every sense of the word. But that does not mean that this isn't a game that should be on every gamers shelf. I still have the old 7-cd pack on my shelf, and every time i see it it stirs some fond memories. Even if I was only 12 when it came out, I understood enough to enjoy the game for what it was, even though I probably would have enjoyed it much more had I been older. I will agree with DantheMan, this game, as number 2 aswell, is legendary.… Expand
  18. Remedios
    Aug 5, 2011
    10
    Simply love this game. My first walkthrough was so great and so freaking difficult! You actually have to use tactics when you fight not like in Dragon Age where, when you have three mages and only one warrior you can kill pretty much everything even on hard mode. One think you can complain about in Baldur's Gate is relation with your team members. Well, they're not talkative ones but ifSimply love this game. My first walkthrough was so great and so freaking difficult! You actually have to use tactics when you fight not like in Dragon Age where, when you have three mages and only one warrior you can kill pretty much everything even on hard mode. One think you can complain about in Baldur's Gate is relation with your team members. Well, they're not talkative ones but if you like you can use mods. NPC Project is really cool. You have romances, friendships and all this stuff. Imoen rocks! :P… Expand
  19. Kirase
    Jan 1, 2012
    10
    One of the best 2D Dungeons and Dragons RPGs ever made.

    If you like the genre and you think you can overlook the slightly outdated 2D graphics (Just look at some screenshots or videos) than you should really give it a try. Its simply brilliant.
  20. sovereign007
    Nov 10, 2015
    10
    Even in 2015, this game is still every single bit as good as it was when it was first released. I recently started another gameplay on a whim, after not touching the series for over a decade. Yes, the graphics are dated, yes, some mechanics are old. Yes, it has a learning cliff because few people today are familiar with the AD&D 2nd Edition rule set (and especially its spell books, whichEven in 2015, this game is still every single bit as good as it was when it was first released. I recently started another gameplay on a whim, after not touching the series for over a decade. Yes, the graphics are dated, yes, some mechanics are old. Yes, it has a learning cliff because few people today are familiar with the AD&D 2nd Edition rule set (and especially its spell books, which are very, very, very diverse and a result complex). But, still, this is one of the greatest games of all time and it has aged gracefully. There is an endless amount of mods to improve the already stellar adventure, and the Enhanced Edition is a quick (even if a pricier) way to sort out many bugs without installing fix packs. The replay value is still there, nearly two decades after this masterpiece came out. If you have not played this yet, it is a must-have game. It also runs of pretty much anything, so if you need a game to accompany you on a business trip long hours in airports and airplanes, this is it.

    So gather your party, and venture forth.    … Expand
  21. Zoso
    Jun 15, 2012
    10
    The Godfather of RPGs. Period.
    Still pays to play it from time to time. Everything about this game was groundbreaking for the time, the graphics, the interface, the sound, the vastness, the storytelling.
    Had some issues with pathfinding, but those were fixed in Baldur's Gate II.
  22. Kronos362
    Oct 10, 2013
    10
    A great game that at the time shaped my enthusiasm as a gamer, but would unfortunately ruin my appetite for the modern vein of rpgs that focus on form over substance.
  23. DRiVER_helsinki
    Dec 22, 2013
    10
    the most epic of original the game stories. even time has eaten the visuals little its actually still beautiful easily enjoyable and u forget the time and irl troubles
  24. gracjanski
    Apr 2, 2016
    10
    Everything was better earlier...I dont like nostalgia, because I dont think that everything was better before. But there are Morrowind and Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, who dont fit in it, because they are still top and not outdated.
    The most genious element in BG1 are the many mods, that you can install very easily. With the Big World Seteup you can merge BG1 and 2 together to one world and play    Everything was better earlier...I dont like nostalgia, because I dont think that everything was better before. But there are Morrowind and Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, who dont fit in it, because they are still top and not outdated.
    The most genious element in BG1 are the many mods, that you can install very easily. With the Big World Seteup you can merge BG1 and 2 together to one world and play the first part with the engine of the second. In addition you get the AD&D rules of BG 2. Alltogether it makes the game more beautiful and more complex as BG 1 without the mods.
    The story is adult and a bit complex too, just like the great dialogs (except Imoen).
    I liked the addon legend of swordcoast, because you get content in a very dense manner. The background informations were very interesting and gives you a taste for BG 2. There is something important, that I need to mention and that I appreciate: You can play BG1 without any problems in Win 7 :)

    What is negative? The NPCs are a bit stupid to find their way. Many dungeons are tight and then the NPCs want to run detours. In addition the side quests and places are a bit boring.    … Expand
  25. MaxNormal
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    My favourite game of all time.

    Better then any other D&D game to date because of the exploration. A really interesting world with engaging characters and side quests. Little touches of polish make the game, such as the sound effects in the woodlands, and gold and magic rings hidden in tree trunks. The environments are gorgeous and the graphics are good for the time. The combat is    My favourite game of all time.

    Better then any other D&D game to date because of the exploration. A really interesting world with engaging characters and side quests. Little touches of polish make the game, such as the sound effects in the woodlands, and gold and magic rings hidden in tree trunks. The environments are gorgeous and the graphics are good for the time.

    The combat is good, you pause with the space bar for semi-turned based combat, where you can give orders to your party members. Not as involving as Temple of Elemental Evil but still good fun and not completely hack and slash.

    Starting as a weak low level character makes the game much more interesting then BGII, which I found too boring to play.

    Well worth a play if you've not before, unless you can't get past dating graphics.    … Expand
  26. DeusXCom
    Aug 5, 2014
    10
    My favourite fantasy RPG of all time. This is the best transformation of AD&D into cRPG form. The world that has been created here to explore is just breathtaking, all beautifully hand-drawn visuals, vast forests with creatures, treasures, and other characters to meet, interesting quests to do, amazing story to read. All the little details, you can absolutely feel the love that went intoMy favourite fantasy RPG of all time. This is the best transformation of AD&D into cRPG form. The world that has been created here to explore is just breathtaking, all beautifully hand-drawn visuals, vast forests with creatures, treasures, and other characters to meet, interesting quests to do, amazing story to read. All the little details, you can absolutely feel the love that went into creating this masterpiece. The music gets me every time. This was, and still is an incredible adventure and my all-time favourite in this genre. 10/10… Expand
  27. Wolfie1987
    Mar 26, 2014
    10
    The atmosphere is incredible. I can't think of many 2D RPG games that can touch Baldur's Gate. Fallout 1 & 2 perhaps, I dunno. Though slightly blinded by nostalgia, in my opinion this is either the chosen one or at least top 3.
  28. Vamrem
    Dec 9, 2014
    10
    This game from 1998 still a reference for all RPG, since the character creation you feel that you are entering in the Dungeons & Dragons world by the right way. The game begins with a hurried trip that will end leaving us alone in the woods with few things and one friend, since that point you will learn how to survive by your way in an hostile and huge world, exploring, surviving, sleepingThis game from 1998 still a reference for all RPG, since the character creation you feel that you are entering in the Dungeons & Dragons world by the right way. The game begins with a hurried trip that will end leaving us alone in the woods with few things and one friend, since that point you will learn how to survive by your way in an hostile and huge world, exploring, surviving, sleeping and using all your potions and arrows until you reach a safe location. Today we have mods that allows to play the complete saga in one installation with the Baldur's Gate 2 improved engine, so, is a must have for each worthy RPG gamer.… Expand
  29. MarcMrine
    Aug 15, 2016
    10
    Before rate Pillars of Eternity, an obligatory tribute to this masterpiece, first of an entire RPG genre, the real time automatic combat with tactic pause, the golden age of Bioware till Dragon Age Origins. Intuitive combat system that aids to get in the deep plot, driving the party through beautiful handmade environments of forest, dungeons and cities, with the flavor of classic fantasyBefore rate Pillars of Eternity, an obligatory tribute to this masterpiece, first of an entire RPG genre, the real time automatic combat with tactic pause, the golden age of Bioware till Dragon Age Origins. Intuitive combat system that aids to get in the deep plot, driving the party through beautiful handmade environments of forest, dungeons and cities, with the flavor of classic fantasy tales, with sublime music, sounds and dialogues, leaving the sensation of being part of a canvas.… Expand
  30. Kylo190
    Nov 19, 2014
    10
    One of the best RPGs in the world. D&D system, storyline and excellent gameplay. 10/10
    P.S Sorry for my English.
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 1998
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 1998
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 1998

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Adrenaline Vault
    100
    Baldur's Gate is not a computer role-playing game...it is THE computer role-playing game.
    Read full review
  2. Quandary
    100
    It's been a long haul, more than two months of solid game-play, but I have been absolutely engrossed by every minute! Very few games earn such an accolade from this reviewer.
    Read full review
  3. Game Revolution
    100
    This is, without a doubt, the closest thing out there to actually getting together with a bunch of your friends on a Sunday afternoon, taking your characters into a dungeon, and using you own BOO to find out if that bottomless pit was actually bottomless.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »