When Baldur's Gate came out in 1998, I a middle school kid introduced to it by watching my dad play it. Baldur's Gate, for me, is the epitome of what a medieval fantasy role-playing game should be. I personally enjoy when a game, such as Baldur's Gate, starts the player out with little more than a stick and a few gold coins. Nothing is more fun than running around an area and picking up everything imaginable just so when I sell all the junk I found I can afford a decent piece of chain mail.
One of the best parts about the game is the sheer freedom allowed for the player to explore the areas of the game and detour from the main story. It also gave you choices in what kind of character you wanted to be, whether good, evil, or somewhere in between. Seldom games prior to Baldur's Gate that had this level of freedom; most were very linear, which limited the player in terms of choice and exploration.
Baldur's Gate also introduced new players to the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing system by taking those same core rules and putting them in a game. Players could experience what a pen and paper D&D game was like but in a much more user friendly way. I personally never got into the old D&D game because 1) I wasn't born in 1975 and 2) I don't have the attention span to play pen and paper games. So BG allowed younger gamers to experience the old system with a lot less work.
But it wasn't just revolutionizing role-playing games that put Baldur's Gate on the top of my list, it's because BG excels in every category: beautifully pre-rendered settings makes exploration a treat, an engaging storyline that creates the need to find out what happens next, and again, the sheer number of things you can do and how what choices you make can effect the outcome of every situation.
When I say Baldur's Gate I mean the entire series: BG1, BG2, and Throne of Bhaal. If you are going to play one, you need to play them all to experience the story in its entirety. Places like Amazon and Ebay are good places to find copies in good condition, mainstream stores won't carry them.
As I write this I wonder if there will ever be another game that so beautifully captures the essence of the medieval fantasy genre like Baldur's Gate, with complex characters, exciting battles, engaging quests, all amid gorgeous scenery. Of course I know realize that the answer is yes, and that game will be Baldur's Gate 3.
| My name is Brendan and I grew up playing video games, so whether I like it or not, they are a part of my life and many other people's as well. It is very fun for me to discuss the topic of video games so check out my blog to see more articles that talk about the gaming industry http://brendanigan.blogspot.com/ |
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