Gaming Signal: Retro-gaming: Baldur's Gate

Retro-gaming: Baldur's Gate

I recently decided to return to a loved game of my younger days and replay Baldur's Gate 2. However, I remembered that I had never played through the first in the series. I had purchased it out of the bargain bin (in a bundle along with the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion) for $10 but somehow had never gotten to it. I decided then that it was time to give it a try - sure it's from 1998, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun. So how did it hold up?

After finishing the game after probably 20-30 hours played, all I can say is that good games can hold up regardless of the advances in technology. Sure I was stuck playing in 640x480 (at least I think that's what resolution it was) without most of the modern UI conventions - but it still worked great. The game balance inherent in AD&D coupled with the excellent story from Bioware makes for an excellent game.

Bioware's implementation of AD&D is something I find totally lacking in modern games. Unlike Neverwinter Nights, I felt very much in control of my party of adventurers at all times - able to easily command them in semi-turn-based gameplay. It also contains a level of depth that the Japanese console-based RPGs simply shouldn't be compare to. Frankly, while graphics have gotten better, I don't think the gameplay itself has improved as much. The audio in BG compares to any modern game - with sound effects and music that really contributes to enjoying it. There is a limited amount of voice-over work, but given how easily that fails to impress I'm not sure that's a negative.

And the story is flat-out awesome - at once epic and personal. It casts you as a hero in a way that doesn't feel hackneyed or rehashed. It don't want to spoil it for those who haven't played it, but my only complaint was that the end of the first game was very obviously NOT the end of the story and they took a big risk that future games might not be made. Lucky for us that the game was a success and we got a Baldur's Gate 2 and a chance to enjoy the outcome of the epic story.

Scott got Baldurs Gate WOOD!!! OMFG!!!1 eleventy.

Ok seriously, I have not re-played BG lately, but I did add KOTOR 1 to my laptop recently and played it while I was in Austin over the last weekend. It was hell-a fun! BG and KOTOR are both Bioware so I think we have pretty much agreed that there are no other publishers that can even hold a candle to Bioware.

I started Bioshock last night, and while Steam had a few curve balls to toss my way I was playing by 6:30pm till I went to bed last night. It is BY FAR the most beautiful game I have ever played. Especially at 1920x1200 with all the bells and whistles cranked up to 11! (Spinal Tap FTW!) I was honestly surprised that my 8800 GTS could play at 30fps at 1920x1200. There were a few dips to 20 to 22 fps but that was with tons of things moving around in the world at the same time. Not enough slow down to make me drop the resolution yet.

If I could use one word to describe Bioshock... IMMERSIVE! The game world is a little like a mash up of "Fallout" and "Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow." As if the golden era had gone on and become technologically steampunk-ish. It's scary too, in both a "jump out at you" and "creepy" at the same time.

Pretty much anything from Bioware is a "must buy."

Posted by tditto on Wednesday August 22, 2007 at 9:47 AM

Um... Mr. L33t Speak - Bioshock is from Irrational Games not Bioware. Irrational did the fine Freedom Force games that really embrace the cheese factor of superhero games.

As for Baldur's Gate - I think it is a great title, but it was from a different time in the industry. The goal now is all about shiny games and less on substance. You can see some games still have stories to tell, but those are far fewer than games that offer limited single player elements in favor of online multiplayer. Don't get me wrong, I love co-op games - but another deathmatch (Halo3) title is not what I want.

Finally, I don't know what you meant by the "a level of depth that the Japanese console-based RPGs simply shouldn't be compare to" but I think that Japanese games work to tell an epic story. I also think that they really work hard to give you a game play duration element that doesn't always work.

Posted by Tim on Wednesday August 22, 2007 at 12:43 PM