Four years ago, I bought and tried to play through the Enhanced Edition of Baldur’s Gate. Somehow, I managed to get myself killed and abandoned the game for something a little more cinematic and exciting. Fast forward to 2020 and I decided to try it again. This time, though, on the most easy of settings. Why, I hear you ask? Because I didn’t want a repeat of my previous time with the game and wanted to see the story to the end. And so my journey began again as the Ward of Gorion. But this time, I would see it through.

Like many role playing games (RPG) that came after it, Baldur’s Gate allows players to customise their main character. It isn’t as complicated as more recent games – such as selecting hair styles and modifying cheekbones – but it was serviceable enough in that I was able to choose my race, class and put some additional points into my awesome thieving skills. I’m not sure why I always pick a thief in most RPGs. Perhaps it’s because that they have access to certain items earlier due to their ability to steal and lockpick their way into chests. Yes. That’s probably it. For a completionist such as myself, it allows me to discover what’s sitting in a locked chest and decide whether or not it’s something I need.

From my humble beginnings of running around Candlekeep, I was thrust out into the much more wild Sword Coast. With Gorion slain by unknown adversaries, I was quick to befriend any and all that were also on the road as I made my way to the Friendly Arm Inn. It is here where the game shines with its choice of companions. Almost immediately, I had Imoen, Xzar and Montaron as I ventured to the rendezvous my earnest father-figure had set up for me. Once there, I managed to recruit Jaheira and Khalid to my cause. 

By the time I was properly investigating the iron crisis and had headed down to Nashkel, though, I had far too many options open for party members. It is here, I feel, that Baldur’s Gate stumbles a little. While it makes sense to have a variety of choices for differently aligned characters, it also makes it a lot harder to keep some of the more interesting and nuanced ones due to the needs of the party. It might have been intriguing to have Eldoth and Skie Silvershield in my team, but I already had a bard in Garrick and I was already a pure thief build.

Then there were the conflicting motives of the companion characters. Many of these things work on paper but trying to see the dynamism and interactions between each companion character can be difficult. It is why I much prefer keeping numbers small so that more time can be spent on developing motivations and connections. 

I also disliked that many characters were linked to others. Jaheira and Khalid, Montaron and Xzar…Minsc and Dynaheir. It made things difficult because I couldn’t fill my party with the roles I required. Or the people I wanted.

The narrative and mystery surrounding the iron ore crisis, also proved to be an excellent way to string me along. While each chapter varies in length (I much prefer a three-act story a la Pillars of Eternity rather than having seven), each portion of the plot managed to keep me invested until the very end. Yes, a lot of it is cliche and how Sarevok manages to get away with most of it requires a little suspension of disbelief. Still, Baldur’s Gate was quite captivating from start to end. In particular, I like many of the additions to the base game that Beamdog made. From the new characters to the upgraded visuals and cutscenes.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the expansion: Siege of Dragonspear. This one was less open-world and funnelled players to the natural conclusion. Whereas I was freely able to spend as much time as I wanted exploring all the different maps, Siege of Dragonspear made them a little bit smaller and more manageable. It also made more sense in the context of the expansion that time was limited and you were part of a military force. As such, it felt like there were more stakes in the story than in the base game. Old characters also return, but not all join up with your motley crew. This made it more interesting to diversify my party.

The mechanics, like the games that came afterwards is based on the rules of Dungeons and Dragons. In Baldur’s Gate, this is because the world of Faerun is ripped from Dungeons and Dragons lore. But because of that, I found the combat a little lacklustre. Yes, you can pause and select spells and abilities, but it never felt as intuitive as more recent titles such as Divinity: Original Sin. Still, it made one think about party composition and one’s next move. Or whether or not to use a spell now as opposed to later down the track.

Encounters were also quite varied. From simple battles with wolves and gibberings to much more challenging ones with Saverok and a demon that had death gaze. This meant positioning characters and liberal uses of the pause function. Of course, since I was playing this on the easiest mode available, I had no fear of my characters dying permanently. As such, much of the challenge evaporated. But, for someone who is looking for something a little more tactical, the systems are there to enjoy a proper game with hidden dice rolls under the hood (with my luck, though, that is unfortunately not something I would like to leave to chance).

Overall, Baldur’s Gate told an interesting origin story for the Hero of Baldur’s Gate and I’m looking forward to see what Larian Studios does with the IP in Baldur’s Gate 3. Of course, I’d need to play through Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn if I want to understand what’s happening with our dear little Bhaalspawn.