Baldur's Gate 2: EE - Review @ GameTactics

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GameTactics reviews Baldur's Gate 2: EE, and awards the game with a sore of 8/10.

Despite the lack of a significant overhauling, the core game is still a very solid experience. You can expect a significantly lengthy quest, with the main quest being as little as 10 hours. But of course that makes the game much harder, so having many side quests to do and make that clock go up into the 100 hour range, and that’s not even counting the expansion or the Black Pits II. Voice-acting brings the charms of characters like Minsc to life, and you can also expect a great story to unfold. The game may be a bit pricey for what is more of a re-release than a remake, but it’s ultimately up players if they want mods, or a version for the iPad, or just accessibility and streamlining. Either way you can’t go wrong.
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I'm pretty sure it was mentioned that there would be DLC incoming to BGEE and I'm assuming 2 as well. Then there's the android version of both, so I guess there's that going on for the time being.

I'm still undecided if I'd like a BGIII from these guys. I mean that ship has sailed long ago, and therefore a new game would be just that with the BGIII nametag attached for supposedly better sales, name recognition and all.
 
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BG3 on infinity engine - no.
May I remind you that boots of speed originally were never actually fixed because of the engine itself. Not to mention that the effect on Edwin was even worse as for whatever reason stuff about Edwin were hardcoded in the game exe! And last time I've seen something like that where game data "enriches" the exe instead of being placed in separate data files was ancient Fallout2 code.
That's just an example, there were other things not done well, again not because devs were useless but because of engine limits.

But if BG3 will go on another engine - sure, why not. I'll buy that.
 
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No thank you to BG3. I'd rather have a new original game in the Forgotten Realms setting.

I still want EE versions of PS:T and IWD 1&2 as well though.
 
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I would much rather see a game in the Forgotten Realms made with something like an updated version of the Temple of Elemental Evil engine ...
 
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There's a gigantic difference between creating a full game from scratch, and making something that already exists compatible with modern hardware - whilst adding a relatively trivial amount of content.

Obviously, any chance of getting a good old-school RPG is interesting - but I'll remain very sceptical about this team doing anything original and strong until I see some evidence that they're creative and talented, rather than the opportunistic business people they seem to be.
 
I'd probably like a PST:EE version if and only if they don't try to add new stuff/companions.
 
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I hope they don't get around to Planescape Torment. First of all, that would probably be the most difficult of the Infinity games to convert, as it is quite different from both BG and IWD series. I suspect there is a reason why there hasn't been an attempt to convert it to the TOB or IWD2 version of the engine, while there are mods that do just that for the rest of the games. I'd hate to see what a mess a PST in the BG2 engine would be, and given their track record of introducing swarms of fresh new bugs and glitches.

Secondly, and more important, I wish they would stay the hell away from it, if the source stuff is lost, like was the case with the BG series, and the reason why we got the EEs instead of proper HD versions. I would hate to see PST given the same treatment.

Not to mention how especially opportunistic this would seem with Tides of Numenera coming out in the near or so future.

And while I won't mind Overhaul doing new versions of IWD, if they do want to continue with reworking old DnD games instead of doing something new, they should look into Temple of Elemental Evil. I'd buy anything they might do with that engine, I was so in love with it.
 
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Obviously, any chance of getting a good old-school RPG is interesting - but I'll remain very sceptical about this team doing anything original and strong until I see some evidence that they're creative and talented, rather than the opportunistic business people they seem to be.

Exactly - had they produced a worthy 20-hour BG2 expansion as an add-on to the EE, THEN we would be talking 'for realz' :)
 
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It's one thing to patch an existing game (if even laughably so). Another thing entirely to build a game from the ground-up. To believe otherwise is wishful thinking.

I would never want a BG3 from these guys.
 
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To decide if I want anyone to develop a "BG3", I would first have to decide, what "BG3" would actually mean. That could be a lot of things:

An new game…
  1. …with Infinity Engine
  2. …with AD&D ruleset
  3. …width D&D >3 ruleset
  4. …that continues the plot of ToB
  5. …as a "spiritual successor" to the orginal BG series
  6. …with Forgotten Realms setting
  7. …with a plot in Baldur's Gate

Would like: 3, 5, 6
Wouldn't mind: 7
Would dislike: 1, 2, 4
 
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Probably anything they do along the lines of BG3 would suffer from gamer expectations and biases. At least until they have a reputation for delivering quality games that are not just enhancements.
 
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No thank you to BG3. I'd rather have a new original game in the Forgotten Realms setting.

I still want EE versions of PS:T and IWD 1&2 as well though.

I'd go for those versions as well.

I'd be ok with a BG3 so long as it was a BG game in name only. The original BG3 was going to be like that. A whole new story. I have no desire to play god level characters even if they did something to make you start over.
 
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No thank you for BG3, especially from Beamdog, but just no in general no matter who does it (let it go, seriously!!!) I agree with JDR13 and Drithius. Especially now that PoE and Torment will be available soon(ish). I would prefer seeing similar game but different protagonist, setting and new companions.
 
In their lates newsletter Beamdog said this:
Beamdog has exciting plans for the Enhanced Editions of Baldur's Gate next year. We're not ready to reveal them just yet, but when we are, you'll be first to know.
Wonder what this could be. Definitely this doesn't sound like BG3. Perhaps new DLC? Or a new small story campaign?
 
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Im playing BG:EE now, bought it on sale 6 months ago.
(actually the first time I finished Durlags tower.., ever)

No BG3

I´d like a similar game with better rules than the idiotic ancient DnD

Do Beamdog have what it takes to make a game from scratch?
They have some veterans onboard but what I saw of the new content and writing in BGEE didn't inspire confidence.

Dorn was as one dimensional as possible.
Neera was a failure with the voice acting and rather uninspired romance.
Raasad was actually quite good storywise (and had decent new areas).

I have realised when playing that the infinity engine lacks something i have begun to appreciate in tactical combat; the ability to zoom around the camera and plan your combat. I would love a similar game but with a camera closer to DA.

C
 
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Beamdog has exciting plans for the Enhanced Editions of Baldur's Gate next year. We're not ready to reveal them just yet, but when we are, you'll be first to know.

*Groan*... It sounds like they're planning on milking those games more before moving on to another project.
 
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