Currently playing
Baldur's Gate 1 Enhanced Edition for the first time. First time BG original also. I never played BG1. I played plenty of Icewind Dale, and started off with Baldur's Gate 2, and was a bit lost there. But enjoyed it a lot regardless. So I decided it was time to see what the original has to offer.
And so far, I'm a bit mixed on what I feel about it. The gameplay is top-notch, since it's an IE game. I love the style of gameplay and the 2D renderings. But, I'm finding it kind of generic, especially with regards to the main quest so far.
I've just reached the city of Baldur's Gate, after about 30 hour of gameplay, so I'm not sure how far along I am. Is there a lot more? But what I've seen doesn't really have me excited. I'm playing mostly for the exploration and gameplay, which is great, but as I said that's mostly due to the IE games. They're all great in that department.
But the story is kind of meh. The whole plot about the poisoning of iron, and how the Iron Throne is involved was kind of a generic plot. The only highlights I'm having are the narrated events, mostly after sleeping and dreaming, that constantly foreshadow what will likely happen. Also, the letters I keep finding that mention Sarevok.
Oh, and the random visits from Elminster.
So, I'm hoping there is more to the main story, and this is just the beginning. How long does the game usually clock in at? Is there a lot more after finally getting to the city?
Other things I like is how open it seems to be, and how much there is to explore. And how easy it is to miss stuff. For ex, initially I missed saving Dynaheir from the Gnoll Stronghold. And when I ultimately went there, I could not find her for the life of me. Had to see an online guide to see where they hid her. I don't think I would've found her otherwise.
I also haven't met Minsc yet. Is he completely optional? Do I get to meet him if I don't have Dynaheir in my party? Thing is I couldn't keep Dynaheir, since I already had Neera in my party for some time, and committed a lot of spells to her spellbook. Even just not having "Identity" as part of her spellbook was annoying as hell, so I had to drop Dynaheir, and go back to Neera.
And even if I made the sacrifice, and kept Dynaheir, I would've wanted to bring Minsc on also. But then I'd have to Clerics. Tough choices.