First a confession, I'm no veteran to PC RPG's. I have played many console RPG's from Final Fantasy to Xenogears to lesser-knowns like Breath Of Fire. But computer RPG's were completely foreign to me... until one day when I found myself interested in what they were really like. I heard Baldur's Gate was an excellent RPG so I went over to my local Comp USA last summer and picked up a copy. I'm pleased to say that while not quite perfect, Baldur's Gate is a very deep and engrossing RPG and belongs in every PC gamer's as well as Role-Playing-Gamer's collection.
Even though I am not particularly familiar with the Dungeons And Dragons universe, Baldur's Gate's 200+ page manual was so thorough and easy to follow that I had no trouble eventually figuring out the (second-edition) rules for the popular pen and paper RPG. The play mechanics work surprisingly well in this game, as the limited number of turns per character as well as randomly generated hits when in a fight (the game simulates the role of dice in battle, and certain numbers determine whether your attacks hit or miss in a fight) help to make the game both challenging and interesting. Or, if you're in the mood for more of a real-time strategy type game, you can simply adjust the difficulty to its easiest, at which the AD&D rules are shut off and the game plays more along the lines of titles like Starcraft.
I also liked how the game allows you to initially create your own character as opposed to having one already premade for you (Final Fantasy anyone?). You can customize not only your character's looks, but also his/her class (Thief, Fighter, Ranger, etc), alignment (Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, etc), and of course his skills (such as dexterity and strength).
As for the storyline, Baldur's Gate is unique in the sense that it is very non-linear, meaning you are free to do whatever you want as opposed to following a preset path ala Final Fantasy. You choose who you wish to be in your party, what particular quests you want to embark on, and even whether you wish to play as good or bad guys (though you ultimately end up fighting an actual "villain" at the end). Think of it as being like Zelda translated into a true RPG.
So is the game perfect? Not quite. First of all, it is EXTREMELY challenging. Enemies are often difficult to defeat, and since attack percentage is different with each character, you sometimes end up fighting enemies with higher ones than you, so you need to do a little thinking in order to defeat them. Another problem is that the game automatically saves your progress when entering a new area. On paper this may not seem so bad, but let me give an example of why this is a problem: I was once in the Nashkel Mines, trying to uncover the secret behind the tainted ore. I was in the dungeon's fourth level, and entered a new part with my party in rather miserable health (as in having low HP). When I entered the area, the game automatically saved my progress, and a bunch of enemies started fighting me. I died. So I re-opened my save slot, went outside, and sure enough there were the enemies I never bothered killing pouncing on me, and I died after not even ten steps. This resulted in me starting the game over from scratch. If you have a strategy guide for the game, I strongly suggest using it.
Also, the game requires a lot of planning and thought because of both the limitations of your character alignment, and the people you choose to be in your party. Your alignment determines how you should be behaving in the game, and going against your alignment could result in a loss of character skills. Also, some of the people you meet up with are on tight schedules, so if you don't fulfill your end of the bargain within their respected time limits, they will either leave on you or turn on you and try to kill you.
So how are the graphics and sounds, you may be wondering. Many complain about the game's usage of 2D artwork as opposed to 3D polygons. Well, what they don't seem to realize is that this is some of the finest 2D artwork ever to grace a video game. Each location is carefully drawn and rendered so that it seems both believable and full of life. No two areas look exactly the same. And as for the sound, all I have to say is "Wow." The fully orchestrated (none of that typical midi junk here ladies and gentlemen) musical score is among the best I had ever heard in a video game. Movie-like at some points and more subtile at others, this is the kind of music that gets stuck in your mind and won't come out. The sound-effects are also spot on, and the character, both playable and non-playable, voices are both amusing and fun to hear (My favorites being "My Hotel's As Clean As An Elvin A#se" when you talk to the inn keeper back at Candlekeep and pretty much any spoken dialogue from Imoen, which is usually so cheesy it's funny).
In brief, Baldur's Gate is an excellent game. While not quite the definitive role-playing game, it is undoubtedly one of the finest ever to grace a console or PC and is one no role-playing gamer should be without.
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