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The Enduring Appeal of Baldur's Gate 2

I am really excited about the release of the BG2 EE and have it on pre order. I recently wrote an article for Yahoo discussing the enduring appeal of BG 2 that can be read here: http://voices.yahoo.com/you-must-gather-party-venturing-forth-12344150.html?cat=19

What are some of the elements that you guys think contribute to the timeless appeal of BG2 ? I am thinking of writing a follow-up article further promoting the release on Nov 15th

Comments

  • MichailMichail Member Posts: 196
    Hm.. Promoting you own article may be considered impolite, but i kind of liked it, so i gave you a thumbs up. Now, to the actual comment:
    It's the plot really. Games these days are mostly tactics and action oriented. Which means they fade away as soon as something better comes out. But a good story, ah, you can't have enough of those (the fact that the baldur's gate novel wasn't good doesn't really contradict this point, it's a very different kind of storytelling). I think the key word is immersion.

    Of course the infinity engine itself was very good, and is in fact still decent by today's standards, but you have allready pointed it out in your article. Other games using it didn't fare just as well.
  • zerckanzerckan Member Posts: 178
    Danrilor said:


    What are some of the elements that you guys think contribute to the timeless appeal of BG2 ?

    The single reason why I still play BG2
    - There is no better rpg for pc.

    If the market were full of good quality rpg games instead of cheap craps which clone each other by only adding more lightning effects over years, I wouldn't be playing bg:ee or bg2 now.

  • AldericAlderic Member Posts: 37
    edited October 2013
    IMO a very important aspect of making a great game (or a great book/movie, or really any fiction story) is the villain. The BG2 Irenicus is not your average villain - he is a carefully built, brilliantly voiced character, with an interesting backstory. He has an immense presence in the game from the opening cut-scene to the ending movie. In fact, Irenicus is the engine of the whole BG2 story. Having re-played the game numerous times, I never get tired of chasing and fighting the guy. Maybe I never will…

    I guess this played a significant role in making the game endure the “test of time”. If there was an all time chart of fictional villains, I would place Irenicus somewhere at the top – side by side with the likes of Darth Vader. Surprisingly, I find that most of the more recent fiction titles fail at producing a villain that is as intriguing and intimidating as any of them. I would like to see developers and writers concentrate more on this, instead of just the eye candy.
  • DanrilorDanrilor Member Posts: 26
    Thank you all for your comments thus far. I think that they will inform my follow up article. I agree with all of the things that you guys have to say on the subject. My position is that although the enduring appeal is undeniable it can be because of any number of factors. I am interested in hearing as many gamers opinions as I can, because so many people have come to this game and fallen in love with it. The limitations of my article are clear because I cannot just gush about why I love it so much. I think that it would be so much better with quotes from other gamers who love it as much as I do. It is a game that I can constantly replay and never feel that the story has gotten stale. I can just rapid click though the dialogues I know by heart and slow down to appreciate the ones that are funny all the time.

    "Look, Minsc and Jan are fighting over boo!"
    "Great, Viconia is love-talking my Lawful Good Paladin again."
    "Why does Firkragg sound like Benedict Cumberbach?"

    It never gets old. The plot twists, the side quests, the entire gaming experience is very immersive. I cannot remember another game that had to remind you to eat between screens. Even the NPCs that you hate seem to be designed to be so. You hardly ever feel that despising Nalia is something she didn't earn (and I have to admit that when I saw the "Nalia Romance" mod I almost choked on my soda). It is a game that makes it worthwhile to take along Incompatable NPCs just to see the sparks fly. It is so much fun to carry Viconia, Keldorn, Mazzy, and Edwin while Charname and Minsc look on with bemusement. One of my most fun experiences was being a dude carrying every "romancible" female and start their romance clock just to watch them argue and bicker.

    And the cheese... oh lord the cheese.
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