One day it'll be BG1, then it's BG2. For awhile I always said BG1 because of how expansive it was and it just seemed better put together, in my opinion. However when I consider that, despite that, I have played BG2 so much more, I'll say BG2 was better just because of replayability that the added NPC interactions gave the game.
I like bg1 a little more than bg2. Mainly because of more freedom and a better story. In bg2 you also start in the biggest city. Where bg1 it is later, that I pref more. Ofcouse there is things in bg2 some are better than bg1. But bg1 win in the end.
Baldurs Gate 2 is by far the better game in my opinion (and critically). I think some folks are still a bit nostaligic thinking about BG 1 but SOA is the better game almost across the board. Have to admit that BG1's map exploration would have been awesome though.
To me... the pacing in BG1 was seemless compared to BG2 which felt a bit choppy to me, because the first couple of chapters leaves you sluggish, then once you hit spellhold, it's like a one hit wonderthon where you're going from one destination to the next without any side bars. ALSO, there's like no NPCs to choose from... not as much as in BG1 anyways. I also figure that Throne of Bhaal was included in 2, and that needs some work...
But other than that I absolutely love both games... The only issue I had with BG1 was the lack of kits...
I don't know if the kits would fit well in BG1 to be chosen from the begin, in my point of view the character don't have suffice background in Candlekeep to specialise in something. I would like some quest requeriments to allow a character to specialise into a class, pretty much as is done in Dragon Age: Origins (but in BG that would open a wide variety of class quests XD).
BG2 the character is already hardened by the BG saga, so is more apropriate to allow that in BG2.
I really liked the flow of BG2. however im hoping with BGEE i can relive the joy i first had when i was standing outside the Candlekeep Inn for the first time!
I liked BG1 because it felt more realistic, more medieval. For the better part of the game your main antagonists were bandits, guards and mercenaries whereas in BG2 you were off in planar spheres fighting elder orbs and kuo toas. The plot was more realistic as it was focused on politics, the contamination of the Nashkel mines, the bandit raids of the black talons and the Chills for which the Zhentarim were framed, the assassinations of Scar and duke Entar, the imminent war between Baldur's gate and Amn. The plot of BG2 felt a lot more simplistic and you knew it from the beginning (Irenicus trying to steal the powers of the Bhaalspawn).
A lot of bugs in BG2 (the drain ability of the vampires where you have to re-memorize everything is quite annoying), poor character models (compare the amnish soldiers in BG1 and BG2), slower pace (before every major battle you have to cast a lot of defensive spells which becomes boring after a while) give points in favour of BG1. On the positive side, BG2 had bigger side-guests and more speech
I loved the way BG1 helped build your character... You had no experience of the outside world and all your knowledge came from books... and suddenly you're forced to survive in a hostile environment... then slowly, slowly, you become somebody. It's an epic tale.
BG2 brought many interesting things (3 cheersfor NPC interactions!) but, for me, the story just didn't compare. You had just killed Sarevok and now you have trouble dealing with street thugs and punks who ask for a duel? You were spewing fire left, right and center, eating basilisks for breakfast and now get owned by some wisearses in a pub? Is Amn full of super-humans? ^^ And the map, oh the map... I hated it with a passion. If I go left I better damn well end up left not go west and then select that well, I wanted to go east after all, and by the way, it's the City Gates not the Slums. Fast-travel is one thing, random travel is another :P And don't get me started on the lack of power-leveling options. ^_^ In BG1 Miss Bhaalspawn no. N got lost in the wilderness for 3 months with just Imoen for company and had to learn to survive. Sometimes they cut it close, other times it was an xpfest. it was RPing and it was fun. Why not leave the option there? We all eventually do all the quests. Do we really HAVE to save Nalia's stronghold or investigate the Cult of the Unseeing Eye for the millionth time if we want to level? Maybe Miss Bhaalspawn would like to take residence in the sewers for 1 month and fight jellies or smth and then cruise chapters 3 and 4. The option should be there. And no, goblins don't count, the piss-poor excuses for no letting you rest. And no, mods like Tactics don't count either because then we can say BGTutu + BG1NPC and the whole 'BG2 brings interactions argument is over'
But still... between the villains.. it's a close fight: evil older brother whom I'd like to join in ruling the world or deliciously insane wizard with a god complex. What to pick, what to pick...
Maybe it would be better to say that BG2 with (1)many more outdoor maps, (2)seamless map transitions and the possibility (not mandatory) fast travel, (3)more realistically scaled mobs and (4)attacks during rest wins. And old Xzar. BG2 with the old Xzar back so he can tell me more about how my voice is ambrosia :P
Just one thing to say, without BG2 there would be no BG EE, BG2 is the game that lauched this serie to sucess. Ppl refer to BG2 banters as if they're just a minor adition, no BG2 banters create the line between IWD and BG, most of the actual games today (Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Wicher, Neverwinter Nights), be they good games or no, are most based in BG rather than any other RPG.
Just one thing to say, without BG2 there would be no BG EE, BG2 is the game that lauched this serie to sucess. Ppl refer to BG2 banters as if they're just a minor adition, no BG2 banters create the line between IWD and BG, most of the actual games today (Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Wicher, Neverwinter Nights), be they good games or no, are most based in BG rather than any other RPG.
BG2 is the later game so naturally it have more improvments than BG1, the main improvments were higher resolutions, more kits and classes and NPC interactions. If you add this to BG1 along with more spell selection, BG1 would be better. BG:EE will do it, sadly without the NPC interactions which made BG2 so successful.
Story-wise, I think that BG1 story is much better, In bg1 you reveal piece after piece your identity, you dont know what is going on until the end. In BG2 you were kidnapped, freed, find the kidnapper. Maybe BG2 have alot of big and deep sidequests, But I dont see how BG2 PLOTLINE is better than the plotline of BG1.
I can't make the difference between BG and BG2 based on history, cos both are the same history. It's the same that try to make a difference between my left hand and my right hand, if because BG2 come later he has more resources, it's just one more point that proof that BG2 is better than BG from a play view.
To each his own. In BG1 this meant a genuine sense of adventure, along with unanswered questions and surprises down the road. I've liked it. BG2 has NPC interactions and romances, much more difficult fights and magic, magic, magic. I've liked it too.
One thing I'm certain about is that any new gamer should start in BG1.
And June's Golden Necromancer Award goes to.... Bengoshi! Congratulations!
Baldur's Gate 2 is definitely my favourite of the two games. BG:EE has caught up tons though. It used to be I couldn't handle playing Baldur's Gate again after the sequel. The improvements were simply too many to ignore for me. Now I can once again enjoy both and I love it.
I still find the first couple of levels tedious though. Very tedious. And the lack of interjections and banter between the companions is also hard to ignore. But there are a lot more options in how to build your party and you can walk off in any random direction and explore the wilderness as you please... Things the sequel really could have benefitted from too.
Comments
BG2 - eye to eye close fights.
Time stop + Improved Alacrity + entire spell book in one time stop (or two sometimes).
But other than that I absolutely love both games... The only issue I had with BG1 was the lack of kits...
BG2 the character is already hardened by the BG saga, so is more apropriate to allow that in BG2.
A lot of bugs in BG2 (the drain ability of the vampires where you have to re-memorize everything is quite annoying), poor character models (compare the amnish soldiers in BG1 and BG2), slower pace (before every major battle you have to cast a lot of defensive spells which becomes boring after a while) give points in favour of BG1. On the positive side, BG2 had bigger side-guests and more speech
BG2 brought many interesting things (3 cheersfor NPC interactions!) but, for me, the story just didn't compare. You had just killed Sarevok and now you have trouble dealing with street thugs and punks who ask for a duel? You were spewing fire left, right and center, eating basilisks for breakfast and now get owned by some wisearses in a pub? Is Amn full of super-humans? ^^ And the map, oh the map... I hated it with a passion. If I go left I better damn well end up left not go west and then select that well, I wanted to go east after all, and by the way, it's the City Gates not the Slums.
In BG1 Miss Bhaalspawn no. N got lost in the wilderness for 3 months with just Imoen for company and had to learn to survive. Sometimes they cut it close, other times it was an xpfest. it was RPing and it was fun. Why not leave the option there? We all eventually do all the quests. Do we really HAVE to save Nalia's stronghold or investigate the Cult of the Unseeing Eye for the millionth time if we want to level? Maybe Miss Bhaalspawn would like to take residence in the sewers for 1 month and fight jellies or smth and then cruise chapters 3 and 4. The option should be there. And no, goblins don't count, the piss-poor excuses for no letting you rest. And no, mods like Tactics don't count either because then we can say BGTutu + BG1NPC and the whole 'BG2 brings interactions argument is over'
But still... between the villains.. it's a close fight: evil older brother whom I'd like to join in ruling the world or deliciously insane wizard with a god complex. What to pick, what to pick...
Maybe it would be better to say that BG2 with (1)many more outdoor maps, (2)seamless map transitions and the possibility (not mandatory) fast travel, (3)more realistically scaled mobs and (4)attacks during rest wins. And old Xzar. BG2 with the old Xzar back so he can tell me more about how my voice is ambrosia :P
Story-wise, I think that BG1 story is much better, In bg1 you reveal piece after piece your identity, you dont know what is going on until the end. In BG2 you were kidnapped, freed, find the kidnapper. Maybe BG2 have alot of big and deep sidequests, But I dont see how BG2 PLOTLINE is better than the plotline of BG1.
After reading the http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/32657/i-ve-come-to-feel-that-bg2-is-very-overrated-as-an-rpg#latest thread it's interesting to see what current forum users think because as for August 2012, we've had 43% rooting for BG2 while only 26% of votes supported BG1.
My point of is:
To each his own. In BG1 this meant a genuine sense of adventure, along with unanswered questions and surprises down the road. I've liked it. BG2 has NPC interactions and romances, much more difficult fights and magic, magic, magic. I've liked it too.
One thing I'm certain about is that any new gamer should start in BG1.
Did you dig more than six feet to bring it back to light?
Baldur's Gate 2 is definitely my favourite of the two games. BG:EE has caught up tons though. It used to be I couldn't handle playing Baldur's Gate again after the sequel. The improvements were simply too many to ignore for me. Now I can once again enjoy both and I love it.
I still find the first couple of levels tedious though. Very tedious. And the lack of interjections and banter between the companions is also hard to ignore. But there are a lot more options in how to build your party and you can walk off in any random direction and explore the wilderness as you please... Things the sequel really could have benefitted from too. It's hard to argue with that.
I also don't like the high level magic and romances in BG2, they mess up my play style.
Plus, Mr Warner.