If the AI is so great why did the wingy person just stand their and throw things whist I plugged her full of (crossbow) bolts of lightning, rather than engaging in melee?
I don't know what you're describing because I haven't played till any wingy person. Maybe you should create a report about it?
As for me, I saw spiders specially attacking those npcs who are held, I saw enemies backstabbing my squishy mages, I saw enemies casting right spells. Many fights in SoD to me have seemed somewhat SCS-like.
Nah, it's a joke. I'm talking about the one-on-one duel with the solar/planetar whose name I can't remember during the assault on the castle. A human opponent would have realised she was being taken apart with a ranged weapon and switched to melee. I accept that AI has SOME limitations!
I don't understand Hellenic but they gave AI in SoD a 9.0 score (with which I agree).
@booinyoureyes , the forum needs you to give some translation
Google translate is your friend: bits:
POSITIVE Amazing music Very good voice acting well written dialogues - scenario Nostalgia
NEGATIVE Gameplay nearly two decades back If you are a graphic, you will be disappointed
EVALUATION SOUND 8.5 GRAPHICS 5.0 GAMEPLAY 7.0 PLOT 8.5 MUSIC 10 HANDLING 6.0 REPLAYABILITY 8.0 AI 9.0
If anything distinguishes this game is the storytelling. The Beamdog has kept a very high level dialogues and the narrative which is intermediate in the game chapters, with beautiful sketches accompany the sophisticated voice over. The plot itself is relatively standard for Dungeons And Dragons type adventure but performance is very beautiful. Each Non-Playable Character has its own character and behavior, which appears through dialogues. If something broke down was that in several cases, the reactions of NPC opposite to our own nature is quite lukewarm, regardless of how we choose to behave. This alone, however, is not enough to spoil the whole story he has to tell us the Siege of Dragonspear.
The next possible part of the game is the music and the sound. The Siege of Dragonspear is another game in which the voice acting is playing terribly important role, something that obviously development team understands very well. And for this reason it has put much based on voices of the characters. Each NPC has its own distinctive style and gives us the voice and tone to understand the nature of each. The actors have done a great job at bringing to life the characters of Baldur's Gate and thanks. If something broke down was repeated cues to throw the party of characters when we give them a command to move or fight. The quotes that have recordings for this job are very few and after 10-15 fights, are becoming tiresome.
On the issue of music the Siege of Dragonspear gets just perfectly. The Sam Hulick, composer who has written music for many games in between and the trilogy of Mass Effect, has done an excellent job with his music, keeping the epic style worthy of such securities. The impressive thing is that nobody listening to music, can not imagine how music is written for game of 2016 and this only meant as a positive element. There is a trend in modern music industry trying composers overload pieces with sounds and instruments. The Sam does not make this mistake and so the result is a soundtrack storyline of a simpler time, with songs listening brings to mind mythical adventures, dragons, elves and epic battles between good and evil.
In the graphics industry the Siege of Dragonspear, I can not say that revolutionizes. Given that the whole game is set up in the Infinity Engine, a 1998 graphics engine, we can not have requirements. Of course, there have been improvements, but the game is by no means comparable with modern graphics. The positive is that we never hang or frame drops exist even when the madness of spells, wood orc on the screen. The color palette in some landscapes are very well prepared, so that impresses the eye, but not the rule. Given that this expansion is the first title in the series, the character models are somewhat smaller than we are used to more modern isometric games, which at times makes handling them in battles that there are many enemies difficult. Nevertheless, they kept a level that no one feel that the game is unplayable due to graphics.
Beyond the question of the rules, of course, comes the question of the control of the players. And here I find another error. The gameplay of the game is practically identical to that of Baldur's Gate 1998. What this means: When we want to take the remnants of bandit just ate cabbage, should send the appropriate character of the inventory space! Not remember who this is? Let's look at them all, one by one. When we want our thief to open a trunk that is locked, we can not simply choose the thief and then the chest. Ooooochi must just choose the act that should make the thief! Because if the trunk was unlocked, I misunderstood the thief who opens another character. Something such complaints may sound details, but it is such a handy to design a game that make it pleasant to the current season, compared with before. I think if the company bothered to create expansion after 18 years, it could have done kapoioes very significant improvements in how the game is brought to the player. but it seemed not particularly interested in paying attention to gameplay dealt with the remaining pieces of the game.
- Nostalgy - New User Interface - It is always Baldur’s Gate
The Bad:
- Obsolete game mechanics - Too linear - Boring backtracking
The author says that:
- Siege of Dragonspear is the game that we all love and carry in our hearts, polished and with a brand new campaign ("you will feel at home") - The main plot is enjoyable, even if it is not good as BG and BG2 - This expansion is a dive into the past, with all the good and bad things that come from it. He did like meeting again Imoen, Minsc and Boo, but he thinks that the game mechanics are too obsolete (he mentiones the backtracking, the 8 hours rest and the slow and complex combat system). He specifies that he loves this title and this genre, but new players might not like it because they are used to more dynamic and modern combat systems - He recommends playing the game as soon as possible, saying that "you will not regret it"
He also posted his screenshots from the game, instead of using the same standard pictures.
The review is pretty good. It has just one major flaw: it does not mention the plot at all. Not a single word about it. Anyway, it is definitely better than Multiplayer.it article.
@FinneousPJ The author did not write a single word about the plot itself. He says that it is good, but he does not say anything about it. He does not mention how the game starts, who Caelar is, what CHARNAME must do, where the game takes place, how the game can end and so on. It's like writing a review about Dragon Age: Origins without saying a word about the main plot.
"the writing. Is it as good as the original Baldur’s Gate? I’d say it’s a mixed bag. In some areas, Siege of Dragonspear is on par with the epic-ness of the original narrative, in others, downright silly. Some of the plotlines are revealed in hammy fashion, and while interacting with NPCs, you’ll find that many of them are really condescending and perpetually wise-cracking. I don’t mind a little lippy-ness here and there (I’m as sarcastic as they come) but full-on sass parades without much respite can get a little tired sometimes.
The actual storyline and the game’s structure is also very linear, much more so than Baldur’s Gate. Although there are some opportunities for branching out and exploring a few new areas, there just aren’t many. On the flip side, this more restrictive facet of Siege of Dragonspear’s storytelling allows for tighter, more focused writing. In other words it’s a trade-off: Less poking around, but more depth— narrative-wise."
"Overall, I found Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear to be a decent adventure, but only for nostalgic folks or for curious younger gamers who never got the chance to play a Baldur’s Gate game, and are curious about experiencing one of the original icons of computer role-playing games (CRPGs). Oh, and it’s got multiplayer, too."
"the writing. Is it as good as the original Baldur’s Gate? I’d say it’s a mixed bag. In some areas, Siege of Dragonspear is on par with the epic-ness of the original narrative, in others, downright silly
Though I would say the original was downright silly in places too
Good points: - Brand new content - A new class - Some UI enhancements
Bad points: - Linear - Lesser free action - Some bugs that must be fixed
The author defines Siege of Dragonspear a "DLC" instead of "expansion" The first part of the review explains how the game starts and introduces the character of Caelar, praising her originality. The second part has a very inaccurate info: "The Unfinished Business mod already bridges the cap between the two chapters, putting the finishing touches to many aspects of the main plot, so it would have been better working on a different episode to bring the saga towards new horizons, wouldn't it?" (?????) Err... Sorry, dude, but UB does not bring the gap between the two chapters. Had you played it, you should know it.
Anyway, he says that the DLC (it's not a DLC!!!) is a nice addition, a fair product. He thinks that it will be definitely appreciated by old and nostalgic players, while its mechanics will be hardly appealing to new players.
For anyone interested, the review @Aedan so kindly posted, briefly touches on the Mizhena controversy (btw, he mispelled the name twice). In short, this is what he has to say about the issue:
[...] we feel obliged to tone down heated debates that often turn out to be unproductive for the smallness of the premises on which they rest. Many have surely heard of [the controversy]. It is a controversy relative to the sexuality of Mihzena [sic], a cleric that makes you aware she's had a sex change. In short, she's a transgender NPC. Now, we don't believe [this review] to be the appropriate place to delve into it, but what is certain is that the uproar that it created was excessive and led to stances somewhat devoid of content. In fact, from whatever point of view you want to consider it, the insertion of a character of this kind is merely a small dot in the immense universe of which Baldur's Gate is part. Specifically, [the controversy] is based on a max of two lines of dialogue that, however they can be taken side in favor or against, they really seem of too little importance to propose a serious discussion on the subject and most importantly, they do not justify the trail of bad reviews the game initially received. A dialogue, Mihzena's [sic], that ends up getting swollen by the sea of the narrative proposed [by the game]; also, considering the low intrinsic quality of [the dialogue], it ends up being really too insignificant to be considered as a food for serious thought.
I think the review meant " The Game " as not being an appropriate place to delve into the sexuality / gender issue and not " The Review ", which I agree with.
While it may only be 2 or 3 lines of dialogue that is in question, its not the amount thats being discussed on the forums so much as the motivation of the writers and their intent to use the game for something other than Dungeons and Dragons.
I also agree with the review that there has been way too many aggressive negative reviews that didnt add anything to the game.
I think the review meant " The Game " as not being an appropriate place to delve into the sexuality / gender issue and not " The Review ", which I agree with.
Well I do not speak Italian so my mistake, sorry, If he meant the review than I dont know of any other place to discuss these issues.
What he meant is that a review of the game should, well... review the game; its story, score, playability, bugs and so on. The entire controversy around transgender yes/no inside the game is an ethical issue you could take a stance on on either side, but it should not be the sole parameter on which you define whether a game is good or not. This is what I read in that review.
That sounds reasonable to me, all in all the reviews are generally in agreement that there are some gameplay issues and role playing limitations with bugs of course but they all enjoyed the story and recommend the game to everyone. I also agree with most of the reviews posted in this thread.
I do have my opinions on the gender / sexuality inclusion for the game, but the only criticism I have ever brought up was to emphasize that Baldur's gate is the holy grail of RPG's and Beamdog needs to treat the franchise accordingly. Basically dont fix whats not broken and add to the story in the same fashion that made the game so great. If they want to include these social issues they have that freedom, just give the players more options to roleplay them the way we want with all possible actions and reactions or to be able to ignore it all together if we so choose.
I think the aggregated review of the game seems accurate, at least from what I've played so far. It's a good game, but I don't know if I'd call it a great game.
This may seem like a backhanded compliment, but I think for Beamdog's first effort fully their own this is a fine game. It'd have received a lot less backlash if it wasn't connected to such a huge pre established franchise, and they probably knew that was a risk going in. I'm not going to drop a review until I finish it, but around 7-8/10 seems right to me.
The expansion to the classic adventure builds and expands on the gameplay significantly, even though it suffers from some gameplay issues. Historically, the Baldur's Gate games are challenging, but perhaps in an effort to make them more accessible, the development team has added a super-easy level called Story Mode that allows players to enjoy the story without fear of dying and seeing the dreaded "Game Over" screen. They've also mapped out at least 20 hours of new areas to explore, people to meet, and interesting side quests. Aside from including a new Shaman class, gameplay for non-Story Mode players remains much the same, with lots of quirky dialogue exchanges and plenty of ways to customize character skills and equipment. The story here is compelling and takes you in several interesting directions. And while it's your choice to be generous and kind or selfish and cruel, ultimately you have to face some difficult questions regarding the difference between action and intent. The expansion's only weakness -- and it's significant -- is its bugginess (crashes, missing voice lines, optional quests that can't be completed). This frequently gives the impression that the expansion was released before it was ready. But even with the bugs, it's a satisfying role-playing adventure that promises even more peril and excitement in expansions to come.
Parents need to know that Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear is a downloadable narrative add-on to Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and requires the purchase of that game. They should also know that combat is the main point of the game, with players and enemies -- human, animal, and monster -- shown being beaten, stabbed, shot with arrows, and even dismembered. Violence is shown from a distance, though, and depicted by small, mannequin-like characters that are far from realistic. Characters are shown drinking in and out of taverns and use potions to fortify themselves. There's next to no mention of sex, but the player can form verbal romantic associations with a couple of the new companion characters.
Concept and Execution: 8/25 Mechanics: 22/25 Atmosphere: 7/25 Entertainment Value: 11/25
Although the author gives such a low score, he acknowledges that "as a DLC SoD definitely delivers for its $19.99 price tag."
"I put over 30 hours of play into this game and I know for a fact that, despite my best efforts to poke my nose into every nook and cranny I could find, there are things that I missed. Plus, the usual plethora of companions expected in a Baldur’s Gate game means that there are probably hundreds of interactions and interjections that I missed by not having a particular companion or combination of companions in my part at a particular time. Despite the bad parts of the game, SoD does still feel like a Baldur’s Gate game, if not a particularly good one, and that’s saying a lot since there have been other extremely similar games that tried to capture that feeling in the past and failed miserably."
WELL... I tought that the worst Italian review in terms of quality was the one published by Multiplayer.it, but this is unreadable! It says that CHARNAME's brother is Irenicus. Twice. It says that Caelar is leading a rebellion. It says "Pugno Fiammeggiante" instead of "Pugno Fiammante" (the right Italian translation for Flaming Fist). It says that in BG vanilla you have PLENTY of dialogue options, while in SOD you just have three limited replies. It says that lots of NPCs changed their personality.
I cannot find the right emoticon to express my feelings after reading this review. The author should stop writing reviews because he has not the skills to do it.
I think everything felt a little rushed when you sieged the walls of dragonspear. The only other crusader with a hint of personality was Ashatiel and that encounter was painfully short(I swear not even a portrait for her?)
I don't know..I expected a little ''more'' out of that.
Well it's not like Sarevoks crew were fleshed out that much either, but still...Just expressing how I felt about it^^
I'm interested about this game and I would buy but if will be made dubbing for other languages. Not translation. Dubbing. I am from Poland and BG without polish actors is something what I never want to see and hear.
This seemed a strange comment to me. From memory, in SOA the only non joinable characters with portraits were renny, bodhi and the elf queen (i haven't played ToB much, so I'll leave that out). In BG1 I don't think any non joinable characters had portraits (not even Sarevok and Gorion). I can think of at least 3 portraited non joinables in SoD (the asimar, her priest, and the hooded guy). It sounds like you might be basing your expectations on the modded game (some common mods include portraits for minor characters, maybe you've used them for so long that you're thinking that's normal?) rather than BG1 itself.
The personalities are pretty subjective, so I won't argue that, but the portraits seem on par with the series and much more so than BG1
Hmm actually you're right that was unfair of me, I was probably caught up in that one cutscene that made me think Ashatiel would be a lot more important than she ended up being(or at least how I felt she ended up being) With all the mention of her brother and so on etc etc.
And I'm not disappointed with the game itself, it was just specifically that segment itself. I was pleased SoD overall.
Mhm.. Reading through this threat made me wonder about my definition of "linear".. I always thought Baldurs Gate *was* linear (story wise), the only exception was a decision in BG2 (Shadow Thieves or "Thieves") and some difference in the trials/epilogue. And in that vain, yes SoD is more or less linear, it is actually as linear as the originals -at least in my humble opinion.
The replayability of Baldurs Gate lies (in my opinion) in the Banters and some sidequests - not the actually main story. To this day I believe that the main stories of the Baldurs Gate games (and quite frankly most BW games) are decently crafted, but a tad cliched and rarely original. Biowares true strength was (or is) in creating good *characters*. The world of the games is interesting and nice and you become invested in the games because the NPCs have personalities. They are not jsut your satelites but people in their own right, people that are interesting enough to make you want to know them. As someone who never was a fan of combat and thus can't comment on that fairly, I always saw *that* as Biowares strength and I think that SoD showed that Beamdog has inherited that skill and I hope they will get better at creating personalities.
Sorry for the rambling..
Also, Caelar is too much of an self-righteous moron to be an actual Mary Sue. She may *think* she is one though... (I don't really like Caelar as a person, but she is a very good character ^^)
@Aedan@bengoshi I was busy all day, so I reply to your summons only now. I read the review and I have to agree with Aedan that the reviewer seems quite confused in his writing. Aedan summed up all that's wrong about the review quite well in his post. I will simply add that the reviewer goes by the nickname "Corrosion". With this review, he managed to corrode my eyeballs.
BG is linear in one sense in that you have a linear story progression but its open in that you have lots of distractions and such you can freely do in any order to take a break from the main story. That gives the illusion of greater freedom and less linearity because you can chooae to do a, b or c before moving to plot point 2 or after. SoD doesnt have as much of that obv since its an expansion (though much more than ToB did), the lack of backtracking makes it feel slightly worse.
Comments
As for me, I saw spiders specially attacking those npcs who are held, I saw enemies backstabbing my squishy mages, I saw enemies casting right spells. Many fights in SoD to me have seemed somewhat SCS-like.
bits:
POSITIVE
Amazing music
Very good voice acting
well written dialogues - scenario
Nostalgia
NEGATIVE
Gameplay nearly two decades back
If you are a graphic, you will be disappointed
EVALUATION
SOUND 8.5
GRAPHICS 5.0
GAMEPLAY 7.0
PLOT 8.5
MUSIC 10
HANDLING 6.0
REPLAYABILITY 8.0
AI 9.0
If anything distinguishes this game is the storytelling. The Beamdog has kept a very high level dialogues and the narrative which is intermediate in the game chapters, with beautiful sketches accompany the sophisticated voice over. The plot itself is relatively standard for Dungeons And Dragons type adventure but performance is very beautiful. Each Non-Playable Character has its own character and behavior, which appears through dialogues. If something broke down was that in several cases, the reactions of NPC opposite to our own nature is quite lukewarm, regardless of how we choose to behave. This alone, however, is not enough to spoil the whole story he has to tell us the Siege of Dragonspear.
The next possible part of the game is the music and the sound. The Siege of Dragonspear is another game in which the voice acting is playing terribly important role, something that obviously development team understands very well. And for this reason it has put much based on voices of the characters. Each NPC has its own distinctive style and gives us the voice and tone to understand the nature of each. The actors have done a great job at bringing to life the characters of Baldur's Gate and thanks. If something broke down was repeated cues to throw the party of characters when we give them a command to move or fight. The quotes that have recordings for this job are very few and after 10-15 fights, are becoming tiresome.
On the issue of music the Siege of Dragonspear gets just perfectly. The Sam Hulick, composer who has written music for many games in between and the trilogy of Mass Effect, has done an excellent job with his music, keeping the epic style worthy of such securities. The impressive thing is that nobody listening to music, can not imagine how music is written for game of 2016 and this only meant as a positive element. There is a trend in modern music industry trying composers overload pieces with sounds and instruments. The Sam does not make this mistake and so the result is a soundtrack storyline of a simpler time, with songs listening brings to mind mythical adventures, dragons, elves and epic battles between good and evil.
In the graphics industry the Siege of Dragonspear, I can not say that revolutionizes. Given that the whole game is set up in the Infinity Engine, a 1998 graphics engine, we can not have requirements. Of course, there have been improvements, but the game is by no means comparable with modern graphics. The positive is that we never hang or frame drops exist even when the madness of spells, wood orc on the screen. The color palette in some landscapes are very well prepared, so that impresses the eye, but not the rule. Given that this expansion is the first title in the series, the character models are somewhat smaller than we are used to more modern isometric games, which at times makes handling them in battles that there are many enemies difficult. Nevertheless, they kept a level that no one feel that the game is unplayable due to graphics.
Beyond the question of the rules, of course, comes the question of the control of the players. And here I find another error. The gameplay of the game is practically identical to that of Baldur's Gate 1998. What this means: When we want to take the remnants of bandit just ate cabbage, should send the appropriate character of the inventory space! Not remember who this is? Let's look at them all, one by one. When we want our thief to open a trunk that is locked, we can not simply choose the thief and then the chest. Ooooochi must just choose the act that should make the thief! Because if the trunk was unlocked, I misunderstood the thief who opens another character. Something such complaints may sound details, but it is such a handy to design a game that make it pleasant to the current season, compared with before. I think if the company bothered to create expansion after 18 years, it could have done kapoioes very significant improvements in how the game is brought to the player. but it seemed not particularly interested in paying attention to gameplay dealt with the remaining pieces of the game.
http://pixelflood.it/Videogames-recensioni/baldurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear
The Good:
- Nostalgy
- New User Interface
- It is always Baldur’s Gate
The Bad:
- Obsolete game mechanics
- Too linear
- Boring backtracking
The author says that:
- Siege of Dragonspear is the game that we all love and carry in our hearts, polished and with a brand new campaign ("you will feel at home")
- The main plot is enjoyable, even if it is not good as BG and BG2
- This expansion is a dive into the past, with all the good and bad things that come from it. He did like meeting again Imoen, Minsc and Boo, but he thinks that the game mechanics are too obsolete (he mentiones the backtracking, the 8 hours rest and the slow and complex combat system). He specifies that he loves this title and this genre, but new players might not like it because they are used to more dynamic and modern combat systems
- He recommends playing the game as soon as possible, saying that "you will not regret it"
He also posted his screenshots from the game, instead of using the same standard pictures.
The review is pretty good. It has just one major flaw: it does not mention the plot at all. Not a single word about it. Anyway, it is definitely better than Multiplayer.it article.
Does not mention plot. Wut?
The author did not write a single word about the plot itself. He says that it is good, but he does not say anything about it. He does not mention how the game starts, who Caelar is, what CHARNAME must do, where the game takes place, how the game can end and so on. It's like writing a review about Dragon Age: Origins without saying a word about the main plot.
http://blog.cyberpowerpc.com/2016/04/28/baldurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear-review-the-last-gasp-of-a-dying-breed/ 76/100
"the writing. Is it as good as the original Baldur’s Gate? I’d say it’s a mixed bag. In some areas, Siege of Dragonspear is on par with the epic-ness of the original narrative, in others, downright silly. Some of the plotlines are revealed in hammy fashion, and while interacting with NPCs, you’ll find that many of them are really condescending and perpetually wise-cracking. I don’t mind a little lippy-ness here and there (I’m as sarcastic as they come) but full-on sass parades without much respite can get a little tired sometimes.
The actual storyline and the game’s structure is also very linear, much more so than Baldur’s Gate. Although there are some opportunities for branching out and exploring a few new areas, there just aren’t many. On the flip side, this more restrictive facet of Siege of Dragonspear’s storytelling allows for tighter, more focused writing. In other words it’s a trade-off: Less poking around, but more depth— narrative-wise."
"Overall, I found Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear to be a decent adventure, but only for nostalgic folks or for curious younger gamers who never got the chance to play a Baldur’s Gate game, and are curious about experiencing one of the original icons of computer role-playing games (CRPGs). Oh, and it’s got multiplayer, too."
"Give Me Non-Linear & Immersion or Give Me Death"
http://www.spaziogames.it/recensioni_videogiochi/console_pc/19220/baldur-s-gate-siege-of-dragonspear.aspx
Good points:
- Brand new content
- A new class
- Some UI enhancements
Bad points:
- Linear
- Lesser free action
- Some bugs that must be fixed
The author defines Siege of Dragonspear a "DLC" instead of "expansion"
The first part of the review explains how the game starts and introduces the character of Caelar, praising her originality.
The second part has a very inaccurate info: "The Unfinished Business mod already bridges the cap between the two chapters, putting the finishing touches to many aspects of the main plot, so it would have been better working on a different episode to bring the saga towards new horizons, wouldn't it?" (?????)
Err... Sorry, dude, but UB does not bring the gap between the two chapters. Had you played it, you should know it.
Anyway, he says that the DLC (it's not a DLC!!!) is a nice addition, a fair product. He thinks that it will be definitely appreciated by old and nostalgic players, while its mechanics will be hardly appealing to new players.
While it may only be 2 or 3 lines of dialogue that is in question, its not the amount thats being discussed on the forums so much as the motivation of the writers and their intent to use the game for something other than Dungeons and Dragons.
I also agree with the review that there has been way too many aggressive negative reviews that didnt add anything to the game.
I do have my opinions on the gender / sexuality inclusion for the game, but the only criticism I have ever brought up was to emphasize that Baldur's gate is the holy grail of RPG's and Beamdog needs to treat the franchise accordingly. Basically dont fix whats not broken and add to the story in the same fashion that made the game so great. If they want to include these social issues they have that freedom, just give the players more options to roleplay them the way we want with all possible actions and reactions or to be able to ignore it all together if we so choose.
This may seem like a backhanded compliment, but I think for Beamdog's first effort fully their own this is a fine game. It'd have received a lot less backlash if it wasn't connected to such a huge pre established franchise, and they probably knew that was a risk going in. I'm not going to drop a review until I finish it, but around 7-8/10 seems right to me.
http://www.videogiochi.com/recensioni/2016/05/baldurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear-la-recensione/ 6,5/10
@Aedan and @Moradin, share your thoughts on it
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/baldurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear 4/5
The expansion to the classic adventure builds and expands on the gameplay significantly, even though it suffers from some gameplay issues. Historically, the Baldur's Gate games are challenging, but perhaps in an effort to make them more accessible, the development team has added a super-easy level called Story Mode that allows players to enjoy the story without fear of dying and seeing the dreaded "Game Over" screen. They've also mapped out at least 20 hours of new areas to explore, people to meet, and interesting side quests. Aside from including a new Shaman class, gameplay for non-Story Mode players remains much the same, with lots of quirky dialogue exchanges and plenty of ways to customize character skills and equipment. The story here is compelling and takes you in several interesting directions. And while it's your choice to be generous and kind or selfish and cruel, ultimately you have to face some difficult questions regarding the difference between action and intent. The expansion's only weakness -- and it's significant -- is its bugginess (crashes, missing voice lines, optional quests that can't be completed). This frequently gives the impression that the expansion was released before it was ready. But even with the bugs, it's a satisfying role-playing adventure that promises even more peril and excitement in expansions to come.
Parents need to know that Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear is a downloadable narrative add-on to Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and requires the purchase of that game. They should also know that combat is the main point of the game, with players and enemies -- human, animal, and monster -- shown being beaten, stabbed, shot with arrows, and even dismembered. Violence is shown from a distance, though, and depicted by small, mannequin-like characters that are far from realistic. Characters are shown drinking in and out of taverns and use potions to fortify themselves. There's next to no mention of sex, but the player can form verbal romantic associations with a couple of the new companion characters.
Concept and Execution: 8/25
Mechanics: 22/25
Atmosphere: 7/25
Entertainment Value: 11/25
Although the author gives such a low score, he acknowledges that "as a DLC SoD definitely delivers for its $19.99 price tag."
"I put over 30 hours of play into this game and I know for a fact that, despite my best efforts to poke my nose into every nook and cranny I could find, there are things that I missed. Plus, the usual plethora of companions expected in a Baldur’s Gate game means that there are probably hundreds of interactions and interjections that I missed by not having a particular companion or combination of companions in my part at a particular time. Despite the bad parts of the game, SoD does still feel like a Baldur’s Gate game, if not a particularly good one, and that’s saying a lot since there have been other extremely similar games that tried to capture that feeling in the past and failed miserably."
http://nlgo.net/2016/04/bladurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear-review/
It says that CHARNAME's brother is Irenicus. Twice.
It says that Caelar is leading a rebellion.
It says "Pugno Fiammeggiante" instead of "Pugno Fiammante" (the right Italian translation for Flaming Fist).
It says that in BG vanilla you have PLENTY of dialogue options, while in SOD you just have three limited replies.
It says that lots of NPCs changed their personality.
I cannot find the right emoticon to express my feelings after reading this review. The author should stop writing reviews because he has not the skills to do it.
@Moradin, my eyes are bleeding!
I don't know..I expected a little ''more'' out of that.
Well it's not like Sarevoks crew were fleshed out that much either, but still...Just expressing how I felt about it^^
The personalities are pretty subjective, so I won't argue that, but the portraits seem on par with the series and much more so than BG1
And I'm not disappointed with the game itself, it was just specifically that segment itself. I was pleased SoD overall.
And in that vain, yes SoD is more or less linear, it is actually as linear as the originals -at least in my humble opinion.
The replayability of Baldurs Gate lies (in my opinion) in the Banters and some sidequests - not the actually main story. To this day I believe that the main stories of the Baldurs Gate games (and quite frankly most BW games) are decently crafted, but a tad cliched and rarely original. Biowares true strength was (or is) in creating good *characters*. The world of the games is interesting and nice and you become invested in the games because the NPCs have personalities. They are not jsut your satelites but people in their own right, people that are interesting enough to make you want to know them.
As someone who never was a fan of combat and thus can't comment on that fairly, I always saw *that* as Biowares strength and I think that SoD showed that Beamdog has inherited that skill and I hope they will get better at creating personalities.
Sorry for the rambling..
Also, Caelar is too much of an self-righteous moron to be an actual Mary Sue. She may *think* she is one though... (I don't really like Caelar as a person, but she is a very good character ^^)
I was busy all day, so I reply to your summons only now.
I read the review and I have to agree with Aedan that the reviewer seems quite confused in his writing.
Aedan summed up all that's wrong about the review quite well in his post. I will simply add that the reviewer goes by the nickname "Corrosion". With this review, he managed to corrode my eyeballs.