Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 2 is vastly overrated

[Gumar]

Baldur's Gate 2 is vastly overrated. It's a complete mess. It's only good points are the diversity and versatility of the locations and the monsters.
Otherwise, there is literally no atmosphere or single plotline in the game. Anything to hold interest? No.
Irenicus is a shadow, who intermittently pesters you with thoughts and kidnappings. his motivations are revealed until late. He seems to be a shadow than a real, scary villain.
Athkatla is one shithole of a city. Its art design is very bland. It doesn't give a fantasy vibe at all. More of a cosmopolitan, Southern European decaying husk of a city.
Side quests are too numerous, one dimensional, and completely unrelated to the plot. The Game is supposed to be related to Bhaalspawn or Irenicus's machinations, yet De'arnise keep, firkraag, Tradesmeet, planar sphere seem like random happenings.
Can anyone tell me how the Druid problem, the mad mage in planar sphere problem, eyeless cultist problem, and the weredragon aristocrat's puzzle dungeon all erupted at the same time? was their backstory explained? were they in any way related to Bhaalspawn, Irenicus?
Shadows of Amn was simply a platform to showcase the DnD knowledge of Bioware. To lure first-time gamers with "OOOOOOOOOOO BEHOLDER! :OOOOOOO Dragon" OOOOOOOOO KIDS we have a planar sphere "
Story writing, Minsc's humorous parables, and quality of dialogue is very mediocre.
Combat in BG2 is okay up to certain levels, but at higher levels, mage fights become cheesy, tiring, and boring. Breach, dispel magic, spell trigger, contingency, pierce, breach etc. No variety.

Compare Icewind Dale, Dragon Age for better gaming experiences, and smaller but more compact stories. On top of that, you get a sense of adventure only when you progress into a storyline.
BG2 storyline is like watered-down beer while Icewind Dale is concentrated whiskey. Even in Dragon Age, despite the wide variety of locations, we still have the feeling that there is an overarching plot.

for Combat, Icewind Dale 2 and Divinity Original Sin had much harder and more tactically enjoyable combat than BG2.

People hate Diablo 1 and 2 for their "lack of roleplaying" but they are pretty solid games for a very limited world. Their locations are mostly for monster killing, but yet they give a better sense of dread than pathetic dungeons in BG2. 4 Acts of Diablo 2 transport you into 4 completely different atmospheres, gothic for 1, arabian for 2, demonic for 3 and hellish for 4. We are able to feel the atmosphere, the immersion is flawless.
Diablo 1's locations were very claustrophobic and coupled with slow character speed, made encounters really scary.
BG2's atmopshere is really nowhere near these games.

It's no surprise though that it got as popular as it did, as "generalist" games made for mass audience are usually subpar in everything except diversity and variety. Something to please everyone concept.
Niche Games are truly classical as they are made with a specific objective in mind and the creators go wild with their imagination.

hell BG1 had a tighter storyline and a better unfolding of lore. BG2 lore is haphazard, unstructured with no sequential unfolding. You meet djinnis first, goblins next and suddenly you meet elementals.
To immerse, you got to provide anticipation, hype and a context for any area of any monster.

Dragons in Dragon Age Origins were few and were very much looked forward to. Dragons in BG2 are a dime a dozen. Almost every area has its guardian as a Dragon.

Highly imaginative players prefer niche games while generalists prefer Baldur's Gate 2.

Also, Baldur's Gate is not very appropriate a name for the series.
It should be renamed as :-
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 1: Mysteries of the Gate (BGEE)
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 2: Siege of Dragonspear (name implies)
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 3: Shadows of Amn (Before Underdark)
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 4: Irenicus's folly (After underdark)
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 5: Throne of Bhaal (name implies)

 

[Gumar]

Pillars of Eternity has a much higher writing quality, darker atmosphere and better companions than both BGs combined.
It's combat mechanics, endurance/health, no ressurections also give a much more realistic quality to the gaming world.
gods are mysterious, and people are superstitious and the general bestiary is very unique.

 

[JarlFrank]

It's about a dozen times better than BG1 though, but people put BG1 on the same pedestal. So BG1 automatically becomes even more overrated.

 

[weresheeple]

Damn! Please tell me there is a way to go back in time and convince my twelve-year-old self not to enjoy this piece of crap game.

 

[Serious_Business]

To Finally Deploy The Wings of My Critical Thinking

I am Flying and It Feels Great

 

[Avarize]

All stories in the Forgotten Realms setting are mediocre at best and serve only to explore the fairly interesting world. Numerous side quests to facilitate that are just fine with me. It's also the reason why I'm not that worried about BG3, the series doesn't need a strong story, just explore the world.

Pillars of Eternity has a much higher writing quality, darker atmosphere and better companions than both BGs combined.
It's combat mechanics, endurance/health, no ressurections also give a much more realistic quality to the gaming world.
gods are mysterious, and people are superstitious and the general bestiary is very unique.

I assume you are trolling.

 

[d1r]

It's a story about YOUR character, your agency in the Forgotten Realms, as it was in the first game. If you're not able to attach yourself to a self made character in a fantasy game, whose story is unfolding in the next iteration of a series, then this series is probably not for you. Saying that Baldurs Gate 2 has no plotline is absolutely retarded, because revenge, rescueing Imoen (if you actually care about her), or at least the search for an answer are adequate enough for a story, respectively a guiding thread. Atmosphere is completely subjective, I personally found Athkatla way more interesting and atmospheric than Baldur's Gate. And considering that the first one third in the game is about collecting money for the main quest, you could say that every side quest basically is related to the main quest. Though I don't know why you think that every side quest needs to be.

 

[Cryomancer]

Divinity Original Sin had much harder and more tactically enjoyable combat than BG2.

Stoped reading here.

How a game with stat stickie gear, cooldowns, one summon limit, retarded armor system(...) has better combat than BG2?

 

[overly excitable young man]

Baldurs Gate games were cool when you were a little kid but today they completely suck and nobody wants to admit it because of their stupid nostalgia, where they connect eating ice cream with friends at the public swimming pool with a crappy game.

 

[The Jester]

Pillars of Eternity has a much higher writing quality, darker atmosphere and better companions than both BGs combined.

 

[Thac0]

Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 2: Siege of Dragonspear (name implies)

Unsure if trolling or retarded. Time will tell I guess.

 

[kangaxx]

Pillars of Eternity has a much higher writing quality, darker atmosphere and better companions than both BGs combined.

Can anyone help me work out how to rate posts? I feel the need to rate this one.

 

[Sweeper]

And so, another shitposter is born.
Welcome brother.

Can anyone help me work out how to rate posts? I feel the need to rate this one.

If in doubt, just rate it retarded.

 

[jac8awol]

The only thing that I took exception to in BG2 was that weird arab looking art design. I remember the first time I opened up the inventory screen and wondered if my party was sexually attracted to camels. It didn't really grow on me, but I got used to it.

The effort you put in to typing this shitpost will not be requited. Condolences.

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

Pillars of Eternity has a much higher writing quality, darker atmosphere and better companions than both BGs combined.
It's combat mechanics, endurance/health, no ressurections also give a much more realistic quality to the gaming world.
gods are mysterious, and people are superstitious and the general bestiary is very unique.

My friend, in life you are going to say things, many things.

This is not one of those things you should say.

 

[Lilura]

It's about a dozen times better than BG1 though, but people put BG1 on the same pedestal. So BG1 automatically becomes even more overrated.

Please, BG2 is more overrated than BG1. I am the only commentator in existence that says BG1 > BG2. Everyone else says the opposite, and it's always been that way.

Anyway, OP arrived at correct conclusion but mostly by way of false reasoning. Thus, no brofist.

 

[EldarEldrad]

Also, Baldur's Gate is not very appropriate a name for the series.
It should be renamed as :-
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 1: Mysteries of the Gate (BGEE)
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 2: Siege of Dragonspear (name implies)
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 3: Shadows of Amn (Before Underdark)
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 4: Irenicus's folly (After underdark)
Bhaalspawn Saga : Part 5: Throne of Bhaal (name implies)

Unitl that BGEE stuff it was funny to read, but here you totally failed, zoomer.

Please, BG2 is more overrated than BG1. I am the only commentator in existence that says BG1 > BG2. Everyone else says the opposite, and it's always been that way.

Nah, me too always say BG1>BG2. But I havn't such a blog, so I say it IRL and occasionally on 'Dex.

 

[Lilura]

Nah, me too always say BG1>BG2. But I havn't such a blog, so I say it IRL and occasionally on 'Dex.

The dickheads at PC Gamer did a "retrospective" on BG for its 20th anniversary. Most of the time (when they weren't advertising the EEs), they talked about BG2 when it wasn't even BG2's anniversary. Reddit and Codex is filled with BG2 fanboys, too. There are posters on the Codex who have ferociously jacked themselves off to BG2 for years on end, while ignoring BG1 entirely. Anyone who says BG1 is more overrated than BG2 doesn't know what they're talking about.

 

[Shaewaroz]

Pointless troll alt. Mods, please remove the account.

 

[Dramart]

You like D:OS and PoE, you have shit taste, case closed.

 

[JarlFrank]

The dickheads at PC Gamer did a "retrospective" on BG for its 20th anniversary.

The dickheads at PC Gamer probably don't even play PC games.

 

[Drowed]

I really don't like the BG series that much, I had to force myself to finish both games. I think the "mage duels" (tm) and all the pre-buffing activates that instinctive and primal part of the brain of D&D fans that few other games in can achieve, and that's why they're so well regarded around here. That, and the fact that the maps are drop dead gorgeous, especially for the time it was released. Also, I'll add two more words: Forgotten Realms. The setting creates a certain sense of adventure, has a very specific authenticity that you do not see in other games, I'll give you that. I can see why for many that is more than enough.

But I've always found the story and dialogues to be incredibly boring, the characters are dull or overly caricatured (usually both), and even the famous mage duels aren't really that incredible at all - after you build your characters, your brain goes on automatic and you don't have to think about it 95% of the time. You're much more likely to die because the pathfinding decided to fuck with you than because you really did something wrong. Don't get me wrong, most of the games loved by the Codex have an equivalent or even more broken gameplay. Hell, just look at Planescape. But they always offered something incredible in return: Torment's story, Fallout's C&C, Bloodlines' dialogs, or the setting of Deus EX.

But BG, for me, never quite reached there.

 

[The Jester]

It's about a dozen times better than BG1 though, but people put BG1 on the same pedestal. So BG1 automatically becomes even more overrated.

Please, BG2 is more overrated than BG1. I am the only commentator in existence that says BG1 > BG2. Everyone else says the opposite, and it's always been that way.

Anyway, OP arrived at correct conclusion but mostly by way of false reasoning. Thus, no brofist.

I like Baldur's Gate 1 more cause it's like a wholesome D&D Campaign you know like killing shit in woods with your buddys.

 

[Lilliput McHammersmith]

As weird as it is, I agree with Lilura. BG2 is only overrated as it compares to BG1. People talk about how much better BG2 is than BG1, but I greatly prefer BG1.

BG2 is still a fantastic game.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

It's about a dozen times better than BG1 though, but people put BG1 on the same pedestal. So BG1 automatically becomes even more overrated.

Please, BG2 is more overrated than BG1. I am the only commentator in existence that says BG1 > BG2. Everyone else says the opposite, and it's always been that way.

Anyway, OP arrived at correct conclusion but mostly by way of false reasoning. Thus, no brofist.

I like Baldur's Gate 1 more cause it's like a wholesome D&D Campaign you know like killing shit in woods with your buddys.

for like the first 10 hours