Baldur's Gate - The Game That Started It All (Bioware, 1998)
5Baldur's Gate was one of the most important and influential CRPGs ever made. Developed by Black Isle Studios and Bioware, and released in 1998 it was like no other D&D game that came before it. There have been D&D games from other devs before it, but none of them could hold a candle to how incredible an accomplishment the first Baldur's Gate really was.
The story was richly detailed, your choices mattered as you progressed through the game, and few characters save your own had plot-armor. It also had one of the best implementations of the D&D rules set in a computer game to date.
Bioware's Infinity Engine powered Baldur's Gate, and it revolutionized the CRPG genre. Improved iterations of this engine would be used on Baldur's Gate II, Icewind Dale I & II, and Planescape Torment (a cult classic in its own right). The story crafting expertise learned from making these games would then be applied to KOTOR, and later the Mass Effect games.
In the game, you control your own character and a party of up to 5 others (6 in total). You can equip yourself and your party members with weapons, armor, spells, etc. and combat plays out in semi real-time with the ability to pause the action in order to strategize and give commands to your party members.
Unlike modern games, Baldur's Gate does not hold your hand. There are no quest markers on the map, you need to take extensive notes, and expect to devote weeks if not months to the entire playthrough depending on how much time you have available to play.
You are an orphan raised by Gorion in the monastery of Candlekeep. One day, your foster father gives you some gold, and tells you to buy everything you'll need for a long journey. However, before you can leave, mysterious assailants appear trying to take your life, and the man who raised you is killed. You embark on a journey to find Gorion's killer, but your quest soon embroils you in a political situation between Baldur's Gate and the Kingdom of Ann, made worse by the Iron Crisis. A force or plague that is making metal crumble to dust, and there is talk of war. This is an oversimplification of the story of Baldur's Gate, and what a story it is.
* Connect with Gamers Bay on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Gamerz321
* Gamers Bay Group MeWe: https://mewe.com/group/5bbe77d84809905cc2dbda3a
* Gamers Bay Brand Page MeWe: https://mewe.com/profile/5bbe746d4809905cc26f31bd
* Mike TheZorch’s Website:
https://www.zorchcentral.com
Credits:
* Host/Producer - Michael "TheZorch" Haney (Zorch Central)
* Co-Host/Executive Producer - Tygra Khan (Zorch Central)
* Executive Producer - Daniel Imbellino (Gamers Bay)
Any and all copyrighted material used in the making of this program were used in accordance with Fair Use Rules as described under US Copyright Law. All copyrighted materials are the property of their respective companies, all rights reserved. Portions of this program are protected by Creative Commons License.
2023, Gamers Bay. All Rights Reserved.