Back in the 90s there was an engine that pretty much defined RPGs as we know them now – the Infinity Engine. And the first big game on that engine was Baldur’s Gate, followed by Baldur’s Gate 2, Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment and more. In short, times were amazing for RPG enthusiasts. GOG.com released BG1 and BG2 DRM-free a few years ago, and modders built a set of tools to enhance BG1 to run on BG2’s updated engine, enabling the game(s) to be played on latest hardware and widescreen monitors.
Not so long ago, Beamdog announced Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for PC, Mac, iOS and Android, and it has finally arrived on the iPad. But is it still an excellent game? Has its core gameplay survived the port to the iPad? Is it still the amazing game it used to be?
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An involving story
BG: EE revolves around an impressively deep story and mysteries. Why do people try to kill you? Why won’t your foster father trust you with what is going on? Why do you have to leave Candlekeep? Why are all the iron tools in the region suddenly crumbling and disintegrating? The story begins at quite some speed, forcing you out of your home, making you find allies, form parties, take on quests and sidequests (though sometimes you don’t know which is which, which is quite nice). Unlike other recent RPGs (e.g. Skyrim) you can’t just wander off and explore the lands to your heart’s content…