Next November the BioWare game turns 25 and, on the verge of its third installment, we talk about the reasons why it has become a benchmark in the genre.
Shamefully I never actually played it. Has it held up well? I’m almost certainly going to play BG3 if the community reaction is positive.
Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2 have both held up well in my opinion. I still play through them every couple of years and have a blast every time. The enhanced editions are worth playing over the originals for the various improvements they’ve added.
If you do start with BG1 I’d read a little bit for tips on how to get started. Since you start as a level 1 character the game can be pretty brutal. You’ll die in just a couple hits and it can be frustrating. The enhanced editions have difficulty levels, though, including a story mode where you can’t be killed.
Once you know what you’re doing and have gained a level or two the game opens up and is fantastic. Also if you beat BG1 you can import your character into BG2 with any permanent stat bonuses you found along the way.
The BG2 story is better and the voice acting is great. It’s truly a masterpiece imo.
The early access of BG3 was ridiculously fun, even in coop. Only thing missing was decent controller support IMHO.