Baldur's Gate is a groundbreaking series that has its roots in the earliest days of PC gaming. Considering that Baldur's Gate 3 sold over a million copies six days after its release on Steam, a new generation discovered its brilliance. For the older fans, the latest release provides a much-needed drink of water after a long drought.
The first Baldur's Gate game founds its way onto PCs and Macs in the digital stone age of 1998. While enhanced editions or spiritual successors came and went, fans haven't had a direct sequel to the original lineage since 2001. To celebrate that fact, here is every Baldur's Gate game ranked according to their Metacritic scores.
10 Baldur's Gate And Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Editions (72)
Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Editions for Nintendo Switch arrived in October 2019. Overhaul Games wasn't satisfied with bringing one enhanced edition to consoles, so it offered both for a bundle price on release.
Critics noted that while having both games accessible for Switch, Playstation 4, and Xbox One was a win, it also didn't try hard to impress new players. That shouldn't take away from the achievement of completing a competent port of an isometric RPG series that launched in 1998 to modern controller schemes.
9 Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition (73)
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition's first release was in November 2012 for Windows. Overhaul Games completed the development, and Atari published the remake of the 1998 RPG to strong reviews. Critics praised it for repackaging the original experience into a highly competent and surprisingly cheap (but awesome like these Nintendo Switch games) experience.
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition's score suffered from critics who see the GOG version as the superior option. Even the most negative comments acknowledge that, at the least, it's a competent remake that makes the classic accessible to a new generation.
8 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance GBA (76)
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance launched in December 2001 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance. Ports to handhelds do not have a reliable track record (and neither does mobile, with some noteworthy exceptions), but it's easy to argue that the GBA version held its head high during its era.
While the game has issues, critics praised it as a competent "small version" of the action-adventure RPG. This version lacks some essentials like cutscenes, and the camera can be a hassle, but it's a competent game that could have been much worse.
7 Baldur's Gate: Siege Of Dragonspear (77)
Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear launched in March 2016 for Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. The game covers the events between the first Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II. It is, in fact, an expansion to the enhanced edition of the latter.
Beamdog's first game with an original storyline received a warm reception from critics. The studio managed to live up to a long-standing legacy, and that's no small feat for anyone. Its score suffers because it came out with some bugs, and the story (while good) didn't feel completely aligned with the original.
6 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II (78)
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II launched in January 2004 for the Playstation 2 and Xbox, and it's a direct sequel to the successful 2001 game. While it's a competent follow-up, it also marks the beginning of the end for Black Isle Studios, a '90s studio that's still relevant to game development today. A lawsuit from Snowblind Studios for using the Dark Alliance game engine arguably hammered the final nail in the studio's coffin.
Critics gave the game praise for its replay value, character classes, co-op mode, and expanded maps. While Dark Alliance II improved the series in useful ways, it came out with a fair share of bugs. Its score mostly suffers because it was still as repetitive as its forbearer (at least) despite being a strong effort overall.
5 Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (78)
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition's first release was in November 2013 for Windows and Mac OS X. The game made its way to mobile in 2014 and finally to the Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in October 2019. Overhaul Games wanted to release the remastered game earlier, but contract issues with Atari delayed the launch.
Critics and fans alike praised the release as a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a classic RPG on a new generation of consoles. Despite the enhancements, bugs and flaws carried over from the original and dragged the score down. That shouldn't stop anyone from playing this masterpiece, whether it's for the first or 100th time.
4 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (87)
Dark Alliance launched in December 2001 and moved the series away from its roots and planted it inside a hack and slash RPG. The game's slick graphics and solid design came to gamers courtesy of the Dark Alliance Engine. For the time when it came out, it caught plenty of attention for its polished look.
Critics were right to point out that the co-op mode made this game a must-have for fans. It's a short (but engaging) RPG at around 11 hours, but that's time well-spent with a friend. The lack of side quests and borderline tedious gameplay drags its score down, but that shouldn't scare anyone off from enjoying it.
3 Baldur's Gate II: Throne Of Bhaal (88)
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal launched in June 2001 as an epic end to a trailblazing series. The plot involves a journey to a heroic battle with Amelyssan. While it's not as long of an adventure, it does improve on several aspects of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal enjoyed positive reviews on its release, and it carved a place for itself in RPG history. Critics brought its score down with criticisms about the game's length versus its epic ambitions, but that shouldn't let anyone pass on this gem.
2 Baldur's Gate (91)
The original Baldur's Gate launched in December 1998 for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. The game broke new ground in technical achievements with its isometric worldview and sprite-based characters. Baldur's Gate also introduced the Forgotten Realms campaign in virtual form using Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules (which may or may not have been a popular decision).
Critics still praise Baldur's Gate as one of the best RPGs anyone can buy. It can be clunky at times, but it's possible to argue that the quirks only make it more charming.
1 Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn (95)
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn launched in September 2000 for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Over twenty years later, it's still one of the best isometric RPGs ever made. This classic brought a Dungeons & Dragons experience to the first generation of home PCs capable of running the software.
Critics still praise the game for its storytelling, voice acting, and epic battles. While some people may prefer Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate II set a standard that few games have been able to match.