This game spoiled me
The unique character generator was way ahead of its time; letting you tweak stats, proficiencies, colors, portraits, sounds, AI kits, and more. This game is so engrossing that you can spend hours just exploring all the scattered houses in a city, or talking to odd people for quests or amusement, or go bandit hunting so you can strip scalps to turn in for gold . . and the list keeps going. This is one of those rare games where you can actually go just about anywhere at anytime, so you have to watch out and save often, but with a game this large, thats a good thing. Stumbling across a group of mid level fighters and mage/ cleric casters can wipe out your entire team, BUT with a little extra planning, some serious spell casting ( or maybe even coming back after a couple levels ) can make a hard fight just right. There is plenty of balance, and a well rounded party will have to consist of many types of classes , not just fighters that kill everything.
The engine is spectacular for this game as well as the production score & ambient sounds threading it together. The different effects for everything from spell casting to rainy weather really grabbed at the eye sockets. The paper doll character manager was a key factor in the games success. It's very simple to query your characters inventory, armor class, hit points, and more all from one screen. The NPCs on screen looked simple, but there was no question as to who, or what type of NPC, you where looking at. All locations are pre rendered 'maps' that have been beautifully detailed to perpetually engross the player. All of it seemed open I never felt caged while playing, unless it was scripted into the story to feel closed in.
The enemy AI is a mixed bag. The scrips called for most NPCs to do a pre planned attack/spell chain/swallow potion and then just rush in. For a game like this though ( practically 2D ) there aren't many other options. All characters have a life of their own and everyone has an alignment that played into the larger picture. Evil and good characters would bicker and fight with each, even going as far as to leave the party if they feel unwelcome. There are a couple times when an NPC or two didnt seem to portray the right personality but that is a minor flaw. Lending further into the immersion was all of the dialog scripted into NPCs behavior patterns.
Much of the dialog is voice acted and makes you feel like you are listening to a real person. I mentioned earlier that the sounds thread this game together. All of the sounds match perfectly with the on screen effects. A spell sounds like it should, and weather effects like rain and wind have a deep effect on the mood of setting. The musical score is brilliant, and changes depending on what is happening on-screen. Fast paced and ruffled music plays for death defying combat, to slow and mellow music when walking around a peaceful town.
The plot is very detailed with main quests, sub quests , and SUB sub quests. If you are a fan of D&D PnP or Forgotten Realms Books , then you will appreciate the little things added in for those 'holy crap' moments . . . like meeting the legendary Drizzt or seeing Volo kicking back in a tavern. I will not divulge any real story points or quest arcs because I feel that in any game, the story is key and it should be up to the player to uncover the mystery. The main thing to remember is that this story stretches across many chapters, like in a book, and will keep you busy for a very long time.
Nothing in this game struck me as over powered or underrated. You feel like a budding hero from start to finish. Finding enchanted gear like amulets, rings, boots, cloaks, helms, armor, shields, swords ect. made your awesome character just that more awesome. There are some slow points in the game but it more then makes up for its short comings with great role playing moments. The Open ended game play, witty character dialog, surprising story and epic D&D battles make this one of the top PC games of all time.