Beamdog announces Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
March 16, 2012 | 11:38
Companies: #atari #beamdog #wizards-of-the-coast
Role-playing classic Baldur's Gate and its sequel are coming back, with Beamdog subsidiary Overhaul Games confirming work on an 'Enhanced Edition,' due for release this summer.
Developed by BioWare back in 1998, Baldur's Gate was the game which convinced role-playing aficionados that perhaps there's something to this computer game malarkey after all. Using a Forgotten Realms licence from TSR - now known as Wizards of the Coast - the team created an original plot set in an intricate world governed by a tweaked implementation of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition rules.
Much of what has come to symbolise BioWare's work was first seen in Baldur's Gate: moral choices made during the adventure would affect the outcome of the game, while character development occurred in both combat and non-combat scenarios. Its launch saw critical acclaim, garnering a Metacritic aggregate score of 91 per cent, while two expansion packs and a sequel would be released alongside spin-off games Planescape: Torment and the Icewind Dale series.
Sadly, the world moved on from isometric role-playing games. BioWare would shift its focus onto third-person engines with its future titles, while the Baldur's Gate name would later be used to title a pair of watered-down console action RPGs.
Now, however, Baldur's Gate is getting a rebirth in the form of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition. Announced by Beamdog late yesterday, few details are available beyond the involvement of Beamdog subsidiary Overhaul Games - staffed, we note, by a selection of former BioWare employees who worked on the original release.
According to Joystiq, the Enhanced Edition is more than a re-release. 'We have the original source code,' a company representative told the site, 'and are doing a significant update.'
The company hints that the Enhanced Edition will include new content, expanding the limits of the game, along with an update to the original's Infinity Engine which will bring higher-definition visuals. Release platforms have yet to be confirmed, with a PC release almost certain but the possibility of a console release not being ruled out.
Further details are expected in future updates, which will be appearing from Beamdog on a weekly basis via the official site.
Developed by BioWare back in 1998, Baldur's Gate was the game which convinced role-playing aficionados that perhaps there's something to this computer game malarkey after all. Using a Forgotten Realms licence from TSR - now known as Wizards of the Coast - the team created an original plot set in an intricate world governed by a tweaked implementation of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition rules.
Much of what has come to symbolise BioWare's work was first seen in Baldur's Gate: moral choices made during the adventure would affect the outcome of the game, while character development occurred in both combat and non-combat scenarios. Its launch saw critical acclaim, garnering a Metacritic aggregate score of 91 per cent, while two expansion packs and a sequel would be released alongside spin-off games Planescape: Torment and the Icewind Dale series.
Sadly, the world moved on from isometric role-playing games. BioWare would shift its focus onto third-person engines with its future titles, while the Baldur's Gate name would later be used to title a pair of watered-down console action RPGs.
Now, however, Baldur's Gate is getting a rebirth in the form of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition. Announced by Beamdog late yesterday, few details are available beyond the involvement of Beamdog subsidiary Overhaul Games - staffed, we note, by a selection of former BioWare employees who worked on the original release.
According to Joystiq, the Enhanced Edition is more than a re-release. 'We have the original source code,' a company representative told the site, 'and are doing a significant update.'
The company hints that the Enhanced Edition will include new content, expanding the limits of the game, along with an update to the original's Infinity Engine which will bring higher-definition visuals. Release platforms have yet to be confirmed, with a PC release almost certain but the possibility of a console release not being ruled out.
Further details are expected in future updates, which will be appearing from Beamdog on a weekly basis via the official site.
MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review
October 14 2021 | 15:04
Want to comment? Please log in.