Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Review (iPad)
It's inevitable that much of a review about a touchscreen version of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition will center around the specific challenges of bringing this classic PC RPG to a tablet. While long-term fans will already know every last detail of the game's sprawling content and system design, it's enough for everyone else to know that this is a timeless fantasy adventure built around party combat, endless invisible dice-rolls and deep tactical group play. What unites both camps of course is the question of how this hardcore RPG translates from the keyboard, mouse and bigger display of a PC, to the very different touchscreen platform.
The good news is that this complex combat that blends ranged, melee and supporting roles together works surprisingly well on a tablet's touchscreen. Baldur's Gate isn't shy about throwing you into the deep waters of its mechanics early on, and while it's easy to navigate the game's interface and combat options, you'd be wise to spend some time in the first party combat scenario you're presented with. Here you'll learn the essentials of party positioning, skill use, and character archetypes, and every minute spent here will enhance the rest of your time with the game.
As well as a diverse array of characters, there are many icons vying for your attention, from backpacks to skill bars, to character profiles and spellbooks. The nature of the touchscreen means there are more of these icons to contend with than in the PC version. The developer's method for dealing with the thorny problem of collecting multiple party members into a single group, for example, is the rectangle-draw button which can be toggled on and off. It's a clever solution to a problem that soon rears its head in more complex combat, while another new button provides a quick snapshot of party member health with a single tap.
That's not to say that the character control and interface is perfect. Party members will occasionally get stuck in doors, target selection can be a fiddly affair for individual warriors, and path-finding in general can be a little hit and miss. While there are tutorial components to the game...
To read more, please visit Modojo
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyjrcudrKurXZyutbGMnqWhmZ6YsqV5xJ2graGfo3qzsdWinLBlmaWupXmRaWhrZWFn