You play a young man (or woman -- you create your own character) forced to leave his home under suspicious circumstances early in the game, and you find yourself out in a hostile world seeking answers about yourself. The story in this game is more personal than the traditional task of stopping the madman who wants to destroy the world, though it still becomes epic in scale, and is very well done.

Along the way you'll meet a number of NPCs (non-player characters), up to five of whom you can take with you and control. Since there are a number of character classes available, and each class has a vast array of special abilities, managing your party requires a good deal of thought, and engaging in battle requires a sound strategy. A well-balanced party is essential. The game itself is very well-balanced, so there are always numerous ways to attack any given situation.

The game is very large, and spans five CDs (six if you include the expansion). You can stick to the main story arc if you want, but there are dozens upon dozens of optional side-quests that you can attack as well. This is part of what makes the game so immersive, I think -- the fact that you so often have very significant interaction with all the minor characters in the game, rather than having them just spit out the same line of dialogue every time you meet.

There are only two drawbacks I can think of to this game, and they are minor gripes indeed. The first is that the game is based on the D&D 2nd Edition rules, which are outdated now, but the game still plays extremely well. You just don't have access to the additional options that 3rd Edition presents.

The second drawback is that it may be difficult to get into this for someone who's already played Baldur's Gate 2. As good as this game is, the sequel surpassed it in every possible way, and so it does feel like a significant step backwards. Don't let that dissuade you, though. Especially at the low price you can now get the game and its expansion for, it is well worth the money. Be sure to check out the sequel when you're done.