14 DAY TRIAL // As soon as I step out of Candlekeep and my father figure gets obliterated defending me and my secrets, I join up with Imoen and start exploring the world around me.
Sure, I am just level one and lack any powerful equipment, but I’m pretty sure that I can deal with any kind of threat the world of Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition will throw at me in the early stages.
Then, after wandering from the white path that was taking me to a nearby inn, a dire wolf attacks me by surprise and, before I can react, it promptly kills the protagonist and ends my epic quests soon after it started.
I reload (please, don’t forget to hit autosave regularly), figuring this to be a glitch and I try to find the same monster again, this time with more care applied to tactics, but I once again fail to kill the wolf and lose Imoen.
I load once again and this time stick to the path to the Friendly Arms Inn, praying that the wolf will not be able to find me.
This is a good example of how ruthless old school video games can be and how unaccustomed to their level of challenge modern gamers are.
In something like Dragon Age, which described itself as a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate, wolfs are never a challenge and even low level characters feel empowered and capable.
In the original, kobolds and wolves are capable enemies and a swarm of them can do huge amounts of damage and quickly wipe out a party that lacks tactics and a player who is not focused.
The Overhaul Games created Enhanced Edition sometimes frustrates me with its quick fights and fast deaths, but I appreciate that the game is fair but hard because that’s an experience that I never get from modern titles.