Baldur's Gate II or Diablo II

I actually am going to have a poll here, since I've been looking up these games a lot and they seem pretty big. I'm thinking about picking one of the two this weekend (probably getting the package deals, Diablo Battle Chest etc.) But I want to know which one people think is better overall. I'm really excited for Dragon Age Origins and Diablo III myself.

This is going to get ugly. Well, I prefer Baldur's Gate II because it's a real CRPG and Diablo II is just a hack & slash RPG. Really, it's all about personal preference. If you want a CRPG, get Baludr's Gate II. If you want a click-crazy, hack & slash, get Diablo II. If you have no personal preference, you could always flip a coin.

This is going to get ugly. Well, I prefer Baldur's Gate II because it's a real CRPG and Diablo II is just a hack & slash RPG. Really, it's all about personal preference. If you want a CRPG, get Baludr's Gate II. If you want a click-crazy, hack & slash, get Diablo II. If you have no personal preference, you could always flip a coin.

Phoenix534

Very different games hold on i actually havent read your posts lol...

Ok now im ready TC sorry about that.

Baldurs Gate 2 is a highly rated timeless masterpice.

I will explain some of the game play for you the best i can.

Ok you have a basic Role playing setup IE, lvling, equipping items, choosing spells, Feats/Skills, assigning appropriate weapons, deciding what party members to take, having dialogues and interactions with party members, having to make choices based on alignment of yourself and your party members - this can directly effect your party and in extreme cases cause in fighting.

Combat : Revolves around selecting the appropriate spells to use and skills when most required. This is achived by using an action bar situated at the bottom of the screen that allows you to simply click the spells/skills required. I play the game personally by pausing when i encounter new enemies, then inputting commands to the party watching as the are carried out, then if nesscary i will pause again to issue further commands. That is all ac hived manually but can be setup to activate automatically. This makes the game slightly turn based for my particular preference.

Although you can play the game with no pausing at all which will result in a much tenser expereince which could be overwhelming for some.

The game features an in-depth leveling system.

An in-depth clas selection that allows you to create almost any combination of Fighter/Wizard/Cleric of Talos hybrid you choose.

The spells in the game are excellent ranging from, summoning spells, polymorph, Shields against Magic / Arrows, Area Effect Spells, Lighting Bolts, Fireballs, Demons and much much more.

Not only all that but the plot and your rival throught the game are legendary.

Baldur's Gate is a huge 200+ hour game, but there is something about Diablo 2 that makes it seem better. I never played Bg2 but D2 is a blast online ond off.

Baldur's Gate is a huge 200+ hour game, but there is something about Diablo 2 that makes it seem better. I never played Bg2 but D2 is a blast online ond off.

pvtdonut54

Diablo 2 has more game in it. Although it's all recycled. But I would say Diablo 2 is fun untill you beat Hell mode, or do tristram. After that though there's nothing left to conquer. BG2 is good for the first play through then it can go back on the shlef.

I prefer cRPGs over action-RPGs, so I'd choose Baldur's Gate 2 anytime. Both are very differentAAAE titles and still worth to be bought.

Basically, BG2 is a true RPG and has strategic combat. D2 is far more actiony. if you're not going to play BG1, buy Diablo 2, as it ruins the epic plot really.

i way prefer BG2, for it's epic scope and combat. But D2 is a lot of fun.

Yea I see now what people are saying. I've played both demos quite a bit and come to notice the similarities and differences. So far it seems Diablo II is faster and more visceral while Baldur's Gate II is more deep in story and difficulty. Man I died like 3 times before lowering the difficulty. The darn dice rolling chance thing is kind of weak, with Diablo II you bust into a group and cut em up but in Baldur's Gate II I had tough time trying to take down that one bat thing flying around. But when I got the hang of Baldur's I kind of got into it. I like having the party, and for me due to personal reasons (long, long story) it would be easier to have Baldur's Gate II in my house than the demonic cover of Diablo II (some of you might understand) due to some other people in my household... -shmelo-

Pretty easy to just say Diablo 2 is a multiplayer game, you CAN play singleplayer, but the fun in that game is all multi.

BG2 is a very long singleplayer game, and has a good story to boot.

Honestly Diablo 2 is spent away from any settlements, you rarely meet nps outside the towns (maybe once or twice) and towns ONLY serve as hubs for selling things, getting missions and such, there is no substenance there.

Also most items in Diablo 2 are drops, you CAN buy things in town, but they are always sub par to what you find on the ground, it is a very story light game, the story is secondary, and pretty muddy, its all focused on fighting, you do not even have dialogue options, an npc just holds a monologue, and you can in no way alter or have different takes on the story. Also there is no choice, story wise.

BG2 is pretty much the opposite, there IS combat, which someone discribed quite good, most of the game, is the relations you build with the world, and your ability to change/alter it to your own ends.

There is alot of talking and alot of reading involved.

BG2 is alot slower in gameplay then Diablo 2, and it is a real RPG, where Diablo is a hack'n'slash.

Theyre very good tho, both of them, and if you like multiplayer itemhunting, and buying and selling (trading) items then D2 is your game.

If you like a deep story that is well thought out, and holds alot of hours then it is BG2 (the best buy here is bg1+exp+2+exp, that package sells for about 15 bucks in most stores)

Honestly Diablo 2 is spent away from any settlements, you rarely meet nps outside the towns (maybe once or twice) and towns ONLY serve as hubs for selling things, getting missions and such, there is no substenance there.

Also most items in Diablo 2 are drops, you CAN buy things in town, but they are always sub par to what you find on the ground, it is a very story light game, the story is secondary, and pretty muddy, its all focused on fighting, you do not even have dialogue options, an npc just holds a monologue, and you can in no way alter or have different takes on the story. Also there is no choice, story wise.

Maddie_Larkin

you totally missed the point. Diablo 2 was about adventure, not going to town to buy X item. When you got a rare dropped you felt like you earned it. Also, of course there are no NPCs beside town, you're in the wildnerness.

I prefer diablo 2 :) ive been playing that game for the longest time and i still havnt gotten bored of it. and if you decide that you have beaten the normal game there are so many mods out there that can take more time away :) go with diablo 2fearflam

Although I personally prefer Badlur's Gate II it really is a touch choice as they are both nearly perfect games. It just depends on what you are in the mood for I guess. One of the best action RPGs ever made or one of the best storydriven RPGs.

I actually am going to have a poll here, since I've been looking up these games a lot and they seem pretty big. I'm thinking about picking one of the two this weekend (probably getting the package deals, Diablo Battle Chest etc.) But I want to know which one people think is better overall. I'm really excited for Dragon Age Origins and Diablo III myself.

-shmelo-

Diablo 2 has more game in it. Although it's all recycled. But I would say Diablo 2 is fun untill you beat Hell mode, or do tristram. After that though there's nothing left to conquer. BG2 is good for the first play through then it can go back on the shlef.

ShimmerMan

Wow, i mean can you be any more wrong than this?

personally, i prefer BG2 over D2. but i can understand why people love D2 - it's cheap, it's popular, and it provides countless hours of fun online ifhack n slash fun isthe type of adventure you're looking for. Me? i prefer engrossingstory, memorable characters and true role playing.

BGII is great, whereas Diablo 2 sucks. Simple as that. BG2 is one of the best looking RPGs ever made, and even the combat is better than that of D2. BG2 is one of the most "complete" RPGs with a ton of stuff to see and do. Diablo amounts to nothing more than killing endless waves of enemies.

[QUOTE="ShimmerMan"]

Diablo 2 has more game in it. Although it's all recycled. But I would say Diablo 2 is fun untill you beat Hell mode, or do tristram. After that though there's nothing left to conquer. BG2 is good for the first play through then it can go back on the shlef.

gozalo

Wow, i mean can you be any more wrong than this?

My thoughts exactly. There's so many ways to play BG2, so much stuff to do, you're not going to possibly do it all your first time through. Diablo is the same game all the way through the end of hell mode. There's no choice, no consequence, your decisions have no effect on the game.

Like someone said though, apples to oranges. BG2 is more of an actual role-playing game, whereas Diablo 2 is more of an action game really. They're both fun in their own ways, and they're both great games/series. Anyone who hasn't played both the Baldur's Gate and the Diablo series is truly missing out on defining pieces of PC gaming, gaming in general really. You should pick up both.

D2. I will get crucified by BG2 fanboys, but D2 has a place in my heart where as BG2 never clicked for me, I own BG2 and Throne of Bhaal, I put 10+ hours into the game and it just didn't do it for me, maybe I'm a jaded gamer who can't appreciate a game that has an ancient UI, and a tedious combat system but even then, D2 was te first game I played and couldnt put down. Although I can definitely see why people would like BG2 more, it is the definitive CRPG.Im_single

[QUOTE="gozalo"]

[QUOTE="ShimmerMan"]

Diablo 2 has more game in it. Although it's all recycled. But I would say Diablo 2 is fun untill you beat Hell mode, or do tristram. After that though there's nothing left to conquer. BG2 is good for the first play through then it can go back on the shlef.

PTMags

Wow, i mean can you be any more wrong than this?

My thoughts exactly. There's so many ways to play BG2, so much stuff to do, you're not going to possibly do it all your first time through. Diablo is the same game all the way through the end of hell mode. There's no choice, no consequence, your decisions have no effect on the game.

Like someone said though, apples to oranges. BG2 is more of an actual role-playing game, whereas Diablo 2 is more of an action game really. They're both fun in their own ways, and they're both great games/series. Anyone who hasn't played both the Baldur's Gate and the Diablo series is truly missing out on defining pieces of PC gaming, gaming in general really. You should pick up both.

i beg to differ. i love the game,have finishedit at least 3 times now. it's definitely a deep game, but that doesn't mean it's not linear. the fact is, the choices you make when you build your charactersONLY affect the combat in the game. remember, V2 of DnD ruleset allowsminimal character interactionwith npc and the game world. i'm glad that changed when V3 arrived.

what it translates to in terms of gameplay is that no matter how you play and what you play as, BG2offersa largely identical experience. there's no random factor to spice things up - i can even remember the exact number and location of all the enemies in the game.

It's so hard to compare. Diablo 2 is more "fun", whereas BG2 is a very high quality game. Think of D2 vs. BG2 as summer blockbuster action movie (Transformers) vs. the Titanic movie. One has a lot more action and is great in its own right, the other is a critically acclaimed masterpiece.

oh, if you're playing BG2, make sure to download the widescreen mod, it allows you to play the game in full widescreen with high resolutions, looks beautiful.

Don't buy BG2 if you haven't played it. You can play it on Gametap, along with many other games. If you only want to play BG2 then you can just subscribe until you're done playing. You might even play your fill before the free first month is over. Many people don't realize there are some good games you can play for cheap if you subscribe to Gametap. I subscribed for 3 months and may go back soon.

Gonna have to go with Baldur's gate.

[QUOTE="fearflam"]I prefer diablo 2 :) ive been playing that game for the longest time and i still havnt gotten bored of it. and if you decide that you have beaten the normal game there are so many mods out there that can take more time away :) go with diablo 2Dr_Brocoli

Well to be fair.. the likely hood of everyone who's voting on this thread and has played both is.. well unlikely, I mean I know there's people who have, and are able to make plausable arguments comparing the two games.. but with this kind of poll, you have to accept the fact that not all the voters are going to have played both games.

[QUOTE="PTMags"]

[QUOTE="gozalo"]

Wow, i mean can you be any more wrong than this?

Jinroh_basic

My thoughts exactly. There's so many ways to play BG2, so much stuff to do, you're not going to possibly do it all your first time through. Diablo is the same game all the way through the end of hell mode. There's no choice, no consequence, your decisions have no effect on the game.

Like someone said though, apples to oranges. BG2 is more of an actual role-playing game, whereas Diablo 2 is more of an action game really. They're both fun in their own ways, and they're both great games/series. Anyone who hasn't played both the Baldur's Gate and the Diablo series is truly missing out on defining pieces of PC gaming, gaming in general really. You should pick up both.

i beg to differ. i love the game,have finishedit at least 3 times now. it's definitely a deep game, but that doesn't mean it's not linear. the fact is, the choices you make when you build your charactersONLY affect the combat in the game. remember, V2 of DnD ruleset allowsminimal character interactionwith npc and the game world. i'm glad that changed when V3 arrived.

what it translates to in terms of gameplay is that no matter how you play and what you play as, BG2offersa largely identical experience. there's no random factor to spice things up - i can even remember the exact number and location of all the enemies in the game.

I'm saying compared to Diablo 2. It's true that in the end BG2 is still asomewhat linear game, but I wouldn't say that one time through is going to be largely identical to another unless you're playing it the same way and with the same party. Getting to Spellhold, getting inside Spellhold, the different strongholds, how to go about the Underdark are just a couple examples. But yes for the most part the dungeons and locations of enemies wont change whether you're a lawful good paladin or a chaotic evil assassin kit rogue. However, how you go about those dungeons and engage those enemies certainly will; along with how certain npcs will respond to you, side quests that become available/unavaible, etc.

You should get BG2 even if you don't like it as much as D2 from the demos, it's really a title that you come to appreciate the more you play games. Actually, I don't foresee we will ever see an RPG game of its calibre in the future, simply because game developers no longer put as much efforts into games as the folks at Black Isle did into BG2.

As other people have pointed out, comparing BG2 to D2 is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, because they really cater to different audience. However, what I can tell you for certain is that even if D2 has just the right gameplay that suits your taste, you should still get BG2. It's like those top rated movies you see on IMDB: there is a chance that you may not like some of them, but you should at least watch them once. Although in our case I don't see why any gamer could possibly not like BG2.

Speaking of top rated, Metacritic lists BG2 as the 6th best PC game ever made, separated from the top spot by only one point (95 vs 96); D2 stands at 144th place with 88 points. Professional reviewers aren't always objective so take the numbers however you like, frankly I think D2 should be rated lower (low 80s at best).

Now I may come across as a BG2 fanboy, but I can assure you that I am not. I am just a gamer who's played a lot of games and think some masterpieces, such as BG2, should be experienced by all who has any interest in gaming.

By the way I can go into the specifics for why I think BG2 is much better than D2, but I don't think it's necessary.

P.S. BG2 looks great when you apply the widescreen mod (the name is a bit misleading, as you can set to whatever resolution you like).

P.P.S. I happen to think D1 is better than D2 -- much better atmosphere and no obscenely low drop rate. Don't overlook it if you get the Diablo Battle Chest.

Yeah after playing the demos BGII feels like the right one for now, I see jwsoul understood what I was getting at : ) and that is really pushing my decision more so. Although if they found out BGII had something to do with D&D (which they wouldn't) I'd be a dead man. That's life. Although the party system in BGII is pretty good, I'm liking that a lot. -shmelo-

Glad i could help to be honest.

Oh Ghostmourn thats so true :(

[QUOTE="Im_single"]D2. I will get crucified by BG2 fanboys, but D2 has a place in my heart where as BG2 never clicked for me, I own BG2 and Throne of Bhaal, I put 10+ hours into the game and it just didn't do it for me, maybe I'm a jaded gamer who can't appreciate a game that has an ancient UI, and a tedious combat system but even then, D2 was te first game I played and couldnt put down. Although I can definitely see why people would like BG2 more, it is the definitive CRPG._Memento_

[QUOTE="_Memento_"]

[QUOTE="Im_single"]D2. I will get crucified by BG2 fanboys, but D2 has a place in my heart where as BG2 never clicked for me, I own BG2 and Throne of Bhaal, I put 10+ hours into the game and it just didn't do it for me, maybe I'm a jaded gamer who can't appreciate a game that has an ancient UI, and a tedious combat system but even then, D2 was te first game I played and couldnt put down. Although I can definitely see why people would like BG2 more, it is the definitive CRPG.Im_single

On the other hand, BG2 is pretty old school, I imagine new gamers and this "next-gen console" generation will have a hard time getting into it.

I'm a BG2 fan BTW.