I come from the party that originally played BG2 first and figured it would be hard to get into BG1 after experiencing the awesomeness. Now after having a playthrough where I went through both games I can hands down say that I will never not play the full series in proper order again. BG1 sets the ground work for 2, I'm a sucker for "beginnings" storylines, which is why ME1 and BG1 both hold a very big place in my heart.

Yes BG2 has a much grander story, but there is something I deeply love about BG1. A fledgling adventurer forced into this life through tragedy and all of the wonders that come out with thinking about the situation you're in, while come BG2 you're a bit more of a seasoned vet of the road. It also makes the references that BG2 has back to 1 actually mean something.

Yes, I was unclear, that is what I meant, of course.

Most people would say that Baldur's Gate II is objectively better in many, many ways. It's a much bigger game. The NPC quests are far deeper and more interesting, the battles are more epic: dragons, beholders... However, I have a bone to pick with BG2. I freakin' hate the starting dungeon, and Imoen makes me want to dump her right then and there with her inane 'dark' babble.

Here's how I remember first playing BG2, after dumping countless hours of my life into BG1: I crawl through that cumbersome opening dungeon, wondering when I'll get outside and start my free-roaming, open-ended adventuring. Then when I finally see day light, I'm essentially stuck in a big city. I kept wanting to hit the open road like in the original. This initial disappointment put me off the game for some time. But when I did really focus on it, I considered it (BG2) to be one of the richest and most rewarding gaming experiences of my life, although it is a slow starter. I also had to put aside my own expectations and take the game in for what it was. It's different in structure and pacing from BG1, which is much more about exploration rather than big, epic quests. I feel that which ever game you prefer will depend on which style you prefer. To this day when I want to play a BG game, I always start with the first.

Yep, I felt the same way. I loved the freedom of BG I. Being able to walk out of the city and explore in any which direction, not really knowing what you would find. It was awesome. BG II was so much more constrictive, keeping you confined to quest-specific areas. There's something wrong with the game when you go to your map and you "cant" go to outside areas for no good reason. Plus on a different note I just like fighting other people more than I like fighting monster after monster, I can't keep in my head what monsters are immune to what spells and all that crap, but I know I can always dire-charm a human!

I just beat Baldur's Gate tonight and I'd say play both because the series really is one long game. I haven't played either in almost ten years and I decided to go back and do something I regretting not doing in the first time I played them which is make a character and use it in both games and the expansions.

I was initially dreading slogging through BG1 again and it does start off really slow but I have to say I totally forgot how much fun the original game is and starting off so weak really lets you appreciate how insane you eventually become. If you have the time I'd say its more than worth it to start off with BG1 and then move on to two.

Viconia is awesome. (Grey DeLisle's voice helps a lot :p )

That is all.

Yes, she is. It kind of sucks for me though, because I always play a cleric in the BG games, so I never take her, because I want Jaheira (because she is slightly more awesome) and Aerie (romance subplot), and having four healers would just be extreme overkill.

Anyway, BG 1 is better in terms of gameplay (more free roaming, less linear, more entertaining combat), while BG2 is better in terms of story (more character convos and dialog, romance subplots, TOB's amazing plot, etc.).

BG1's engine is really clunky. With the Tutu mod, it's a far more enjoyable experience. The two games are still a lot different, with 2 being a lot more story-driven from the start, and 1 being more exploration-driven. Low-level D&D can be painful, but Tutu does a decent enough job of balancing it that after a few deaths you should be alright.

BG1 is so very........ involving.

As in, you really have to treat every thing with cautious steps, every battle could be your last.

Its slow moving (god it takes FOREVER to level up), but intense, entralling, with well paced and interesting things happening all the time. You DO feel like your on the run, you DO feel "helpless" and a little lost, and that really does work very well with the story.

BG2 is the vindication, when you have grown to the point were you feel heroic, more confident, making forward strides towards your goal.

To get the full "experience" they must be played one after the other, it is an experience that still holds its impact even by todays standards.

I actually remember when Bioware was working on this game, I used to work across the street from Biowares old offices (On Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, they have since moved twice to bigger buildings).

It was a little upstairs office with like 20 people, one of the guys I worked with was going to night school so he could get into Bioware, hes now one of the QA managers! He got in for the play test of BG1!

Man, im OLD.

Well, for me the real thing is to play both ! First BG1+ToTSC, then BG2 then ToB !
That's what I did when they were released... Now, even better woulb be to "BGTutu" everything, that is playing BG1 with the 2 engine and system (which are better) !

I think that overall I preferred the 2 for its sheer richness, but the 1 was soooo new and enthralling when I first played it ...

For me, the best of the best is BG1 PART with (BGT+SCS+VAULT+many other mods) it rock. Widescreen and everrryyything. BG1 is the thing i mean OK its my childhood but i bought BG2 too when i was young and that game(bigger story) had something too ugly...

Alright,

-BG2's engine is superior in all respects (character customization, combat options, graphics, more spells - including spells at early levels not available in BG1 except through Tutu, more exotic weaponry, etc.), but BG1's engine has it's own charm which I love as well.
-BG1 & TotSC takes the PC & party from class level 1 to 7, 8, 9 or 10 (depending on the class of your PC & party members), based on the enemies found in the game. BG2:SoA & ToB starts the PC & party at level 7, 8 or 9 and eventually take them *way* beyond that based on the enemies found in that series - many of which are epic level. That alone qualifies BG2 & ToB as the better games.
-There's more party banter, dialogue options, romance options, and more dialogues specific to the main quest in BG2 than what's found in BG1. Thus the main story & subplots in BG2 are 'more involved' & than in BG1.
-The modding community is more active regarding BG2:SoA & ToB than it is for BG1 & TotSC.
-While there's more joinable NPC's found in BG1, the joinable NPC's in BG2 have even more character depth, and are even better adventurers (by virtue of the improved game engine). This of course includes the joinable NPC's found in both games.

That all being said, BG2 is widely known as the better game than BG1. I was also introduced to BG2 before BG1, and the transition was seamless as the intro to BG2 does an excellent job of filling you in on the main details of BG1. So if anyone wants to start with BG2, they're welcome to do so (but even I now acknowledge it's better to start with BG1).

With all of that in mind, I used to say BG2:SoA & ToB is my favourite game, w/BG1 & TotsSC as my 2nd favourite. But the thing is I started playing BG1 again earlier this year RIGHT AFTER finishing up Planescape: Torment for the 1st time. That game is known as the definitive 'story in a game.'

With my experience in PS:T, I decided to immerse myself as much in the story in BG1. Before when I'd play BG1, I'd simply put major emphasis on the combat, possibly due to playing BG2 before BG1, and hence try to overcompensate due to not having all the tools found in BG2 to aid me in BG1. This at the expense of BG1's story.

And what I've found is that, in it's own way, BG1's story is as involving as SoA & ToB's story. You have to read between the lines more in addition to all the things AudioCG wrote a few posts before this one, and I found it tremendously fulfilling. It's all encompassing, from exploring all the details of the game world, talking to NPC's, choosing party members, meeting famous Realms people, the various threats found everywhere, the political & economic troubles, reading between the lines not only of the dialogue, but what you perceive, and of course, watching your PC & party grow through it all.

With all of that, BG1 now joins BG2:SoA & ToB as my favourite games.

START WITH ONE!!!!!

like many have said, BG2 is a superior game in all accounts. better graphics, deeper characters, more spells, more classes, etc.

nevertheless, i still prefer BG1. i really love the atmosphere, the weakness feeling when you are a level 2 mage or thief, the anxiousness to raise a level so you can finally learn to use a 2-handed sword, the immense vastness of the world, the story, the cold sweat and bitter tears when you turn around the corner to discover a group of little cobolds with flaming arrows and you know you will loose some old friends (I miss you Xen!!!)

but we are lucky. now we can play BG1 with the engine of BG2. that is heaven.

oops, wrong topic, sorry!

on-topic I agree with apertotes above BGII is a great game, but BG I is my preferation as well for the reasons he mentions. Particularly the feeling you get from being so very vulnerable in the beginning, a mere kobold can slay you easily, or if your a bulky fighter your mage companions like Quayle (I have him start at the Carnival as a level 1 character) or Xan fall quickly. But the anxiety turns into joy slowly when those mages can really hurt your opponents later in the game. It's much more fulfilling to become a hero like in BG I, then starting of as one like BG II. BG Tutu got me occupied for year after year and campaign after campaign before I even got to starting BG II, which has for the first years only served as engine to be the base for Tutu-campaigns.