So I was looking at buying but wanted to know if the EE of BG 2 has any improved graphics, even if they are minor. Or are the graphics exactly the same as the standard edition?

The EE version supports higher resolutions up to 2880x1800 and the color range is much higher compared to the old version that only had a maximum of 256 colors at any one time.

Things like spell animations have also been changed to look much better on higher resolutions.

They also have a zoom feature which allows you to zoom in and out without making the 2D models that blurry.

Hope this helped. :)

Doodbrodia is right, but don't expect wonders. The visual enhancements are rather minor and are approximately the same as the original with common mods which are available and widely used for years now (e.g. Gibberling's Widescreen Mod).

Here are some screenshot comparisons EE vs. Original (unmodded):
http://neptunegames.it/en/baldurs-gate-ii-enhanced-edition-immagini-comparative-con-la-versione-originaria/

The graphics are simply not worth paying £15.99 ($24.99) for, especially since *many* of the graphics are actually worse than the original -- they did not have the original assets to work with. Of course, quality is subjective, so you must decide whether paying such an exorbitant price for what is essentially a commercial mega-mod is actually worth it. Your choice.

Okay, thanks everyone. I still kind of want the EE version but I did have another question.

Is it as buggy as some people are saying? That part worries me.

I've been playing it on a PC that is 3 or 4 years old and have only had one bug. The only bug I have is that Jaheira's "Harper's Call" (I think that's what its called) spell, that is basically the resurrection spell, does not work. You can memorize it, you can cast it, but then nothing happens. And right now I'm a little bit over half-way through "Shadows of Amn.."

It isn't bug free, that's for sure. Whether you're affected by one or not depends on your system, in-game actions and bad luck. Bug's are annoying when they hit and they could cost you some time if you have to replay a certain part of the game, but it's usually not game breaking, as long as you've got some saves to fall back. You will only see how buggy it is on your system when you start playing it.

After giving a little more thought into how some of the new tools could work with Bioware Infinity Engine type RPGs, here are a couple of suggestions:

Touch-screen technology and zoom-in functionality would work effectively with game elements such as the area map; for example, the area map in Faerun can spot a location and all the player has to do to explore that area is enlarge the legend with their fingers... ...and the legend reveals the important details of that location. The way Athkatla is displayed currently on the world map indicates this. This idea isn't entirely limited to just the area map or world map.

Another way zoom-in functionality would work effectively is being able to enlarge text that is barely legible.


ADDENDUM: Has anyone ever seen any American news programs? Notice that the meteorologists use touch-screen technology in their weather presentations...? Notice the animated graphics depicting the weather forecasts in those presentations? That's the example I am trying to describe. That's something I'd love to see in future role-playing games when perusing maps.