We were already well aware that Pixelbite Games were experts at making racing games, with the excellent Reckless Racing series and Repulze, but in early January they released Space Marshals ($3.99) and showed the world that they’ve also got a lock on tactical dual-stick shooters. We loved Space Marshals in our review, noting that it really focused on forethought, skill and strategy, which is a contrast from most dual-stick shooters which are largely blast-a-thons. The one bummer about Space Marshals is that it was designed as an episodic game, and the first chapter, while a nice meaty ride, still felt like it left you hanging when it was over. Good news, then, as today Pixelbite has announced that the Chapter Two update to Space Marshals is arriving next week on March 5th. They’ve released a new trailer showing off some of the awesome new stuff you can expect in Chapter Two.
I really can’t get enough of Space Marshals, and I can’t wait for Chapter Two to hit. Pixelbite has also confirmed that a Chapter 3 is in the works, and that should arrive sometime later this year. Also, if you’re on Android and have a sad face because you can’t play Space Marshals, cheer up, the game is coming to Android sometime in April.
Buying this now...
I wish I could play dark alliance on my phone.
Great review, as always. But upon reading the title of it, and at this day and age, I couldn't help to think "ok, one of the best CRPGs of all time is avaliable on iOS, but for how long?". I mean, one of the side effects of all this TWEWY polemic is that we can't consider that classics will still be playable when iOS 17 comes. Or iOS 9, for that matter. So all the fuss and work on porting something to be more or less playable on iOS becomes nothing, really.
Sorry for going off-topic, is just that this is so sad.
Since Beamdog is actively developing new Infinity Engine games for iOS, I wouldn't worry about support for BG falling in the medium term future.
Lmao. I think by the time iOS 17 comes I'll be willing to pay 10 bucks again to any whichever company is doing the newest remaster.
Go for the eyes, Boo! Go for the EYES!
Made me laugh...
Boo's getting squirrelly.
Though he was hamstering it up?
Boo points. I punch. Butt-kicking for justice!
Great review. excellent game. Awesome news for iPhone users! Enjoyed this immensely on my iPad.
My only concern will be screen size for those not using the iPhone 6 something ( largest screen). Feedback on this would be great, trying to manipulate the small screen.
I agree. I too would like to know how the Baldur Gate games fare on an iPhone screen.
From the review:
"...while you can play this game on your iPhone, unless you're sporting a beefy 6 or 6 Plus, you probably shouldn't. The iPad is the clear way to go here."
Thanks HelperMonkey. You are indeed helpful.
Hats off! What a thoroughly epic review!! I guess I've been on the fence about whether it would be too intimidating for a novice. But after reading this... I have no excuse not to.
Man it would have been an instant buy for me if I didn't play it 1000 times ( true number) on pc. With that been said if you haven't played it yet BUY IT PLAY IT LOVE IT that would be all!
100 hours x 1000 times... do you ever wonder what happened to the last 11+ years of your life?
No not really who cares! it's BALDURS GATE yeah I am a nerd deal with it :D
Teras... Help a nerd out. Play this first? Or Icewind Dale on my iPad?
Do you like pure fighting/dungeon crawling, or do you like a balance of that and story? Icewind Dale is the former, BG the latter. I think most people would prefer BG2 over ID, but not all. Now all we need is Torment to fill the "like story but not fighting/dungeon crawling" position.
Thank you, Shaun :)
*sigh*
Now you said it. I miss Morte and Grace.
*sobs*
nothing beats updating your litany of curses.
Hm tbh I first played Icewind dale back in the days and then I went for baldurs gate. Icewind dale is better for pure dungeon crawling but baldurs gate got the story. I enjoyed both equally both have great points. My suggestion is to go for icewind dale first to get fired up and then go for baldurs gate!
Thank you, Teras
So what did you think?
The best part about this game is the fact that the developers weren't shy about putting nearly game-breaking gear in it. Sure most of its ridiculously hard to get, but that's what makes it so damn fun getting it. Save all your pantaloons!! You'll thank me later.
Shaun nice article. Which would you recommend playing first Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale?
Personally I'd say Baldur's Gate, because I think it has more to it. From what I've heard, Icewind Dale focuses more on combat and has less story, and BG focuses more on the story aspects. They're both great games, though!
Baldur's Gate. Icewind Dale is good but it's a considerably less balanced plate and best enjoyed after BG has familiarized you with the engine.
You know I actually believe it's better to go for ID first to truly learn how to fight. Because in ID you build your team from zero so you get to learn how to fight with different classes while in bg you get to make your main char only and you pick the rest of the party from the story as you progress (ofc you can change party members).
I can definitely see that angle. I think putting that many decisions in the player's hands right off the hop can make for an intimidating experience for a starting player, though. BG only letting you make one character ensures a certain range of balance no matter what choices you make. I guess the real answer is that they're both great, and whichever you play first will help you appreciate certain things in the other.
Mm yeah I see what you mean. Either way you need to study for both games cause there are so many things in them. On a smaller note the first dungeon of ID ( I mean the area with the tombs) is my all time favorite from either game. Sure BG 2 has some pretty awesome ones too but that area was the best for me (probably cause that was the first one I played I guess).
Thanks for the help Shaun. I'm starting BG tonight, been waiting to get into these games for awhile.
Is it any easier to control then the first?? I couldn't even figure out what I was doing to get past the tutorial in the first one and eventually gave up.
It controls similarly and gives you even less of a tutorial this time. Personally, I think the controls are pretty good once you learn them, but neither game gives you any help at all with that, which is frustrating.
I'll have to look for an online Manuel then cause on the first in I can't tell what the buttons are haha I need like a button map until I learn them.
I gave up on the first because of the controls. I couldn't handle it.
Bethesda is the only company making RPG anywhere close to as good as this. Wish they would do a FWs game. Not first person, necessarily, but they are great at making real environments. Then have those ol" bioware boys do the story, maybe with a little work from RA Salvatore. XD
It's official: Shaun is the Encyclopedia Brittanica of RPG's. Every time I read one of his RPG reviews, not only do I feel like I'm being schooled, I walk away with a far greater appreciation of the game and it's history.
Wow... Exactly.
Shaun, I love your reviews and you made me want to play this. I have an iPhone 6 plus which is always with me, and an iPad which stays at home a lot since I got the big phone. It sounds like the game is playable on the smaller screen, but is there iCloud support so I could stretch out on the tablet once in a while (to say nothing of not worrying about losing 80+ hours of progress)?
I'm afraid there's no iCloud support at this point. I wish it had it, and I wish I didn't find myself saying that about so many games.
That's what I thought. It's probably possible to move save games around with iTunes, but that's a pain. Will I hate myself if I start this on the iPhone 6 plus?
I agree with the tutorial part that thing is hellish. First run is nice I guess you get to see all the crazy stuff this wizard did and you start getting curious of what he is after but really after that one run you really only just want to get out and move with the game. Thankfully in the pc version there is a mod that will instantly finish the tutorial and place you outside it and with all the important loot as well.
I'm picking this up tonight. Thanks for freaking awesome review and great feedback from everyone. Hopefully, I won't got stymied by the controls, but I'm sure it's worth figuring out... besides, it's a classic and it's not free,.. which to some is bad, but to me is good.
If only it had had turn-based combat, then maybe I would consider it the ultimate CRPG... :)
I actually prefer the original Baldur's Gate, I think, warts and all, to BG2, but they're both great. (Except for that horrible, inspired by Warcraft 2, combat.)
It's turn-based, but I agree that it doesn't really feel like it. Liberal use of the pause button will get you 90% of the way there. Though.
That's what people always say. :) I've been playing these games for darn near 20 years now. It's about as turn-based as command and conquer, which I believe also had a pause button. It was the fad at the time.
Well, technically it is turn-based, just continuous turns, which in practice plays out different to either turns or real time. I actually love the combat in Baldur's Gate though, it can get messy but it also feels more flexible than in most turn based games. Part of that might be down to all the spells available but I'm sure ToEE probably had a similar number and didn't feel as flexible to me.
Warcraft II is also technically turn-based :P
A game🎮with a price tag of €9,99 should be without IAP's and be sold as a complete game.
Well, they probably should have included the three $2.99 character IAPs and charged $19.99 like they did on PC/Mac, but they must have gotten the impression somehow that mobile gamers are extremely price-sensitive.
Fantastic review, but one point about how it doesn't make financial sense to make a game this vast anymore: Have you dug into Dragon Age: Inquisition? It's huuuuuuuge! On my first playthrough I wanted to see everything, but despite my best intentions I still missed content.
* I know there was a lot of criticism for DAI. I disagree with most of it (though lots of bugs, true). It's a beast of a game, easily one of the best and largest cRPGs ever.
In a sense it's huge, and I love it too, in fact the original game was designed as a spiritual successor to BG, as you probably know.
But while Inquisition is 'huge' in a sense it's still a lot smaller than BG2- try making BG2 in the style of Inquisition and it would take a lot longer and a lot more money I reckon. I'd wager the worlds are a similar size, but BG surely has more dialogue, a larger number of complex questlines, huge cities etc...
bought baldur gate ii. tried to play on iphone 6plus. sorry it's unplayable for me. image is too dark, text is ok but buttons are too small and too many. i know it's a gem but i'll have to play on ipad or nothing.
I know it's an old game but would still have appreciated a spoiler warning in this review as I've literally just started the first BG, now I know something about the endIng which seems like it could be pretty major. Luckily I stopped myself from reading before I'd seen too much but some minor damage has been done I fear.
Sorry about that. I'm usually careful about spoilers, even on older games. It probably didn't occur to me this time because BG2 spoils that part of BG1 almost immediately. There are lots of story points (companions, etc) I didn't mention, so I hope you can still enjoy the game.
As a total noob so far, there is some weird stuff about it, like I don't know if half of the crap I'm picking up is important. So I drop crap that I assume is not important and move on, pfft. But it's really fun, interesting game. Took about 45 minutes to an hour before I felt comfortable with it. Totally worth it though. It would be nice if the interface was a little streamlined (think that makes sense), but given its age... pretty cool!
I guess I've played a lot of games similar to this, that function more intuitively while controlling the same things, because it's not that hard to figure out the control scheme. It's just a little daunting with all the weird icons, if not confusing at first. It helps to learn which one saves the game right away.
One of the classics!!!
About as clunky, boring, convoluted, frustrating, outdated, fiddly and overrated a game can get. Unplayable to me.
Thanks for the in depth review Shaun!! Your review has convinced me to finally play through this massive game and to give it another shot since I first skipped it over back in the '90's when I was busy playing Daggerfall and System Shock :)