A bit of an oddity for sure, Siege of Dragonspear is an interquel/expansion to Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition, released nearly two decades after the original game was on PC and sixteen years after the story was concluded in Throne of Bhaal. Serving to bridge the gap between the first and second games, it has the protagonist come under attack by a group of assassins under the command of a crusading warrior known as the Shining Lady. who threatens the stability of the Sword Coast. Imoen is unavailable for much of the game for plot reasons (first poisoned, then in an apprenticeship to explain her new status as a mage in 2), but much of the main cast from the first game returns, as do several new characters exclusive to this expansion. The progression is very linear - you just hop from one area to the next in each chapter, a small contingent of Flaming Fist soldiers accompanying you, selling you items and storing your equipment, and while there are a few optional missions to undertake, the main story definitely takes precedent. The story itself is serviceable, if not particularly memorable, but the dialog seems to be trying way too hard to be clever/funny and as a result becomes more annoying than anything. The voice acting is decent for the most part, with many of the original cast returning (including the late David Warner as "the Hooded Man", whose scenes are easily the highlight of the whole package). Encounters also strike a middle ground, mostly consisting of stronger variants of enemies from 1 with a few from 2 mixed in and it raises the experience cap to 500,000 - just enough to let you gain an extra level or two without completely disrupting the second game's balance, so it feels like a proper interquel in that regard. All in all a decent, if not entirely necessary, expansion.
Publisher: Beamdog, Skybound Games
Released: 2016
Platforms: PC, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, Switch, PlayStation 4, XBox One