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Bigger, deeper, higher stakes, more polished and more produced, like The Empire Strikes Back to Star Wars. The survival aspect is toned down - it had to be, you're not a fledgling any more - and there's no huge wilderness to explore, but the many cities, castles, and puzzlerific dungeons are as numerous and spread out over a wider territory, with the starting city alone being more interesting and packed with more quests, subplots, and things to do than some entire RPGs are. NPC dialog and banter is peak BioWare. D&D purists may scorn its tendency to shower you in gold, overpowered items, and carry you to levels that would take years to reach in a pen & paper setting, but you'll need it here; you're fighting dragons and gods. You'd do yourself a disservice to jump right into BG2; play the first one first, not just for the plot, but to be introduced to the world, to get attached to the characters (especially your own!), and to make riding the power curve in BG2 all the more satisfying, knowing that you started the adventure as a frightened orphan, vulnerable to night wolves and hillbilly bounty killers.
As with BG1, GOG is the only storefront that offers the original game, and still only as a bundle with the much lamented "Enhanced Edition." See You're playing it wrong wrong for more details.
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