Baldur's Gate 3 completely took over the gaming world back in 2023. It garnered many, many awards for developer Larian and ignited a newfound interest in Dungeons and Dragons. But, that 3 at the end, that means there are two other games, right? Well noticed, it does, and their remasters are now available on Game Pass. So, now you have to play them.
The first Baldur's Gate came out in 1998 and was developed by BioWare, the studio behind legendary RPGs Mass Effect and Dragon Age. At the time, it was beloved by critics and sold extremely well.
The sequel, Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, came out just under two years later, in 2000. Remember the days when we didn't have to wait over a decade for sequels? How I miss those times. Baldur's Gate 2 also sold and reviewed well.
Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Editions have been surprise added to Xbox Game Pass.https://t.co/1xjQc6ngqc pic.twitter.com/3nq1TOhvo1June 5, 2025
Both games, like Baldur's Gate 3, are top-down isometric RPGs. The first was remastered in 2012 and the second in 2013. A lot of the original gameplay is the same, but quality of life features such as cross-play for the multiplayer have been added.
The remasters both include more modern UIs, higher resolution graphics, and widescreen support, so you don't have to play in a square window. The first remaster also added classes, subraces, and class kits that were in the original Baldur's Gate 2.
All in all, these are a great way to play a more modern version of some absolute CRPG classics. Baldur's Gate 3 is never coming to Game Pass because "there's a fair price to be paid" for "a big game" like this, but at least you can try the original two for no extra cost, over a year since their arrival on the subscription service appeared to leak for a second time.
You can find them on Game Pass, right here.
Or, you could check out our ranking of the best RPGs of all time.
