I enjoyed it for what it was, a hack and slash game. It did have a better story, and each character has a back history and unique quest. I really enjoyed it personally, as I played it with a friend.
BTW, the makers of the first BG
A also made the new PS2 game "Champions of Norrath" based in the Everquest realm, and MAN is it fun!!! There is a much better plot, tons of cool items, and the same game engine except it's been updated a bunch.
And the game is HUGE! You can play with up to 4 players or go Online and play as well.
One major thing I hated about it was each saved game is 749Kb!!!! So you are limited to a few saves per memory card. other than that, it's great!