Baldurs`s Gate 2
It has been some time since I last gave a review of Baldurs gate, like I promise I now represnt the review of Baldur`s Gate 2: Shadow of Amn. If you have not played Baldurs gate befor I dont recomend to read this, it reavels the end of the first game.
The review of Baldurs`s Gate 1: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=181827
Story
After saving the sword coast, by killing the evil Sarevokin the heart of the city of Baldur`s Gate. Through emerging as victorer you learn the horrible truth. You, Imoen and saravok are all children of Bhaal, the god of terror and murder.
Long ago Bhaal prepeard for his own death, by spreading his taint to all of children. So that one day he could walck in the realms again. Where Sarevok tryied to prove himselfe as the most worthy of the title, Lord of Terror. By killing other Bhaalspawns, there you proved to be the strongest.
After a while you became uneasy as people around suspect that you have the same fait as Sarevok. You sett your destination towards the city of Amn. During your travels you and your companions were ambushed by some assasins.
You wake up only to find yourselfe in a cage. Being experimented by a mage, Jon Irenicus. Who seems to have a great intrest in your heretige. During one of the experiments, one of the servant golems rushes towards Irentcus and tels him that they are under attack by a raid of the shadow theif. Irenicus quickly depart to stop the threat, leaving your childhood friend Imoen a chance to get you free.
As you make your escape, you could choose to save your former travling companions, and welcome them to your party. Minsc, Jaheira and Imoen, it turns out that Khalid and Dynaheir got killed by Irenicus. After facing several trials you and your companions manage to escape from the dungoen.
When exeting the dungoen, you enter Wakeens Promenad in the city of Athkatla. There you will face Irenicus and his foul magic. During your confrentation with him, some mage teleport out of the blue. They declare that they are to arest all magic ussers. Though Irenicus ressisted at first, he willingly accapted under the terms that Imoen also would be taken. So start the search for your childhood friend and the revenge for your dead Comerades.
Gameplay
-In Baldur`s Gate 2 the grapichs wasnt as astunishing in its time as in the first game, however it is uniq and refine style, making its own charm. The first thing you notice when you start the game is that the style have changed. In the first game the style was more medieval, but the new style is more adventures, making the it an entire new game. Not only the style have chenged, but also spell animation and reselotion have been modernised, From 600x400 to 800x600.
-Many sound and songs was imported from the new game and improved. However they created many more songs, the new songs suported the new style, This helped to give an even better experince of the game.
-The story is pretty good, doing what it should do draw you into the game. The most drastik change from the first game, is how the story is built up. In Baldur`s gate the story is built up straitforward leaving the exploration optinal. The first game is known to be a large game and having allot of quest you could choose to do.However in Baldur`s Gate 2 its different at chapter 1 you need to gain 20 000 gold to continue to chapter 2. This forces the player to interact with the whole map, if not partly. This will evolve in the expansion, into having a starting area, Saradush. Which at one point of the game will be unavaible. At a later point of the game you will get the option of travling to different location, where all places continue the story. This new way, makes the player see the whole world, and also makes it as it is his choice to make where he wants to continue in the story. In the last chapters it wont matter which order you toke since it will interween with the story and continue normaly. You can choose to do optinal quests however you still need to go all over the map. This story building will dominate in the Kotor seri, also in Mass effect. Though in Mass effect you will get a more free world with location that you can choose to explore.
-Creating a character is pretty much standard and the same as in the first game. The differnce is that there are some new classes as berserker and sorcerer. Also most classes have sub classes which makes the character more specilast in some aspect. Also many more weapon specialtion and now they are more specific. Like in the first game there were blunt, missile etc, as in now its dagger, long sword, mace etc. As befor you choose the the aligment of your character, however it is as hollow as in the first game. Even though you are evil or a good guy, it is the reputation that governs the game. You can export your character from the first game into the new game, letting you continue with the story. You will lose your items and party members, as the story continues with Imoen, Minsc and Jaheira. This makes the character more personal and making the game overall more funn. You can play the game solo which have some adventeges, gaining more experince and like in the first game when NPC enters your party they enter on a prosent of your level.One of the events at the docks of Brynnlaw.
A confrentation with a silver dragon
-The role of NPC is in an entire new level from the first game, where they were simply folowers. Learning from Planescape: Torment from 1999, the NPC have allot more personality and interact with the main character and other NPC in your party. This gives a new meaning to the NPC, making them more central in the game. For most part NPC will interact with conversation with different people in the game, bassed on their religion and aligment they will talk, and from time to time help you. You will also meet many NPC from the last game, like minsc Jaheira, Imoen; Edween etc.If you look carefully you will find many character from the first game. and in many ways in an ironic fashion. Some funny event:
Now you speak the language of Minsc! Now you must get a hamster! Or perhaps an ice weasel,whater to your liking.
Is it so hard to remmember that bo is a giant space hamster!
None shell stand where Tiax stands, les he walck atop them.
And cant forget the beholder with a 99 years contract
Srong points and bad points
-Many features in Baldur`s gate got criticed, however now the enemy isnt as pasiv as befor. Now they will open doors and if you attack somone in a a group the whole group will attack you, not just one and one.
- The city of Athkatla is even larger then Baldurs gate, with many more quest and places to see.
-The game have so many quest and areas to explore and with the subquest for all classes and not to mention the mods the game feels like infinity.
-NPC enchants the gameplay, with subquest and dialogs with the character nad the party and other people in the game, making the game even more alive.
-You can import your character from the first game.
-With many spells and abilitys, makes the battles so variable. Even with lower level you could winn a battle, if ou choose the right tactic and spells.
- The game is humoristsk from time to time, but still serius as you see events in the game unfolds.
Most of the bad points of the game are from the first game.
-Even though you have to choose betwen good or evil, its evident that the game is pushing you to be good. As most quest give better reputation and not get the option to do it different, like at the start, copper coronet. Also the penalties with being evil is evident as worse reputation you will get worse prices with shopping and that is if they wonna sell to you. Some people will attack you at sight if you are evil. Though some effort are made, like having items that evil characters can use, with the end you will also get some adventeges with being evil.
-Though the game is known to letting you choose, there are just one ending. All in all it seems more as a gimick then a feature.
-As with the first game some DD rules that were implanted into the game failed, like learning spells, which have a prosent learning depending on your intelligent, you just need to reload to get it right.
-In the paper version you need to roll dice on how much stats you are going to have, like strength dexterity, intelligent etc. However in the game it fails as you just need to reroll, to get the best stats, you need to reroll around a 100 time. Also with warriors you need to roll on strength, from 18/01 to 18/00 (1 to a 100). The strength governs how much dammage you do and how much you can carry. Which had a big impact in the first game, but with all the items which grants extra strength and the spells, it isn as imported as then.
To even complete the game with all the NPC and the subquest to get the full experince I would say it would take allot of times to play through the game to fully complete it. However if you choose to do the story line it would take a minnimum of 6 days to complete, depending on how much you play each day. Even though I have played through the game many times, I have not done everything, Such as having all NPC in party etc.
I would give the game 9/10, even though its addictiv and with a great story. It get penalty on how the aligment is made and that the game is unfinished, which is evident in minsc that he dont have a subquest. Which have been pointed out in intervue with the creators, and allot some other noticble features.
