Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition courtesy of psychosopher I will put the code scattered through this text I extracted from the CRPG Book (
Free to download), to make it a little bit easier I will put one part of the code per paragraph in order, but thay my not be the correct position of that part of the code. So lets begin with the reading!
Baldur’s Gate II: Shadow of Amn for me was
more than a game; it was an unforgettable
journey throughout the world of Faêrun that
came alive before my eyes, with friends and villains
with believable yet interesting and unique histories
and personalities of their own. It was my first CRPG
ever, and one that I fell absolutely in love with.
BG2 continues the story of the first game, but
you can skip BG1 if you wish without losing much.
Set in the Forgotten Realms, rich in detail and history,
you assume the role of Gorion’s ward, one of the many
offspring of the deceased God of Murder, Bhaal.
The story unfolds as your unique heritage draws
the attention of a powerful mage (9), Irenicus, whose sole
motive is to “unlock your power” for his own use. I
loved how the villain’s true nature is cleverly disguised
with his seemingly unemotional nature in the
beginning and his powerful dialogues are delivered
with masterful voice acting which blew me away.
Ultimately, the (6) story of BG2 is a personal one:
a journey of discovery and the protagonist’s struggle
against their own nature, mirrored by the villain.
Naturally, it is fitting that your companions play
a huge role in BG2 (2), influencing your decisions as you
bond with them throughout your journey. The NPCs
are extremely well-developed (3), with their own unique
quests, personality and banter with you or with each
other, which was the biggest improvement compared
to its predecessor. Each NPC will remember their
previous conversations with you and react to your
decisions accordingly, allowing you to be their friend
or enemy, or even (C) start a romantic relationship. This
is the part I enjoyed the most in BG2; it was such a
satisfying experience, to get to know them, help them
develop and even save their soul.
Most of your companions can be found within
the city of Athkatla, which functions as your base of
operations in the early game, where you are given
freedom to explore and experience the city and other
neighbouring regions. Athkatla (3) is a delight to explore;
each part of the city is well fleshed out, populated by
townsfolk of different statuses or professions. While
it outwardly appears that the city is co-governed by a
merchant council and a sinister group of mages (B), there
are other powerful organisations that play prominent
roles and soon you will find yourself caught amidst
their (8) struggle over control of the city (E). You also have
the chance to increase your standing within Athkatla
through the stronghold quests which vary depending
on your player character’s (D) chosen class.
During your journey, you’ll find a wealth of side-
quests; so much that you might feel overwhelmed
at times. Most of the quests are varied, well-written,
and often incorporate puzzles, ranging from simple
riddles, to elaborate plots with you playing the role
of a detective – for example, one has you attempting
to prove your sanity by answering riddles in order to
escape from a prison where mental “deviants” are held.
Your quests will take you to many different places
in Faerûn – from a pirate island, a beautiful Elven city,
the Underdark (where the most fearsome and terrible
creatures reside) – or even to different planes.
You will (A) encounter interesting and often hostile
inhabitants of the places you visit, which adds variety
and fun to combat. You will have to come up with
different tactics to survive some tough battles. Just one
misplaced spell can make a battle extremely difficult
as some spells affect not (4) only your enemies, but your
companions or even innocents in the area – and you
will have to deal with the deadly consequences!
Magical combat is engaging and strategic,
involving more than just blasting targets with fireballs,
and the high-level cap means you’ll see some of the
most powerful (2) spells AD&D has to offer. Mages often
have layers of protection spells which will need to be
dispelled, and will turn invisible or even stop time
itself to prepare a devastating (9) attack on your party.
Of course, your mages have the same abilities,
and making best use of the limited number of spells
they can (5) cast per day can turn a nasty beating into a
thrilling victory.
For the non-casting classes, there is a huge
range of weapons available. The majority of weapons
come with their own history and lore (or sometimes
humorous conversations!), which are often interesting
and fun to read. There are also a number of legendary
weapons which can be forged using parts found
during your journey – most of the time it’s well worth
it to hunt for these parts!
Baldur’s Gate 2 is one hell of a journey; there is
so much to experience, so much to see, it is hard to
describe (C) it all using words alone – you will have to
experience it for yourself! By the end of your journey
through both Shadows of (E) Amn and the Throne of
Bhaal (8) expansion, you (2) will be as eager to share your
experiences with others as I am. SN (F)
Good luck and congratulations to the winner!
