Domain Name Com's Baldur's Gate 2: Ultimate Collection (Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal)

Baldur's Gate 2: Ultimate Collection (Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal)

Domain Name Com's - : Baldur's Gate 2: Ultimate Collection (Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal)

- Too many stats in the game play, great graphics.
When we finally got this game to load, it was another waiting
period simply to build a character. We prefer RPGs like Revenant
and Doom and Quake series; and in all honesty expected something
like that in this game. However it runs more in line with Myst,
in that you have to hunt for items before moving awkwardly along
the same level. It also presents you with a dozen or more buttons
just to allow the player to move, fight, cast spells of alike. If
you are not willing to PRINT OUT THE MANUAL, you are going to
be lost until you figure out what the dozens of picture icons mean. The opponent characters will not be kind, lauching attacks
while your struggling to figure out what to do for your character
and several others you can control as your merry team tries to
advance past a wizard's dungeon.
Yes it has fine graphics and sound and interesting levels. But this PC game fell well short of our hopes. It gets a 3 for effort. If your a MYST fan, you'll probably like the novelty of
action.

Rating:

- Several hundred hours of addictive play
Its graphics may be a bit dated (they were even when the game came out) but if you can look beyond that, this is one seriously awesome collection. Baldur's Gate 2 has incredible RPG depth, a strong tactical aspect, and great replay value. The expansion is bigger than most, and adds significant epic-level capabilities for your characters.

The game picks up several years after the events in Baldur's Gate, and continues the plot. If you didn't play that first game (a shame- go get it) there are a few quick recaps of the key points. You can play in single play mode, in which case you make your one main character (or import from Baldur's Gate); multiplay with just you, in which you can make your whole party; or multiplay with friends, in which everyone can make and control one or more characters. In any case, your party has up to six people at a time, and you can dismiss or add characters at will.

Add to this a whole lot of classes, including special 'kits' that are akin to 3rd edition prestige classes (save that you can take them immediately) and you have a whole lot of room for party customization. There's a host of NPCs that can join your party, some better than others, but all very interesting and with unique (sometimes very extensive) side quests. You can have romantic relationships with some of these potential party members, and some will even have romances with other NPCs.

Almost all of the dialogue in the game is spoken, and although there's not much full motion video, when there is it's well done. The plot advances through chapters, and there are numerous side quests that take you to many varied game world locations. The rewards for some of these quests are awesome, and some of the monsters you'll run into are equally so. This is where the tactics come in- your party composition is crucial for winning these big fights. For example, dealing with that red dragon is going to be exceedingly difficult without some protection from fire and fear effects. There are also many ways to solve the various problems you run into. For example, a thief laying some traps in a doorway can turn a tough band of charging enemies into so much cannon fodder. Then again, if you don't have a thief or aren't a very subtle type, you can just fireball the lot of them and clean up what's left with a good old-fashioned sword charge.

I mentioned earlier that the graphics are dated. This is true, but it doesn't really detract from the play. The area backgrounds are actually very nice, though also largely static. Spell effects look decent, if less flashy than newer games like Neverwinter Nights. The music and voice acting are also top-notch, and don't get old even after many times through the game (which is likely to happen once you get hooked). The latter in particular really lends character to the people you meet. It's a testament to the developer's success in this regard that you'll have strongly varied feelings toward nearly all of the NPCs- just as you would expect of real people.

As for the story, it is superb. The scope is truly epic, and the side quests actually interesting. This is more than can be said about much of Neverwinter Nights, for all of the polish and vaunted expandability of that title. Though generally linear, the campaign doesn't seem to be linear. When replaying, though you'll be going to the same places and doing the same things, the different characters you have along will make it seem like a different game. There's also a ton of secrets and hidden areas- you might just find something you didn't see before.

That said, it's worth mentioning that although there are no official tools for editing the game, there are unofficial ones. These have been put to good effect, and there's a host of mods and add-ons available for free download. There's even a mod that converts the interface to Icewind Dale's more attractive look (though you must have that game for it to work) and thus significantly improves the graphics and changes the somewhat clunky 2nd edition rules to 3rd edition.

I think the value of this title can be summed up by the fact that I played it through at least 5 times, which is something I've only done for two or three other games (the original Baldur's Gate being one of them). Even if you're not into D&D, don't particularly care for RPGs, and don't give a hoot about Forgotten Realms, this game comes highly recommended.

Rating:

- The best pc OR video game I have ever played.
What more can I add beyond my title? If you're a graphics snob, you're not going to be reading reviews on games more than 12 months old anyway. This, along with Planescape: Torment, are the only two games that have TOTALLY absorbed me from start to finish. The other positive reviews describe all you need to know about the game. Since, I have tried Temple of Elemental Evil, the Diablos, Divine Divinity, Neverwinter Nights...none of them compare, even remotely, to the level of detail and straight satisfaction I derived from BGII.

Rating:

- 5 stars for SoA, and 3 for ToB
BG2:SoA was one of the best RPG's I've ever played. There's a tremendous amount of story, and so many characters to choose from. The plot's great, and I like the lack of linearity with the side quests. BioWare's Infinity Engine is by far one of the most fun interfaces I've used for any RPG.

BG:ToB, on the other hand... well, this one wasn't so hot. There is an abrupt change in pace, and the story seems kind of thrown together (especially if you import directly from SoA). The characters are still great (Sarevok is absolutely necessary for ANY party!) and the battles are a bit more interesting. Unfortunately the story isn't.

Rating:

- Good game - but beware
Overall, this is an excellent sequel to the original Baldur's Gate series. But beware, if you have a wireless mouse, especially itouch, you won't be able to play the game at a level that you would like. Apparently, there is a bug with the software which the programmers have not, nor will not, fix. Spells will not cast, characters will not follow your directions, etc. Some people have had success by disconnecting their wireless equipment and hard-plugging another into their computer.

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