Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000 Video Game) User Reviews (18)

An amazing game, adventure, story and work of art. An absolute MUST!

[martini_sns · 10/10 · 29 March 2002]

Wow. Where to begin. I have already completed the whole thing twice through and started on a third time. So heres a review for you. I first heard of this game through a friend. Used to the Diablo and other Blizzard games, i was intrigued by the interesting layout of the game. After starting a game there - i grew to love it and before long bought it for myself. The game has so many great features its not surprising that it won best RPG of 2000! - Amazing storyline with intrecate details and plot development. - Characters (who can join you) with incredible realism and development that have their own personality that you can interact fully with. - Hundreds of individual townspeople and merchants to talk and trade to. - Thousands of weapons - Hundreds of indivual spells. - Endless Side-Quest as well as one comlicated main quest. - 12 diffent character classes to choose from - each with 3 sub classes. - Amazing graphics and scenery and backrogunds. - Over 200 hours of gameplay So know that you know a bit about Baldur's Gate II - go ask a friend about it or look it up more on the Internet. I give this game a definite 10/10! Buy it today.

Feel free to e-mail me with your views on the game. If you enjoyed this game also check out - Diablo II, Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate

Most immersing game ever!

[newfiesailor · 10/10 · 6 April 2006]

To any of the Dungeons and Dragons fans out there who haven't played this game, it is high time you did. This game does for RPG's what Star Wars did for Sci-fi. Cream of the crop. Hands down.

You are thrown into a dungeon at the beginning of the game with nothing but your bare skin. With the help of your longtime friend Imoen, you have to find a way out. Along the way, you find friends, armor, weapons, potions and magic spells. You fight enemies such as golems, goblins and mephits along with a sprinkling of other various D&D monsters. Various puzzles need to be solved, traps disarmed, creatures helped and the character of your tormentor begins to unravel. But what happens after you finally escape the dungeon of your foe is the magic of Shadows of Amn.

Enter into a huge world that is simply overwhelming at first. Inns, shops, quests and enemies lie everywhere in the main sections of the city. Not only that, but as you meet people in your travels, your quest log requires travel outside the city to numerous other sites and towns. Huge!

The characters of your chosen party of six reveal their personalities and specific quests through dialog initiated by them. The sheer number of simultaneous quests that can occur is mind boggling. Not only that, but the huge selection of spells, armor, weapons and items make it a micro manager's dream. Along with the leveling of characters of a wide assortment of classes and races, each with their own perks and drawbacks, you could easily spend up to two to three hundred hours of game-play.

The main quest involves the tracking down of your tormentor, Jon Irenicus, an evil yet charismatic mage of considerable power who has kidnapped your childhood friend, Imoen. However as the story progresses, the reason behind the kidnapping and your destiny unfolds. Along the ride, you will battle dragons, liches, beholders, dark elves, golems, trolls, mind flayers, vampires, mad wizards, demons, sahauguin, thieves, rakasta as well as many other classic monsters from the D&D game. Your travels will include settings such as graveyards, thief-ridden dives, fallen temples, detailed towns, a druid grove, an underwater city and an underdark city of the drow to name a few. The final battle in the beautiful, fallen elven city is just simply spectacular.

How much thought, effort and artistry went into this game is not only to be commended, but to be marveled. I sat there and just shook my head in awe at various points. No game, from the many I have played, from Doom 3 to Diablo had the effect this game had on me. Has to be played to be believed. 15 out of 10 stars.

it deserves its awards

[invisibunny · 10/10 · 6 June 2001]

An excellent game. You'll laugh, you'll cry when you have to do the same part 10 times before you make it out alive. Incredible game, easy to get lost in- maybe a little to easy. The graphics are nice, especially at the higher resolutions. Once again the voice acting is great, and you'll grow to love your traveling companions. An odd addition is that this time they talk a lot more, and some tend to have issues at different times that they want to discuss with you. Very detailed environments, whether it's the beautiful landscapes or the intricate cities. The sound is awesome. People always ask what movie I'm watching. One warning though - keep a clock nearby if time is an issue, because hours can disappear faster than minutes while playing.

Game rules, voices rule

[thepts · 16 March 2003]

This game rocks! I'm playing through it as we speak (first time). The graphics are "so-so", but 2D is far better than 3D in this case.

The gameplay is one of the game's really stronger points, they've made such an excellent exploration curve on the game. The voice acting is also brilliant in my opinion. Minsc' voice-actor has a really incredible voice, and also is probably one of the funniest characters in the game. With his squeaky companion Boo he fears nothing! :))

I'm also very happy IMDB has started registering games. Ratings would be awesome though. Then I could drop all the tedious game reviewing sites and just browse IMDB in stead. :)

PS: Actor Billy West (Futurama: Fry/Prof. Farnsworth/etc etc, impressive guy :) also has a small voice acting role in this game.

Pure D&D joy

[petra_ste · 10/10 · 23 May 2007]

Baldur's Gate 2 - Shadows of Amn is an incredible game. With its ambitious storyline, sprawling locations, complex quests, memorable characters and chess-like battles against a wide array of enemies (beholders, drows, mindflayers, werewolves, vampires, dragons...), it is a classic RPG.

Following the events of the first game (which I loved, but the sequel surpasses it), mysterious wizard Irenicus captures the protagonist and his companions. After escaping from Irenicus' dungeon, the hero and his friends find themselves in Athkatla - still the best city in any RPG in terms of scale and scope.

Character customization is rich and varied. There are different races and many possible classes/sub-classes (assassin, bounty hunter, beastmaster...), each with unique perks and limits. Depending on your class, halfway through the game you will also get a stronghold (a castle for warriors, a temple for clerics...), which will become a source of income and unique quests.

And those battles... purists may have issues with real-time-with-pause combat, as it is arguably less subtle and tactical than turn-based one; however, the amount of different party combinations, spells and enemy variety is just staggering.

But it's not like all you do is fighting (that would be true for the disappointing expansion, Throne of Bhaal). Among the astounding number of quests you can pursue while hunting for Irenicus you will have, for example, to visit an underground city of Dark Elves, face the vampires haunting Athkatla, free a companion from prison, stop a serial murderer... The amount of content is huge, but what's impressive is how there are no shallow fetch quests: every sidequest is fairly elaborate in both gameplay and narrative.

One of the best rpg's of all times, even to date

[owen_twistfield · 10/10 · 15 December 2007]

Summary Writing in the closing days of 2007 one can only say that this game is still one of the best rpg's ever and still can be used to benchmark other games in this genre.

Main

The BG line was on rudely broken by the NWN series and in that period you had to find your party-rpg needs in games like KOTOR and Jade Empire. Not that NWN 1 was bad, mind you, but it was just not a BG kind of game. With the creation of NWN 2 the AD&D series is progressing back to the BG branch with notably a better storyline and the ability to control a party of individuals with their own stories to tell. 'Re-inventing the wheel' is the phrase the dutch use.

Of course modern hardware and software has enabled better graphics, camera handling and many more things and in this respect BG is dated. But modern hardware can't provide us with a well told story. Or to put it in another vein: it can't make up for the lack of it. There are many developers who use the better performance of modern system to make up for the lack of a good tale. Usually in time these games disappear after a while because newer game that perform even better surpass the. Stories however are of all times and in this they are timeless and it is a well told story which is the cornerstone of BG 2 which makes the game last so long.

A big contribution is made by David Warner as the voice of Jon Irenicus. While the lines are probably written by others, it is Warner who uses his voice to add that extra layer of evilness which make Irenicus one of the outstanding bad guys of all games, a quality he shares with Vlad Lem from Max Payne 2. It shows that Warner has played Evil in the movies time bandit's and it is that same acting he uses to portray Jon and it works very well. A good antagonist is very important, but Warner takes it one step further and this is one of the many factors which makes the game shine.

But many other factors contribute to the game. There is much in this game but in an incredible refined mix. Just not to much to bore and enough of it to keep things interesting. An example is the way in which a quadruple betrayal is used in the dark-elf(aka drow) city with one faction using the players to set up an other faction and a third drow requests to player to betray the first faction too and finally the player betraying them all(well so to speak). It's a well thought plot that sounds preposterous when written here, but actually very well illustrates how that dark-elf society is portrayed in fantasy writing.

The main plot is at thankfully different from those overused bad-guy-plotting-to-subject-the-world and has a note of sadness in it. I would like to add more, but the space is limited here and I can only point you to other reviews to see what is in this game.

Well written, well voiced and developed with much fun the game still overshadows many of it's successors. A must for anyone who loves the rpg genre and can live with the now dated graphics. My hopes is that new software and hardware will not put an end to this game.

d&d at its best

[russellsmith · 10/10 · 25 July 2001]

i Am prepared to give this game my highest comment, drum roll please; its even better than CIV 2.(theres a very small part of me what didn't want to say that) You can tell by the content and the way its designed, that this game was made for d&d gamers by d&d gamers, and you dont have to play or like d&d to be totally engrosed by this masterpiece. every one i have lent this too or have recommended to, have ended up hateing me because of the amount of time this game has taken from there lives. 10/10

Story is unmatched!

[mangudai2007 · 10/10 · 5 November 2007]

If you get past the game's age and outdated graphics, here's what is in store for you...

BG is role-playing at it's best! What makes the game special for me is the story - one of the best story lines ever as you play through. It builds up perfectly, from humble beginnings in BG1 having trouble battling one enemy to the stage of slicing and dicing (or incinerating) mass armies in the Throne of Bhaal expansion (and having your enemies rightly fear you especially in the dialogue)...

The game itself is a rich world full of interesting characters some that follow you others that serve other purposes. With the great storyline, voice acting included and superb music (which builds up from humble beginnings to epic struggles worthy for a fight against a dragon), this game really defines the word 'epic'...

I've watched a lot of movies, played many games including Neverwinter (the successor to this series) but the story of Baldur's Gate is truly epic, and it sticks with ya. It involves you deeply; you're not just a mercenary on the side saving the world, you are saving the world from something else which you will find out! The ending of this game is also very impressive. Every time I play it through, the hard to describe feeling of 'finality' is never surpassed by any other game/movie/book I've played, watched or read...

In the end I just wish one day those guys at Bioware would make a 3D game that surpasses the feats that BGI/II accomplished as a 2D game. Just a fool's hope...

Excellent game.

[Mordokai · 10/10 · 23 July 2006]

What to say about this game that hasn't been told already? It is one of the best RPG games ever made, if not simply the best of them all. Reasons? First of all, the story is just tremendous. You can't help yourself but to marvel the work that has gone in the writing of it. It has pretty much everything: evil, yet charismatic, villain Jon Irenicus(voiced brilliantly by David Warner), characters that give you feeling like they were alive, it has romances, it has betrayal, action... Pretty much everything you could want from a game. And it sucks you right into it. And once it catches you, there is no easy way out.

And the game itself has a great repeatable value. With so many classes and subclasses(usually three for each class) you can play the original game five times or more, and still discover something new every time you play again. Until now, I played the game with monk, inquisitor and bounty hunter, and each time it was different, yet every time I enjoyed it the same. Add to this the possibility that every class has a stronghold of its own, and you start to understand just how much you can look forward to. If you ever get bored of original game, there are many of mods, which allow you to add more content to the game. In one of them, you can actually add Irenicus to your party(in ToB portion of the game). Others just add new quests or NPCs, but there are lot of them. Believe me when I say, this is a game you will want to play more than one time. How many games are out there that can claim that for themselves? Music is great too. I beated many of the tougher enemies multiple times, just so I could listen to the music again. Speaking of enemies, you will be fighting demons, dragons, demon lords, liches and demi-liches... You will have to use your brains too, not just click around like maniac. Add to this some very good riddles, and you will have your work cut out for you.

Graphics aren't that great, measured by today standards, but I just love infinity engine games. They give me that nostalgic feeling, in a good way. And when you come to the underwater city, you will know what I mean. I wouldn't want to see or play this game in 3D graphics. I think that says enough.

I think this is a game that every RPG fan should play. So if you haven't already, do it now. You won't regret it, of that I am sure.

A great computer game (not a movie)

[cglassey · 9/10 · 23 April 2001]

Baldur's Gate II is a great computer game. One of the last great games to use "sprites" and "tile sets" instead of "3D objects" with bit-map surfaces. This is NOT a movie. It is a PC game. A very good PC game. It won many awards for computer games.

The voice acting by David Warner (as the main bad guy) was very good. The sound-effects were great. The visual art was stunning in many places (especially the underwater city, the underground city of the Drow, and the temple district of the main city).

2000 RPG of the Year

[Wilikai · 9/10 · 6 March 2001]

Without a doubt, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is the best RPG for any platform in 2000. It even beat out Final Fantasy IX for Playstation - not an easy task. Sporting core AD&D Rules, over 200 hours of gameplay, and hundreds upon hundreds of intricacies and details you probably won't notice the first time around, Baldur's Gate II goes down in my book as the greatest PC game out there right now.

just about the best

[EZ-12 · 9/10 · 16 September 2002]

This game is about the best one can do without a live interactive monitor or moderator. The characterization is excellent, the side-quests are fun, and the multitude of NPCs is fascinating. I note, however, that there are three "romances" with female NPCs, but only one male NPC.

Worthy Successor to Baldur's Gate.

[jakwright · 7/10 · 27 July 2004]

While I thought the game was a worthy successor to the original BG, I thought the first one was better. BGII felt too linear to me once you left the mainland. After that, you had only one path to go in order to continue the game. It really didn't give you the chance to accidentally do stuff out of order (while not ruining the storyline at all) like the first game. I guess I just didn't like being led around to areas. It was though great having characters from the first came making either cameos or being playable characters again.

Still a really fun game though and definitely worth buying if the storyline from the first game interested you at all. Which I'm sure it would've since you were playing the game in the first place.

Long live the Interstellar Giant Space Hamsters!!

WOW

[franciscom · 4 April 2003]

Definietly the BEST game I have ever played. I have played it at least 10 times and I never get bored, the different posibilities are endless. It is just THE BEST. And if you want to know which is the second best game ever... Baldur's Gate I, it is awesome, endless choices, millions of plots, etc. just play it so you can experience it

Masterpiece!

[lennoxxx · 10/10 · 1 January 2007]

I remember i must have played this game like 10 times, played like the bad guy, the good guy and vice versa and its the BEST game that have ever existed, the quests, the monsters, the NPC characters personalities and the maps are just incredible in the world of Amn, i don't think it will ever exist a RPG-game that is like Baldurs Gate 2, black isle and Bioware is the best combination to make a game ever, credits to them for that, if you haven't tried this game yet its time to do it, i promise you that you wont regret it, even if its a bit old (from 2000) it still is a really good game for every player out there..

10/10

best game ever

[CaptReynolds · 10/10 · 2 June 2006]

Baldurs Gate 2 has to be the best game ever made. It has such depth and range you can easily play it over and over again without getting bored. It has a simple, easy to use interface so that anyone can pick up and start playing very quickly. What really attracts me - and, I think, most fans - is the detail of character in the people you meet, particularly the NPC's (people who can join your party). There are tons of banters and even several romantic options. I just haven't seen these features in any other game. Yes, it helps if you have played Dungeons and Dragons before (I played for about 15 years) but it isn't necessary. There is enough information supplied in the manual and in game for anyone to get into it. The only problem with this game is that it is so addictive, you'll find yourself ignoring or putting off all kind of things just so you can play the game and find out what happens next. And the game does take a long time to play. Depending on how many side-quests you do and how often you play, it'll easily keep you entertained for weeks, if not months. It definitely helps that there are heaps of dedicated fans who write add-ons or tweaks to the game (called mods) available free to download, but even without them, the basic game itself with keep you enthralled. If you enjoy games with role-playing, character interaction and detailed worlds you'll love Baldurs Gate 2.

Good game, kind of slow

[dhoberer · 8/10 · 2 July 2001]

This is a great game from Black Isle. It's very similar to its predecessor, Baldur's Gate I, but has some improvements in graphics and sound. There are some really neat cutscenes made of game graphics (i.e the cut scenes look like gameplay - as opposed to StarCraft.) My only complaint is that this game is somewhat slow. There are tons of places to explore and things to fight, so that somewhat makes up for it.

One of the Best RPG ever !!!

[duncan_mac_leod_le_highlander · 27 March 2004]

BG II is Great. BG I was a monument, but BG II is visually more impressive. The Hero(in) of the first VG is kidnapped by an evil wizard ( Jon Irenicus ) and begin a quest to stop him and save his ( her ) friend Imoen, but the journey may turn him to the dark side. The universe is huge and well done and there are some twist ( even if they are not as huge and unexpected as those of the first BG ) The graphics are beautiful, especially the elves city and the voices are simply perfect and the interactions between the characters are great. The choices are unlimited, leading to another end each time that you play in BG II. BG II is one of the best RPG ever ( I can't really decide if it or BG I is the best )