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Baldur's
Gate 2 ESRB Rating: Teen |
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If the Gaming Gods smile, they certainly grinned wide to grant us Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn. The convoluted title may refer to the previous Baldur's Gate game, but aside from the storyline, the experienced gamer will be thankful that there are few similarities. Baldur's Gate 2 is one of the most incredible software RPG's period, and definitely on the Mac. A good opening will get you far with me in a review, because if you can get most gamers through the first 25% of a game, theire likely to hang on until the end. And while the storyline may be foreign to some who didn't play BG 1 (like myself, who read enough to stay away) you can get caught up in due time. A healthy manual (and color fold-out map, which are the kinds of extras we RPG'ers like) explains more than you'd normally want to know about the world around you in the same great style and detail that has made Dungeons & Dragons supplements famous. The meat of the beginning has to do with creating your character, which introduces neophytes to the 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules (now a year outdated by the totally overhauled 3rd Edition) and faithfully follow the system you're baptized in through the progress of the game. Seeing how the integration of the D&D process begins and rolls on is both interesting and a nice way to understand how the game operates underneath (you can choose to see the "dice" rolls in your attacks, to understand why you hit or missed, for example). Through the eyes of D&D's thorough pen and paper rules, you can see how you can shape your character both in the initial creation and throughout the game (collection of treasure and in increased levels). Once you buy in to the D&D concept, taking the well-handled tutorial will help you acquire a surprisingly healthy grip on how the game is played. And just like the typical pen and paper role playing adventure, your tutorial beginnings are humble compared to the excitement ahead. Baldur's Gate 2 has no shortage on depth of excitement. There is a girth to the game's adventures, graphics, interaction and progress that create an engrossing overall experience. Not only are the backgrounds and settings gorgeously detailed, so are the most common of your actions, from drinking a healing potion (something you're very likely to do often) to reading a powerful spell from a scroll. The gameplay includes so many side quests, you can take your time and truly immerse yourself in this game without feeling too pulled-along. The word "linear" describes very little here, and even your party will fluctuate in size and power based on your actions. Jump online for multi-player fun right out of the box (like so many of BG1's players never did). First Impressions: FINAL VERDICT: REVIEWED BY: MORE INFO & ORDERING: MORE REVIEWS: |
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