Game:

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)

Duration: 10:38:45

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Part 3. We all have opinions and mine is probably wrong :) I enjoyed this more than the first, for sure. To be frank though if you enjoyed the first it is more of the same. So, with that said my opinions of the first here still apply. There are some nice improvements overall, but largely it's the same as the first. There actually is an antagonist in this one, unlike in the first where they just tell you Sarevok is bad and should hate him you actually have reasoning for disliking John Irenicus. In fact the story is overall more engaging. I understand that the first game is an introduction game, but the story at large could have been told a bit better. Your party members are actually fleshed out a bit more and interact with one another, there are even side quests associated with them. The best are the Enhanced Edition characters like Neera, Hexxat, Rasaad and my favorite, Dorn. Dorn's side quest is pretty wonderful and I wish that all of the characters were as fleshed out as the Enhanced Edition ones. Jahiera seemed to be the most fleshed out standard character, but that could largely have to do with the fact I romanced her, but I have a feeling that she had the most side content of the regular characters. It's also really weird how quickly she dismisses her barely cold in the ground husband before you can romance her. I have a feeling Bioware killed off Khalid just so you can romance Jahiera and it's awkward as hell. Gone are also the standard dungeons, replaced with more fleshed out areas. They are still dungeons just not of the same variety, like the Planar Sphere or the sewers with the Beholder cult. Sure, they are dungeons but they are no longer mindless corridors. One of my least favorite moments of the first was finally accessing Baldur's Gate proper, I felt that when I hit the city the games pace came to a screeching halt and was greatly dreading that in Baldur's Gate 2. And what is the first thing you see when you exit the beginning dungeon? Ahtkatla. And I was not happy with that. I would have very much liked once again starting in some hamlet like Windspear Hills or even Trademeet. The beginning of the game is a bit slow, but there is an absolute ton of things to do and find in Athkatla. I spent the majority of the game in Chapter 2 and did just about everything I could find, including The Watchers Keep and slaying Demogorgon. Speaking of which seems to have been endgame content and probably would have been best done later like in the expansion Throne of Bhaal. ToB felt like a lighter Siege of Dragonspear. It was far more linear with way less side-questing, which I guess since it was shoe-horning you into the the end of your character's story, it makes sense. I did enjoy the variety in the areas of the game. They felt far more varied than in the first game and each felt unique, which I really appreciate. It greatly cuts down on the monotony. By the end of it all I had spent over 350 hours playing these games and was very much done and maybe a bit burned out. I now understand why people enjoy Baldur's Gate 2 more than 1, that still doesn't mean I think these games are classics or even in contention for greatest games of all time. These game were created for and catered towards a very specific crowd. Maybe if I played these games when they originally came out I would have a better appreciation for them. What I can say is that I understand the impact these games had on the modern RPG, especially when it comes to story telling. I think these games absolutely show their age and I truly believe a lot of peoples love for these games is buried in nostalgia, which there is nothing wrong with that. I had a fun time in these games causing as much chaos as I could and getting into silly antics. It was a unique experience that I have not had before. This style of game really isn't for me, but I can say I am glad I gave them a chance because I did indeed walk away happy. Enjoy my blind playthrough.

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