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An RPG for a Millennium. No, Really!
Baldur's Gate II, I must say, may very well be the best sequel to a game I have ever played. Not just that, but it makes a wonderful stand-alone game as well. There is nothing wrong with this game, at all, and I can't even think of any improvements I'd make. It's rare not to complain at all about a game, but I really can't even find something to complain about. BioWare has either strived to put as much effort into this game to make it the best ever, or they are just a bunch of designers and programmers with way too much time on their hands. What's next for the D&D series? Well, Neverwinter Nights is coming up soon, which will really be a Baldur's Gate III in a sense. You'll be able to import your BG2 character into it, and it will stress multiplayer action. I definitely look forward to that.
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| Graphics
- Sound - Gameplay - Depth
- Multiplayer | Reviewed
by John Del Percio |
GRAPHICS
100 % |
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I was totally blown away. Even though Infinity is a 2D engine, with unique hand-rendered scenes, and no two screens alike, I'd say it looks better in 2D than it could in 3D. The new high-resolution, 3D spell system also looks simply stunning. GL special effects truly add to the game what was missing.
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SOUND
99 % |
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The sound, too, is very authentic, ambient, and has little room for improvement. It could have been more spatial, but hey, who's counting?
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GAMEPLAY
100 % |
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Wow. Over 800 hours of immersive gameplay, a self-developing plot, quests that make sense, great spells, weapons, strategy, environment. Can this get any better?
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DEPTH
100 % |
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Nothing I have ever seen, nor will likely see, has ever had the depth of a D&D game. Not just this one, but all of them are this deep. D&D storylines really draw you right in the middle of it. You'll find yourself eyeing people in reality wondering if they're really a mage, doppleganger, or vampire, guaranteed.
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MULTIPLAYER
85 % |
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As with all D&D games (excepting the likely possibility of Neverwinter Nights), the multiplayer aspect is not really a focus of the game, but a mere extra for those who want to play with a friend Pen and Paper style. It is primarily a single player game. Still, for what it is, you can't complain too much about multiplayer.
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As I previously noted in my personal note for the preview, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of amn is nominated for the GameVisions Top Pupil awards for the RPG of the Year and Game of the Year categories. There is always one major down-side of being a journalist, and that is you don't have to time to complete every game. I'll likely have to move on to other games, now, and forget about BG2, which is something I'll have to be dragged away kicking and screaming to do. If you don't like RPGs or extremely complicated games, then BG2 will likely drive you nuts, but for any other gamer out there who loves an RPG, incredible gameplay, superb graphics and sound, and a great storyline, your life will not be complete without this game!
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