Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

"Did this guy play the same game we did..."

Well, first of all, I assume we all realize reviews are opinionated. But did the guy who gave our beloved 1/10 play the same game? Sure as hell didn't, as a matter of fact, why did he rate this game when he didn't even get out of the first dungeon? I understand a 5/10 or 4/10 from a lazy, unimaginative and conventional point of view, ala Diablo (not that there is anything wrong with that) but a 1/10 from WHAT? I'm sure the tedious process of clicking was bad for this guy. Note, this sure as hell isn't for everyone, but I'll list what I know this to be:

Graphics: 8- It isn't up to modern day standards of huge explosions, toppled buildings right before your eyes, finely made sprites, and simply pure 3D in your face like the latest FFs, but this kind of engine brings up the possible graphics to the fullest. The sprites are made at a size that is much more pleasing to see than a bigger version (ala the paperdoll, which I don't really like), and some of the background are so finely made, if you pay real attention, that you can't tell if it is a picture of a wall or really made on the computer.

Sound: 10- This is, by far, the game with the best sound I've ever heard. The walking, the battle, the resting, etc: The music is awesome. Besides the music, a nice part of the dialogue is audible speech, and it really brings the characters alive. Just how you would picture them, sorts of emotions to a new dimension. In the background, people barter, scream, play, laugh, taunt each other, etc:

Detail: 10- Each little thing has its story, and it is nearly unimaginable to percieve that every person, even the woman in the Temple District with the kid, has a story to tell. Some things lead into quests.

Size: 10- This game is huge. It steals your life if you want to do everything. And the quests arent cheesy like ''kill everybody'', it usually involves more than just a little goose-chase.

Variations: 10- You can take a zillion paths in the game, do whatever you want (nearly all the quests are really optional, though you should do them anyway or else you miss all of the game then), and I mean WHATEVER. Attack anybody, turn townsfolk into squirrels, charm guards, etc:, whatever works. Any evil sort of ''fun'' you want to do USUALLY results in a reload, however, because you might kill people you don't want killed. Steal from shops, WHATEVER. You have dialogue which influences things.

Gameplay: 9- Not just mindless hack-and-slash. The system WILL be hard to tackle as you first begin, but Bioware really did try to make it as easy as possible. Everything is laid out for you, and there are hot-keys for some things, ''quick'' slots (for easy access to weapons you use constantly, spells, items, etc), an easily manuvered inventory screen, and a little ''info'' key, which is TAB. Press it and any relevant info usually pops up, like your HP, what a button does, what something is, etc:I like the battle system, and it takes more wit than just an overpowered mass of muscle. Cast the right spells, use the right weapons, use the right abilities, use the right armor, the right helmet, the right boots, etc: etc: You can pause to pick spells to cast, change weapons, etc: instead of having your guys duke it out without guidance while you get out a spell. Auto-Pause pauses the game when a specified event occurs, specified by you.

Complexity: 9- This game is NOT for the lazy people, nor is it for people who don't like change, nor for people who don't like strategy. Get ready to use your wits, and not just click>die. Goblins, well, yeah :) but 99.9999% of the game will not be a simple click>kill>victory scenario. If intense thinking and strategizing isn't your thing, be wary.

Story: 10- A masterfully done work of art. The main story is captavating as it is, BUT all the side-info and side-quest stories are overwhelming! Wow. This isn't a game where you skip dialogue, because you not only miss out on important info (though you do have a journal, which is very useful) but it is fun to read. Your NPCs (characters you dont make, but can be put into your party in the game) interact with you, other NPCs, and even other characters somewhere out of nowhere, like Aerie telling a little girl ''Your mother needs to have a talk.'' when the girl says ''MY MOMMY SAYS ELVES SHOULD GO CLIMB A TREE SOMEWHERE!'', etc: VERY excellent.

Overall: 10- The good far outweighs the bad. I was astonished by what kept me going back. Be wary for the faint at heart, this isn't a walk in the park, half-asleep game. If you don't mind that, then by all means, get it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/12/02, Updated 01/12/02