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Featured ReviewBaldur's Gate 2 : Shadows of Amn* * * * 1/2 Ok, I know that Dungeons & Dragons
is the epitome of all that is geek, but please stay with me here!
Every once in a while, you owe it to yourself to geek out and let
the world go on its merry little way without you. In the history of
the universe, there has never been a better way to do so (in the privacy
of your own home, no less) than with Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of
Amn (BG2). You don't even have to tell your friends, but
you'll want to--the game is that good!
It is fair to say that, as a rule, sequels suck--even in video games, as the business is just as conservative and cautious as the film industry, wishing to capitalize on previous successes instead of striving for innovation. But the Role-Playing genre manages to escape these pitfalls for one simple reason: fighting big stuff is much more fun than fighting little stuff. In the first Baldur's Gate, a bunch of overgrown, spear wielding rat-men was interesting enough and more than a challenge for your fledgling adventurers. However, taking on dragons whose winged bodies fill your entire screen in BG2 is moving it to a whole different level. And here's the good part: no previous Baldur's Gate experience is required--you get to skip straight to the big leagues. In a time of chaos, many of the gods of Faerun became mortal and walked upon the earth and one discovered that he would soon die. Unable to alter his fate, he sired as many children as he could in the hope that, someday, one of them might take revenge upon his killer. In the first game, as a son or daughter of Bhaal, the Lord of Murder, your character prevented a half-brother from sacrificing tens of thousands of lives in order to gain that revenge--either because it was the right thing to do, or because you wanted to do the sacrificing yourself. What happens in the second game is largely up to you. Significant portions of BG2's plot are shaped by the class or type of character that you select at the beginning of the game. A knight may come into possession of a castle and its lands, reaping the rewards and annoyances that come with having vassals who come to you in times of need. A sorcerer might take over a mystical orb that allows him to travel to different dimensions and see the Nine Hells up close and personal, while a bard (who protects her compatriots with songs from a magical harp) might fret over her actors getting all of their lines right at the local playhouse. Even the companions whom you choose to join you on your journey have minds of their own and will sometime disagree with your course of action--and actually do something about it. Others will simply refuse to go along. While all of this might seem intimidating
to newcomers, BG2, as the best (perhaps even best ever) of
its genre, is well worth the time and effort to at least give it
a try. Three weeks later, when you start going to classes again,
you won't even have to tell your friends what you were up to--your
secret is safe with me. |
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