User:BAPACop/Baldurs Gate II Redux: Difference between revisions
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==Development== |
==Development== |
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It's hard work, man! |
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{{Expand section|date=June 2009}} |
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==Reception== |
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{{VG reviews |
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|GR = 94.03%<ref name="gamerankings">{{cite web |
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| title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' |
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| url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/258273-baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/index.html |
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| accessdate=August 6, 2009 |
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| work=[[GameRankings]] |
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| publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |
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| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ipfYhXde |
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| archivedate=August 6, 2009 |
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}}</ref> |
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|GMS = 9.6/10<ref name="gamestats">{{cite web |
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| title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' |
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| url=http://www.gamestats.com/objects/013/013437/ |
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| accessdate=August 6, 2009 |
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| work=[[GameStats]] |
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| publisher=[[IGN Entertainment]] |
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| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ipfh0dfd |
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| archivedate=August 6, 2009 |
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}}</ref> |
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|MC = 95/100<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |
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| title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' PC |
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| url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/baldersgate2shadowsofamn |
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| accessdate=August 6, 2009 |
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| work=[[Metacritic]] |
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| publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |
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| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ipfRxstl |
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| archivedate=August 6, 2009 |
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}}</ref> |
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|TTR = 3.8118/4<ref name="toptenreviews">{{cite web |
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| title=Critic Reviews: ''Baldurs Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' |
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| url=http://games.toptenreviews.com/reviews/g2377.htm |
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| accessdate=August 6, 2009 |
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| publisher=[[TopTenReviews]] |
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| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ipfz21My |
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| archivedate=August 6, 2009 |
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}}</ref> |
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|Allgame = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="allgame">{{cite web |
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| title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' Review |
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| url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=21168&tab=review |
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| first=Nick | last=Woods |
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| accessdate=May 31, 2009 |
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| work=[[Allgame]] |
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| publisher=[[Macrovision Corporation]] |
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| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqvYudWS |
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| archivedate=August 7, 2009 |
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}}</ref> |
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|EuroG = 9/10<ref name="eurogamer">{{cite web |
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| title=''Baldur's Gate II : Shadows of Amn'' |
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| url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_baldurs2 |
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| date=October 13, 2000 |
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| accessdate=August 7, 2009 |
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| author=Talith |
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| publisher=[[EuroGamer]] |
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| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqvPr2e6 |
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| archivedate=August 7, 2009 |
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}}</ref> |
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|GamePro = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="gamepro">{{cite web |
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| title=Review: ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' |
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| url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/6941/baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/ |
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| first=Brian | last=Wright |
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| date=November 24, 2000 |
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| accessdate=May 31, 2009 |
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| publisher=[[GamePro]] |
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| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqvt7M8G |
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| archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> |
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|GameZone = 9.5/10<ref name="gamezone">{{cite web|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' Review|url=http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r13997.htm|first=Michael|last=Lafferty|date=October 18, 2000|accessdate=May 30, 2009|publisher=[[GameZone]]}}</ref> |
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|GSpot = 9.2/10<ref name="gspot">{{cite web|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' Review|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/baldursgate2shadowsofamn/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review|first= Greg|last=Kasavin|date=September 29, 2000|accessdate=May 30, 2009|publisher=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> |
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|GSpy = 92/100<ref name="gspy">{{Cite web|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn ''|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/october00/bg2/index.shtm|first=Tim "Juan Golbez"|last=McConnaughy|accessdate=May 30, 3009|publisher=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref> |
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|IGN = 9.4/10<ref name="ign">{{cite web|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn''|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/163/163437p1.html|date=October 10, 2000|accessdate=May 30, 2009|author=IGN Staff|publisher=[[IGN]]}}</ref> |
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|PCZone = 8.5/10<ref name="pczone">{{cite web|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn''|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=2752|first=Andrew|last=Wright|date=August 13, 2001|accessdate=June 2, 2009|publisher=''[[PC Zone]]''}}</ref> |
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|rev1 = FiringSquad |
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|rev1Score = 93%<ref name="firingsquad">{{cite web|url=http://www.firingsquad.com/games/bg2/default.asp|title=''Baldur's Gate 2'' Review|date=October 2, 2000|last=Wojnarowicz|first=Jakub|accessdate=May 31, 2009|publisher=FiringSquad}}</ref> |
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|rev2 = [[Gameplanet (New Zealand)|Gameplanet]] |
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|rev2Score = 5/5<ref name="gameplanet">{{cite web|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn''|url=http://old.gameplanet.co.nz/mag.dyn/Reviews/2233.html|date=October 9, 2000|accessdate=May 31, 2009|author=samoht|publisher=[[Gameplanet (New Zealand)|Gameplanet]]}}</ref> |
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|rev3 = Just Adventure |
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|rev3Score = A<ref name="justadventure">{{cite web|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn''|url=http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/BG2/BG2.shtm|accessdate=May 31, 2009|first=Matthew|last=Desmond|publisher=Just Adventure}}</ref> |
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|rev4 = [[RPGamer]] |
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|rev4Score = 9/10<ref name="rpgamer">{{cite web|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' - Retroview|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ad_d/bg2/reviews/bg2strev1.html|accessdate=May 31, 2009|author=Lord Craxton|publisher=[[RPGamer]]}}</ref> |
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|rev5 = ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' |
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|rev5Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name=cgw>{{cite web | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20010210175439/www.zdnet.com/cgw/stories/main/0,11529,2656173,00.html | url=http://www.zdnet.com/cgw/stories/main/0,11529,2656173,00.html | archivedate=February 10, 2001 | title=Baldur's Gate II | date=December 5, 2000 | last=Nguyen | first=Thierry | work=[[Computer Gaming World]] | accessdate=April 19, 2010 }}</ref> |
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|award1Pub = [[Eurogamer]] |
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|award1 = Best Game (2001)<ref name="eurogamerawards">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/a_gg2001_3|title=Gaming Globes 2001 : The Results|publisher=[[EuroGamer]]|last=Bye|first=John "Gestalt"|date=March 26, 2001|accessdate=June 2, 2009}}</ref> |
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|award2Pub = [[Eurogamer]] |
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|award2 = Best Male Supporting Character (2001)<ref name="eurogamerawards" /> |
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|award3Pub = [[Eurogamer]] |
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|award3 = Best Art Direction (2001)<ref name="eurogamerawards" /> |
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|award4Pub = [[GameSpot]] |
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|award4 = The Greatest Games of All Time<ref name="gspotgreatestgames">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6146695/index.html|work=The Greatest Games of All Time|title=''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn''|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=May 31, 2009}}</ref> |
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|award5Pub = [[GameSpot]] |
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|award5 = Role-Playing Game of the Year (2000)<ref name="gspotgameoftheyear">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/bestof_2000/p3_10.html|title=Role-Playing Game of the Year|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=June 2, 2009}}</ref> |
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|award6Pub = [[GameSpot]] |
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|award6 = Readers' Choice Game of the Year (2000)<ref name="gspotgamerschoice">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/bestof_2000_rc/p11.html|title=GameSpot's 2000 Readers' Choice Awards|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=June 2, 2009}}</ref> |
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|award7Pub = [[GameSpy]] |
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|award7 = RPG Game of the Year (2000)<ref name="gspygameoftheyear">{{cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/december00/goty2000/indexrpg.shtm|title=2000 RPG Game of the Year|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|author=The GameSpy Staff|accessdate=June 2, 2009}}</ref> |
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|award8Pub = [[IGN]] |
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|award8 = RPG of 2000<ref name="igngameoftheyear">{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/090/090571p1.html|title=Best of 2000 Awards|publisher=[[IGN]]|author=IGN Staff|accessdate=June 2, 2009}}</ref> |
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}} |
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''Baldur's Gate II'' was met with worldwide acclaim upon its release,<ref name="metacritic" /> with [[Metacritic]] listing it as the 6th highest scoring PC game on the site as of July 16th, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/pc/scores/|title=All Games By Score|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=May 31, 2009}}</ref> ''[[Computer Gaming World]]''{{'}}s reviewer said, "I think of this as Game Of The Year or even Hall Of Fame material [...] it certainly ranks up there with greats like Fallout, Planescape: Torment, and Betrayal At Krondor".<ref name=cgw /> |
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''Baldur's Gate II''{{'}}s gameplay was called "addicting" by ''[[GamePro]]''.<ref name="gamepro" /> [[RPGamer]] said that "the game plays pretty much the same [...] except for combat. Here we've taken a big step up from the frustrating ordeals in ''Baldur's Gate''. The enemies are no longer quite so cheap, and more strategies are viable."<ref name="rpgamer" /> Some reviewers, however, felt that the [[non-player character]]s in the game weren't powerful enough in comparison to player-made characters.<ref name="firingsquad" /> [[GameSpy]] said that the game is much more difficult than ''Baldur's Gate'', and requires more strategy and planning than the original does.<ref name="gspy" /> [[GameSpot]] felt that the opening level of the game "falls flat", but that it gets much better once the player reaches Athkatla.<ref name="gspot" /> |
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The game's plot was met positively by reviewers, with GameSpy saying that "The plot can be summarized in one word: Epic. The developers bent over backwards to make you feel like you were making a difference in the game world, as well as provide some very 'awesome' enemies and quests."<ref name="gspy" /> |
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''GamePro'' praised the game's graphics, saying that "the backdrops are stunning and the spell effects are impressive with or without 3D acceleration."<ref name="gamepro" /> [[IGN]] echoed this statement by stating "The comparison between [the graphics of] Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II is astounding—like looking at a still oil painting, and then turning to see the scene in living motion on a big screen TV."<ref name="ign" /> FiringSquad said that the game's artwork surpassed that of ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'', and called the background artwork "fantastic".<ref name="firingsquad" /> |
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FiringSquad praised the voice acting of ''Baldur's Gate II'', saying that "Characters sound alive and vivacious (or depressed, crazy - whatever suits them), bringing a whole new level of depth to game's immersion factor."<ref name="firingsquad" /> Reviewers also generally found the game's music to be well-done.<ref name="gspot" /><ref name="firingsquad" /> |
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[[Gameplanet (New Zealand)|Gameplanet]] criticized the game's poor support for online multiplayer, saying that it was "unstable and quite frustrating".<ref name="gameplanet" /> Jakub Wojnarowicz of FiringSquad felt that the lack of communication between players in combat during online games was problematic, but that [[Local Area Network]] play would be "a lot more fun and less stressful".<ref name="firingsquad" /> ''[[PC Zone]]'' said that "As in BG, multiplayer is a bit of a disappointment. [...] Come on guys, let's have some multiplayer maps or something."<ref name="pczone" /> |
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Criticism was also directed at bugs in the game, such as frequent crashes when trying to access certain locations.<ref name="pczone" /> According to Tim McConnaughy from GameSpy, ''Baldur's Gate II'' is "not 100% stable".<ref name="gspy" /> GameSpot found that the game's loading times were a "bit long" and that the game crashes on occasion.<ref name="gspot" /> Reviewers also felt that the small number of character portraits to choose from was a disappointment.<ref name="gspot" /> |
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{{quote|...the only reason [''Baldur's Gate II''] can't be called the best game in its class is because in a sense there's nothing available that compares to it.|Greg Kasavin, GameSpot<ref name="gspot" />}} |
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===Awards=== |
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''Baldur's Gate II'' was inducted into [[Gamespot]]'s "Greatest Games of All Time" list,<ref name="gspotgreatestgames" /> and it also won their Readers' Choice Game of the Year award for 2000.<ref name="gspotgamerschoice" /> It also received three "Gaming Globe" awards from [[Eurogamer]] in 2001: Best Game, Best Art Direction, and Best Male Supporting Character (for Minsc).<ref name="eurogamerawards" /> [[GameSpy]], GameSpot, and [[IGN]] all awarded ''Baldur's Gate II'' their "Role-Playing Game of the Year" awards in 2000.<ref name="gspotgameoftheyear" /><ref name="gspygameoftheyear" /><ref name="igngameoftheyear" /> IGN also placed it at #25 on their 2005 "Top 100 Games of All Time" list.<ref>{{cite web|title=IGN's Top 100 Games|publisher=[[IGN]]|year=2005|url=http://top100.ign.com/2005/021-030.html| accessdate=2009-11-8}}</ref> |
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In 2009, ''[[Game Informer]]'' put ''Baldur's Gate II'' in 88th place on their list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time", calling it "The Best Dungeons & Dragons game ever made".<ref name="gi_best">{{cite journal|author=The ''Game Informer'' staff|title=The Top 200 Games of All Time|pages=44–79|issue=200|month=December|year=2009|journal=[[Game Informer]]|issn=1067-6392|oclc=27315596}}</ref> |
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==Non-player characters== |
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*[[List of Baldur's Gate characters#Biff the Understudy|Biff the Understudy]] makes a cameo appearance as an understudy for a play, and is booed from the stage. |
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*The player can encounter some NPCs from the [[Dragonlance]] world, even a Knight of Solamnia, and is able to help them get back to their realm if the main character is a mage. Additionally, in the same quest the player encounters a group of Halflings from the [[Dark Sun]] campaign setting. |
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*Some of the more unusual NPCs in the game were put in after winning a contest held during the development cycle. Habib, who attacks by throwing his scimitar and later throwing gold coins at the player, was the #1 winner.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bg2.de/baldursgate2chat.txt |title= BGII:SvA Chat - Bioware, Virgin Interactive, RPGHeaven.de |accessdate = April 7, 2008 |publisher= RPGHeaven.de}} </ref> |
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* Many minor NPCs in the game and its expansion were named after members of the suggestion forums provided by BioWare. Examples include Gromnir, Draconis, and Yakman. |
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* The NPC Mayor of Imnesvale is named Minister Lloyd Wainwright. This is in reference to the cities of [[Lloydminster]] and [[Wainwright]]. Both cities are in Alberta, the same province where the game was developed. |
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* Drizzt Do Urden makes an appearance after the player character leaves the Underdark. He is accompanied by Cattie-Brie, Wulfgar, Bruneor Battlehammer, Regis and Guenhwyvar. The player can ask him to help fight against Bodhi when the characters face her in chapter 6. If the player acquired his swords and armor in ''Baldur's Gate'' and imported the player character into ''Baldur's Gate 2'', then Drizzt will recognize the player character and demand his equipment back. |
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==Versions and re-releases== |
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''Shadows of Amn'' also appeared in ''Collector's Edition'' format, with additional characters for those who preordered. ''Shadows of Amn'' was re-released along with its expansion as ''Baldur's Gate II: The Collection'' in 2002. In 2004 they were bundled with the original ''Baldur's Gate'' and ''Icewind Dale'' in ''Black Isle Compilation Part Two''. In 2006, they were re-released once again as ''Baldur's Gate: 4 in 1 Boxset''. |
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==Novelization== |
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There are two novelizations based on the game and its expansion. The novels focus solely on Abdel, the last of the Bhaalspawn. |
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*''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' by [[Philip Athans]] |
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*''Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal'' by [[Drew Karpyshyn]] |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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Revision as of 00:41, 26 August 2010
| Baldur's Gate II: Redux | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | BG2 Redux Team |
| Publisher(s) | BG2 Redux Team |
| Designer(s) | mikemike37 (Project Lead / Level Design); nikivich (Scripting); cuv (Sound Design / BG2 Consultant); BAPACop (Cutscene Design) |
| Series | Baldur's Gate |
| Engine | Dragon Age: Origins |
| Platform(s) | Dragon Age: Origins |
| Release | Click here
|
| Genre(s) | Computer role-playing game; Game mod |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Baldur's Gate II: Redux, developed by the BG2 Redux Team is a remake of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn designed for the Dragon Age: Origins game by BioWare.[1]
The first module is scheduled for release in September 2010.
Gameplay
Prominent characters
Plot
The player character awakens in a cage being experimented upon by an elven mage, Jon Irenicus. Imprisoned in the same underground complex are Imoen, Minsc and Jaheira from the original Baldur's Gate game. They work together to escape the dungeon, only to find themselves in the city of Athkatla. At the dungeon entrance, they encounter Irenicus battling thieves. Imoen attacks Irenicus with magic, upon which several Cowled Wizards arrive to detain the two for unlicensed use of magic. The two are teleported away to be imprisoned in a distant detention center, Spellhold.
The remaining party meets a man who offers an opportunity to rescue Imoen, for a hefty payment. This sum is far above the party's current means, so the money must be raised by adventuring through Athkatla and the surrounding lands. Eventually, a mysterious woman named Valen offers to introduce them to her mistress, the vampiress Bodhi. Thereafter, at some point the player will be forced to ally with either Aran Linvail's Shadow Thieves, or with Bodhi's vampires.
Irenicus managed to escape captivity at Spellhold and kill his captors. With his new base at Spellhold, he continued his experiments on Imoen. With the help of captain Saemon Havarian, the party gains passage to the small island on which Spellhold is located. After finding a means to infiltrate the asylum, they are greeted by a mage who proceeds to show the player character the various insane inmates. Upon finding Imoen, the party is betrayed, as a drug had been slipped into their food, rendering them unconscious.
The main character wakes to find himself imprisoned by Irenicus. In another of a series of troubling dreams, he finds Imoen inside Candlekeep, where she asks him to summon and slay a demon called Bhaal. With the demon defeated, the main character finds his soul has been removed, and Imoen has suffered a similar fate; their souls were claimed by Irenicus and Bodhi, respectively. The party are released, only to be hunted by Bodhi. Because his soul was lost, the player character involuntarily transforms into an avatar of Bhaal, the Slayer, and scares Bodhi into retreat. However, rendered mindless, the Slayer attacks the other party members, often slaying them.
Upon returning to normal, the player and Imoen battle Irenicus until the wizard is forced to flee into the Underdark. In the aftermath, the player enters a dream sequence in which he learns to gains control of the slayer transformation. When the party follows Jon Irenicus, they become trapped in the Underdark. They learn that they can escape by helping a silver dragon named Adalon to recover her eggs from the Drow, a race of evil elves. The dragon uses illusion to disguise the party as drow, in order to help them infiltrate the House Despana of the nearby Drow city of Ust'Natha, which is planning to use the eggs to summon a powerful demon.
The party returns to the surface where they encounter an army from the elven city of Suldanessellar. They discover that, while the elves were fighting off the Drow, Jon Irenicus sneaked into Suldanessellar and magically sealed the entrance. To enter this city, the player must retrieve the Rhynn Lanthorn artifact from Bodhi in Athkatla. Once the player defeats Bodhi, Imoen's soul will be restored.
The party proceeds through Suldanessellar and learns more about the life of the elf Jon Irenicus. He was in love with the elven Queen Ellesime, but he and his sister Bodhi attempted to absorb the Tree of Life's power, almost dooming the elves. Both were stripped of their elf-hood, and thus their immortality. Irenicus' solution is to steal the player character and Imoen's partly-divine souls.
With Irenicus holding Ellesime prisoner and beginning a ritual at the Tree of Life, the main character confronts and kills him. The main character is dragged into hell upon Irenicus' death, as Irenicus still holds his or her soul, and the rest of the party follows. After undergoing five trials in hell, the main character finds Irenicus, who transforms into the Slayer and summons powerful demons. When the party defeats Irenicus, they return to life.
Development
It's hard work, man!
See also
- List of Baldur's Gate characters
- Chronology of computer role-playing games
- The Broken Hourglass, a game being produced by Baldur's Gate II mod creators.
References
- ^ "BGR Mod Team". BioWare. Retrieved August 25, 2010.