The sequel to 1999’s smash hit PC role-playing game, the downloadable title Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn takes a lot of the conventions of the first game and improves upon them for what some gamers would argue is a more robust total experience. Developed by Bioware and released just one year after its predecessor, this RPG was a critical and commercial success that was even remade in 2013 as an enhanced edition.
As in Baldur’s Gate, players are tasked with creating an in-game avatar using various customization options while accruing other party members along the way each of which has his or her own backstory, motivations, and lore to explore. Interestingly, Baldur’s Gate II features both a single-player and online multiplayer experience.
How to Download Baldur’s Gate II
To download the full game of Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn click on the Download link placed at the bottom of this review. The game is available from the GOG.com and Steam platforms. You can now download the enhanced edition of the game which contains improved graphics and the official expansion Throne of Bhaal. There is also Official Soundtrack of the game which you can download separately. The game can be sometimes fiendishly difficult so at the moments of doubt, you might perhaps consider looking for an online walkthrough.
The Game Review
The setting of this fantasy RPG is the same Forgotten Realms universe however in a different part of the world than the first game. Taking place in a commerce-based area, Baldur’s Gate II is set in Amn and the mercantile city Athkatla.
Resuming the story of the protagonist from the first game, you are now a world-famous adventurer who’s vulnerable to all of the problems that fact brings along with it. Not only is this tone markedly different from Baldur’s Gate but also the setting is much more colorful and warm as well. Gone are the relatively drab settings of Baldur’s Gate and the area of Amn should prove a more rich experience for people who enjoy RPGs with exploration and beautiful graphics.
Indeed, outside of the slight graphical upgrade players will also notice a few tweaks to the gameplay. Using the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd edition rules set, Baldur’s Gate II features a reputation alignment that assigns a kind of morality to your actions in the game. Not only does this broaden the scope of in-game choices for the player but also it introduces a new component that was absent in the first game.
In Baldur’s Gate, there was little doubt you were the hero with much of the narrative presented in a black and white fashion that pitted you against invariably bad people. In the second game, the morality is a little grayer and if the gamer makes choices that conflict with what the NPC party thinks is the general alignment of everyone, then you could have some problems with your fellow adventurers.
One huge boon for gamers that love rolling casters, the second Baldur’s Gate contains a ton of spells for you to learn and cast; however, unlike most Japanese style role-playing games, Western-style RPGs place a premium on spells in terms of damage but also in how long it takes to cast. During the prep for casting a spell, a mage can be attacked and interrupted, for example. Not only is this different from the insta-cast many of us are used to be it also introduces a new strategy element that makes casters powerful but also super vulnerable at the same time.
Baldur’s Gate III: The Black Hound
After Baldur’s Gate II was officially released there were plans for the sequel called Baldur’s Gate III: The Black Hound. It was however never released. The only new game that saw the light of day was Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear released 15 years later. It is a DLC which tells a story of what happened between the two main games.
