For those unfamiliar: 'Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn' and 'Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal'

Just two years after the release of the first part in 2000, BioWare developed and Interplay Entertainment released the sequel: '[Baldur’s Gate](/games?search=Baldur’s Gate) II: Shadows of Amn'; the adventures of the main character continued. A year later, the expansion '[Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal](/games?search=Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal)' was released, so it can be considered one whole with the second part: some gamers had not yet fully explored it, and here comes the expansion. Not bad!

What has changed in these two years? A lot. First and foremost, unlike the previous part, the game became almost linear: want to get to a new location outside the city? Find someone who will tell you about it; there is no more free movement on the global map. The game engine remained the same, but the graphics changed: in my opinion, for the worse: both on the character screen and on the location map.

It's darker on the left, but – better!

However, numerous cutscenes have appeared...

You can create a hero from scratch, and he will immediately receive the seventh level, or you can export him from the end of the first part, with all the gear... No, unfortunately, the hero’s equipment is taken away. However, the equipment from the first part of the game is inferior to that of the second. A new race appeared – half-orc; and three new classes: sorcerer, monk, barbarian.

The monk is a weapon by himself!

All 'old' classes, except for the mage, received three subclasses with their own pros and cons.

For example, a fighter who takes the subclass 'Berserker' gains the ability 'Frenzy', but cannot use ranged weapons; his subclass 'Mage Slayer' gradually increases magic resistance but cannot wear rings and amulets; 'Kensai' deals monstrous damage with his blades, but does not wear armor and neglects ranged weapons.

The distribution of combat skills has changed significantly: if before long swords included actual longswords, one-and-a-half swords, and scimitars, now each type of weapon has its own development line.

However, a dual-class warrior can maximize any of his weapon specializations. Additionally, it has become possible to wield one-handed weapons in each hand.

The hero has only sixteen companions, and only five of them transitioned with the leader from the first part to the second.

With the others, the creators of '[Baldur’s Gate](/games?search=Baldur’s Gate) II: Shadows of Amn' acted brutally: some were killed, others became our enemies, and some just disappeared without a trace... What a shame!

Unfortunately, there is no pure thief in the game! That is, there is one at the very beginning, but for some reasons, he cannot accompany the hero to the end of his journey. Meanwhile, the thief's help is convenient for refreshing wands: we sell a nearly depleted one, and the thief immediately steals it, already fully charged; replenishing the party's treasury – stolen items can now be sold. And after level twenty, when all companions gain special abilities, the thief becomes an absolute weapon due to traps.

The game's plot resembles the first part: if there the hero was simply attempted to be killed, now he is captured and deprived of a rather important part. Moreover, the villain has separated him from his sister.

Many new powerful foes appeared: various giants, golems of all kinds, dragons, beholders, illithids, vampires, and even deminiarchs.

You can only deal with the most dangerous of them with +5 weapons, which need to be found, as such weapons are not for sale. Mages received many new spells; two new wands were added to the first part: one allows casting 'Cloud of Death' on enemies, dangerous even for dragons, the other – resurrecting a fallen comrade.

Along the way, the hero can become the master of a castle, a magical laboratory, or the leader of a thieves' guild; start a romance with one of his companions. The male character has three candidates, while the female character has only one.

There will be another meeting with the famous Drizzt, this time he travels with his team.

In short, it won't be boring.


the hero will transition to the expansion;

you can not only invite loyal companions but also find one more, new companion.

In the expansion, all the surviving children of Bhaal gathered, and, as in the famous movie, 'only one must remain'. The number of powerful enemies, including dragons, will increase even more; there is even a demon prince. But how will they cope with a party of over level forty?

After defeating the main villain, the hero will be offered a choice: to take the throne of his father or prefer the mortal path. Regardless of the choice, you will learn everything about the fate of your companions, and this is where the story will completely conclude.

Although personally, I would prefer to meet some of the companions in '[Baldur's Gate](/games?search=Baldur's Gate) III': what is a century for an elf? However, if Sven Vincke wishes, he could easily organize a meeting not only with elves: can there be age restrictions for heroes in a world of magic and wonders? Especially if they are descendants of a god, like Imoen.

Thank you for your attention! Good luck to you all!