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By Brad Cook Out of every great story, a sequel must come. In the case of the fantasy role-playing game Baldurs Gate, a great story spawned an expansion pak, Tales of the Sword Coast, as well as a sequel, Baldurs Gate II: Shadows of Amn. If you finished the original Baldurs Gate, youre probably wondering whats going to happen next. (No, we wont spoil the story; you can go to the official Baldurs Gate II site to find out more.) At the beginning of the sequel, you have a choice: will you be friend or foe? Will you create a legend of heroic proportions, or will you destroy the Forgotten Realms? We bet you cant wait to load this one on your Macintosh computer and find out.
Like a Great Novel Thats a key point to remember if youre wondering whether or not to take the plunge into Baldurs Gate II: You dont need to have made your way through the estimated 150 hours of gameplay in the original. You just need to have the fortitude to spend about 250 hours on this one, assuming you want to finish the subquests too. But its worth it, according to Zammit, who says that the story is much more immersive than the original. Characters interact with the world and other characters to provide a more convincing role-playing experience. She adds: I think there are quite a few potential RPG gamers on the Mac who havent quite found the RPG that would offer them a graduated gaming experience with a storyline this compelling. This game is truly addictive just like a great novel. The Next Level Our goal with Baldurs Gate II was to ensure that we exceeded Baldurs Gate I in every respect possible design and story, programming and features, and art and animation, explains Greg Zeschuk, who co-produced the game with Ray Muzyka, with whom he also shares CEO duties at BioWare Corporation. Were really proud of what the development team accomplished, he adds. I think that sentiment applies particularly to the sound and music. When you add great sound and music to a sharp-looking game, it makes it look even better, often to the point that it takes it to the next level. Interesting Relationships There are 16 specific NPCs who can join your party (and many, many more who cant but whom you can interact with), including such familiar faces as Imoen, Jaheira, and Edwin. Youll find that the NPCs can have some very interesting relationships with your character. Were particularly happy with how the romances turned out, Muzyka says. To put it in perspective, any one of the more complicated characters in Baldurs Gate II had more personal scripting than all of the characters from the original Baldurs Gate combined. |
Note: Baldurs Gate II: Shadows of Amn is no longer available from MacPlay, however you may still be able to find it at your local retail store.
View QuickTime Trailer Baldurs Gate II: Throne of Bhaal expansion pack
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