Previewed by Banshee on 9/22/00

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Our little Bhaalspawn is all grown up now.

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn was shipped to stores September 21st, which means that the scores of fans of Baldur's Gate will be in stores shortly thereafter, crowding around the counter to pick up a preorder or buy one as it comes out of the shipping box. And they have good reason. The first game won dozens of prestigious awards, including Best RPG of 1998 from PC Gamer and Computer Games Online, and Game of the Year from GamesDomain and GameCenter's Reader's Choice, among others. It is widely credited as the catalyst for the return of the RPG to the monitor screen, and deservedly so. It also won the hearts of gamers, staying at the tops of sales charts just as 1998 was drawing to a close.

It's tough to surpass such achievements, but judging from the preview copy I evaluated, the team at BioWare has done it.

Strap yourself into your chair and prepare for carpal tunnel syndrome from hours and hours of game play: Minsc and Boo ride again!

An Older, Wiser . . . Hamster?

System specs Required: · Pentium 200 with MMX or faster · 32MB RAM · 600 MB hard drive space · Sound card · 4X CD-ROM · 2MB SVGA video card · Keyboard and mouse · Windows 95/98 · DirectX 7.0 or higher (included with the game) Recommended: · Pentium II 266 or faster · 64 MB of RAM · 8x CD-ROM · 4 MB SVGA video card

I don't want to spoil the plot from the first Baldur's Gate, but in the previous adventure, your character started as a rank neonate. For those unfamiliar with D&D, that translates into first level puny mage whining: "I wanna cast . . . Magic Missile." You also started in the bright, sunny confines of your hometown, Candlekeep, safe under the tutelage of your guardian, Gorion. Surrounded by friends like Imoen, Hull, Winthrop and Phlydia, your character has had a fairly idyllic life, or so it seemed. (For those of you who didn't play the original game and haven't a clue as to what I'm talking about, the tutorial and the beginning of the sequel will fill you in a bit.)

It has been said that with great power also comes great responsibility. Apparently, so does general unpleasantness; instead of sunshine and errands, you start BG II incarcerated in a black, twisted dungeon. I think it's safe to say the second game is just a wee bit darker than the first! Fortunately, you are stronger (most new character classes start the game at level seven), so there is a chance your character might be able to cope with all the problems and stresses that go with being a child of Bhaal, Lord of Murder. Might, I said - the game is tougher, the enemies are stronger, and in the preview I saw, there wasn't a therapist hanging out in the dungeon for you or Minsc. You're not entirely on your own, though - Imoen, Jaheira, and yes, Boo the Giant Space Hamster and his lovable pet human Minsc are there to help you along.

Your character is not the only one who has undergone some changes: Imoen has new abilities, and the trials you have undergone have abraded her formerly perky demeanor somewhat. BioWare realized that many players of the previous game dual-classed her as a thief/mage, and the new game reflects this. In addition, those clever Canadians in Alberta have arranged it so that all of these changes fit neatly into the plot. Speaking of the plot, it seems to be less linear and more complex than BG I. One of the things I love about the original game and its sequel is the continuity. The creators have done a marvelous job of making the player feel like he or she is in the midst of a large, ongoing epic with the benefit of getting to choose the chapters. The story in BG II builds upon the first, and gets more of the NPCs involved in interpersonal action. For example, both Imoen and Jaheira become much more three-dimensional and well rounded very early in Chapter One. For those sincerely interested in role-playing, there is plenty of atmosphere and story to work with, both of which are enhanced by lovely graphics and truly impressive music. I have to mention the main theme, especially - it is inspiring and invigorating, a call to battle with the "ba-ba, bah-bah-Bah-Bah-BAH!" readying you to enter the game world.

More Features Than Your Inventory Slots Will Hold

With such a successful product, some companies might have been tempted to rush out a sequel with the thought of maximizing profit at the cost of quality. Fortunately for gamers, BioWare did no such thing. They certainly didn't skimp on features. Although the game still uses the Infinity engine used in the original, it has been tweaked: it now supports 3D cards that use OpenGL, for example, which will enhance spell effects. It also officially supports 800 x 600 screen resolution (1024 x 768 unofficially with an adjusted .ini), which allows players to see more of the game world at a glance. DirectX 7.0 is included with the game.

Minsc's hamster is not the only critter in your party anymore either. Rangers may have animal companions, and if the main character is a mage, regular or multi-classed, he or she can have a familiar. This is one of my favorite new options in the game. A chart is listed below:

Alignment	Familiar
Lawful Good	Pseudo Dragon
Neutral Good	Pseudo Dragon
Chaotic Good	Fairy Dragon
Lawful Neutral	Ferret
True Neutral	Rabbit
Chaotic Neutral	Cat
Lawful Evil	Imp
Neutral Evil	Dust Mephit
Chaotic Evil	Quasit

There are many new character classes, as well as a new race. In addition to dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, halflings, and humans, players may now choose a half-orc character. As for the numerous classes, fighters, rangers and paladins return from the original game, as do bards, clerics, druids, thieves, mages and specialists like abjurers, conjurers, diviners, enchanters, illusionists, invokers, necromancers, and transmuters. As if all those options were not sufficient, there are now numerous customizations available, called kits, which are similar to mage specializations. Now one can apply the Beastmaster kit to a Ranger character, or turn one's character into a priest of Helm. As stated, there are new classes as well, three to be precise: the barbarian, the monk, and the sorcerer. Many of the previous options have been upgraded with special abilities depending on their level -- thieves can now set snares, while rangers gain the ability to cast certain priest spells.

Regular Edition vs. Collector's Edition? Judge for yourself Regular contains: Four CD-ROMs filled with complete game Paper color map of the Kingdom of Amn Spiral-bound manual CE contains: A bonus disc that contains extra weapons and armor and music from the game's soundtrack. Four custom gold CD-ROMs filled with complete game in Collector's Edition jewel case. Cloth color map of the Kingdom of Amn A set of eight collectible trading cards Black Isle Studios writing tablet Spiral-bound manual Serialized, hinged-book box

Of course, there are new spells in addition to Find Familiar. One can almost imagine Ricardo Montalban of Fantasy Island fame saying "Spells, everyone! Big spells!" The effects are visually appealing, and numerous: they have more than doubled the original 120 available in BG I, which remain available. But mages aren't the only ones to benefit: warriors have some intriguing new weapons at their disposal. Oh, sure, you've still got swords, daggers, crossbows and axes galore, but your character may also choose katanas, scimitars, wakizashis, and ninjatas. I have always held that extensive customization is a hallmark of the RPG genre, and in this case, the more the better: not only do fighters have new weapon options, but they may now customize characters with a personal battle style: two-handed weapon style, sword-and-shield style, single-weapon style and double-weapon style. Yes, if your dream character sounds a barbaric "yawp" while wielding two +10 swords of Ogre Slaying, Baldur's Gate II is for you.

Grand though "barbaric yawps" may be, occasionally home and hearth lures even the most enthusiastic adventurer. Baldur's Gate II provides these incentives as well for protagonists. If the player meets the challenges of certain quests, he or she may become the proud owner of a stronghold. Clerics might gain a temple, while thieves might join a guild, and players will be able to keep a stronghold they've obtained even if they choose to dual-class afterwards. It is not sufficient to just pay whatever passes for a mortgage in Amn, however: Players will have to manage their stronghold wisely and protect it. It is not yet known if The Sims influenced the game designers to the point that strongholds contain authentic outhouses or spells of Magical Flushing, but I can at least reassure readers that there were no Bladder bars in the preview release I tested.

As I mentioned earlier, the development team worked hard to ensure stronger character development for the NPCs that join your party. Not only will they converse and have the occasional spat, but there is also the potential for romantic relationships. In the BG II chat recently hosted by Baldur's Gate Chronicles I saw many a troll ask prior to the chat, "Can we have sex with Imoen?" I think the obvious answer is no, computer technology hasn't advanced to holosuite levels yet. Besides, BioWare's level of taste is higher than that. The developers never answered the question; Silverdawn the moderator never put it to them (there's a message there), and all the mature folks in the room just generally ignored the bestiality questions about Boo the hamster and the ferret familiars.

Speaking of characters, you will be able to import your characters from the original game into this one - this worked seamlessly in the preview version. And the adventure won't end after this game, either - you'll be able to import these characters into the upcoming Neverwinter Nights. You don't have to wait for multiplayer either: You can explore the immense BG II game world with up to five other friends; just as you could in the original, and it's free.

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