Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal

by Black Isle Studios

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000059L4Q
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: June 20, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,141 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PC

Amazon.com Review

BioWare's Baldur's Gate II is the game that keeps on giving. Already one of the most massive role-playing games in memory--especially if you add the original Baldur's Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack--the Baldur's Gate series has provided, easily, 300 hours of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition role-playing genius. Now, just when you've got your life back, and, maybe, finished BGII, the company goes and releases the new BGII expansion pack Throne of Bhaal.

BGII is already so huge one might wonder why you would need or want an expansion. Is it because there are hordes of additional monsters to fight, a couple new classes and kits to explore (the Wild Mage, for example), new treasures and artifacts, new quests and dungeons, and the ability to reach an unprecedented 40th level? Well, yes, those are pretty much the reasons why. Why wouldn't you want to meet strange new creatures, unleash strange new spells, and listen to even more bizarre voice acting from the lovable Minsc? But the real reason to get this one is to see the massive story finally reach a conclusion. There won't be a Baldur's Gate III folks, and Throne of Bhaal lets you see the fate of the character that debuted as Gorion's young ward so many years ago in the original Baldur's Gate.

This is an expansion, not a sequel, and thus the game mechanics and animation are pretty much the same as in Baldur's Gate II. With no new animation, save the new spells, and only a handful of new beasts, this game doesn't innovate--it adds to the overall experience. Naturally, it's fully playable in multiplayer mode, and you can start anew with one of the new classes or continue with your old character. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• More, more, more of the bestselling Baldur's Gate experience
• A fitting conclusion to the epic story line

Cons:

• Same tried-and-true gameplay, which makes it feel dull at times
• After 200 hours of BGII, do we need more?

Product Description

Return to Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and unravel the mysteries of a dangerous new dungeon - Watcher's Keep. Continue with an exhilarating new adventure when you explore the unseen lands of Tethyr, encounter fierce villains, and gain powerful high-level abilities as you achieve your ultimate destiny in...Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy successor to the great Shadows of Amn, April 24, 2002

By 

bayou_hannibal "bayou_hannibal" (West Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baldur's Gate 2 Expansion: Throne of Bhaal (CD-ROM)

I enjoyed playing "Throne of Bhaal". The new areas are fun, and so are the riddles, monsters, and quests that you find in the expansion pack.

"Throne of Bhaal" adds quite a few special high level abilities, and a lot of new items. The potion cases, ammo belt (for storing all of those extra arrows and bolts), and the +3 ammunition were all great additions. There is a new set of unique magic items that one of the characters can forge for you, using pieces that you find scattered throughout the game (like the dwarven blacksmith in "Shadows of Amn"). The new monsters are wicked and intimidating.

However, the best part about Throne of Bhaal is that it continues the same ingenious design and attention to detail that was present in "Baldurs Gate 2. Each new area looks brilliant. Each quest is different. The conversations between the NPC's are entertaining, and the voice acting is great. You do meet one new NPC who can join you early on (it's an old "friend" of yours - don't worry, you'll see). The game has a lot of unique challenges which require you to read the books or parchments that you find in order to solve them.

The saga has run its course though. The storyline has been stretched about as far as it can go. Perhaps too far. The "Bhaalspawn" theme lost its appeal for me long before I finished this game. On every street corner, there is some legendary godlike Bhaalspawn, or some prophet that has predicted your coming for the past 100 years. How is it that the rest of the world never noticed all of these Godlike characters running around? There is lots of yammering on about fulfilling your destiny, and the taint of your soul, etc. etc. The dialogue plays out like a bad Star Wars parody. Especially the dialogue that involves Imoen.

One big flaw of this game is that there are so many magic resistant and spell-proof creatures that my magic-users hardly ever cast anything more than a handful of the same spells. The spell protection and combat protection magic is BADLY overdone in this game. There is way too much magic vs. counter-magic combat. The fighters totally dominate this game, and mages just cast a handful of magic and combat protection removal spells over and over. Every tough beast is resistant to your fireballs and acid arrows, so there is no point in casting them. There is no balance whatsoever at these high levels, and that is why I gave the game 4 stars instead of 5.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Fantastic..., June 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Baldur's Gate 2 Expansion: Throne of Bhaal (CD-ROM)

The combined talents of Bioware and Black Isle Studios have done it again. The Throne of Bhaal expansion (which hardly feels like an expansion) brings many more entertaining hours of BG gameplay to the already spectacular product of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. If you are considering of buying the Throne of Bhaal expansion, you probably already enjoy Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn immensely. And if that is the case, I highly recommend this product for any BG fan. There are three whole new chapters added to the game's story to bring a wondrous conclusion the Bhaalspawn saga, as well as a large dungeon known as Watcher's Keep that can be accessed at any time. I found every new area with all the high-level foes very challenging. The voices, sound and music were top-notch. The graphics aren't very different from what you have seen in the original BGII, but they still strike me as being richly detailed and beautiful to behold. I did not find this expansion short one bit. (It is an expansion after all, not an entirely new game) The price for this product was very fair considering all the many hours I spent returning to the Sword Coast and battling enemies with god-like power. And as you finish the expansion and watch as the Bhaalspawn Saga comes to a close, you reflect back on the simple beginnings in Candlekeep and all the journeys and adventures that took you to this point. If you've been a fan of the Baldur's Gate games from the beginning, it'll be a sad but satisfying experience to see it end.

My hats off you to hardworking folks at Bioware and Black Isle Studios... There are few games out there that I love as much as this series. Lets hope you guys continue to release quality products that raise the expectations of RPGs for years to come.

"Wherever evil treads, Minsc treads louder!!"

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply amazing..., July 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Baldur's Gate 2 Expansion: Throne of Bhaal (CD-ROM)

The combined talents of Bioware and Black Isle Studios have done it again. The Throne of Bhaal expansion (which hardly feels like an expansion) brings many more entertaining hours of BG gameplay to the already spectacular product of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. If you are considering of buying the Throne of Bhaal expansion, you probably already enjoy Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn immensely. And if that is the case, I highly recommend this product for any BG fan. There are three whole new chapters added to the game's story to bring a wondrous conclusion the Bhaalspawn saga, as well as a large dungeon known as Watcher's Keep that can be accessed at any time. I found every new area with all the high-level foes very challenging. The voices, sound and music were top-notch. The graphics aren't very different from what you have seen in the original BGII, but they still strike me as being richly detailed and beautiful to behold. I did not find this expansion short one bit. (It is an expansion after all, not an entirely new game) The price for this product was very fair considering all the many hours I spent returning to the Sword Coast and battling enemies with god-like power. And as you finish the expansion and watch as the Bhaalspawn Saga comes to a close, you reflect back on the simple beginnings in Candlekeep and all the journeys and adventures that took you to this point. If you've been a fan of the Baldur's Gate games from the beginning, it'll be a sad but satisfying experience to see it end.

My hats off you to hardworking folks at Bioware and Black Isle Studios... There are few games out there that I love as much as this series. Lets hope you guys continue to release quality products that raise the expectations of RPGs for years to come.

"Wherever evil treads, Minsc treads louder!!"

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