Amazon.com: Baldur's Gate 2: Ultimate Collection (Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal): PC: Video Games

104 Reviews

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (104 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

190 of 195 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Several hundred hours of addictive play, January 1, 2005

By	Yu-jin Chia "Yu-Jin Chia" (Cupertino, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

Its graphics may be a bit dated (they were even when the game came out) but if you can look beyond that, this is one seriously awesome collection. Baldur's Gate 2 has incredible RPG depth, a strong tactical aspect, and great replay value. The expansion is bigger than most, and adds significant epic-level capabilities for your characters.

The game picks up several years after the events in Baldur's Gate, and continues the plot. If you didn't play that first game (a shame- go get it) there are a few quick recaps of the key points. You can play in single play mode, in which case you make your one main character (or import from Baldur's Gate); multiplay with just you, in which you can make your whole party; or multiplay with friends, in which everyone can make and control one or more characters. In any case, your party has up to six people at a time, and you can dismiss or add characters at will.

Add to this a whole lot of classes, including special 'kits' that are akin to 3rd edition prestige classes (save that you can take them immediately) and you have a whole lot of room for party customization. There's a host of NPCs that can join your party, some better than others, but all very interesting and with unique (sometimes very extensive) side quests. You can have romantic relationships with some of these potential party members, and some will even have romances with other NPCs.

Almost all of the dialogue in the game is spoken, and although there's not much full motion video, when there is it's well done. The plot advances through chapters, and there are numerous side quests that take you to many varied game world locations. The rewards for some of these quests are awesome, and some of the monsters you'll run into are equally so. This is where the tactics come in- your party composition is crucial for winning these big fights. For example, dealing with that red dragon is going to be exceedingly difficult without some protection from fire and fear effects. There are also many ways to solve the various problems you run into. For example, a thief laying some traps in a doorway can turn a tough band of charging enemies into so much cannon fodder. Then again, if you don't have a thief or aren't a very subtle type, you can just fireball the lot of them and clean up what's left with a good old-fashioned sword charge.

I mentioned earlier that the graphics are dated. This is true, but it doesn't really detract from the play. The area backgrounds are actually very nice, though also largely static. Spell effects look decent, if less flashy than newer games like Neverwinter Nights. The music and voice acting are also top-notch, and don't get old even after many times through the game (which is likely to happen once you get hooked). The latter in particular really lends character to the people you meet. It's a testament to the developer's success in this regard that you'll have strongly varied feelings toward nearly all of the NPCs- just as you would expect of real people.

As for the story, it is superb. The scope is truly epic, and the side quests actually interesting. This is more than can be said about much of Neverwinter Nights, for all of the polish and vaunted expandability of that title. Though generally linear, the campaign doesn't seem to be linear. When replaying, though you'll be going to the same places and doing the same things, the different characters you have along will make it seem like a different game. There's also a ton of secrets and hidden areas- you might just find something you didn't see before.

That said, it's worth mentioning that although there are no official tools for editing the game, there are unofficial ones. These have been put to good effect, and there's a host of mods and add-ons available for free download. There's even a mod that converts the interface to Icewind Dale's more attractive look (though you must have that game for it to work) and thus significantly improves the graphics and changes the somewhat clunky 2nd edition rules to 3rd edition.

I think the value of this title can be summed up by the fact that I played it through at least 5 times, which is something I've only done for two or three other games (the original Baldur's Gate being one of them). Even if you're not into D&D, don't particularly care for RPGs, and don't give a hoot about Forgotten Realms, this game comes highly recommended.

Comment Comments (7) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

104 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best RPG EVER on the PC, Play It Before It's Too Late, January 11, 2004

By	Chris (USA) - See all my reviews

Have you ever pulled out one of those old games that you remember as a classic and while YOU can still fully enjoy the game, OTHER gamers that have become accustomed to the current standard for graphics and production value have no idea how great the game is they're playing? Luckily, this doesn't apply to Baldur's Gate 2 yet. It still has comparable graphics and the story, voice acting and brilliant playing engine still make it better than any RPG on the market right now but that won't hold for long. If you've never had a chance to play this classic RPG, grab it now before it's too late! I've played RPG's since the days of the early Ultima games and Baldur's Gate 2 is probably the best one I've ever played. Now, you do need to be familiar with Dungeons & Dragons. So if you don't know how the classic D&D system works, you may not find Baldur's Gate 2 as appealing as I did. It also uses the older D&D ruleset which is good or bad depending on which one you prefer. Ever since playing (and replaying) this title, in my mind it has set the bar for RPG's and I compare all RPG's since to Baldur's Gate 2. The expansion isn't as great as the game itself but you can't go wrong buying the collection edition which includes both. Also, if you plan on playing the first Baldur's Gate, I'd recommend you play it first because it begins the story that concludes in this game. But you don't need to play the first game to understand what is going on in the sequel because it feels like it's own story. Baldur's Gate 2: The Collection is cheaper than current titles and a better play. If you're and RPG fan that hasn't tried this game, buy it now, you'll thank me later.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best. RPG. Ever, November 5, 2005

By	IdrilCelebrindal - See all my reviews

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

I would even go so far as to call this the best video game ever. Computer, console, you name it. Shadows of Amn takes the already high standard set by the original Baldur's Gate and brings it up to a level of near-perfection. Sure, the graphics are dated and probably were when the game came out. But as entries in the Final Fantasy series have so expertly demonstrated, great graphics do not a great game make.

What makes BG, and particularly SoA, so good is the gameplay, which I find to be the most important aspect of a game--followed closely by character and storyline. All three of which are handled wonderfully in this game and interwoven to a degree that one can't help but be drawn in by all three.

Previous experience in any of the D&D universe I believe to be completely unncessary; before I played BG, all I knew vaguely was that it had been a popular board game at one time. Sure, I don't understand all the statistics that go into combat and the armor and weapons and the like, but the computer works in figuring all that out. And I wouldn't consider having played the original BG necessary--anyone with an interest could get into a game like SoA. However, I find it preferable to have played BG first--not only did it give me greater appreciation for the continutation of the story of your main character, but it also helped me in starting out with the gameplay and the controls and so forth--combat in particular was unlike anything I had previously encountered and took a while for me to get a hang of; plus the magic system in this game expands to one so complex and with such potential, I am more than certain I have yet to fully utilize it. I think the person who complained that this particular item does not come with a manual has a fair point; I remember being disappointed when I originally opened the package to find only the disks and an advertisement for Dark Alliance. But all in all, it's not too hard to figure out if it's your first time; and there are multitude of helpful guides, FAQs and walkthroughs that can be found online.

One of the many things that makes SoA so great is the way it feels like the creators tried to weed out the dozen or so minor annoyances of the original BG; annoyances I didn't even consider to be real flaws until I played SoA. For example, while level progression takes forever on account of the experience point distribution system (divided equally among your party members), experience points come more frequently in this game, and in larger portions (you can receive them for doing anything from having you thief successfully disarm a trap or pick or lock, to having your mage successfully learn a new spell). Plus, BG only allowed no higher than level 7, whereas SoA has a cap off at about level 20 or so. I also spent frustrating amounts of time in the inns recovering from battle, and appreciated the ability to set my party members to sleep until they've all recovered. And these are just to name a few.

As has been stated by so many, graphics aren't the greatest--but you've got to appreciate what's there. There are some truly gorgeous backgrounds--the elven city and parts of the Amnish city Athkatla (in which the game is centered) like the Temple District, in particular, contain some real eye candy. Sure, it's not 3D--but 3D graphics don't guarantee a game as great as this one.

Sound and music are top notch--the background noise in particular helping to create the excellent atmosphere. If there's one thing BG does well, it's creating a genuine atmosphere--including some that were intense and enveloped me in the world like no other game I've ever played. Whether it's nighttime in the docks district hearing the courtesans or daytime in the bridge district and the call of the merchants--or walking through a forest wondering whether or not something big and scary is going to attack at an inopportune moment. And music, like most entries in the series, is used sparsely--but the tunes are excellent. Most are very area specific, probably no more than a minute or so, very appropriately composed to fit that area, and only playing occasionally as you explore a given area. Some are so good, I would pause the game just to let it finish before I walked into a building or went on to a new area. And the opening title music for both SoA and Throne of Bhaal are among my absolute favorites.

Voice work is the best I've ever heard, wonderfully helping to develop the already strong characters. It also helps tie into the game's appealing and unexepected and appropriately integrated sense of humor--which comes about with such particular characters like Minsc and Jan. (One must play the game through at least one time with Minsc in your party.) The absolute best comes from the villain, Irenicus, who comes across as a genuinely creepy and fascinating character. And the storyline and gameplay are so wonderfully integrated into the way you develop through the game, learning both more about yourself, but also about Irenicus, and how he came to be so interested in your character as a Child of Bhaal.

Also as others have stated, replay is the best I've ever seen; not just with the new class choices, but also in the wide option of characters you can pick from to make up your party--which in turn also determines some of the sub-plots that are presented and how they play out. I have yet to discover all the different directions--minor or otherwise--in which the game can go according to my decisions. And while I did enjoy the second chapter--in which, should you choose, you can spend most of it building up experience in the dozen or so sub-plots presented to you--it was actually in the linearity of the later chapters when I really got hooked. But that can also be attributed to the undeniably fantastic storyline.

SoA is the very best that the series gets, in every way. Sadly, I can't quite say the same for ToB. I enjoyed it at the start, and was glad to have it to keep going with the story after the end of SoA, but not very long into the game, I felt like it had dissolved into combat combat combat. It definitely helped me to realize that, while combat is a large aspect of what I enjoy about BG, it's not the *only* thing that makes the game as good as it is.

It does introduce some fun and interesting new progressions--like the special abilities you can pick for each party member every time they up a level. There are also sneaky new things like your enemies sometimes being able to see you before you see them; and the fact that the game no longer automatically pauses when you view your map. Both of which foul up more than one strategy. Plus, you have the ability to transport your entire party to a pocket plane reality at almost any point in the game, where you can rest and recover, and also switch around your party members--with the option of bringing in literally every NPC from SoA. You also have the ability to bring Sarevok (the villain from the original BG) into your party, which is practically a must.

The overall impression I get from this game is that the creators read all the complaints regarding the experience point cap with the original BG, and decided to compensate by making a game that was entirely about gaining experience points through combat, and progressing as high as they could make it (your characters can reach all the way up to level 40.) It really makes me wish they had decided to make ToB as a sequel, rather than an expansion--it would've given it more time to develop as a story as well, rather than just a long series of fights.

Despite that, I would still recommend buying this particular product--to just about anyone who has ever considered themselves a fan of video and computer games. It's worth it alone just for Shadows of Amn, and Throne of Bhaal brings a nice end to it all. And all of it ultimately demonstrates why nothing could ever be as great as Baldur's Gate in its prime.