Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

 PC
User Score
9.2

Universal acclaim- based on 1654 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,520 out of 1654
  2. Mixed: 53 out of 1654
  3. Negative: 81 out of 1654
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  1. Turing2634
    Mar 14, 2011
    10
    Quite possibly the best game ever made! A deep, compelling experience. To say this is now an 11 year old game is astonishing, as nobody has managed to make a better game yet! The only other contender for best RPG would arguably be Planescape Torment, another amazing game but with a less "epic" story and more personal one. Baldur's Gate is a game that, if you can get past the (by todaysQuite possibly the best game ever made! A deep, compelling experience. To say this is now an 11 year old game is astonishing, as nobody has managed to make a better game yet! The only other contender for best RPG would arguably be Planescape Torment, another amazing game but with a less "epic" story and more personal one. Baldur's Gate is a game that, if you can get past the (by todays standards) steep learning curve, hard to use interface and unforgiving nature will become one of the best games you've ever played.… Expand
  2. Shaitan87
    Feb 17, 2011
    10
    One of the best games every made. Not many RPG's have gotten anywhere near this level. Great characters a good plot and an enormous amount of side quests.
  3. TheMitherer
    Aug 17, 2011
    10
    10 for story. 10 for replayabilty. 10 for combat. 10 for characters. 10 for graphics at the time of release. 10 for entertainment. 10 for addictiveness. 10 for timelessness. 10 for the modding community. Nothing but nothing is in this game's league and I suspect people will be saying the same thing after another 10 years.
  4. JudgeMental
    Aug 27, 2010
    10
    The first time that two members of my party, NPCs, started bickering with each other, I knew I had something special. When one of the NPCs left the party after I told her to stop whining, my jaw dropped. Before Mass Effect, before any of the many other BioWare masterpieces, this game made NPCs interesting. For that I give them a 10/10. Also, the rest of the game was outstanding in almostThe first time that two members of my party, NPCs, started bickering with each other, I knew I had something special. When one of the NPCs left the party after I told her to stop whining, my jaw dropped. Before Mass Effect, before any of the many other BioWare masterpieces, this game made NPCs interesting. For that I give them a 10/10. Also, the rest of the game was outstanding in almost every way. "Minsc and Boo stand ready. Meep-eep-eep"… Expand
  5. PhilipD.
    Oct 17, 2008
    2
    Oh. I really am annoyed about this. I bought it with intentions of getting sucked into the game like money into a vacuum cleaner but it just didn't work. Time and time again I have come back to this game, spending hours playing it and trying to get into the story. I can see why people like this game so much- once you get past the shell of this game I'm sure there are emotional Oh. I really am annoyed about this. I bought it with intentions of getting sucked into the game like money into a vacuum cleaner but it just didn't work. Time and time again I have come back to this game, spending hours playing it and trying to get into the story. I can see why people like this game so much- once you get past the shell of this game I'm sure there are emotional plot twists, epic fights and pants of +3 healing... but what a shell to crack. I mean, I keep playing this game, sitting down for several hours, failing at enjoying it then going off for a stab at Oblivion or Deus Ex instead. Don't get me wrong- I do try. I spent £20 on this game, after all. I have a horribly powerful urge to play this game every couple of months (much as I do with the Sims) but once it's loaded up, I look at its pixelated graphics and sheer... dullness and give in. I'm going to say LOOK OUT. If you don't mind spending a whole day or so getting into it I'm sure there's a fantastic game underneath. However, if you're anything like me you'd be better off with a game which pays off sooner. A game like Baldurs Gate is missing from my life but at the end of the day, it isn't meant to be. Great music, though.… Expand
  6. Maxra
    Dec 1, 2014
    10
    Following my disappointment with Inquisition, I installed BG2 on my PC last week and since then, I have been playing in every free minute. It's my third playthrough (after the first in 2000, my second in 2005 and the present one). So, since my last playthrough 9 years have passed and during that time, I have played tons of other RPGs (e.g. Dragonage, ME, Divinity, Drakensang, Witcher -Following my disappointment with Inquisition, I installed BG2 on my PC last week and since then, I have been playing in every free minute. It's my third playthrough (after the first in 2000, my second in 2005 and the present one). So, since my last playthrough 9 years have passed and during that time, I have played tons of other RPGs (e.g. Dragonage, ME, Divinity, Drakensang, Witcher - just to name a few). And what do I realize in this very moment? Well, I expected that after all these "modern RPGs", playing BG2 would be impossible (old graphics, static world, etc.), but JESUS CHRIST, how **** mistaken I have been!
    It's unbelievable, but BG2 is still a gem, even if you compare it to the newest games. In fact, it is a timeless piece of art. I simply love the graphics (the settings are so detailed and beautiful - almost as paintings that are great enough to be put on a wall...).
    Then, the NPCs are simply amazing: Minsc and his hamster - I do not remember a character as cool and funny in any of the following RPGs ("Go for the eyes, Boo"). And Aerie and Jaheira in the same group: when they fight for your attention and love, be prepared for one of the best written and most realistic dialogues in gaming history. Oh an Edwin, the most arrogant sorcerer ever - take him for an evil playthrough, it is SO well done.
    Besides well written NPCs and beatiful graphics, BG2 has an amazing game play and challenging fights. Gosh, the selection of arcane and divine spells is AMAZING - you basically have thousands of ways of shaping your mages and priests in a way you like it. Sorry to say, but Inquisition is a joke compared to what BG2 offered for RPG-lovers...
    Finally, BG2 has a great story. OK, I admit, it's no too original story, but it is still exciting and epic - and more importantly: the dialogues and all the writing is superb. Moreover, you play a huge part in this story and - more, more, more importantly - most of your quests somehow relate to the main story or add interesting side stories. It's really a complete difference to today's RPGs (e.g. Inquisition) where you have to kill 10 bears to complete a quest. In BG2 such quests do not exist - REALLY!!! I also didn't believe it at first, but now that I play it again, I value this old tradition of quest writing - how could game writing degrade so much over the past years??? It's unbelivable that a game from 2000 has set the standards in story- and dialogue-writing that almost all following games fail to meet (there are a few notable exceptions like ME1). Isn't this unbelievable?
    Anyway, I am going back to playing BG2 now :-) Cheers and praise to the old infinity enginge games, guys!    … Expand
  7. SJ_pl
    Jan 31, 2012
    9
    I don't consider this to be the best game overall. It doesn't have the best graphics, quite good but not tremendus audio and I haven't followed the plot quite carefully. Nevertheless, it's the ONLY game so far that I've finished... three times in a row! And it's a RPG!

    Yes, it's been a while ago and yes - there weren't so many games around but still. The level of depth that this game    I don't consider this to be the best game overall. It doesn't have the best graphics, quite good but not tremendus audio and I haven't followed the plot quite carefully. Nevertheless, it's the ONLY game so far that I've finished... three times in a row! And it's a RPG!

    Yes, it's been a while ago and yes - there weren't so many games around but still. The level of depth that this game offers was unprecedented at that time. I could play a game over and over again taking different decisions, different companions and have a lot of fun doing it. The amount of possibilities seemed endless and I haven't spend half a year playing a single player game since.    … Expand
  8. pedroivoar
    Jan 9, 2012
    10
    Awesome plot - lots of twists -, challenging puzzles, epic fights, very smart AI, highly customizable, in-depth NPC's, timed events, nice encounters with neutral and hostile, non linear history - everything you do has its consequences, to the point you can screw up even with the main quest w/o knowing. Best RPG of all time.
  9. Kronos362
    Oct 10, 2013
    10
    Simply the best game I have ever played, second to none. I can't possibly fault this game in any way, it is a masterpiece and will be hard to ever remove from its rightful place at the top of the plinth of PC rpgs.

    All hail the magnificence of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
  10. Ferrante
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    Well, some people say Nostalgia is the cause of the big score for BGII. That people is wrong. I knew this game 1 and a half year ago and I'm sure this is the best game I have ever played. It has some minor issues, but its design, gameplay, graphics (for the time it was made), and sound are flawless. It even can be played in Windows7 without problems, in 1650 resolution. If you have notWell, some people say Nostalgia is the cause of the big score for BGII. That people is wrong. I knew this game 1 and a half year ago and I'm sure this is the best game I have ever played. It has some minor issues, but its design, gameplay, graphics (for the time it was made), and sound are flawless. It even can be played in Windows7 without problems, in 1650 resolution. If you have not played it before, make it. If you did, do it again.… Expand
  11. iseeall
    Jul 29, 2013
    10
    Together with Fallout 2, easily the best role-playing game ever. It fixed anything that was sub-perfect in BG 1. To play it on today's machines, be sure to install the patches and mods from the community (e.g. to make the resolution fit the one of your monitor).
  12. Jaz
    Feb 23, 2013
    10
    The best cRPG ever (along with Planescape Torment). So the question is: Why, oh why, they don't make games like that anymore? What happened to those people who made games like BG2 and Planescape
  13. BlackWidow
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    This is the best RPG ever made, period. The quests, variety of play, romances, memorable characters and their interactions, strongholds, the ending epilogues depending on the choices you made during the course of the game and much more. The list of good points just goes on and on. Also, with certain mods, the game is even better. Not repetitive, lots of replay value. I have nothingThis is the best RPG ever made, period. The quests, variety of play, romances, memorable characters and their interactions, strongholds, the ending epilogues depending on the choices you made during the course of the game and much more. The list of good points just goes on and on. Also, with certain mods, the game is even better. Not repetitive, lots of replay value. I have nothing negative to say about this classic masterpiece. A must for any RPG fan. 10/10.… Expand
  14. Zarniwooop
    Sep 13, 2013
    10
    There will never be a single player RPG this exceptional again.

    It's absolutely perfect, and it pains me that the greatest RPG I will ever play in my life is behind me. Its strategic, the story is fantastic, the characters are marvelous, the game systems are stupendous, the quests are unbelievable, and I wish the Bioware that made this game still existed instead of the Bioware that    There will never be a single player RPG this exceptional again.

    It's absolutely perfect, and it pains me that the greatest RPG I will ever play in my life is behind me.

    Its strategic, the story is fantastic, the characters are marvelous, the game systems are stupendous, the quests are unbelievable, and I wish the Bioware that made this game still existed instead of the Bioware that makes passive entertainment.

    If you're on the fence and you love RPGS, just but it. You will be so glad you did.    … Expand
  15. Scorebot
    Aug 22, 2013
    10
    Do you enjoy deep and rich story-lines? Do you like making ridiculously powerful characters? Do you enjoy a plethora of side-quests? Do you enjoy creating 50 different characters whom all interact with the world differently? Do you like berserkers armed with miniature giant space hamsters? If you answered yes to any of the following well...you should already have this game to be honest. IDo you enjoy deep and rich story-lines? Do you like making ridiculously powerful characters? Do you enjoy a plethora of side-quests? Do you enjoy creating 50 different characters whom all interact with the world differently? Do you like berserkers armed with miniature giant space hamsters? If you answered yes to any of the following well...you should already have this game to be honest. I purchased this game 15 years ago and I still play it as if it still has that new game smell to it. I could go in depth as to all the reasons why this game are great but mere words simply do not do this game justice. This is something you simply have to experience to fully appreciate. The only downside to this game is that the path-finding leaves much to be desired and oftentimes your characters get lost walking in a straight-line. Thankfully any member of the Radiant Heart or the Cowled Wizards, the in game law officials, who approach you to ask for a breathalyzer test can be struck down with lightning, or better yet, turned into a squirrel. If you enjoy or even dabble in RPG games This is a must buy, twice if you possibly can.… Expand
  16. Kazee
    Feb 12, 2012
    9
    No game since has given me the experience of BG II. That might be nostalgia talking, but this game, while definitely dated by today's standards, is one of my all time favorites.
  17. google_calasade
    May 27, 2011
    9
    Until the Witcher 2, this was the best RPG I've ever played. Stellar for its time, it is still as good today (though the graphics have aged). Its storyline is awesome as are the NPCs and the quests you will take. It has perhaps the best villain ever in Jon Irenicus. It is challenging, fun and immersive. In fact, it still has an active modding community TEN YEARS after release. ThatUntil the Witcher 2, this was the best RPG I've ever played. Stellar for its time, it is still as good today (though the graphics have aged). Its storyline is awesome as are the NPCs and the quests you will take. It has perhaps the best villain ever in Jon Irenicus. It is challenging, fun and immersive. In fact, it still has an active modding community TEN YEARS after release. That alone should tell you how phenemonal this game is.… Expand
  18. KaiEkkrin
    Jun 24, 2011
    9
    This is the quintessential story-based RPG! It's a shame it's a sequel, with a storyline focused on the villain of the piece (Irenicus) and rather disconnected from the broader tale of the Bhaalspawn (see its expansion pack to continue that). It's also a shame it still uses the yucky D&D 2E rules, although to Bioware's credit they added deeply tactical options to spellcasters onlyThis is the quintessential story-based RPG! It's a shame it's a sequel, with a storyline focused on the villain of the piece (Irenicus) and rather disconnected from the broader tale of the Bhaalspawn (see its expansion pack to continue that). It's also a shame it still uses the yucky D&D 2E rules, although to Bioware's credit they added deeply tactical options to spellcasters only bettered by Dragon Age. Everything else about it is wonderful: huge, deeper story than the first Baldur's Gate and introduction of romance subplots with NPCs (love them or hate them; hint, go for Viconia). A true classic.… Expand
  19. Parvarteshwar
    Feb 21, 2012
    9
    One of the great classic games. Excellent writing, superb character development, numerous, varied and enjoyable quests. The world is large and detailed, the characters engaging and memorable. The antagonist is one of the most notorious in gaming and the setting is sufficiently epic for a Greek tragedy. The game is not without it's flaws though. At over a decade old, it's visuals have notOne of the great classic games. Excellent writing, superb character development, numerous, varied and enjoyable quests. The world is large and detailed, the characters engaging and memorable. The antagonist is one of the most notorious in gaming and the setting is sufficiently epic for a Greek tragedy. The game is not without it's flaws though. At over a decade old, it's visuals have not aged well and many mods are required to bring it up to the present day, and even then it's not going to be on the same level as current generation graphics. The game is also the third instalment of a four part series so if you haven't played the previous two games you will be a little lost. The game never penalises you but it is designed for an audience from 1999 when the first two games were still popular. There are also a few balance issues with certain classes, with some being completely useless and others being super-powered. But these problems are quickly drowned away, and the masterpiece tells the story of the god-child with epic brilliance. Oh, and the game is very fun.… Expand
  20. verglia
    Apr 1, 2014
    10
    The most demanding and rewarding experience in my life.Quest,enemys,bosses,skills,combat,story,it's all there.This and diablo took 3 years of my youth,and i don't regret it at all.It was a hell fun ride there.
  21. AnduinX
    Aug 22, 2014
    10
    I've been playing both WRPGs and JRPGs for decades. Of all of the RPGs that I have played, Baldur's Gate is without a doubt my favorite RPG of all time.
  22. ireviewthings1
    Feb 18, 2015
    10
    To me? GOAT. Michael Jordan. Wayne Gretzky. Greatest of all time. Nothing has come close. I'm not just talking RPGs but gaming in general. And it is a timeless experience that has never really aged.

    Every paid game journalist / writer that dares to put Dragon Age on the same level as this should get fired and be banned from the trade simply for lying to you. Hearing that limp menu    To me? GOAT. Michael Jordan. Wayne Gretzky. Greatest of all time. Nothing has come close. I'm not just talking RPGs but gaming in general. And it is a timeless experience that has never really aged.

    Every paid game journalist / writer that dares to put Dragon Age on the same level as this should get fired and be banned from the trade simply for lying to you. Hearing that limp menu music, seeing the whiny faces on character creation made me sick.

    Baldurs Gate 2 says **** all that noise, **** saving the world for the 1000th time from blighting reapers.
    You are not the usual world saving hero, beloved by all, like you are nowadays all the time. You have an own agenda, an own contextualization and drive. You can be a monster, slaughtering random people at will. Or you can be the classic knight in shining armor. Or you could be one of thousand things in between. All of it makes sense because Black Isle lets you brilliantly pick and pronounce you own motivation. Even after coming back for the 50th time, this to me is still so refreshing compared to the now usual "picked by destiny blablabla, shut up now and do as we say."

    You will meet wonderful characters, each with there own state of mind and depth to them.

    It is vast, full of charm, full of craziness, self-confidence and most of all: detail. You will wonder what happened to the industry and bioware (EA probably happened) when you right click a found magic weapon for the first time, just to realize it comes with its own 10-15 lines of signature lore and story.

    Not sure about the Enhanced Edition. Get it on GOG, get the widescreen fix, the unfinished business mod and spend a bit of time getting to now the critical character figures that are a bit disorientating at first in Dungeons and Dragons V2.

    I could either end it here or massively exceed the 5000 character limit.    … Expand
  23. xMaschine
    Jan 14, 2015
    10
    King of Kings to RPGs. Fantastic characters, amazing world waiting to be journeyed and explored, very high replay value, stories that push and drive you forward. Only downside and CON is there'll never be another work of art like SoA.
  24. Tatzen
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    This game is simply amazing. The first time I played it, I was blown away by the depth. So many storylines and sidequests! Amazing voice acting, especially of the main villian Irenicus. The UI is clunky and dated, sure, but this is a game made in 2000. The D&D rules are also a little daunting at first, but I got used to them and started playing with different combinations to see whatThis game is simply amazing. The first time I played it, I was blown away by the depth. So many storylines and sidequests! Amazing voice acting, especially of the main villian Irenicus. The UI is clunky and dated, sure, but this is a game made in 2000. The D&D rules are also a little daunting at first, but I got used to them and started playing with different combinations to see what characters I liked best.

    Another big plus for this game is the dedicated modding community. The game itself is great, but if you want more challenge or more quests, you can install mods available on the internet. That shows how strongly people love this game, they spend so much time creating additional content to share with everyone.

    BG2 is so good, I occasionally dust it off and re-install it, just to play it again. Even though I know all the story, and have even memorized where all the item drops are. It's that good, I can't stop coming back for another taste.    … Expand
  25. bosh_cod
    Jul 3, 2014
    10
    The single greatest PC RPG of all time. I still do a play through every now and again. Fantastic story devoid of cliches so common in current Bioware RPGs. Instead of being a hero destined to save the world, you are a hero destined to become an ultimate big bad. That alone should be enough to give it a try.
  26. DaedricLord
    Jul 29, 2014
    10
    It is difficult not to give an 11/10 to this game, best RPG ever made, and for me the best game ever made too, no RPG comes even close to it FOURTEEN YEARS after it came out. Dragon Age Origins tried to emulate some of it elements and it partially succeded (DA2 is crap) but only partially. BG2 is still a game I play even today, and since its graphics can be scaled to any resolution with aIt is difficult not to give an 11/10 to this game, best RPG ever made, and for me the best game ever made too, no RPG comes even close to it FOURTEEN YEARS after it came out. Dragon Age Origins tried to emulate some of it elements and it partially succeded (DA2 is crap) but only partially. BG2 is still a game I play even today, and since its graphics can be scaled to any resolution with a small mod it can be played on modern computers without issues, and its 2d graphics still look decent and not distracting. Art style in the game is still unsurpassed by any game to date. Music is fantastic.

    As for the game itself it has a wonderful story that gets perfect conclusion in Throne Of Bhaal expansion, probably the best "finish" to a game series ever, so emotional and deep, so rewarding and fulfilling. Combat is brilliant, no game ever reached the intensity of high level combat in BG2 and Throne Of Bhaal, you fight against many types of monsters, many spells are at your disposal, yes it is difficult for those not accustomed to hardcore RPGs or those unfamiliar with AD&D rules but it is well worth the effort. Quests, brilliant party members with their witty banter, memorable NPCs, tons of items of which most are unique, tons of spells, beautiful environments and clever writing make this game epic beyond anything I ever played. I dont think any game will surpass BG2 any time soon, that require a massive effort with brilliant writers but that is not likely to happen. If I was to look for flaws of this game I can find only one, not all lines are voice acted, probably a limitation of disc sizes at the time but it doesnt affect the enjoyment of the game. If only someone remade BG2 and Throne Of Bhaal in 3d graphics, just imagine BG2 with Skyrim graphics, now that would be something I would pay any money to have. Dont get me wrong, BG2 graphics scaled to modern resolutions still looks decent but imagine the immersiveness of 3d graphics, with all the beautiful art of BG2 its 3d version would be a work of art in which you can walk around and just admire the sights.

    How brilliant is this game is shown by the fact that most players STILL consider it the best RPG ever, and they still play it FOURTEEN YEARS after it came out. BG2 aged perfectly, it is still a game that any RPG fan must play so if you havent played it yet get it NOW :D I still remember many key conversations in the game and can recite the entire evil godly ending down to the last letter.

    Last we come to the replayability, that aspect is also unsurpassed, with the option of being male or female, and choosing different races and classes and with lots of party members to choose from, you can replay the game many times, I probably completed BG2 at least 20 times, and there is always more to discover, some small quests can be easily missed. And some quests allow you to take different paths so the replayability is beyond anything available today, Dragon Age Origins with Awakening expansion and other DLCs is the only game that comes close to BG2 and Throne Of Bhaal replayability but it is way easier than BG2 on AD&D rules, even at high levels in BG2 and Throne Of Bhaal you will get squashed if you dont prepare for fights, that is one more quality in BG2, other games make you overpowered in the end so you can simply walk around killing everything with ease and little danger to yourself, in BG2 you are certainly powerful in the end but still without preparation and appropriate tactics you get squashed, that is realistic. Now go and play it, your life as a gamer is not complete if you havent played BG2, trust me it is a life changing experience, warning-it will make you disappointed too because you will quickly realize how mediocre to bad are modern RPGs compared to BG2.    … Expand
  27. A.K.
    Mar 11, 2007
    10
    After seven years after its release, I still play this game compulsively. A compelling plot, a huge, extremely well detailed and varied gameworld, amazing tactical depth, non-linear structure, great freedom of action and a stunning attention for particulars make Baldur's Gate 2 skyrocket to the Olympus of videogames: the best CRPG to this day.
  28. TomA.
    Apr 21, 2008
    10
    This Is A Fabulous Role playing game, I love everything about it. And The Humor and story. It was one of my first crpg's and I love it to this day.
  29. Tarkin
    Dec 16, 2011
    9
    Ya, it's well made, deep, fun etc. But I was quite disappointed by the story, it lacks any cohesion and the conclusion is very cheap. But on the other hand, the side quests or stories or whatever are actually much more better than the main quest line itself.
  30. Markos-
    Nov 27, 2013
    9
    This game influenced me so much, amazed me to a point, that it is definitely one of my favourites all-time. It is an improved version of BG1, with another thrilling plot, maybe a bit less interesting than the first.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2000
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2000
1
#1 Most Shared PC Game of 2000

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
95

Universal acclaim - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Antagonist
    98
    I'd like my life back, Black Isle.
  2. Electric Playground
    95
    For the first time in a single player game, I truly felt I was playing my way through a pen and paper fantasy campaign.
    Read full review
  3. GamePower
    100
    It's not just vast, but flooded with quests and side adventures. There is always something to do in this game and, after that, there's always something more.
See all critic reviews »