Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is a video game in the role-playing (rpg) genre developed by BioWare Corporation and published by Hed Arzi Multimedia originally released in 2000. It is currently playable on Windows.

Some time after the events described in Baldur's Gate, the protagonist and his friends Imoen, Minsc and Jaheira have been captured by an elven wizard named Jon Irenicus. Unaware of his intentions and his connection to the heroes, Irenicus conducts experiments on them, keeping them in cages somewhere in his vast subway complex. During his absence, the heroes manage to escape and soon find themselves in the city of Athkatla, in the country of Amn, where they confront Irenicus. However, at that moment several wizards arrive and arrest both Irenicus and Imoen for unauthorized use of magic. The first task at hand is to raise the money needed to rescue Imoen, before confronting Irenicus again and unraveling his true objectives.

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is a party-based role-playing game using AD&D rules. The basic gameplay is similar to its predecessor: the player navigates a party of up to six active combatants through isometric environments, conversing with non-playable characters through branching dialogues, and fighting enemies in real-time, free-moving combat that can be paused to give specific orders to characters. Travel around the world is now done by selecting locations on a map rather than exploring wilderness areas to reach the destination. However, the game world is larger than in the previous game, with more individual locations to visit and side quests to complete.

Being a direct sequel to Baldur's Gate, the game allows the player to control stronger and higher level characters from the start. The main character can also be imported from the previous installment. Three new classes (wizard, monk and barbarian) are available alongside those present in the original game. Characters can also acquire specializations within most classes: a paladin, for example, can become a dragon slayer or an inquisitor. Weapon skills are more specific: for example, instead of specializing only in swords, the player can choose between skills in long swords, two-handed swords, bastard swords, katanas and scimitars. There are many new types of weapons, armor and magic spells in the sequel.

Sixteen characters can join the party in the course of the story. Each of them has their own motivations, which sometimes conflict with those of other characters. Guided events and interaction with playable and non-playable characters have been greatly increased in the sequel. The main character can also romance some of the companions by choosing the right behavior and lines of dialogue. The game allows the player to make many moral decisions and carry out character-specific side quests that are unrelated to the main story. Many of the companions have their own quests, and the main character can perform unique tasks based on their class.

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is available at a reduced price on the following websites and is no longer abandonware.