Baldur's Gate 2: The Ultimate Collection

Manufacturer:	Vivendi Universal
Release date:	12 August, 2003

Baldur's Gate 2: The Ultimate Collection

Average rating: Stars

baldurs gate II the ultimate collection

the ultimate collection has a major problem. it asks for 5 disks to install it and there are only four that come with the set! it seems the manufacturer of the CD's tried to compact it without adjusting the program. so it doesnt run without making changes to the programing. what a crock. if you want me to buy your game it had better work correctly!

Baldur's Gate 2: The Ultimate Collection - Vivendi Universal

The absolute best

Baldur's Gate 2 (plus Throne of Bhaal) is hands down the best RPG I've ever played. How in the world did I ever miss this one? It must be over 5 years old now, and I've been gaming on the PC for over 10 years. All I can say is shame on me!! I used to wonder how people could get involved with RPG's that consist of tiny action sprites and a static overhead "camera" view. Now I know -- do I ever!

Note that this game is an absolute killer if you have any kind of life. I would sit down after dinner just to play for a couple of hours and the next thing I'd know the clock would show 3:30 AM (with a workday coming up). Make sure you eat and do other "chores" -- like taking a shower -- BEFORE you sit down to play.

I know absolutely nothing (and don't really care) about D&D rules (2nd version vs the 3rd, etc.), but it doesn't matter. Create a character that appeals to you and just role play. As you become more comfortable with the system, go for a dual class character.

Your party of 5 NPC's quickly become like old friends with their own opinions, romances, squabbles, likes, dislikes, etc. If they are strongly at odds with your decisions or if your reputation is too low/high, they will complain often (very annoying) and even leave the party. Many of the walkthroughs I've seen seem to stress the hack and slash aspect of this game, but I feel the character interaction is equally if not more important. It is what truly sets this game apart from the others (this game is the beginning of the Bioware "touch" which you can see in later games like KOTOR 1). And if you can choose one of three very different female NPC's to romance, why not go for it? Most fun of all is to have a party composed of people with different alignments (good, neutral and evil). Some of the byplay this creates is truly priceless.

Certain other reviews have stated that the game should come with a printed manual (instead of the electronic one that is on one of the disks). I've found this to be unnecessary. The game controls are very intuitive, and you can identify any item or button immediately by placing the cursor over it and pressing the TAB key. No need to wait. Also, try to realize there is no way you can see everything in this huge game (150-200+ hrs.) during a single play-through (don't frustrate yourself by trying). It takes AT LEAST two times through to learn how to use magic properly, do all the quests, learn the difference proper strategy can make, the effect of higher/lower intelligence, wisdom, charisma, etc. Playing through as a different character class, using different NPC's and making different choices re the main quest will turn each play-through into a completely different game.

In this vein, I would suggest that new players check out one of the many Baldur's Gate sites to learn some of the more advanced features of the game. Examples include how to use the "wish spells", the Deck of Many Things, how to have custom armor and weapons made, create and use "familiars", etc. Using magic (probably the most powerful force in the game) correctly seems to be the hardest thing to master.

Finally, I would recommend installing both Baldur's Gate 2 and Throne of Bhaal at the same time (if you intend to play the Throne expansion). This makes the transition between the two completely seamless (as a single game). The expansion is not quite as good as the main game, but it offers a definite and final end to the saga. It's a bit combat-heavy, but I still enjoyed it. And all this for 20 bucks -- what a deal!

Vivendi Universal - Baldur's Gate 2: The Ultimate Collection

best game ever

This is my favorite game, The game goes on forever it is so long and the world is so big. The graphics are great the gameplay is good, good story line is great, you can do whatever you want you dont have to do the quest you can just explore the game and fight creatures. There are so mant charactars barbarian, mage, cleric, and more and if you pick mage or fighter you can pick with fighter you wan to be wizard slayer or berserker, if u become mage u can be necromancer or illusionist. There is also dual class mage/thief. this is my favorite game i highly recommend it.