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"Might not be bliss, but it ain't bad either..."

The original Baldur's Gate showcased on the PC was a work of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons art. Magnificent in all ways possible as it was a gigantic step forward in the table-top to desk-top RPG medium. A moment to say ''Hey, you can still play AD&D, just use your computer to do so.'' And the story was phenomenal. A child of a dead god. One of many on Toril is forced to confront a much more sinister child of the same dead god.

The sequel to this game was much more outstanding, taking the very same character (or could create a new one) from the original game and continue their progression beyond 8th level on up to 20th level. And then an expansion after that with a whole new tale and advancement up to 40th level. Truly, if you could get into this character you created with this awesome back story, this gaming experience was unforgettable!

And then, 'lo and behold, the game Baldur's Gate branches out to the console. Our first installment centers around three heroes, the game's rules loosely based no longer around the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition rules, but now on the new just plain Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition rules. With two new unheard of character classes, one being an arcane archer, the other being a sorceress, the game had you spiraling down a compelling story in search of your assailants upon entering the popular city of Baldur's Gate. Along the way on your search, you discover much more than you originally surmised was going on. What's a hero to do but get to the very bottom of things.

The game was almost arcade in its feel. A button for everything. Blocking, jumping, attacking, moving around, changing the camera angel, casting spells. The graphics were nothing at all to sneeze at. Very nicely done were the building and city interiors and dungeons. The monsters were compellingly crafted as well, leaving no doubt that you, the player, were in for one heck of a ride!

By the end of the game, you were left with a cliffhanger and an uncertain fate to our three heroes which you assumed would be picked up in the sequel. Well, sort of. Yes, we do find out what happens to the original three heroes of Baldur's Gate, but that's about all we hear from them. They were captured. That's it.

So what's this new game about? It's about five NEW characters all of whom also responded to Baldur's Gate's outcry for heroes (albeit a bit late). While there's really nothing more for them to do as the betrayer has been slain and her armies put to rest, but in the bustling city of Baldur's Gate, there's no end to all sorts of other tasks to be accomplished. Solving mysteries, ridding places of pests an annoyances, investigating warehouses, it's all your typical run-of-the-mill adventuring, and I like that early on in the game. Not everything needs to be this big grand adventure... or does it?

Unlike in the first installment of the console version, this product lets your characters carry a few weapons at once. If you want your character to have an item in each hand, be those items weapons or a weapon and a shield, you can do it. You can also select a two-handed weapon, and a ranged weapon, and cycle through all of your available weapon combinations. Single Hand/Two Hand/Ranged all by pressing right on the directional pad, as opposed to the first game where it was just a selection between melee and ranged.

Likewise in this game, you may enchant your own items to suit your own purposes instead of having to play the game for hours on end searching for the perfect piece of equipment for your dwarven fighter. The only thing you really need to pay attention for in this version is the quality of the item you found or are about to purchase. If you've got a regular or shoddy version of the item, it's not of a good enough quality to enchant, sell it. If it's of fine quality or better (all the way up to Flawless) then you can use the shopkeeper's workshop to enchant the item with various gems you've collected on your journeys (or have bought in his shop). Let's say you're looking for a pair of Flawless Chain Gloves so you can make something that will give you a +5 bonus to your Combat Reflexes ability, but all that's for sale is a pair of +3 Flawless Chain Gloves that instead of the +5 bonus to Combat Reflexes, gives the wearer a 10% chance that all melee damage is reflected back on the individual who inflicted the damage. That's not what you want at all. Relax, in the workshop you can take any magical item and restore them to their non-magical form, recovering all non rune stone gems that were used in the creation of the item, and there you've got your Flawless Chain Gloves to enchant.

RATINGS -

Control [8/10] - Almost identical to the first game with the exception of the L-trigger. It now brings up a sub-menu that you can apply any of your special abilities and spells to. Granted, there may only be four available slots, but it's still a lot quicker than cycling through all of your abilities/spells when you happen upon a situation you know the perfect thing for. The controls in the original game were solid and very natural feeling once you got the hang of them, and the same holds true for the sequel. Good solid controls help to make for an outstanding gaming experience.

Gameplay [7/10] - Three words best describe what it's like to play this game. Those words are as follows: fun fun fun! I'll be honest when I say I've played games that are a lot more fun than this one, but not many. Not many at all. The story is compelling and the characters are of a diverse enough variety that you probably wouldn't mind playing the game over again to try out the other characters. Each one brings their own strategy to the table of how to handle certain situations. One character is perfect for battling the hordes of undead. One character needs no weapons at all, for she herself is a living breathing weapon. One character is a master of weapons both great and small and lives for the bloodshed. Another character prefers the stealthy way around things, finding subtle solutions to otherwise tough situations. One character brings their spells to the forefront, letting summoned creatures do the fighting for them, but bolstering the creature's abilities with dark powers of his own.

Graphics [6/10] - Typically I'm not big on graphics, as long as the game is fun to play, I don't care if I'm staring at block figures. Well, that's not true. If my character is carrying a pair of short swords, when those swords are not in use I want to see those babies hanging on his belt somewhere. But that's just me. If I equip a ring or two and an amulet, I want to see on my ''paper doll'' model where those lovely pieces of jewelry are located. I want to sit back and admire the BLING BLING! That is the serious downfall to this category's ratings. The redeeming quality is that the creatures and the environments themselves are so incredibly beautiful to look at, even the insides of the caves are so amazing that you could almost lose yourself in it.

Replayability [7/10] - With two un lockable characters (one of which is completely new) and an un lockable difficulty mode, who wouldn't want to keep playing the game? My only beef with this category is my beef with a lot of other games. It ends too soon. I want the story to go on. I want my character to get to 40th level still exploring new areas, still fighting new bosses, still uncovering mysterious plots. While we're at it, why does it have to stop at 40th level? Why can't I play the game for 4 to 5 hours a day for three whole months and just now be getting past the first act? Why can't I find a game that is THAT in depth? Oh well, other than that very slight gripe, this game is incredibly fun to play again and again.

Sound [7/10] - Yet again, they've done it. Marvelous. The sounds of winds rushing over the openings of cave mouths, the sounds of splashing as my character dashes through a puddle in pursuit of a goblin fleeing, crying out in despair and terror as his doom draws nearer. All of the natural sound effects are presented in a tour de force that when I actually took the time to listen for them, my jaw dropped. Even the music was great during the boss fights, it kicked up a bit to help heighten the drama. Nicely done. The only thing that kept this game from getting a rating any higher in this category were the somewhat annoying and probably repetitive sound effects used for some of the spells.

All in all, this game is an incredible experience with more options for enjoyment than the first game. If you liked the first, you are going to swoon over this one.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/30/04