SoA is one of the greatest desktop RPG experiences ever made, but the expansion (Throne of Bhaal) was arguably more fun to play! Cespenar was hilarious. 😄
This Day in Gaming History — September 22
Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)
Released: September 21, 2000 (North America; PAL September 29)
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment / Black Isle Studios
Platforms: Windows (Mac in 2001; later Enhanced Edition on PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android)
*North American retail is usually cited as September 21; some databases list the 22nd or 24th. We will post it today because it’s such a classic game!
You wake in a dungeon under Athkatla as a Bhaalspawn. The mage Jon Irenicus has you, and your childhood friend Imoen, for reasons that get worse the more you learn. Escape into Amn, pick a party, and spend dozens of hours on side quests, romances, the Underdark, and a villain who talks circles around most fantasy antagonists. Real-time-with-pause combat on the Infinity Engine, AD&D 2nd Edition rules, and companions who argue with each other as much as they fight for you.
Fun fact: It sold more than two million copies and swept RPG of the Year from IGN, GameSpot, and GameSpy. You could import your hero from the first Baldur’s Gate. The original PC box was a five-CD brick. Throne of Bhaal finished the saga in 2001.