Reviews

star wars knights of the old republic review featured image

ByBuckGB
OnSeptember 11, 2003

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Xbox Review

Let me begin by saying that if you're looking for the one and only place in existence that you can find a negative review of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, you'll need to keep looking. LucasArts and BioWare's Star Wars: KotOR is the first console game since I was just a young pup that has impressed me enough to replay it over and over again, spend numerous days at work with very little sleep, and write this very review. In fact, the game has actually rekindled my interest in console games overall and caused me to go in search for a DVD collection of the original Star Wars movies. It's that good. To my dismay, however, no such DVD collection exists... yet.

For those of you who are familiar with the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition rules, you'll most likely get the hang of character creation and advancement in KotOR relatively quickly. Initially, you can either create a "custom" or "quick" character, with the latter allowing you to get into the game immediately. You'll have to choose from three different classes (scoundrel, scout, or soldier), as well as your gender, regardless of which creation method you choose, however. Each class has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the gender you choose will affect quite a bit of dialogue in the game. If you're creating a custom character, you'll move on to your initial attributes, skills, and feats, which are all designed in the same fashion as the D&D 3rd Edition rules I mentioned earlier. For those of you desiring to be a Jedi, you'll be happy to learn that after a fairly short amount of time into the game, your character will have the option to become one. This grants yet another three class options (Consular, Guardian, or Sentinel) to choose from, and will provide your character with Force Powers as they advance in levels.

The game begins by placing your character in the Endar Spire, a ship under the command of a Jedi named Bastila, who turns out to be one of the Republic's most important assets in the war against the Sith. After fleeing the dying ship through an escape pod, you are faced with the challenge of finding Bastila on the large planet of Taris and saving her from the relentless Sith. During your journey, you will have the opportunity to find up to nine other characters to join your quest, of which only three (including yourself) can be in your immediate party at any one time. Each member that you pick up along the way possesses a unique set of skills, feats, attributes, equipment, special abilities, and (of course) dialogue. For example, Carth Onasi is unmatched in dual-wielding Blaster Pistols, Canderous Ordo has the innate ability to regenerate hit points, and Jolee Bindo brings a nice assortment of Jedi skills, feats, and force powers. Additionally, you can pretty much expect to enter several conversations with whichever two party members you bring with, some of which may lead you to unique quests.

I can easily say that the music and sound effects in KotOR are some of the best and most realistic I've heard in any game. All of the voice acting is excellent, each major scene is accompanied by music that fits perfectly, and the sound effects are so true to the movie that they'll most likely bring back a flood of memories (if you've seen them). The lightsaber sounds are so good, in fact, that I found myself repeatedly tapping the "Y" button while running just to hear my character swing them around.

Although some people have reported quite a few bugs while playing KotOR, I've only witnessed a scant few. The only real "problem" I've had so far is that a couple of my unique items were duplicated for no apparent reason. I've later learned that there are a couple of spots in the game that such duplication can occur, so I can only assume that I was unknowingly subjected to this bug. Additionally, there were a couple of areas that I felt BioWare intended to flesh out by adding more content or incorporating a quest or two, but they most likely ran out of time. For example, upgrading your swoop bike is mentioned several times throughout the game, but this option never becomes a reality at any time. Hopefully, if such content was intended, we'll see these extras in the PC version of the game.

Knights of the Old Republic has easily taken the #1 position out of all the role-playing games released so far this year, and it very well could keep that position for the rest of 2003. Even if you're uninterested in the Star Wars universe or RPGs in general, KotOR is still a must-have simply because of its captivating storyline, fantastic game design, and strong replay value. In fact, it easily justifies the purchase of an Xbox if you don't own one already. Finally, console fans are able to realize firsthand why PC fans have been raving about BioWare's games for years.

ByVal Hull
OnJune 24, 2003

Neverwinter Nights Review

Neverwinter Nights was easily one of the most highly anticipated games of last year. It had the powerful backing of BioWare (who was responsible for the best-selling Baldur's Gate series), as well as the publicity of every major gaming resource. It boasted the usage of the 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons ruleset, a strong 3D graphics engine, and unprecedented online play with an embedded Dungeon Master Client. The true question, though, is did it really deliver everything that was expected?

NWN is the first game that utilizes BioWare's new Aurora engine. It did have its share of issues and complaints, but that is to be expected with all new engines. When I initially loaded up the game, though, I was let down relatively quickly. I was expecting the rich, textured details, like those of the previous Infinity engine. While the color and lighting effects are well done, it still seems somewhat pale in comparison to other games released around the same time. Granted, the game was in development for five years, which does give it a good reason to have somewhat outdated graphics. The camera itself has three options: Chase, Directional, and Top-down. After experimenting with each, the one that hindered the game play the least turned out to be the top down view. However, by choosing this option, I felt the detail that was present in the characters and environment in the other two options was then almost unnoticeable. Even though the engine seems outdated, NWN is not without its graphical benefits. As I had said earlier, the lighting and other special effects are some of the most impressive I've seen in a game to date. No matter what type of environment the character is in, the lighting is appropriate, and sets the atmosphere nicely.

As always, BioWare did an outstanding job on the sound. The opening score for both the cinematic and game itself sets the mood and compliments the story. Once in the game, the environmental sounds are clear and add an extra bit of depth to the game. During the introduction chapter, it is clear by the ambient noises and music that there is a sense of urgency. Both facets of the sound adjust to the situation currently being faced, and imply the correct mood - something that is very lacking in games these days. Also, as is with all of BioWare's previous games, the voice acting is very impressive. For every bit of text that is spoken, it only does more to draw the player into the story. From the simple voices of random NPCs, to that of a stalwart Paladin, each voice suits the speaker which greatly enhances the story-telling aspect of the game.

The gameplay in Neverwinter Nights is simple to get into. Upon initially starting the game, you will move through a detailed (but swift) tutorial brought to you through the guise of trainers at an academy. The movement is very much like that of Baldur's Gate - you point and click to where you wish to go. From time to time, the limited camera angles may cause some navigation trouble, but nothing too major. The integrated combat system is rather impressive, with the 3rd edition D&D ruleset making for some interesting combat options. The number of attacks is based on combat rounds, making it a step up from the Diablo-esque hack and slash combat system. The animations for combat are also pleasing to the eye. During a battle, your character will take a new stance, and will move around the enemy, occasionally dodging an attack and making an attack of his or her own. This alone makes the combat more detailed and visually appealing than that of other CRPGs.

The online play is definitely where Neverwinter Nights shines, and where it puts many similar titles to shame. The interactive Dungeon Master ability allows for players to enjoy a vast assortment of fan-created adventures online with ease. Each online character is unique in its own way - from feats and skills to stats and appearance. While the multiplayer aspect of NWN is not persistent like MMORPGs (EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, etc.) are, it is still capable of sixty-four simultaneous players and of tracking the progression of everyone's character.

Even though Neverwinter Nights boasts many strong qualities, the original release did have its issues. At the time of release, many people who originally purchased this game were plagued with glitches - some serious, others minor. Bugs like these are what turned some people off from the game initially (myself included). Luckily, however, BioWare has done an outstanding job at releasing many patches since the game's release that have cleared up a vast majority of the bugs.

Neverwinter Nights is a game of epic proportions, but one that fails to draw me into the single-player story. Although the graphics are fully 3D and produce some spectacular special effects, they do not compare to those of recent CRPGs like Morrowind. However, it does have compelling online components, which allow for virtually unlimited replayability, and the dynamics of the game are well thought out and implemented. Although it may not appeal to all gamers, I would definitely recommend Neverwinter Nights to CRPG and Dungeons & Dragons fans.

ByVal Hull
OnJune 24, 2003

Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide Review

A year following the release of Neverwinter Nights, the game is still going strong. There are numerous player-made modules, custom files, and even persistent worlds now available, due to the ease in which people learned the Toolset wizards incorporated with the game. The full year has come around, and BioWare and Floodgate Entertainment have released the first official expansion for Neverwinter Nights, entitled Shadows of Undrentide. Will it be enough to garner a new wave of gamers?

Before starting, it is important to note that Shadows of Undrentide is a parallel story to Neverwinter Nights, meaning that you can not import your level 20 character and start from the beginning. This can cause for a bit of frustration, as those players who were able to endure the entire original campaign worked hard on developing their characters. With that said, Shadows of Undrentide initially gives you the familiar character creation screen. Along with it, though, you have the opportunity to begin a new character with some of the many new feats and skills added with the expansion. Some of these skills and feats are well placed, and deserving to be placed into the game. For example, Appraise, which helps establish a positive or negative image for your character when bartering with merchants, is a welcome addition. Others, such as Tumble, seem to have been incorporated just to satiate specific gamers. Depending on how you view the game, and what you as a player search for in a game, the inclusion of these feats and skills can either be a boon or a bane.

The game begins easily enough, and you learn you are one of four students for a Dwarven mage named Drogan. You're given a brief idea of what sort of people your future henchmen (in this case, it would be fellow students) are like. The conversation, though, is cut short as the sounds of battle are heard below. Being faithful students, you all flock to help protect Drogan. This is where the premise of the story is laid out, as you find Drogan fighting against a large number of Kobolds. Drogan inevitably falls to the numbers, but not before they are fought off by you, your fellow students, and a Harper named Ayala. Ayala explains that artifacts placed in Drogan's keeping had been stolen during the attack, and being Drogan's eldest student, you are to recover them. Early in, the story establishes a plot similar to the original campaign, in the sense that you're recovering items for the greater good (much like the collection of items for the Neverwinter plague).

BioWare's track record in the sound department goes unhindered with this expansion. Once again, the voice acting, music, and sound effects are splendidly incorporated into Shadows of Undrentide. The character voices seem real and believable, and convey subtle emotions effectively. Although many of the basic sound effects and music have been reused from the original game, they are tried and true tools.

The online aspect of the expansion seems to have been BioWare's primary focus. Upon SoU hitting the shelves, patch 1.30 was also released. Although there were a variety of fixes, many of them had to do with the DM client and Toolset. The changes made only add to the sense of control and ability to create the best role-playing experience possible for players. The changes made to the Toolset now allow for a greater level of scripting control and freedom, giving the truly adventurous creators in the community much more to work with and creating more immersive modules for downloads.

I didn't encounter any real nasty bugs or glitches, which is a positive sign that BioWare has been able to address and fix many of the original gameplay and compatibility issues that plagued the initial release. One glaring aspect of the game that stands out, however, is the simplicity to gain levels and rise in power. Upon playing for little over an hour, and finishing only a few significant battles, I was capable of rising to level four. Being able to attain power this easily seems awkward, and seems to cater more to the impatient and power-gaming players of the community. While it is not necessarily a bad thing, it is something that may possibly be a turn off-for those of us who wish to experience a more true aspect of tabletop Dungeons & Dragons.

Shadows of Undrentide bodes well as an expansion to Neverwinter Nights, featuring a stronger story and improved gameplay aspects, as well as increased freedom and control over both the DM client and Toolset. The only facets I feel it suffers from is the still somewhat outdated Aurora engine and some questionable feats and skills, some of which should have been placed in the original, and others that probably shouldn't have been included at all. Overall, however, Shadows of Undrentide is a quality expansion, with many worthwhile additions to the original game.

asherons call 2 fallen king review featured image

ByVal Hull
OnJanuary 14, 2003

Asheron’s Call 2: Fallen Kings Review

Microsoft Games and Turbine Entertainment have once again teamed up to create a sequel to their popular MMO game; Asheron's Call. Asheron's Call was released in 1999 with rave reviews and many anticipating gamers. While Asheron's Call has maintained it's loyal fan base, Microsoft Games and Turbine Entertainment decided to develop a separate game instead of expanding the first.

This game is called Asheron's Call II: Fallen Kings. Microsoft Games and Turbine Entertainment have created a back-story to explain what has transpired to change the land of Dereth. The Devastation, a world shattering war, forced the three civilized races to seek magical shelter for ten generations. They have finally received word that the world is habitable again. As each of the races reemerge into the world they find that it must be rebuilt. This is where you, as a player, enter the game world. Will Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings live up to its predecessor? Here's what I found.

There's not much to say about the graphics, except that they are stunning. Many times during game play I would just stop and look at the scenes around me. The flowing rivers, waving grass, beautiful sunsets and sunrises are extraordinary. A great amount of detail has been given to monsters and characters. Of course, these graphics do come with a price; you will need a higher-end graphics card. I still had some graphics stuttering with a GeForce 4 Ti 4200 card. The game does give you the option of changing or lowering your graphics settings and will recommend a setting based on your system.

I have found the background sounds and musical score to be on par with other MMO games. The musical score does overwhelm the background sounds, making it difficult to determine their source. This can be adjusted in the option settings. Determining which setting controls which sound can be confusing; leading to a little trial and error to achieve the sound settings that you like.

Your first game play time will be spent in a Training Dungeon familiarizing yourself with the game interface. Basic movement and combat interface are easily learned and adjusted to your playing style. I was a little surprised to find that you do not determine your starting statistics; every character begins the game with the same statistics. The level system is very easy to understand; each level you gain Training points to spend in any of the skill trees. The three baseline skill trees are Magic, Melee and Missile. You also gain Experience points to be used to further raise any particular skill. A useful option added is the ability to untrain a skill. This gives you the flexibility to try different skill paths. One draw back to this type of skill system is that you cannot control what level of attack to use; whether low or high determined by what level of creature.

The map system is the best that I have seen in any MMO game. You can zoom in on any particular area and see points of interest, suggested player levels, and lock it to move with your character. The economy has been setup to be player driven. All loot can be converted into gold to be used for crafting, purchasing items from other players and gambled for added character benefits. You may ask, "Why not use gold to purchase equipment from NPCs?" well this is because there are very few NPCs and none of them are merchants. The lack of NPCs makes the game feel very barren and dead. This is was intentional from the developers, but it makes you feel very alone. The NPCs that are in the game are there to give quests.

Quests are a major aspect of the game play; this is the major source of game direction. Vault quests are one of the most interesting quests given. You have to find a special rune to enter each vault and need a fellowship/group to complete. If you die while inside you cannot enter again until you have another rune. At the end of the vault you will encounter a Boss creature, which you must defeat to reach the Vault shard. This shard will show you a scene that reveals some back-story of Dereth. The fellowship system lets you share experience with other members and see how much experience you are gaining. You can also join an Allegiance by swearing fealty to another player becoming their Vassal. They in turn might swear fealty to another. At the top of the Allegiance system is a Monarch. Each player above you in your Allegiance receives a percentage of any experience you earn, this is not deducted from you. This might be a good incentive for higher characters to help new players, but it doesn't have the sense of a guild.

The crafting skill is very easy to understand and gain skill. You are provided with basic crafting recipes and most materials are easily obtained. You have a choice of Non-PVP, Semi-PVP and Full-PVP servers. So far I've found that PVP doesn't really affect you unless you play on a Full-PVP servers. PVP combat may become more important as your characters gains levels and more storylines are added through the monthly events.

The developers are quickly dealing with most bugs that are found. Occasionally you can have a bugged quest that you cannot complete or find a bugged chest. The biggest problem that I see is the lack of game direction. Sure you can just follow along with the quests and kill creatures, but aside from that there is no real content to become immersed in. The developers are trying to add content through monthly events by altering the world and new storylines.

Aside from the awesome graphics I find the game to have a noticeable lack of core game content. It easily can become another experience treadmill game. If you are looking for a MMO that will keep you playing until the wee hours of the morning then this might not be the game to choose. If you are looking for a MMO to play casually that is fun and simple to learn then Asheron's Call II is a game you will enjoy.

ByVal Hull
OnJuly 13, 2002

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Review

After producing the first two games in the Elder Scrolls series (Arena, and Daggerfall), Bethesda is at it again, making the series a trilogy with the stunning installment of Morrowind. After the first two games, the series had developed a following of people, all of which begged for a third adventure. They weren't let down either. It starts you off in the hold of ship, where you learn you are a prisoner about to be set free on the island of Vvardenfall, in the province of Morrowind. Once off the ship, one of the game's most unique aspects comes in to play. You are asked a series of questions, all hypothetical. Depending on how you answer, it will determine your class in the game. This can be bypassed, however, and you can choose a class for yourself, if you wish. After you have given your character an appearance, and a class, you're ready to begin your adventures in Morrowind.

The graphics engine of this game is one of the most visually stunning engines I have ever seen. Having become accustomed to engines such as the Quake engine and Bioware's Infinity engine, this one blows them all out of the water. The graphics of the game are incredibly detailed, truly making this game come alive, and feel real to the gamer. When traversing the vast countryside of Morrowind, you'll often find yourself becoming lost in the richness of the landscape and surroundings. Remarkably, the player interface does little to obstruct the scenery. Unlike most other games, the inventory and stat screen of Morrowind has included a transparency option, allowing you to keep your surroundings in view, as well as being able to resize the windows. The interface is just as easy to use as any other game you may have come across, and even the most inexperienced player will be able to catch on to the slight differences. Lastly, one of the greatest aspects of Morrowind's graphics is its diversity. Unlike most games where you select a class and are then given a couple generic looks, Morrowind allows the player to create a unique appearance through the use of over ten faces, and an equal amount of hair types, for each gender and species available. Also, as you acquire new gear, it will be visually represented on your character, something that is often lacking from other games released.

The sound seems to be overtaken by the vast areas and graphics, but is no less an important feature of Morrowind. When playing through, you can hear even the smallest sounds. From the footsteps of your character, to those of the townsfolk, and even the ambient sound of the wildlife, no sound has been overlooked. Each area uses appropriate music, switching between a pleasant sounding melody while in a town, to a more urgent sounding one while traveling dangerous areas. The sound can also warn you of danger. Whenever a creature is about to attack, the music picks up. While the sound itself doesn't stand out over other games, it does make itself known. But when dealing with such rich landscapes, you'll often times find yourself forgetting about the sound and music..

The gameplay in Morrowind is one of the most open, non-linear types you'll ever come across. Unlike other games where the player will be prodded along through most of the game, Morrowind gives you complete freedom. It offers the player to move about as they deem fit, allowing them to explore every aspect of the world. Instead of being given objectives that must be finished, you are just suggested to do it. The player may never have to do that specific quest, and instead delve into one of the games many smaller quests, of which there are over three hundred. The open-ended design of the game is a refreshing touch, especially after being bombarded with dungeon crawls, and other such linear hack-and-slash games. The freedom allowed in this game is unparalleled among the single player CRPG community, and even rivals that of the MMORPG's being developed.

Morrowind is solely real time, giving you the choice of progressing through the game in either a third or first person perspective, both of which will affect the way you handle combat. The game allows for three different types of standard combat - an overhead chop, a left-to-right slash, and a thrust. The animations for these attacks are well done and look very fluid. The only choppy-looking animation I've found in the game is the one for jumping, which looks like the character merely floats of the ground, then crouches somewhat on the way down.

The NPC's in the game are also some of the most unique ones I have ever seen. Each one will react differently towards the character, depending on what they think of you. Unlike other popular games like Baldur's Gate, where people's reactions depended on reputation, each NPC in Morrowind has a separate reaction towards the player. How they regard you is dependant upon what you've done directly and indirectly towards the NPC. Some NPCs may loathe the player, while others may love him, thus creating interesting conditions to play in. All of those factors are governed by your personality stat, as well as your ability to speak (speech craft) to people.

Lastly, Morrowind uses an interesting punishment method. If you decide to play as an evil character, and kill everything, you'll be presented with three different choices. You may pay a fine, serve time, or resist arrest, each of which has its downsides. Serving time will dull your skills, while paying a fine will force you to hand over a handsome sum of money, and any stolen goods. Resisting arrest will often result in your death. Also, the people don't just forgive and forget. If you kill enough people, or commit enough crimes, you will eventually become black listed, and have a bounty placed on your head. While there are methods of removing a bounty, they are few and far between, making it all the more interesting. Eventually, guards will begin to attack you on sight, and many people won't even talk to you, making it one of the most realistic NPC interactions around.

Because of the open-endedness of the game, Morrowind seems to be the type of world people will return to again and again. The freedom and richness of the land will keep players immersed in the game, and leave them wanting more. Also, the large amount of quests included in the game offers over 100 hours of gameplay, and that is without including the aspect of creating your quests using the included construction set CD. Morrowind will leave gamers wanting more, and most definitely returning for more.

While visually stunning, and amazingly well designed, the game does have its own bugs and issues to deal with. While they are nothing too annoying, they can cause frustration if a player steps into a glitch or experiences a slight freeze. Even on high-end computers, Morrowind tends to become jumpy when loading up new areas. The only major bug I've noticed has been a slight issue with the clipping in some areas. I have found myself stuck in places that I have been unable to work my way out of, but this can simply be fixed by opening the console and typing (fix me). As long as you keep your eyes open for areas such as these, though, players should be fine.

One of the finest aspects of Morrowind is its construction kit, which is included with the game. This kit opens up the entire game to people, allowing them to customize every aspect of it. They can add new NPCs and areas, create new equipment, and even add in their own quests. Bethesda created Morrowind in an infinite expanse of ocean, so you even have the ability to create a whole new continent to explore, if you so wish. This feature will surely keep the game fresh and exciting for players. They can either create their own plug-ins for the game to keep themselves going, or they can download one of the many plug-ins (both official and user-made) from the internet.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is both a graphic feast and gaming joy. The time and dedication spent on Morrowind will surely be reflected in the hours spent playing it. It is a must-have for any fan of the RPG genre, and I highly recommend it to gamers of any kind. Its unique features and freedom will have players continuously coming back for more, and will always be able to hook new players. If you haven't added this game to your collection yet, I strongly urge you to do so.

ByBuckGB
OnOctober 18, 2000

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn Review

1998's "Game of the Year" and "RPG of the Year" award winner, Baldur's Gate, brought such a revolutionary mix of graphics and gameplay that people have been in an uproar to see a sequel ever since. The game provided every RPG and AD&D fan alike a means to escape to the world of Faerun, an intricate world set in the Forgotten Realms setting. Over the years, people have fallen in love with this world... a world where gods have been cast from the heavens and magic is the essence of life. They've grown accustomed to its people, learned of its environment, and have ultimately nurtured in the hope that the world would survive the forces of evil that continually plague it. For these very reasons, people wanted more of what Baldur's Gate was. They wanted a sequel, and two years later, BioWare has delivered to us what we craved. Does it live up to our expectations? Let's find out...

There really is something to be said about BioWare's Infinity engine. We've been exposed to the engine for several games now and I think that many of us have taken the graphics for granted. When I sit back and really look at BG2's detail, magnified by the higher resolutions now offered, it brings back the feeling of appreciation I had when I first played the original Baldur's Gate. Since then, a large number of refinements have been made to the engine and interface. Some have been subtle, but some have brought the eye candy and playability to a much higher standard, thus keeping us all coming back for more.

I really feel that BioWare has breathed life into their Infinity engine more than once. With Baldur's Gate II, they've brought even greater detail to the world of Faerun, without the demand of high-end video cards. From the chaotic dungeons of Spellhold to the magnificent gardens of Suldanesselar, one can really lose scope of the real world. They've accomplished what every game on the market hopes to obtain: immersion at its finest.

Probably the most overlooked elements of the game, the sound effects and music in Shadows of Amn contribute to almost every aspect of the game. With a good sound card and surround speakers, dungeon excursions really come to life. For instance, while traveling through the caverns of the Underdark, the music will create an ominous feeling to the place, giving you the sense that you are not alone. The enhancements to gameplay are simply fantastic.

The sound effects are of equal quality. The only drawback that can be found are that some of them have been used in BioWare RPGs previously. For instance, some of the character speech, such as inn and tavern patrons, has been reused. This is hardly a complaint, however, since I would much rather see them work on other aspects of the game than to have spent time refining some of the unimportant dialogue.

I have thoroughly enjoyed many, many RPGs in my life. The Black Isle/Bioware RPGs, with their AD&D ruleset and in-depth storylines, have provided me with probably the most intriguing and immersive gameplay to date. With the release of Shadows of Amn, however, my idea of a good RPG has been redefined. Not only does Baldur's Gate II have the excellent storyline and the intensive gameplay, but it provides a means to be on both sides of the scale between good and evil. How many games have ever included both a good and evil standpoint, each with its own plot and storyline, and additionally given the player control over his own fate? Not many, and it is a welcome addition to RPGs as we know them. I can only hope that future games learn from BG2's creativity.

Whichever path you choose, the gameplay will keep you on your toes. There are plenty of dungeons to scavenge, artifacts to plunder, spells to cast, and adversaries to overcome. There are even strongholds for your character to gain, oversee, and manage. Overall, Baldur's Gate II provides everything that an RPG should be and then some. To say the gameplay is anything less than superior would be a lie. Period.

Before going over the replayability aspects of Baldur's Gate II, I'd like to resurface one of the disappointments I have had with this area in previous Black Isle/Bioware RPGs. The experience cap has always been something that annoyed me. The original Baldur's Gate limited your character to a meager 89,000 experience points and the recently released Icewind Dale kept you at 1,801,000. I understand the need for some sort of advancement restriction due to possible expansions, but I don't think we should forget the idea behind a role-playing game. Character advancement and customization are the most critical aspects to any RPG. Suppressing a character's potential only keeps people from coming back for more.

Luckily, Shadows of Amn raised the experience cap to 2,850,000, which gives you a substantial amount of power. After a series of games with low experience caps, this comes as a welcome upgrade. However, this isn't what makes Baldur's Gate II the game of games when it comes to replayability. With numerous class-specific quests to embark on, class-specific strongholds to conquer, subplots for each NPC party member, a plethora of new magical items and spells to find, and both a good and evil storyline, Baldur's Gate II is quite possibly the most replay-worthy game I have ever played.

In the many weeks that I have been playing Shadows of Amn, I've only encountered two bugs. I'm not really sure that the first one is even a bug, it could just be a driver incompatibility. When I initially installed the game, I had to run the GLSetup program in order to get my ATI Radeon to work properly. The second bug was brought to my attention when I tried using the effect of one of the items included with the Collector's Edition, Vhailor's Helm. It simply wouldn't work. Other than that, my BG2 gaming has been free of bugs, with only the occassional misspelling or grammar error in the dialogue of the game.

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is an absolute masterpiece. If you are interested in AD&D or role-playing games whatsoever, then this game is a requirement to your collection. Hell, this game is a must-have if you are simply human. I will warn you, however, your expectations of what a good game really is will be redefined. You probably won't see another game quite like Baldur's Gate II until... well, until Neverwinter Nights.

ByBuckGB
OnAugust 25, 2000

Icewind Dale Review

Before beginning this review, I would like to bring forth a little history of the game developers known as Black Isle and their repertoire of released games. In 1997, the company released Fallout, a game that started a running title of "RPG of the Year". The year after, using BioWare's Infinity engine, they released Baldur's Gate, bringing to every RPG and AD&D fan alike a revolutionary mix of excellent graphics and fantastic gameplay. The game would go down in history as 1998's "RPG of the Year".

Following the success of Baldur's Gate, Black Isle released yet another AD&D-based game, once again using the Infinity engine, called Planescape: Torment. This time, Black Isle took the graphics and gameplay of Baldur's Gate and added a storyline unequaled in any other game of its time. As the game progressed, there was an incredible sense of immersion, slowly unfolding the story and revealing areas of the character's past. It came as no shock that this impressive game once again gave Black Isle their "RPG of the Year" award for 1999. Now, in the year 2000, Black Isle has released Icewind Dale. How does this new title compare to its earlier contenders? Let's take a look...

BioWare's Infinity engine has made some additional progress since Baldur's Gate, giving Icewind Dale a familiar, yet more sophisticated look. One nicely added touch is the size of some of the adversaries in the game. Ettins, cyclops, and giants take up much more screen room in relation to your characters, adding an additional sense of realism to the game. Weapon effects, ranging from diseased halberds to flaming sling bullets, are also a welcome addition. Along with weapons, spells have also been given additional effects that didn't exist in Baldur's Gate. With the advent of a summoning restriction (you can only summon six creatures to your aid in Icewind Dale, whereas previous Black Isle RPGs didn't have a limit), combat is considerably fluid and only when letting loose a barrage of heavy spell casting and executing multiple weapon effects does the action slow down whatsoever.

One significant difference between the graphics of Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale is their cinematics. This is one place that Icewind Dale truly shines. Throughout the game, you slowly unravel more of the story, narrated by an unseen reader out of an ancient tome. These cinematic sequences dazzle the eyes with candlelight flickering upon the pages of the book and the turning of each page in perfect animation. Together with the captivating storyline, the cinematics could almost be considered hypnotic at times.

Overall, BioWare's engine is a stable and excellent piece of work, but it does have a few drawbacks to its design. Most of these drawbacks can be attributed to the 640x480 resolution in a two-dimensional world that the engine has produced since its beginning. It's a bit behind the times and will hopefully be enhanced in future Black Isle RPGs.

The music of Icewind Dale does an excellent job of keeping you immersed in the game. While visiting towns and villages, you will hear some very soothing and tranquil music. Once an enemy approaches, however, the music changes to a very uplifting and aggressive overture of drum beats that pull you into combat.

Sound effects add a very distinctive part to the game. Baldur's Gate veterans will notice the large increase in character voices that they are able to choose from when creating new characters. Adventuring sounds, such as the subtle sounds of footsteps in the distance, the chirping of birds, or the sound of the wind rolling across the snow have been added to enhance outdoor traveling. The creaking of bones when you battle the undead and the hiss of an approaching lizard man are just two examples of additional dungeon delving effects. Overall, I'm very impressed with the ambience that both the music and sound effects create.

Although small, there are a plentiful number of refinements in Icewind Dale's gameplay over that of its predecessors. Some of these are entirely new options and some are the removal or correction of annoying issues in Baldur's Gate. For example, in Baldur's Gate, you could pause the game at any time, but if you were to change to a different screen, say a character's inventory, the game would automatically unpause. This is no longer true in Icewind Dale, and it is a welcome change. Also worthy of note is that the map screen's functionality has been altered slightly. In previous Black Isle RPGs, the game would automatically pause when viewing your current location's map. Now, in Icewind Dale, you can watch your characters travel while viewing the map, thus enhancing your ability to catch any pathing problems your characters might experience.

One of the largest gameplay annoyances of Baldur's Gate was the seemingly endless expanses of wilderness that you would be forced to tread through in search of some sort of excitement or adventure. You do very little outdoor traveling in Icewind Dale (manually anyway). The vast majority of your gameplay resides in dungeons, towers, and caves spread across Faerun. Being a fan of dungeon excursions, I found this difference much more pleasing than trying to cover empty ground in an outdoor zone.

The interface hasn't changed a whole lot from previous Black Isle RPGs, other than some minor tweaks to the icon appearances. I'm not implying that this is a detriment, however, as the interface is one distinguishing characteristic of these games that I have been impressed with from the beginning. It's very simple to navigate through different aspects of the game, as well as use certain items in your inventory, perform various skills, or cast spells. Rest assured, Icewind Dale has only improved upon earlier ease in this facet of the game.

Somewhat of a disappointment, Icewind Dale does fall short in this area. The problem with the replayability of this game can be attributed to both the experience cap that Black Isle has enforced and the (for the most part) linear storyline. Although not nearly as bad as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale still thwarts your efforts to build ultra-powerful characters by replaying the game through multiple times. For those of you who aren't aware of this problem, Baldur's Gate capped experience at a meager 89,000 points (161,000 for TotSC owners). Icewind Dale did increase this to 1,801,000, but that doesn't even allow for your mages to memorize eighth or ninth level spells. I imagine this measure was taken in anticipation of a future sequel, but it is annoying nonetheless.

Saying that the game's storyline causes its replayability to be diminished may appear to be contradicting myself. Previously, I stated that the story line was captivating and one of Icewind Dale's strong points. I still feel this way, but what the storyline does for a person the first time through the game compared to the second and third is very different. The game travels a very straight path and there are very few deviations from it, aside from a small handful of side quests. Overall, once you've played the game through once, there are very few reasons to start again from the beginning other than to cap your experience for all characters or to obtain more loot.

Icewind Dale is not without its share of problems. During the course of the game I did run across a few bugs, though scant. There are some problems in a couple of particular quests, such as the quest given by Orrick the Grey in Kuldahar to find a book on Mythal Theory. When I completed the quest using the release version of the game, I was given some sort of error along the lines of "No Valid Replies or Links". This has been addressed in Black Isle's latest patches, but it was an annoying bug nonetheless. Additional quest bugs do exist in the release version and some of them are even plot spoilers as they update your journal with more information than they should. Aside from bugs, the game runs pretty well in terms of lockups and memory leaks (which plagued the release version of Planescape: Torment). I only remember having to restart my PC once and that's having played through the entire campaign twice. Keep in mind this is in single-player mode though, and there may be additional lockups for multi-player.

Icewind Dale is an extremely fun and addictive game, providing challenges for the beginner as well as for veterans. It has taken Baldur's Gate to a new level of excitement and built upon the weaknesses of its predecessors. Even though I didn't score the game very high overall, this was only due to the lack of replayability and the bugs I encountered. Despite these problems, I would highly recommend this game to anyone who possesses an interest in RPGs and would consider it a necessity for those who have played and liked previous Black Isle RPGs. In my opinion, this game has a very good chance of becoming yet another "RPG of the Year" for Black Isle, depending on the success of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn which is slated for release this month.