Baldur's Gate 2 Expansion: Throne of Bhaal Reviews

• Simply Fantastic...

  
  By on 2001-07-01
  The combined talents of Bioware and Black Isle Studios have done it again. The Throne of Bhaal expansion (which hardly feels like an expansion) brings many more entertaining hours of BG gameplay to the already spectacular product of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. If you are considering of buying the Throne of Bhaal expansion, you probably already enjoy Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn immensely. And if that is the case, I highly recommend this product for any BG fan. There are three whole new chapters added to the game's story to bring a wondrous conclusion the Bhaalspawn saga, as well as a large dungeon known as Watcher's Keep that can be accessed at any time. I found every new area with all the high-level foes very challenging. The voices, sound and music were top-notch. The graphics aren't very different from what you have seen in the original BGII, but they still strike me as being richly detailed and beautiful to behold. I did not find this expansion short one bit. (It is an expansion after all, not an entirely new game) The price for this product was very fair considering all the many hours I spent returning to the Sword Coast and battling enemies with god-like power. And as you finish the expansion and watch as the Bhaalspawn Saga comes to a close, you reflect back on the simple beginnings in Candlekeep and all the journeys and adventures that took you to this point. If you've been a fan of the Baldur's Gate games from the beginning, it'll be a sad but satisfying experience to see it end.

  My hats off you to hardworking folks at Bioware and Black Isle Studios... There are few games out there that I love as much as this series. Lets hope you guys continue to release quality products that raise the expectations of RPGs for years to come.

  "Wherever evil treads, Minsc treads louder!!"
  
  

• Throne of Excellence

  
  By ABQIS7Z4B4J88 on 2001-07-21
  The combined talents of Bioware and Black Isle Studios have done it again. The Throne of Bhaal expansion (which hardly feels like an expansion) brings many more entertaining hours of BG gameplay to the already spectacular product of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. If you are considering of buying the Throne of Bhaal expansion, you probably already enjoy Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn immensely. And if that is the case, I highly recommend this product for any BG fan. There are three whole new chapters added to the game's story to bring a wondrous conclusion the Bhaalspawn saga, as well as a large dungeon known as Watcher's Keep that can be accessed at any time. I found every new area with all the high-level foes very challenging. The voices, sound and music were top-notch. The graphics aren't very different from what you have seen in the original BGII, but they still strike me as being richly detailed and beautiful to behold. I did not find this expansion short one bit. (It is an expansion after all, not an entirely new game) The price for this product was very fair considering all the many hours I spent returning to the Sword Coast and battling enemies with god-like power. And as you finish the expansion and watch as the Bhaalspawn Saga comes to a close, you reflect back on the simple beginnings in Candlekeep and all the journeys and adventures that took you to this point. If you've been a fan of the Baldur's Gate games from the beginning, it'll be a sad but satisfying experience to see it end.

  My hats off you to hardworking folks at Bioware and Black Isle Studios... There are few games out there that I love as much as this series. Lets hope you guys continue to release quality products that raise the expectations of RPGs for years to come.

  "Wherever evil treads, Minsc treads louder!!"
  
  

• Simply amazing...

  
  By on 2001-07-02
  The combined talents of Bioware and Black Isle Studios have done it again. The Throne of Bhaal expansion (which hardly feels like an expansion) brings many more entertaining hours of BG gameplay to the already spectacular product of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. If you are considering of buying the Throne of Bhaal expansion, you probably already enjoy Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn immensely. And if that is the case, I highly recommend this product for any BG fan. There are three whole new chapters added to the game's story to bring a wondrous conclusion the Bhaalspawn saga, as well as a large dungeon known as Watcher's Keep that can be accessed at any time. I found every new area with all the high-level foes very challenging. The voices, sound and music were top-notch. The graphics aren't very different from what you have seen in the original BGII, but they still strike me as being richly detailed and beautiful to behold. I did not find this expansion short one bit. (It is an expansion after all, not an entirely new game) The price for this product was very fair considering all the many hours I spent returning to the Sword Coast and battling enemies with god-like power. And as you finish the expansion and watch as the Bhaalspawn Saga comes to a close, you reflect back on the simple beginnings in Candlekeep and all the journeys and adventures that took you to this point. If you've been a fan of the Baldur's Gate games from the beginning, it'll be a sad but satisfying experience to see it end.

  My hats off you to hardworking folks at Bioware and Black Isle Studios... There are few games out there that I love as much as this series. Lets hope you guys continue to release quality products that raise the expectations of RPGs for years to come.

  "Wherever evil treads, Minsc treads louder!!"
  
  

• A worthy successor to the great �Shadows of Amn�

  
  By A2LP3RWE75ZA4O on 2002-04-24
  I enjoyed playing "Throne of Bhaal". The new areas are fun, and so are the riddles, monsters, and quests that you find in the expansion pack.

  "Throne of Bhaal" adds quite a few special high level abilities, and a lot of new items. The potion cases, ammo belt (for storing all of those extra arrows and bolts), and the +3 ammunition were all great additions. There is a new set of unique magic items that one of the characters can forge for you, using pieces that you find scattered throughout the game (like the dwarven blacksmith in "Shadows of Amn"). The new monsters are wicked and intimidating.

  However, the best part about Throne of Bhaal is that it continues the same ingenious design and attention to detail that was present in "Baldurs Gate 2. Each new area looks brilliant. Each quest is different. The conversations between the NPC's are entertaining, and the voice acting is great. You do meet one new NPC who can join you early on (it's an old "friend" of yours - don't worry, you'll see). The game has a lot of unique challenges which require you to read the books or parchments that you find in order to solve them.

  The saga has run its course though. The storyline has been stretched about as far as it can go. Perhaps too far. The "Bhaalspawn" theme lost its appeal for me long before I finished this game. On every street corner, there is some legendary godlike Bhaalspawn, or some prophet that has predicted your coming for the past 100 years. How is it that the rest of the world never noticed all of these Godlike characters running around? There is lots of yammering on about fulfilling your destiny, and the taint of your soul, etc. etc. The dialogue plays out like a bad Star Wars parody. Especially the dialogue that involves Imoen.

  One big flaw of this game is that there are so many magic resistant and spell-proof creatures that my magic-users hardly ever cast anything more than a handful of the same spells. The spell protection and combat protection magic is BADLY overdone in this game. There is way too much magic vs. counter-magic combat. The fighters totally dominate this game, and mages just cast a handful of magic and combat protection removal spells over and over. Every tough beast is resistant to your fireballs and acid arrows, so there is no point in casting them. There is no balance whatsoever at these high levels, and that is why I gave the game 4 stars instead of 5.
  
  

• The Grand Finale

  
  By A37SLSG12LVACE on 2002-06-17
  The last chapters of the Child of Bhaal saga, the grand finale. Throne of Bhaal is an expansion to Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and thus you need SoA to be able to play Throne of Bhaal. Throne of Bhaal takes off exactly where Shadows of Amn left off and continues your travels. Alot is revealed in Throne of Bhaal, both of your past, and of what will be your future.
  The storyline is much more linear than in Shadows of Amn, not nearly as many subplots, the story concentrates much more on the main plot. No need to say, at this time in the game you are at an almost godlike level, and the xp cap is at a stunning 8.000.000 experience points! You can make a new character directly in Throne of Bhaal, your character will start with ample experience points and magic items and equipment.
  You will still have access to the NPC's that you had in Shadows of Amn, and the character interaction has(once again) been expanded. The plot is well crafted, and is entertaining, if not quite as good as the one in Shadows of Amn.
  All said, Throne of Bhaal offers a worthy ending for the saga, satisfying your need for a conclusion of the story
  
  
• A satisfying end to the Baldur's Gate saga
  By A3QS4OG8N87UDL on 2001-08-03
  Throne of Bhaal should not be compared with Tales of the Swordcoast, the expansion for the original Baldur's Gate which drew criticism for just being a few extra dungeons added in. TOB can, at times, feel like a full-fledged sequel. It both adds a massive new dungeon, Watcher's Keep, to explore, which upstages Durlag's Tower from TOSC, as well as continues the main storyline. You can import your characters from BG2(which in turn can be imported from BG), and now advance them all the way to 40th level(although this would take playing the game a few times through; I beat the game at about 28). You'll gain special abilities as you go above 20th level, such as Whirlwind Attack or Dragon's Breath(a mage ability which will summon the head of a red dragon which sprays enemies with fire) As your party is now above 20th level, people around will now treat you as the legendary warriors you are. It is not only satisfying to see that your character has come so far from being a 1st level wimp in Baldur's Gate, but also, you feel as though you're really part of the world now.

  Watcher's Keep is a large dungeon with an interesting concept that I don't want to spoil. You'll find many interesting enemies inside, and the several levels which make up the dungeon are very varied in the way you overcome them. The end (and not to mention the monster there) is equally interesting.

  As for the continuation of the main storyline, in which the main character is a Child of Bhaal, the deceased God of Mureder, TOB brings the saga to a close. Your battles become even more fantastic, as the Children battle to see who will assume their father's throne. Two new towns are present in TOB, each unique and possessing complex side-quests of the same flavor as those of BG2. After you defeat the final boss (a very incredible fight in itself), you will decide your own fate. At the end, the future of all of your party members is also told.

  There are numerous other features I didn't mention, but you'll find appreciate them on your own; just buy this game. Make sure you play the rest of the BG saga first, though.
  
  

• A so so ending, to an incredible series
  By AK9HZHTPQ4CH3 on 2001-08-17
  Let me start off by saying that Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is the best game I've played in 8 years. Perhaps that is why this expansion pack is a little disappointing. It was a good expansion pack, but is a let down after BG2:SoA. The limitations of the D&D system can be seen in this game. There really isn't much to get you excited about when your characters are already of near god-like status (level 20+). You just keep getting more and more magic, abilities, and magic items - making them seem almost boring and commonplace, when they should be amazing and wondorous. If you loved BG2, then you should get this game, it is fun and worth the money - but don't expect the level of fun that BG2 gave.
  
  
• I thought Icewind Dale was the Dungeon Crawl
  By A1ASUAHQEZZEN0 on 2002-07-17
  Ok, most of my gripes about this game come from me being a D&D player. First of all, the max levels you can get in D&D is 30, not 40, and if you're level 40 pretty much the only thing that can hurt you is a god. There were probably a couple hundred mortals in this who could beat you down. Where the heck did they come from? It seems like they gathered every mortal in the .0000005% of the population over level 10 and put them in one region!

  Now, a non-D&D gripe, the first 2 BG games were good because they offered a few multiple ways of solving quests. In ToB all there was was dungeon crawling and fighting. They turned the BG series into an action game! Its supposed to be an RPG!! Anyway, if you like hours of fighting unrealistic enemies go for it. If not, pass. Its still fun, just not even close to the first 2.

  Lets put it this way. All bhaalspawn have cool powers, its just that yours is to gain 60,000 experience for picking up a rock.
  
  

• Overall a definite improvement in game quality since the 1st
  By A3MLQRD2PNT5WR on 2001-07-24
  Baldur's Gate II's expansion Throne of Bhaal has introduced excellent new features that were absent in ToB's progenitors and even in the great Planescape Torment. First off, dialogue choices in your Abyssal realm amount in the end, that is they are like karma. The more evil dialogue choices you choose, the more you lean toward it, affecting the ending. Where as PT's dialogue choices affected alignment. Its unsettling that even if you were Lawful Good, ToB doesn't check for this and still gives you the option to say basically nothing will stand in my way. Would a lawful good person act like that? Sure if you're roleplaying you can chose the other choicest, but its an eyesore that its even available.

  ToB has an excellent pace, it has a few plot twists yes but nothing mind bending. Gameplay is more combat oriented, ala Icewind dale, but then comming from BG I where you had to kill the final boss, well its no suprise. Nothing changed much in that respect. Intimidation doesn't depend on your stats, just on your Bhaal spawn reputation and scripts. You finally get the chance to use resurrection on clerics to help people, thank god. Its annoying it has to be scripted and not availabe as a free choice.

  Dialogee choices actually have some different answers now actually, but only on certain npcs. Items have increased many folds, now availabe are ammunition belts, potion cases, and many upgradable weapons. The Flail of Many heads it is! Cespenar was certainly one of the most enjoyable npcs, although there was no chance to converse with the imp, so when the end came to pass, he was just excess junk that didn't need further attention. He was an object, not a sentient being. Easier to destroy an object than to rationalize saving his life. I mean he made all these power objects for me and I can't even save him, thats ludicrous. I can't even warn him.

  You're alignment doesn't affect the ending, your choices does. Hrm, a contradiction perhaps, but your alignment doesn't change. Indeed ToB has ended the Baldur's Gate saga rather pleasantly, with a great epilogue section after the game is finished. It gives you a brief history of each character after they left you, different if you have a romance. But I rather felt some characterization was left out in the ending. I would have hoped it wouldn't be another you or me again ,like with BGI Sarevok.

  Once you're at the end, you'll know what i'm talking about. Contrary to my expectations, I don't gain any godly powers. And the fighter abilities can only be used 1 per round, so basically you have to micromanage, egads not fighters and mages! I term godly powers as those special abilities that only I have, and none others, perhaps mebe Bhaalspawn. In PlanescapeT, you gained "Spoiler"

  Rune of Torment, allowing you to cast a lvl9 spell of torment based on your experiences. Unlimited.

  If only they gave me some special abilities, like vampric drain -10s to get hps. But I still have the slayer, eh alot of good it does. It has 100 hps when I turn into it, even though my kensai warrior with 21 con has 220+hp. no cheats. There's no duel of honor, there's no equality of fighting a 6 player party like mines, with actual AI. The Light/Dark planetar has better AI than my cleric and better spells. I can't micromanage 2 fighters, 1 thief bser, 2 mages, 1 cleric. There's no way I can keep track of when every guy's round just ended to get the best out of their casting/potion quaffing abilities. If I let the AI script handle it, I'm basically dead since they override my commands. Some people I know can do it, but if I wanted turn based combat, I would like a dedicated TB, like Arcanum has. Arcanum's AI handles their own party members, but I'm forced to do everything, which wouldn't be bad but I don't know when the rounds end.

  I recommend Throne of Bhaal for everyone that has followed the saga of the Prophecy of Alaundo, or just those who bought BG II Shadows of Amn. It is a good concluding sequel that shows the development team learned something, but not enough. Charisma works to barter for rewards, but is useless in most cases. Wisdom and Intelligence affects the powerful Wish spell quite well. Dialogue text appears over people heads, so you don't have to go up to them and pretend they actually want to talk to a complete stranger about the gossip of their world. I don't think they would be that friendly in a siege, they should just ask who are you. Everyone seems to know me for some reason. Just makes my character feel more stupid when I finally realize how much information was withheld from me.

  Since I'm nearing my 1,000 word caps, let me say this for those Planescape Torment fans and those hoping for some innovating concepts to be introduced. ToB basically tailores good combat+good objects+dungeon crawls+1 town for a base+ high level abilities+new spells+some fancy scripts+the only end for the Gate saga. There are more, in the game, find it when you play it. No ability to Lie/tell Truth like in PT. I do not determine my alignment based on Chaotic/lawful behavior. I'm being greedy as Lawful Good, no alignment change. No I can't converse with my companions, they're mute or something. Jan at the end was hilarious, just great, great comedian. Get Jan in party at end to see what he says, like a shocker. Intelligent solutions don't occur if you have Wis/int of 18, I guess the protagonist is just too big and dumb to outthink other people. Although 1-3 creative solutions are in the game. I hope you take my review to mind, rather than heart. ToB could have been great, greater than Planescape Torment, but... it lacks quality of emotion and depth of interactivity.
  
  

• Excellent! (4 1/2 stars)
  By on 2004-05-03
  This expansion is a great conclusion to an excellent computer game. Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal gets right everything that was good about the first 2 games. The character development and party dynamic are still the best in any computer RPG that I have played. The story centers around discovering your destiny as the offspring of an evil god. You and your band of adventurers will go through towns, forests, mountains, dungeons, and even another plane of existence. There are many new spells, magic items, weapons, armor, and monsters, and the pocket plane idea is a really nice touch. The isometric view and graphics are still pleasant to view, and the dramatic music is among the best in any game I've played. The story is well told and measures up to the high standards set in the first 2 games. Actually, the suspense in this expansion really draws you in, sort of like the final chapter in part 1. I docked the game a half star for two reasons: one of the levels of Watcher's Keep had a maze and a couple of puzzles that were too frustrating to be fun. Also, when I kill something/somebody I want it to be dead, not to come back again and again (a problem that I had with Shadows of Amn). There were no real bugs that I noticed, besides a few spelling errors, one frozen cut-scene, and a few cases in which spell casters simply would not cast spells at key times during combat. This last problem was especially frustrating since magic use is so central to winning fights in this expansion. Otherwise, this is a grand conclusion to one of my favorite computer game series. Highly recommended.
  
  
• Excellent expansion for all Baldur's Gate II fans
  By A2WRFP06YTOWZU on 2001-07-07
  Baldur's Gate II was a solid, well-rounded RPG: excellent battles and a fairly compelling plot with a lot of interesting sidequests. The expansion is more of the same, albeit slightly more refined. There are no systematic improvements to Throne of Bhaal; the Infinity Engine is still the Infinity Engine, and the dialogs are similar length and depth.

  Throne of Bhaal is more linear than Shadows of Amn; there are few small sidequests or optional areas. There is only the one new NPC, although he is a very interesting NPC (and I recommend taking him in your party through the expansion, even if you play a good-aligned party). Watcher's Keep (the add-in) had its moments, and had a tremendous quantity of loot; however, I didn't find it as enjoyable as the add-on area. The main plotline moves quickly and compellingly to a conclusion that satisfied me, and I hated the endings to BG1 and BG2.

  The new class abilities are terrific. Thieves (and Bards), with Use Any Item--which really means Use Any Item, including the Holy Avenger!--and some very formidable new traps, are probably improved the most. The best mage abilities are Summon Planetar, Improved Alacrity, and Dragon's Breath; fighters get Greater Whirlwind, which is the game's best boss killer. Clerics and Druids get great summons, as well as a couple good offensive spells.

  The new class, the Wild Mage, is a tremendous amount of fun to play, and I'd recommend any mage fan start a new character in Throne of Bhaal to try them out. Only a few new wizard (and no new priest or druid) spells are introduced, other than the high level abilities. I'm a little disappointed with the implementation of Wish (basically a list of random options, most not very helpful).

  The player amasses levels, new abilities, and absurdly powerful items very rapidly. In Throne of Bhaal, you'll be worthy of the attention of Solars (the highest celestial servants), you won't even bother to sell the countless +3 weapons average opponents drop, your party will be able to annihilate hordes of Drow and other formerly tough monsters, liches will humble themselves before you, and you'll defeat dragons that make Firkraag seem like an oversized kobold. Those looking for a classic AD&D experience should look elsewhere, but it's a lot of fun to see to how far you've come from the feeble adventurer of BG1 ("Bondari reloads").

  I experienced no significant bugs. I found the game fairly easy, with the exception of the final battle, but there are a few encounters sure to surprise even an experienced BG2 player.

  Overall, it's about 25 hours of gameplay, split down the middle between Watcher's Keep and the main plotline, but it's worth replaying. Going through the main plotline was the most fun I'd had in front of a computer in some time, and I highly recommend Throne of Bhaal to anyone who enjoyed BG2.
  
  

• Not just an expansion!
  By A1YEPFLLH42OU1 on 2001-09-15
  No doubt you, the Baldur's Gate player, thought that mirror image looked stupid. Well now it doesn't, courtesy of an Icewind Dale-inspired tweak to the graphics. This is the least of the improvements made to the last in the series, which has proven the best yet. If it sounds like I'm speaking of this product as a new game, it's because it practically is. The expansion should roughly double the game time of the original BG 2, depending on how much of a veteran you are. In this expansion are yet more fantastic new places, and the monsters to go with them, along with a TON of new stuff. I'm not even going to try detailing all the items, spells, NPCs, quests (etc.) in this expansion, but suffice to say it'll keep you busy for a very long time. One thing the novice player should be warned of, is the difficulty of some of the bosses in the expansion. Being a rather seasoned and cocksure adventurer, I had the gall to set the difficulty up to hard. Well, soon I had it back down to core rules, then to normal, and even once to easy near the end. It's surely a tough game, but the challenge makes you really feel like you've really accomplished something when you get over it. The only thing I didn't like about this game is the fact that it's the last one in the series. That, most certainly, is higly regrettable.
  
  
• The End never looked so good
  By AQWB6RGI3GG1U on 2003-03-11
  This is a great expansion to one of the best RPGs of all time. I loved this game. I only have one major gripe about it that made me give it 4 stars. When I played BG2:SoA, after i would complete a sidequest and try to talk to the person i completed it for so that i could get the XP, it said he appears busy!! So then i would wait numerous days (completing other side quests in the process) to get the XP i should have gotten way earlier. But other than that it was one of the best expansions to a game ever.
  
  
• How can you go wrong
  By A19ZDXKDX9NMDU on 2001-06-15
  Though this expansion has not come out yet, you have to ask yourself can Bioware really screw up the Baldurs Gate legacy. And the answer is no, it is almost impossible to make a bad baldurs gate game, because first of all Bioware have been doing these RPG's for many years now, so they definetly know how to make one that appeals to most pc game lovers. Just like it says above HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG, well techinically you can't unless bioware went insain for some reason. If you love RPG's and the other games that bioware has produced I highly recommend preordering this game today.
  
  
• Best Game Ever
  By ABB4130K8ZEZG on 2001-08-06
  I have to disagree with almost every dissent I've read about this game. This is easily the best expansion I've ever played and is high on my list for best game ever.

  Some have said this is too hard: I have certainly not found this to be the case. It is appropriately challenging, but there is no challenge in the expansion that is unbeatable. In fact, with a little creativity (and exploitation of the mediocre computer AI) some of the should-be-hard fights get easy fast.

  Second of all, there is plenty of voice acting. Thankfully, it's not overdone. If anything, it can be a little longwinded. The party members have some new dialogue each and spend more time talking to eachother, and the NPC's you'll meet have new and interesting things to say... if they do occasionally ramble on for a bit, it is forgiveable.

  All and all I'd say this is a fine conclusion to a series I was very sad to see finally end.
  
  

• If you liked Baldur's Gate II...
  By A1AKGESCMWE38Q on 2001-10-03
  ... you need to buy this expansion game. ToB allows you to import your party from BG2:SoA and continue on with their adventures. Game play is the same. They have implemented a few tweaks to some of the spells. The best new feature is the addition of new higher character levels. The new levels also include a list of special abilities for each class. Since your characters are higher levels your opponents are also higher levels.

  My one complaint is that ToB seems a little Monty Hall. It is cool to find some wicked new sword or spell, but in ToB you can't go into a new area without finding a +5 weapon or a 9th level spell. When all your magic users are casting time stop and multiple fingers of death and summon deva, it takes a little of the challenge out of the game. BGII:SoA seemed more difficult.

  If you enjoyed BGII:SoA you must buy this game. BGII:SoA is one of my favorite games and I loved the chance to keep playing once I had finished the game.
  
  

• Awesome game!
  By A1SQUI6BNEOB6C on 2001-11-22
  If you are at all interested in RPGs, they don't get any better than this one! The graphics, music and animation are great. The voice character acting was one of my personal favorites! There are many different colorful characters, worlds, and quests in this game. You also have to use your mind, personal leadership skills in addition to battle strategy. So it's much more than a hack and slash game. However, it's probably not a good game for younger players because of it's intellectual depth.
  
  
• This Could Have Been more
  By A2IKQY4Z3T7O4Y on 2002-11-06
  Don't get me wrong, I think the expansion packet is great; But this had the makings to be another chapter in the baulder's gate saga. I love the Watcher's Keep saga and the story line over all. I wished Bioware could have spent a little more time on developing this into a whole new game, it just seems like they tried to get out so they can end this and go on to something else. The game itself is fun, what I like is that you can upgrade your weapons like the holy avenger which kicks butt into something even more powerful. I also like the quivers and bags of unlimited ammo; keeping tack of all that is a pain.
  What I don't like is the spell "Time Stop". It's used too much and your characters get killed before they get a chance to [...] in their pants. Like that Draconis (now that guy is a [...]). You can whack at him all day and he still WON'T die! Because he'll cast time stop and heal himself and then kill your characters. If they choose to return to this saga, please limit the ammount of times Time Stop can be cast by the enemy.
  
  
• Baldur's Gate 2 Expansion: Throne of Bhaal
  By on 2001-07-01
  This expansion pack by far out rates all other expansions for other rpg games by far! It upgrades the exp. cap to lv 40! and adds a new "Bhaal Spawn" War to tweek around with for many more hours of fun and challenge. This game is great and it will deffinitly keep me occupied until the next Bioware AD&D release, Neverwinter Nights! U should all buy this Expansion pack, It is definitly worth your money!
  
  
• Buy at own risk
  By A1600TUILSCLYM on 2001-07-13
  There are a number of people like myself experiencing a slowdown bug that makes the games all but unplayable. Every few seconds the game will pause for a 1/2 second or so! You might want to wait until a patch is released that fixes this annoying problem. Check the publisher's message boards for more info regarding this known annoyance. When I get this game working, I'm sure my rating will be 5 stars once i'm able to run this game as what i've seen and heard have been great.
  
  
• Slammin'!
  By on 2001-07-19
  Is this the End? BG2 Throne of Bhaal concludes the saga that began with Baldur's Gate. My character has grown from a milk fed wuss to a near god. The graphics rock and the story line pulls the player along. I can only hope that Neverwinter Nights can acheive the same level.
  
  
• Excellent but not without flaws
  By A2POWA41OAZ8TK on 2001-07-27
  Dont get me wrong, this is an excellent, quality expansion.

  The graphics are great, the story is excellent, high level abilities? Gold!

  So, instead of repeating what has already been said, I shall point out the flaws I see.

  1) Lack of dialog. Is it just me or does this game remind you of Baldur's Gate one? Sure there's dialog but it makes little diffrence (with the exception of the "deva" chats ;) ).

  2) Some of those battles are UNBELIEVABLY hard. Your 50 hours comes from reloads. Lot's of em.

  3) Not enough side quests. I KNOW it's an expansion but after BG2, I was expecting a bit more side quests in this expansion (yes, yes....Watchers Keep. I wanted more than that!)

  All in all, an excellent expansion and unlike every other Infinity Engine expanions, this one is actually worth your money!
  
  

• great fun!
  By AFNF9C4TW4JVT on 2001-08-11
  my husband was a little sheepish asking for more baulders gate stuff for fathers day, but we wanted to get him what he wanted, and the nice part is, we all get to enjoy it!

  there are some nice additions to the game, including some new sayings, new areas to explore, etc. what can i say? it's a great game!
  
  

• Excelent Game!!
  By A3L962XUX3OGQE on 2001-10-02
  This game incredibly fun and interesting. Even for a casual gamer like me, I was drawn in with the amazing plot twists and climactic battles. Having played the all of the other games in the baldurs gate series, I think that this made the best possible conclusion to the story of my hero as he progressed in this amazingly deep and detailed world. If you own Baldurs Gate 2, I would strongly reccomend finishing it off with this amazing game.
  
  
• DO you want to feel like someone of godly might?
  By ANIA6QR424R34 on 2001-12-11
  Throne of Bhaal, expansion, hmm... It hardly feels like a usual one though. Shadows of Amn was one of the best games I have ever tried, indubitably the best CRPG made.
  Considering that Throne of Bhaal is an expansion, it most certainly is doing great things, it improves gameplay a lot adds and a good innovative story to it's predecessor quite enjoyable. I however would have wanted a BG 3, another city... in BG they had Baldurs Gate, in SoA they had Athkathla, i would have wanted, perhaps Memnon or Calimport i would have wanted more than 1 cd and a longer game.
  I don't find many flaws in the game, gamewise that is, you recieve god-like powers and it's great to play with such powers, whether you're a Monk, Cleric or a Mage. The game takes you through a great story as i formerly said. You find cool items and should thoroughly enjoy this game.
  It offers a great replay value, since you can play so many character classes and do many things differently than you did when you last played.
  Great game, fantastic expansion but a little short.
  
  
• Well....
  By A1EIFQBP91QKMY on 2002-11-22
  One thing that gets me is that whenever I get around a Black Isle product, I have to buy it. I have definately not been disappointed. This expansion kit is definately worth it, but if you go too attached to character and NPC conversations, you'll be disappointed here. The graphics and story line continue to be first rate, but it seems as though BI went back to the BGI format as far as interaction and NPC freewill in BGII:ToB. There also seemed to be a problem with continuing the game from BGII:SoA into ToB. There was a big problem continuing with the party at the first of the game, and some of the graphics tend to slow the game if your processor isn't top-notch. It seemed as though BI rushed this a little. The expansion pack is a worthwhile buy as long as you are interested in more adventure and level gains and didn't get too attached to character interactions and conversations from SoA. B+
  
  
• Well worth the money and time.
  By ADATLO5XV0KNW on 2003-07-03
  Buying a video game is like watching a movie, its not so much the cost of the game but whether it will be worth playing once you get it. This game is definitely worth the time and money. I spend most of my gaming hours playing everquest but Warcraft the Baldur's gate series are the only other PC games I play these days on a regular basis.
  
  
• This should have been a whole new game!
  By A2IKQY4Z3T7O4Y on 2003-12-11
  I love BSG II. And when I got this, it was such a let down. It has cool battle's and a decent plot but I think BlackIsle could have put a little more effort into this and make this a new game (aka BSG III). I give this two stars because it does have potential. But overall, a big disapointment.
  
  
• Fun, though leaves some problems
  By A1MTYSFIFG4Q9F on 2004-11-11
  If you are going to buy this game you will need to go to Baldurdash's page and download some of the things on his site for it. You can increase the difficulty of the battles (actually makes for a truely epic and HARD final boss) and also fixes some plot points that were removed (Imoen's bhall taint finally manifesting, Saravok dialogue options).
  
  The quests in this game are definately a challenge, and for the most part very fun. The biggest problem is that there really are not any side quests worth talking about. The plot is very see through, I thought, and really you don't see many new things that will take your breath away.
  
  With that said the game does have its merrits. If you like BGII and don't mind a more liner plot then you will love this game. The addition of feats allows everyone to continue getting stronger and helps remove the problems of a ceiling for fighter types (after all, once you get to a certain point you just always hit).
  
  The ending battle, when not modified, is not too terribly difficult. On the other hand, the modded end battle is definately not for those who are easily frustrated as you will most likely try and fail many MANY times.
  
  If you want a definate ending to the game then you should give this game a try. However, if you don't feel to strongly about it then consider avoiding it since it is pretty much just more of the same. Don't expect a plot that will draw you into what is going on.
  
  
• My views.....
  By A3UUGA06OK4GHW on 2001-06-10
  Now obviously I haven't played the game yet, but I loved bg2 and bg1 and the other Black Isle games. So why write this, you ask? Cause it's gonna be more of what bg2 was and then some, that's why. How hard can it be to write on an expansion pack before you've played it? It's not like they remade the whole game. But anyway, with the additions they've made to the game, it will definately be worth the money and time played. FINALLY being able to memorize 9th lvl spells, took frikken long enough. Why only 4 stars? No game is perfect folks, sorry. I don't care what you think or say. BG2 is one of the better RPG's out there though. Now for Neverwinter Nights And BG:Dark Alliance. Anyway, if you liked bg2 enough to play it all the way through and then some, you'll most definately enjoy the expansion. So buy it already, and justify the loss of money in your account later in life, when it still won't matter anyway.
  
  

• PC Gamer (1-year)

• Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
• Icewind Dale Ultimate Collection
• Baldur's Gate Expansion: Tales of the Sword Coast
• Icewind Dale 2
• Baldur's Gate