Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
As a captive of the wizard Jon Irenicus, players travel through the city of Athkatla and beyond seeking revenge and uncovering their own dark heritage. The Enhanced Edition adds extra content and modern controls to this RPG milestone.
Affiliate link. If you buy through it, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
What kind of game this is
At its core this is RPG, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is leaning into a retro look, and the overall tone stays somewhere between light and heavy. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. It rewards long uninterrupted stretches more than quick check-ins.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. The narrative carries the whole thing, and the mechanics serve it. Co-op is supported, so you can bring someone along. It runs on 2 platforms. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- dense character writing
- massive scope
- one of the greatest CRPGs ever
This fits you if
- you want to live through a story, not just play a system
- exploring for its own sake is the point for you
- you can sit down for a proper long stretch without interruptions
- the writing matters more to you than the mechanics
- you have someone to play with
- you are watching your budget
Look elsewhere if
- you skip cutscenes and want to get to the gameplay
- you do not have 70 hours to give a single game
- you only ever get short bursts of play time
- you specifically want an open world to roam
What it costs you in time
About 70 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 12 weeks, or 35 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 92 out of 100, which puts it above 93 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 56 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, RPG averages 82 points across the database, so this one sits 10 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 551 collected ratings.
Released in 2000, which makes it 26 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 2000
- Genres
- RPG
- Playtime
- approx. 70 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- Carries the whole game
- Play with
- Solo, Co-op
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Retro
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- PC, Switch
- Critic rating
- 92 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn | 2000 | approx. 70 hrs. | 92 | Budget |
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | 1998 | approx. 32 hrs. | 99 | Budget |
| The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind | 2002 | approx. 55 hrs. | 89 | Budget |
| Xenoblade Chronicles 3 | 2022 | approx. 70 hrs. | 90 | Full price |
If you liked this, try these
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Shared: RPG, Fantasy, shorter, rated higher
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Shared: RPG, Fantasy
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Shared: RPG, Fantasy
- Avowed Shared: RPG, Fantasy, shorter
- Caves of Qud Shared: RPG, Fantasy
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Shared: RPG, Fantasy