Its pretty unfortunate placement that Baldurs Gate II should fall immediately after the entry where we have explained why the technical superiority of a sequel doesnt necessarily equate to a superior role playing game but this is just were Baldurs Gate II falls in this grouping of the greatest RPGs ever. 1998s original Baldurs Gate title was an incredible game which very nearly had its own place on this list. Set in an enormous, richly detailed world with the threat of Hobgoblins, Winterwolves and the zealous Flaming Fist around every corner, it was intensely fun and like all good RPGs consumed hours of your time with you blissfully unaware. Baldurs Gate II offered more of the same but focused the action with a more fleshed-out story. Sure, the murder of Gorion at the start of the first game was powerful stuff but after this it felt like you were too free to just ignore the main narrative entirely. Baldurs Gate II not only sharpens up the story elements but also augments its already exceptional predecessor. For starters, Amn is far larger than the Sword Coast but still maintains the high level of detail which we have come to expect from BioWare titles. The Dungeons & Dragons combat mechanics remain the same but a plethora of new, awesome classes and kits were introduced, finally allowing D&D fans to tear it up as a Barbarian, hunt down your foes as a Stalker or go werewolf as a Shapeshifter.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
