An RPG worthy of the gods.
And so it's nothing short of incredible that BioWare were able to better that effort with Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn. BG2 is nothing short of amazing; perhaps even better than the Elder Scrolls series in RPG terms.
The game starts with the player having been ambushed after leaving the city of Baldur's Gate; you awake to find yourself in the dungeon of an evil mage named Jon Irenicus. However, his lair is attacked, and in the confusion you escape. Familiar faces from the first game appear at the very beginning - Imoen frees you from your cell, and in the same room are Jaheira and the stalwart pairing of Minsc and Boo.
The game improves upon the first in every way, starting with your character creation. The main character classes: Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Mage, Bard, Thief, Druid, and Cleric, now have 'kits' that are basically highly customised versions of the default class. For example, the 'Wizard Slayer' kit for Fighters means that while the character cannot use magic items outside of weapons and armour, they have extremely high magic resistance and greater damage against wizards. The 'Archer' kit for Rangers cannot wear metal armour, but has several abilities that make their use of the bow even greater. Three new classes are also added; the Monk, who can deal large amounts of damage with hand-to-hand combat, the Barbarian, who can enter battle rages and emit warcries, and the Sorceror, who does not 'learn' spells but is born with them memorised. The Half-Orc race is also available.
In terms of gameplay, BG2 is extremely non-linear. The main quest can be picked up at any time, and the number of sidequests will keep you occupied for hours if not days on end.
BioWare has payed even more attention to character development in this installment - you can now have a romance with several characters (Viconia, Jaheira, and newcomer Aerie for males, and other new character Anomen for females). Party members will also talk among themselves, offering for heartfelt, serious, or highly amusing moments.
The story can only be described in one word: epic. As Irenicus' reasons for imprisoning you are revealed, you're pulled deeper and deeper into one of the most engaging and exciting storylines ever to grace a game. The story alone will leave you wanting to play Throne of Bhaal, just to see the conclusion of this saga in full.
Baldur's Gate 2 is superior to the first in every way; something many would have thought impossible. With the non-linearity of Elder Scrolls, and much better story and gameplay, it's the RPG any fan would be proud to own.