Baldur's Gate II Concept Art

BioWare's role-playing sequel Baldur's Gate II: The Shadows of Amn is a massive game - BioWare claims it includes over 200 hours of play, not including multiple quest solutions. A proportionally immense amount of artwork has been used in the game's design, including detailed sketches of the game's monsters, its various unique artifacts and items, and its assorted characters. Interplay, the game's publisher, provided GameSpot with a number of these Baldur's Gate II design sketches that give a sense of how the game was brought to life. Take a look at these intricately detailed area maps; the unusual weapon designs; and the fearsome monsters. All of them should appear at one point or another in the completed game, which is currently slated for release in mid-September. Stay tuned for in-game screens and more coverage on this sweeping RPG in the next few days.