Baldur's Gate Developer: Bioware Publisher: Interplay Category: Role Playing Game System Req: P166, 16Mb Ram, 300Mb HD, Win95/98 Might look like: Diablo Date posted: 28 march '99 Written By: Jorn - This game was tested on PlayDevil.com Game Machine - A little Introduction Chaos threatens to overwhelm the Sword Coast. The state of Amn is under siege to the south, the High Moor is being overrun in the north, and the region around Baldur's Gate is in turmoil. In an area known for its ample resources, a crippling shortage is slowly developing for the metal that is used throughout the Realms for everything from swords to forks - iron. When iron ore reaching the region is smelted, the resulting wares are plagued with brittleness such that they crack and break with little more than normal use. What's worse, trading caravans coming from all directions into Baldur's Gate are under constant attack from bandits and cutthroats who loot not for gold and gems (although they often take those too), but for iron. The armed factions in Baldur's Gate can scarcely keep themselves equipped and the commoners are suffering all the more. Without iron they cannot mend their tools or purchase plows - and everyone knows that if they cannot farm or craft, they will starve come winter. Some blame Amn for the chaos, others the trading cartels, and still others suspect even the Dukes of Baldur's Gate. Yet, this contagion may be an early omen of some greater evil... The player starts in the glorious castle of Candlekeep, an orphan seeking self-knowledge. Althoughonce a solid coastal fortress, Candlekeep is now a great library filled with endless dusty tomes and recluse sages. The player is led out of the keep by a mentor into the wilds of the Sword Coast, and the adventure begins.. Its Manual, a good read? The first thing I noticed about the manual was that it wasn't the big, fat, 500+ pages book I had expected ... with the explanation of everything that exists in the world of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). Which is, according to me (someone who played the traditional D&D only a couple of times) a very complicated realm. So this was a pleasant surprise, "Cool, I don't have to wade through 100s of pages before I can start playing the game !" I thought .... WRONG. You really should read the (a little over a 150 pages) manual, you notice this as soon as you start the game and have to start creating your character. Ok ... back to the books then. The manual is, I must say, a gem. You get the explanation on how everything works, characters, the combat system (which is completely faithful to the RPG rules by the way, just that the computer rolls your dices for you and stuff so that you don't even notice that that the dices are there), the realm you're playing in (but not the other ones), the charts on special abilities... basically, everything you need to get into the game. It's all pleasantly written, a joy to read, so thumbs up for the manual. Welcome to my Dungeon The game starts in Candlekeep, a fortress where you have been living with your (foster) father. You soon notice something is wrong when your dad asks you to go fetch your belongings because you have to leave Candlekeep double time. You first get some time to do a bit of training and buy somestuff though. After you're satisfied with your kit, you and dad leave Candlekeep ... in the middle of the night (Geez, now that's a real smart thing to do :)).    Ofcourse nights, as we all know, are not cool things ... and daddy gets killed in an ambush while he's covering your ass (for some unexplainable reason, every evil person in this game really likes your ass and they want to kick it BAD). Bye, bye daddy, from now on, you're on your own. So this is where the actual game start. The rest of the story you'll have to discover for yourself. The main thing to find out is who want you dead for which reason. Next Page Up Previous Page If you want to review your favorite game, or if you work with a computer game company and want your products reviewing, mail info@playdevil.com. All contributions are welcome. Any problems and/or suggestions are always appreciated on webmaster@playdevil.com Nothing of this entire Site, animation & logo's included, may be reproduced, stored, saved, transmitted, in any form or means, electronic, written or otherwise without the prior permission of PlayDevil. Other Logos & Names are Copyrighted Material of its respectful owners. All Rights Reserved. PlayDevil Productions © 199/8-199/9 "rip your own stuff"