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Modern: Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
Posted by Gilgamesh
Posted on 1 April, 2013 at 08:32AM ↑ 3 ↓ 0
Modern: Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn

Released in late 2000 Baldur's Gate 2 is the sequel to 1998's award winning Baldur's Gate.

It is the worst racing game I have ever played.


First off, the acceleration is clunky and unrealistic. When you hold down the mouse/accelerate button to reach the maximum speed, this speed is actually reached within the very first second of acceleration. And then when you stop holding down the mouse/accelerate button, you come to an almost instantaneous stop. This game is probably the first racing game that I've seen that lacks simple graded acceleration/deceleration physics.


In addition to that, and if that wasn't bad enough, no matter which character/vehicle you use, the speeds are identical across the board. Now, this might have been acceptable in some older games, but racing games these days make use of different vehicles with varying strengths and weaknesses. This adds a bit of depth to the game and forces you to adapt to different tracks based on the vehicle that you're using. Not so in Baldur's Gate. Here, every character/vehicle is identical to the other and choosing one comes down to merely an aesthetic preference.


The game is also an example of how innovation can go bad. The track design, while undeniably innovative, is also the worst that I've seen in any game. The tracks are riddled with really annoying shit tacked on for the sake of being the first game to implement the gimmick. Case in point: track obstacles that range from obtrusive foliage and buildings, to annoying NPC magicians (yes, fucking magicians) that throw shit at you in order to distract you. The tracks are also convoluted to the point of being more like mazes than anything else, and the twists and turns of the tracks can sometimes be so abrupt as to come to a friggin 90 degree angle.
I haven't played the first one, but if Baldur's Gate II is any indication, this is one racing series to stay the fuck away from.

 

This review is a favourite of mine so I've shared it for you all to enjoy this April 1st. Original author unknown.

Comments
Lazlo Falconi
2 April, 2013 at 10:09PM ↑ 0 ↓ 0

This was incredible. Thanks for sharing!

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