BioWare Retrospective, Part One

The gals over at Girl Gamers UK have kicked off a new BioWare retrospective feature, with the first half taking us from Baldur’s Gate to Jade Empire. A snip about Baldur’s Gate II:

Baldur’s Gate was followed by an expansion and a sequel. Baldur’s Gate II built on its predecessor in every way, redefining the term .pic RPG’. Not only did your choice of comrades and behaviour effect your gameplay experience; your choice of race & class also gave access to some unique scenarios. If you chose to play as a warrior, you had the chance to capture and control your own stronghold; as a bard, you had the opportunity to run your own theatre in the city of Baldur’s Gate; etc.

But those characters. Even today, we still look back on them fondly. The proud and noble druid Jaheira (and her henpecked husband, Khalid); Aerie the ethereal winged-elf cleric / mage; Yoshimo the bounty hunter who you’re never sure you can trust the list goes on.

But the choice of character from the Baldur’s Gate series is easy. There can be only one.

Step forward Minsc, the barbarian berserker. With devotion bordering on the scary, a zeal and fervour for justice that is unmatched and last but not least his confidant Boo (the (miniature giant space hamster)), Minsc was the standout character for anyone who played the Baldur’s Gate games and is our first character for the Bioware RPG party to end them all.