The story takes place in TSR's® best-selling FORGOTTEN REALMS®. The western shore along the Sea of Swords contains a multitude of ecologies and terrains including mountains, forests, swamps, marshes, plains, cities, and ruins. Collectively called the Sword Coast, it attracts adventurers and evil alike, and is the backdrop for this epic adventure.
The region encompassed by this game is roughly bordered to the South by the Cloud Peaks, the East by the Wood of Sharp Teeth, the West by the Sea of Swords, and the North by Baldur's Gate (the largest and most affluent city in the region).
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 armed 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 the game with one character. This character can be generated using any of the races, classes, and alignments allowed by ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS®. Up to five other adventurers may join the central character as the epic quest proceeds. The player begins in the glorious castle of Candlekeep, an orphan seeking self-knowledge.
Although once a stolid coastal fortress, Candlekeep is now a great library filled with endless dusty tomes and crusty sages. The player is led out of the keep by a mentor into the wilds of the Sword Coast, and the adventure begins...
Features :
Over ten thousand (10,000!) 640x480 game screens in 16 bit color
5 CDs(!) filled with pre-rendered backgrounds, compelling music, and game play (NOT just a bunch of FMV)
Every location is unique since our backgrounds are rendered rather than tiled
Everything displayed in vibrant 16-bit color (65536 different colors)
Isometric, top-down view gives a birds eye view of the action
3D height maps for realistic travel over terrain - actually climb stairs, fall into pits, and traverse rocky areas
Dynamic full color lighting effects
Realistic day to night changes in the lighting of the world
Rain, snow, fog, lightning, all occurring in real-time
Dynamic changes in character appearance - as you change a character's weapons and armor, you see it on that character
Role Playing in the grand tradition of ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS ®
Set in TSR's legendary FORGOTTEN REALMS ® campaign world, the game encompasses a huge region south of the city of Baldur's Gate.
Over sixty different monsters to fight -- everything from kobolds and gibberlings to ogres and ... dragons?
Hundreds of NPC's that you encounter barter with, befriend, and war with
Control a party of six characters, each with unique abilities and personalities
Inter-party relationships are dynamic and evolve with the story
Transparent Interface and Game play that is truly immersive
Uses a real time modification of the AD&D ® rules system
Can be made to play in a turn-based fashion
Die rolls and combat rules are displayed, but do not need to be known to play
Character AI scripts determine how your characters act when you aren't controlling them
Control the characters one at a time or have them act as a group
Unique hotkey system allows generic keys to perform class specific functions
Multiple paths in a truly gripping story
Your decisions affect the world as a whole
An engrossing non-linear plot line that ties into the region's history, gods, natural resources, and politics
Nearly 100 sub quests that occur throughout the main story.