Highlights
- A Baldur's Gate fan discovers an original game manual, providing a nostalgic find for long-term fans of the series.
- Baldur's Gate 3, deemed one of the best RPGs of all time, owes its success to previous titles like Baldur's Gate 1 and Shadows of Amn.
- The 264-page game manual reflects a bygone era when game guides were common, showcasing the connection between Baldur's Gate and Dungeons and Dragons.
A fan of the Baldur’s Gate series recently unearthed their original game manual from when they bought the second game in the series. This authentic Baldur’s Gate relic is in excellent condition despite being over 20 years old, and is a nostalgic find for long-term fans of the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has solidified itself as one of the best RPGs of all time, with the game having a strong chance at winning Game of the Year. However, Larian Studios’ hit game built its success off many other popular titles, including Baldur’s Gate 1 and its sequel, Shadows of Amn.
Baldur's Gate 3 Has Good News About Xbox Version
One of the highest-rated new game releases of the year, Baldur's Gate 3, has good news for fans waiting on the Xbox version.
Redditor and Baldur’s Gate fan PlanbOZ recently shared an image of a discovery they made involving the old CRPG series. In the post, they shared their original 264-page game manual for Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn they found. The book is well-worn and clearly used, with old notes and highlighting still visible in the snapshots they took. The pages they shared featured spell descriptions from the game–many of which still exist in some form as spells in 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons today.
Back in 2000, when Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn first came out, game manuals like this were much more common. As the years went by, eventually game guides were sold separately, and are almost nonexistent today. Even so, PlanbOZ’s book is a verbose example of such an item, largely because Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2 used the rules from 2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragons, leading it to read more like a D&D sourcebook than a traditional gaming manual.
PlanbOZ’s fellow Baldur’s Gate fans were hyped by their find. The post received over 200 comments in about a day, most of which included quotes from Baldur’s Gate, waxing about how much they loved the game, or congratulations on the find and compliments on the impressive condition of the manual.
Fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 who never got around to playing its predecessors will be in for an experience of a lifetime if they decide to. While Baldur’s Gate 3 is technically a sequel, it was designed by a different company, uses a different D&D system, and features different gameplay mechanics. Even so, Baldur's Gate and its first sequel were the cornerstone of the RPG genre for decades, and are still definitive Dungeons and Dragons video games. If fans decide to take the plunge into the retro games, they would be wise to read a manual of their own before they gather their party and venture forth.
Baldur's Gate 2 is available now for PC.