Baldurs Gate II remains the single greatest role playing game of all time.
Baldurs Gate II picks up exactly where the first game ended leaving you, Imoen, Jaheria and the fantastically fantastic Minsc (and his pet hamster Boo of course) in the depths of a dark dungeon. You'll be seeing a considerable amount of dungeons in your quest through the world of Baldurs Gate II and every single one of them is fortunately amazing. BGII also introduces the player to the vast city of Amn, itself dividied into many districs all huge and full side quests if you thought the original game was big, this is a LOT bigger.
With your party in tow your brave adventurers set out the most in-depth, gripping and realised story to ever grace a video game. I can't put into words just how amazing this plot is, but it has everything and more. Fantastic story twists, superb characters to meet, fight and interact with and most importantly of all emotion. The fact the game can take place fully from a point and click isometric perspective yet still feel so realized and alive is a testement to Bioware's genius, I hate to sound like a fangirl but there is nothing wrong with this story. It's flawless.
A great story needs a great cast and whether you choose to be a balde weilding child of death or hope for the world your party members all are interesting. Most of the BG originals make a return (including my personal favourites Vyconia and Edwin) and add life to the already amazing plot through their own unique natures.
The combat is relatively similar to the original BG albeit far less frustrating and smooth. I'm no expert on D&D rules but there are certainly plenty of virtual dice rolling away in the background as the game speedily calculates your characters actions. The game fortunately allows you to pause and issue orders to your party en-masse which allows you to assess dangerous battles easier and keep track of the vast amount of spells and skills hurling around the battlefield. While some battles in the game may be difficult there is always a solution to be found and a tactic that will work and there is never a time you will be totally banging your head against a wall in frustration.
Part of the beauty of BGII is the side-quests, there are so many to do and each so deep and entertaining that you could abandon the main story altogether and spend 40+ hours just on the optional content. Want to own a castle? Save a theatre from a portal to another plan of exsistance? Travel into ancient egyptian style tombs in search of great treasure? Baldurs Gate II has something to satisfy everyones adventuring urges and more.
Visually the game is of course dated, but each isometric world is still beautifully drawn and animated and once the sounds are applied it actually draws you in far more than most 3D games. The city sounds like a city, your comrades bicker with each other (recruit Vyconia the drow to your party for example and people can get a bit p'd off with her) the world is alive through the sound and subtle animations.
Baldurs Gate II is quite simply a masterpiece and although Bioware have come close to it's greatness both themselves and all other RPG companies have yet to better this title. For me BGII isn't just the best RPG out there it's also the greatest video game of all time and something you owe yourself as a gamer to experience.