Baldur’s Gate 2’s popular companion romances only exist because of the overwhelming success of Final Fantasy 7, according to BioWare design director James Ohlen.
In celebration of Baldur’s Gate 2’s 25th anniversary, Beamdog head Trent Oster, veteran writer David Gaider and Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood had a roundtable discussion with YouTube creator Slandered Gaming (nice spot, GamesRadar+).
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2 were developed by BioWare, and were later remastered by Beamdog.
Final Fantasy 7 Set A High Bar
Gaider—who famously dislikes writing romances—was asked to do so by Ohlen. “It was handed to me and I was like ‘James, I’m not a romance guy. Like, I’ll give it a shot, I guess, but [are] you sure you want romance? And he was like, ‘Yeah, let’s try it.'”
Oster, a modeller on the original Baldur’s Gate 3, explained that Ohlen played Final Fantasy 7 and became very concerned about the quality of Square Enix’s title.
“They had character interaction and romance, and [Ohlen] was scared sh*tless,” Oster reveals. “He literally said, ‘Guys, these guys kicked our ass. This is how a game should be. We don’t know what we’re doing.'”
Oster continues by praising Ohlen, saying he is a “hard on everybody, but a humble guy, and if he thought something was better, he fought hard to get something better in the game.”
Thankfully, Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn went on to become critically acclaimed, with many reviewers explicitly calling it the “best RPG ever made.” The writing was heavily praised, including Gaider’s begrudgingly written romances. The locations were appropriately varied, a step-up from the constant rolling green of the original Baldur’s Gate.
In fact, the fantastical locations of Baldur’s Gate 2 left such an impression on fans that a massive group of modders are creating a custom campaign for Baldur’s Gate 3 that revisits many of these locations. Path to Menzoberranzan will feature the prologue city of Athkatla and the eponymous Menzoberranzan, which is located in the Underdark.
The Underdark features in Baldur’s Gate 2, but the drow capital of Menzoberranzan does not. Instead, the party visits the city of Ust Natha, the first underground drow city.
Baldur’s Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal
- Released
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June 21, 2001
- ESRB
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t
- Publisher(s)
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Black Isle Studios
- Engine
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Infinity Engine
- Multiplayer
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Local Multiplayer
