Baldur's Gate 2 Throne of Bhaal Review

I played on: Mac
I paid: £16.75
Available on: Windows, Mac, SteamOS, Ios, Android, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Notes: My reviews for the other games in the series can be found by clicking here.
I played the Enhanced Edition which plays almost the same as the original but with modern resolution sizes, and a few quality-of-life improvements.

The Throne of Bhaal is an expansion that has a lot to live up to. It’s the end of BioWare’s monumental Baldur’s Gate saga. The first game that released in 1998 was a massive critical success, setting the standard for what CRPG’s were capable of. It was followed up with the ‘Tales of the Sword Coast’ expansion in 1999. 2 years after the original, BioWare released the full-fledged sequel; Baldur’s Gate 2 Shadows of Amn. This was another fantastic success and is still beloved by fans to this day. Only a year later the final Bioware Baldur’s Gate expansion was released. This was the Throne of Bhaal and aimed to wrap up all the loose story threads. Is this final chapter in Bioware’s epic series worthy of the lofty Baldur’s Gate title? Let’s find out!

Similar to Baldur’s Gate 1’s expansions, I will avoid repeating details about the basic gameplay and presentation as I’ve covered these in my review of the base game. I will have linked this review in my notes section if you’d like to read it.

The events of the ‘Throne of Bhaal’ pick up after the conclusion of Baldur’s Gate 2. Multiple armies are ravaging Tethyr. This is a land in the south of the Sword Coast.  Each of these armies is led by a child of Bhaal, the now dead God of murder. The time that the wise sage and prophet Alaundo warned of is now at hand: Bhaal’s resurrection. This prophecy has haunted you all your life, as you’ve been haunted by Bhaal’s blood flowing through your veins. You’re pulled into this newest conflict after one of these Bhaalspawn attempt to assassinate you. Now it’s up to you to either save Tethyr, and the Sword Coast, from this destruction, or to seize your father’s power for yourself.

The best part of this entire expansion was the story and world building. Easily the highlight of the second game. You will be forced to face your choices and actions. This includes choices and story beats from even the first game which was impressive to see. Old friends, and foes, long thought to be dead will make an appearance. You will also be taking on more powerful enemies than ever before, with the final boss fight feeling suitably grand. Even the companion quests deliver satisfying endings for those that have fought by your side. The best one in my opinion was Neera’s. If you decide to help the wild mage then you will find yourself teleported to the distant land of Thay. We even get to deal with the infamous necromancer Szass Tam. Fans of the ‘Honor Among Thieves’ film will remember this dark figure from the scene where he casts the ‘Beckoning Death’ upon his own land. It was great fun to get to meet this Necromancer for myself!

What limits this expansion is the gameplay. It’s practically identical to both the first and second games. At the end of the day, these games have found what works for them and they’re not deviating from that formula. It’s a fantastic system but after 2 games and 3 expansions I did feel it becoming a little stale. Despite this, exploring the new region of Tethyr is a delightful experience. It was much smaller than the base games but that is to be expected with an expansion. Unlike the ‘Siege of Dragonspear’ expansion it did feel nice and open. I never really felt limited in my options. There are even a few side quests. These helped Tethyr not just feel open but dense and bustling with life.

Ultimately ‘Throne of Bhaal’ is an amazing send-off to Bioware’s Bhaalspawn saga! The culmination of the Bhaalspawn prophecy is a suitably epic experience. This expansion is full of great storytelling, set in an astounding world that’s a blast to explore. Even the slightly stale, dated gameplay doesn’t hold this finale back, an absolute must-play!

Recommendation Rating: 9 out of 10.