Baldur’s Gate 1 + 2 Recap (Updated)

it has been 24 years since players first got to experience the virtual lands of the Forgotten Realms in the original balder's gate so while there are plenty of folk out there excited for the upcoming Baldur's Gate 3 they may not have played through bioware's 1998 RPG gem in this video we're going to do a quick recap on the main story beats of both Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2 as well as talking about the return of some familiar faces and the events of descent into avernus as they link into Baldur's Gate 3. the sword Coast provides the backdrop for the first Adventure in the Baldur's Gate series with Baldur's Gate itself being the largest and most populated city in the region it's important to keep the world of faerun the sword coast and Baldur's Gate in mind as players will be revisiting the world in its new form come the release of Baldur's Gate 3. set in the year 1368 of Dale Reckoning or Dr the main story revolves around the in-world factions such as the Flaming Fist and black Talons but mainly focuses around the main player character searching for their own ancestor in history or while thwarting a mysterious armored figure Baldur's Gate allows you to create a character to call your own or pick from a number of pre-generated ones in the enhanced Edition one of these individuals is a human male named Abdel Adrian who is actually the canonical main character in The Baldur's Gate books and Forgotten Realms lore outside of the game whatever your character the story Origins are the same being raised in the Fortress library of candle keeps south of Baldur's Gate with your friend and first companion imowen and the adopted father figure of your story the Mage Orion at this point in the story you learn that strange things are a foot in the realm with iron production mystery seriously halting metal crumbling as if cursed by Magic and neduel scouring the land taking Iron and Metals as their treasure the walls of the Fortress Monastery are no longer safe as Bandits make an attempt on the player's life upon leaving candle keep with grind you are ambushed by Bandits led by the dark armored figure from the opening cutscene some more gruesomely gorion defeats most of the enemies but dies doing so as the player character flees and reunites with imowen your first companion in the campaign this starts the first proper chapter of Baldur's Gate and as the player makes their way East they may encounter and recruit monteron the halfling fighter and Tsar the Mad human Necromancer before making their way to the friendly arm in and batting the Mage tarnesh and his mirror images inside the Inn you will find two more potential companions Khalid the stammering neutral good half elf fighter and his wife the half elf fighter Druid Jahira regardless of who you choose to accompany the story of Baldur's Gate is further south toward the town of Nashville its Carnival and the mines while danger is still looming over the player and another attempt on their life will be made the most important part of visiting this town is that you have the a potential of recruiting one of the best companions in the Baldur's Gate series I am of course talking about the true neutral neurotic Berserker Ranger Minsk and his miniature space hamster that my hamster might have a better look at you you may also meet Volo in the town's Tavern a legendary traveler Storyteller and returning character to Baldur's Gate 3. but let's pause for a moment from what we've played and seen in trailers that makes at least three characters who will be returning to Bald Escape 3. valerian's entry into the franchise is set in 1492 deer over 100 years later so how can these folks and space hamster still be alive well Jahira is a half elf and within the setting half elves have an average lifespan of around 180 years which explains how she looks a little older in Baldur's Gate 3. Volo fell prey to an imprisonment spell sometime before 1385 Dr where he remained for a hundred years until he was eventually able to continue his scholarly Pursuits minsgumbu however decided that after defeating many of the evils that plagued Boulder's Gate that they would allow themselves to be petrified until a time where Heroes were needed once more their statue was named the Beloved Ranger and stood in Boulder's Gate until sometime in the 1480s where through the events of the comic book Legends of Baldur's Gate the Aaron effects of maged liners wild magic dispelled Minsk and booze petrification which explains how Minsk has retained much of his youthful complexion but with all of the magic pocket Dimensions long living races and more I'm sure there will be even more returning characters both big and small we have yet to meet with that out of the way let's continue with our recap here's the kobold filled mines will be the next Waypoint through the player's Story the chapter culminating in a battle against mulahay an evil cleric summoning hordes of kobolds and skeletons defeating him and taking his holy seal will lead you to baragast where you volunteer to take care of a local Bandit problem culminating in a fight with Bandits Raymond vent hacked and britic as you loot their letters and continue to chapter four push through cloakwood flood of mine defeat the Mage Davion and finally you are able to head to the city that shares its name with its RPG epic Baldur's Gate upon first arriving you will meet scar second in command of the Flaming fist the mercenary company tasked with keeping peace and upholding law to the northern half of the sword Coast I serve the Flaming first while here you may also recruit The Bard eldoth cron and his partner the thief Sky Silver Shield the daughter of one of the Dukes of Baldur's Gates and Baldur's Gate you will meet Duke Elton one of the four Dukes of the city and leader of the Flaming fist it is he who will task you with investigating the Iron Throne a shady Merchant organization that was also known for assassinations and having contracts with enemy States you discover that this organization's leaders are in fact back in Candle keep the previous Library Fortress that you once called home agreeing to head there and pursue your leads will have Duke Elton teleport you back to Candle keep and begin chapter six as you gain access back to the keep and explore your once familiar surroundings it appears that things are not quite what they once were Explorations find a previously unread letter for the player character written by your guardian gorion although finding this will also lead to the player's arrest them being found guilty regardless of Charisma checks and evidence forcing you to be teleported into the lower catacombs that are teeming with the doppelgangers that now control the key all of this has been orchestrated by sarahvok the armored figure that killed playing in the prologue and is now inhabiting candle keep with the rulers of the Iron Throne disguised as korovas I also can't believe that I didn't realize until now that korovas is just sarahvok backwards I'm not sure how I missed that when I originally played the game but anyway under candle keep you'll also seemingly be reunited with gorion but it is in fact doppelgangers taking his form through the Twisted forms of old friends as well as enemy basilisks eventually the player character is able to escape from candle keep and return to Baldur's Gate in chapter 7. however Baldur's Gate is now in the grip of the new head of the Flaming fist the corrupt Angelo dosan working for saravak facing arrests and hostilities the player is framed for crimes against Baldur's Gate and you must find the evidence needed to clear your name and return the city to peace either avoiding the Flaming fist or killing them throughout your investigation you find that the situation has been orchestrated by that same armored figure sarahvok it's through your searches that you find out that sarahvok is in fact your half-brother with machinations of godhood both he and the player character are balsporn mortal children that are born from The Lord of murder ball to prolong his life Barr would have his children sacrificed by priests in a bloody ritual in an effort to circumvent the prophecy of his death this ritual however was thwarted by gorion and a group of Harpers an organization dedicated to maintaining the balance between good and evil while gorion took the player character in and raised them sarovach was left to wander the streets alone until he was taken in by the Iron Throne leader his plan was to use the iron throne and the sword Coast Bandits to drive Boulder's Gate and arm to war thus starting murder and bloodshed on a massive scale and using that power to ascend to his own godhood and assume the new mantle of Lord of murder upon confronting saravaki will be thrown into what is likely the hardest battle you've yet to face but beating him will show him having the essence of Baal being snatched from him as it is pulled back to its domain thus ends the original story of Boulder's Gate although the siege of dragonspear DLC that came with the enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate continues the story that ended in 1998. the expansion starts with you clearing out the remains of sarahvox followers but the weeks that follow sarovar's demise all of your followers apart from IMO and have left and there are rumors that the player character did not defeat Sarah Rock for the good of the land but so they could take his place but for now as the rest of his forces are being mopped up the story shifts Focus to a crusade by a warrior named Kayla Argent also known as The Shining lady being sent North by a contingent of flaming fist soldiers alongside warnings that The Shining lady is making her way down the sword coast and is threatening the city The Mercenaries have orders to stop their Advance at the castle of dragonspear one of the early battles that take place between the Coalition from Boulder's Gate and kailas forces takes place along the river where Bal the player's father had been killed by cyric The Mad Prince of Lies many years earlier after the battle the player will suffer a vision of Bar's death and burns the symbol of the god of murder into the bridge something that understandably the surrounding soldiers don't take kindly to the party must then sneak into dragonspear Castle to gain Intel about The Shining lady although instead discovers one of her lieutenants herfenan speaking to an unknown source after skirmishes and an assault on the keep your party and Allied soldiers attacked Dragon spear Castle trapping Kayla in the keep as her Chief Lieutenant herfenan casts a paralysis spell over the whole castle Hernan however traps both Allied and enemy forces alike revealing their true plans of traveling into the nine hells and unleashing his master to the material plane as the spell dissipates Kayla and the player Venture through a portal into the hellish dimension in pursuit of their new common enemy before her fernan can unleash the demon Bell effect this section takes place in the first layer of the nine Hells of vernus a location that we know we will be returning to in Baldur's Gate 3 as it is here with a prologue of the game begins after the defeat of demon and Summoner alike The Shining lady reveals that her true intentions was to free her uncle from the nine hells and that her Crusade was an effort to revive him as Penance for the blood spilled Kayla remains in the nine Hells to guard the portal the player returns to the Mortal plane to celebrate another Victory but that night is wrecked by nightmares and visions of being attacked by an avatar of ball Twisted from the form of Sky Silver Shield as you defend yourself in a terrorized State you awaken from the dream however to find Sky Silver Shield dead stabbed seemingly by your hand and with the clerics unable to revive her as her soul is trapped in the dagger that killed her your slapped in irons and dragged back to Boulder's Gate to answer for your apparent crimes the discovery that you are set up by the hooded man comes to you as the figure himself visits in an effort to twist the player into obeying their murderous bloodline as you escape into the woods however you are reunited with imoen so Begins the story of Baldur's Gate 2 Shadows of arm you awaken in the dungeon of the Elven Mage arenicus the main antagonist of Baldur's Gate 2 as he performs some less than Savory experiments on you the being currently probing and prodding you with steel and Magic was in fact the hooded man from Siege of dragonspear completing the link between the games a side note is that in the original release of this game erenicus was of the human race but was intended to be an elf which was fixed in the enhanced Edition of the game that was released years later it is a familiar face that saves you from the bonds of captivity as the first companion of the previous game becomes the first companion of this one Emma went unlocks your cage and you move forward and rescue other familiar faces unlocking jahira's cage and goading Minsk with the loss of his beloved Diner here into using his Berserker rage to burst his open while making your way past Genies goblins and dryads Jahira will learn of the death of her husband another previous potential companion Khalid throughout your exploration companion imoim will start to utter some peculiar dialogue hinting that things may not be as they seem upon leaving the catacombs you come face to face with erenicus as he utterly tears his enemies apart with magic imoen casts magic missiles of her own and for their use of unsanctioned magic in the city of atkatler both are apprehended by the coward Wizards as you Journey Through the slums of that catler you will meet Galen Bale who will know how to rescue imowen but needs a whopping 20 000 gold pieces to share that information chapter 2 begins with bale starting you on the quest to earn that impressive pile of gold chapter 2 also contains one of the most important decisions in Shadows of once you have fifteen thousand gold from completing quests raiding enemies and selling items you will be approached by a mysterious woman named Valen urging you to meet her mistress Bodhi in the graveyard District you'll also be offered a similar message by Galen offering to reduce that 20K to 15 if you choose to meet him instead these two paths lead you into a decision you must make at the culmination of chapter two side with Bodhi and the vampire coven or galen's Guild of Shadow thieves go to the graveyard and meet Bodhi and choose the side of the vampires and attack the shadow thieves or give the money to Galen and take down the vampires instead each party will offer you help to rescue imowen and only through making this Choice can you progress the main story attacking the vampire Guild will lead you to the docks and graveyard districts finding Guild defectors and killing them for their involvement with a Vampire Guild you'll learn of their contact in the afghatler graveyard which leads you to the vampire's Lair there you are faced with spiders traps golems and more deadly encounters until you find the coffins of the sleeping vampires and drive Stakes through the hearts of the hibernating beasts however killing the three vampires Durst and LaSalle will summon Bodhi she is an extremely difficult enemy as only blunt weapons will work against her but once you have wounded her sufficiently she will flee Quest complete the shadow thieves will hold up to their end of the bargain and Grant you passage to the island where emuin and erenicus are being held by the coward Wizards if however you choose the side of the vampires you will have to kill Galen Bale in his home and fight your way through the shadow Thief training grounds until you encounter the wizard has and take down Aaron linvale doing so will allow you to learn of bodhi's relationship with arenicus the vampires then escort you to a ship that will take you to the island where the prison spellhold is located in chapter 4 there will be some changes to the quests and events depending on your Allegiance if you sigh of the Thieves for example the ship captain May betray you and summon vampires to attack your party as you make your way through the island and to spellhold erenicus will make himself known to you as one of the cowled Wizards and if yoshimo is in your party he will also reveal himself to be working with the evil Elven Mage now the climax of Baldur's Gate you learned that you were a child of Bal the god of murder but it turns out like yourself in is one of Barr's children also and erraticus's goal is to drain That Power from you through of course a magical ritual which you will enter into a dream in this dream you will face a demon who will permanently reduce one of your stats by one and who you can only defeat by finding immowent in this realm between Realms and facing ball together I have drained drained you of the very thing that made you special it is the worst of curses through this erenicus has stolen Your Divine spirit and has ordered the vampire body to kill you you're able to escape through the labyrinthine corridors of spellhold and are faced with a choice as how you leave the island either via portal or by ship regardless of your choice you will end up in the underdark the underdark is a network of many huge Caverns under the world of faerun and Baldur's Gate and inhabited by some of the most dangerous entities in the Realms it's a space we've seen featured in Baldur's Gate 3 but here as you escape the island of spellhold you will see the first glimpse of the bizarre landscape and creatures that call this place home in order to gain access to the drow City in the underdark you must complete a quest for gallander blackenrock defeating the Beast Balor will net you the reward of transformation with the Silver Dragon adalon transforming your party into drow to allow you entrance through their Gates and tasking you with finding her Lost Dragon X stolen by orenicus through the city you'll be facing enemies and allies that you will again recognize if you've been keeping up to date with both 3. both mind flayers and githyanki can be found through the darkest areas of the city while mind flayers are not the main enemies in the game as they appear to be in Baldur's Gate 3 they are still an extremely dangerous Insidious brain infecting race the main goal here is to recover the aforementioned dragon eggs and doing so will teleport you from the underdark city of us to the surface alongside aladon and right into the middle of your next large battle at the start of chapter 6. so now back in the real world the next step is to try to recover your soul and imuans from Bodhi and erenicus surrounded by elves you must prove your Allegiance and disdain for the evil Mage who you now hunt to Commander elhan doing so will secure your passage back to the city of at katla where your adventure started and eventually to the graveyard where you may have first met the vampire cabal who you now pursue finally defeating the vampire body and driving a wooden stake through her heart will allow imowen to reclaim her soul as you venture on towards the Elven city of Sol de nessalar once the city will be advised to speak the Elven Queen elsame you'll be presented with the Talisman of rilophane the Elven God of protection and guardian of Harmony and be tasked with recovering powerful Elven artifacts and symbols to allow you passage to the tree of life erenicus and his minions are found to be sapping the energy from the Elven world tree with parasites killing these will summon irenicus now that he has been cut off from the tree's energy upon delivering the final blow to the antagonist that has played you since you've escaped his clutches back at the start of the game his soul will be dragged down into the nine Hells however you and your party die with him and your souls will too be taken into the abyss it seems that your fate is not yet sealed within the hell as you were given the option to open the Abyssal door back to the material Realm by offering up five tiers of ball earned by completing the challenges set in Hell your actions in these trials may change the alignment of your character with them potentially fall into evil and in the story of the game representing the player giving in to the dark influence of the Lord of murder you'll encounter The Wraith form of the antagonist from Baldur's Gate 1 saravok representing wrath as well as other Demons of greed selfishness fear and pride securing a tear from each demon grants you a boon depending on how you require edit for example in the trial of Pride sparing the dragon will grant you 20 resistance to all Elemental damage but killing it will give your character a whopping 20 000 XP regardless of the choices you made good or evil the five tiers will lead you to the final battle against the Damned iranicus and his demons the toughest Encounter of the game and a fight for your very Soul delivering the final blow will see it return back to you as you continue to live as bar spawn oh this is however not the end of the prophecy but the story of your party continuing into the expansion the Throne of Baal after the battle in hell you awaken to find yourself in a sacred grove of ancient gods after being refused access to the Elven City because of your bile spawn bloodline This Plane will be the start of the final unfolding of that prophecy that has followed your character since the beginning of the very first game this pocket plane contains Other Bar spawn that are all trying to kill each other and also you in an attempt to ascend to the throne of the Lord of murder this area also contains the soul of saravok your bar spawn half brother and the antagonist of the first Baldur's Gate game who is available as a companion and advisor if you agree to give him part of your soul leaving this pocket playing the journey continues in the city of saradush where you will meet melissan and the leader of the Town Romney ilkan who mistakes you for Invaders and will immediately attack when you finally confront Romney and defeat them melissan shares with you that the other boss won't besieging the city is in fact invincible and urges you to find a way to make them vulnerable to death once again something accomplished by fine his disembodied heart in the marching mountains continuing the path and defeating the five legendary barspawn will bring you back to the pocket plane where seemingly your task is complete although the truth of the matter is that malasan who has been helping in the dismantling of the barsborne is in fact a mil-san mastermind of the five and a high priestess of bar himself who was tasked with resurrecting the god of murder but she doesn't just betray you she also betrays a deceased God as she desires to take the throne and Ascend to godhood herself this is the toughest fight of The Saga so far against a powerful Mage and cleric who summons Abyssal monsters to fight alongside her as she saps The energy needed for her evil Godly Ascent during the final attacks when you're about to finish your story and she is near death the celestial solar beings appear and Grant Victory to you the player character your final choice is to either release all of the taint of bar that you have absorbed during your fights with their spawn and allow the solar to remove all essence of the god of murder from the world or absorb what's left of it and become a god yourself whatever you you decide the ending will be influenced by the choices and the good or evil alignment that follows through the game and as the party makes their final comments on your actions the Final Act of Baldur's Gate 2 comes to a close but a lot can happen in 100 years especially in the Forgotten Realms Laren has said that Baldur's Gate 3 takes place immediately after the Dungeons and Dragons module descent into a furnace which acts somewhat as a prequel to Baldur's Gate 3. skip this bit if you're currently playing through the campaign yourself but the broad Strokes is that whole cities are being dragged into hell with the holy city of El Torell having disappeared from the Forgotten Realms as it descended into avernus but the next city a risk being the nearby Boulders gate in larion's version of events the campaign ends with a party of Heroes saving the city of El torel but any other details or connection between the events of this campaign and the story of Baldur's Gate 3 have yet to be discovered except the location of your crash landing at the start of the game appears to be somewhere between Baldur's Gate and El Torell itself what is next though dear adventurers is up to you with a massive game filled with law and quests to discover stories big and small culminating in 17 000 possible ending variations at this time we can but scratch the surface of what Baldur's Gate 3 has to offer but hopefully with this tale I have spun you can start your adventure in the Forgotten Realms a little Bolder and a little wiser if you enjoyed this video please sure to let us know in the comments and of course we are going to have plenty of Boulders Gate 3 content coming very soon so be sure to stay tuned until then thanks for watching and we will see you next time [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: GameSpot

Views: 731,375

Keywords: baldurs gate, baldurs gate 1, baldurs gate 2, baldurs gate 3, Gorion’s Ward, Sarevok, Minsc, Volo, larian studios, gamespot, gamespot recaps, pc, xbox, playstation

Id: XDrd6WxeCko

Length: 21min 23sec (1283 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 01 2023