Baldur's Gate (Mac)

You begin the game as a young orphan living with your stepfather within the safe confines of a scholarly community. It is a happy and idyllic life until your stepfather is killed and it becomes clear that you are intended to be next. You, as the young protagonist, then set out to discover just what kind of a mess you're in. During the adventure, you recruit a number of personable allies, battle foes, delve into dungeons, trek across wilderness, solve puzzles, and complete a plethora of epic quests that are seamlessly sown into the fabric of the overall plot. The story line unfolds in response to your choices to reveal your character's true identity as well as the nature and motive of your enemies.

If the Lord himself were to ask me what games he should have in his home game collection, the first two words out of my mouth would be Baldur's Gate. This 1998 Role-Playing Game of the Year is a masterpiece and the standard by which all such games will be judged for the foreseeable future. Groundbreaking 32-bit graphics, 3-D sound, multiplayer options, and a friendly real-time game engine are blended with a depth of plot in a way that redefines the genre. --Joshua B. Coombs

Pros:

• Versatile and responsive plot
• Entertaining character interaction
• Huge game world
• Friendly game engine

• Nonplayer characters exhibit little free will

The state of Amn is under siege to the south, the High Moor is being overrun in the north, and the region around Baldur's Gate is in turmoil. In an area known for its ample resources, a crippling shortage is slowly developing for the metal that is used throughout the Realms for everything from swords to forks: iron. The armed factions in Baldur's Gate can scarcely keep themselves armed, and the commoners are suffering all the more. Without iron they cannot mend their tools or purchase plows--and if they cannot farm or craft, they will starve come winter. Some blame Amn for the chaos, others the trading cartels, and still others suspect even the Dukes of Baldur's Gate. Yet, this contagion may be an early omen of some greater evil.

It's up to the player to determine the machinations behind this struggle for power--and to prevent the war that threatens to engulf the region (or, if playing an evil character, to try and assume more power in the process). Throughout, your main character's origins are mysterious; your search for your identity has links in the game's planned sequels.