The first involves dinner with the family, huge lipstick-smeared kisses from aunts you barely know and riveting conversation about how in the old days people walked to school in the snow and it was uphill both ways. It was almost a given that the sequel to the winner of the GiN RPG of the Year would be awesome. About the worst thing that could have happened is that nothing at all would have changed, and even then Baldur's Gate II would have been a good game. As it happens, the folks at Black Isle have gone out of their way to make sure that while some of the quirks of the original Baldur's Gate have been fixed, that the good points have either been left alone or greatly enhanced.
Lets start with the most important part of any RPG, the role-playing aspects.
Lets face it, this is why we play these games. It will have you on the edge of your seat, trying to play for just a few more minutes as you search for some obscure or hard to obtain information. The real strength in this area is the social intrigue that is tied to your characters. If you really felt you knew the characters in your party before, wait until you start to interact with them now. At seemingly random points during the game, each will offer insights into their personality, often asking for advice from you - represented by your main character.