Cinematics (Baldur's Gate II)

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn features twelve separate 3D animated cinematic cutscenes. There is an opening (which is a mix of 3D animation and handdrawn animatic) and an ending cinematic, four area introduction cinematics and six additional cinematics for various purposes. They were all created with Interplay's own MVE program.https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php/Interplay_MVE
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition added six extra cinematics, five area introductions and the opening for The Black Pits II: Gladiators of Thay. These where created with WEBM.https://www.webmproject.org/
==Opening==
The first cinematic opens up on a passage from Alaundo's Prophecy: 
It is followed by the depiction of a candlelit table with a heavy leather-bound tome on it, Bhaal's symbol in gold on the cover. The tome opens and a recap of the events from the first Baldur's Gate is told, in the form of a series of ink drawings with narration. It then seamlessly transitions into a description of the events between the two games (not accounting for the events in Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear). The last page shown illustrates a drawing of Jon Irenicus and then the tome closes and the image fades to black.
Suddenly, the scene shifts to different flashing images of Irenicus's Dungeon, filled with surgical instruments, skulls, cages and chains & hooks hanging from the ceiling. Irenicus can be seen, too, staring motionless into the camera. The flashing and the music stop, followed by the chains swingingly lightly back and forth while the rest of the room is quiet.
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==Area Introductions==
The game came originally with four different cinematics that are played when the player first enters in the designated area. They tell little to no narrative and feature no dialogues. The areas in question are Spellhold, the Underdark, Suldanessellar and Hell.
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===Enhanced Edition===
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition introduced five additional area introductions, featuring some of the new areas, including Dragomir's Tomb, the Resurrection Gorge, the Summoning Circle, the Red Wizard Enclave and the Heretic Temple.
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==Additional Cinematics==
There were originally six different cinematics for different purposes.
===Sunrise/ Sunset===
These cutscenes play when the player is in an outside area of any of the cities at either 6am or 6pm in-game time. The cinematic itself depicts Trademeet.
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===Resting===
These cutscenes play when the player rests. Resting outdoors shows the same animation as the original Baldur's Gate, a tent and a campfire in a forest clearing, resting in a dungeon will show Firkraag's Maze.
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===Game Over===
The cutscene plays if the protagonist dies. It shows that they turn to dust immediately upon dying. The same cinematic can be found in the original Baldur's Gate.
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===Black Pits II===
This cinematic was added in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition. It is the opening to The Black Pits II: Gladiators of Thay and shows the arena with a narrated introduction to the campaign by Dennaton, ending with the logo.
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==Ending==
The game ends after the Ellesime's speech during the celebrations in Suldanessellar. The cinematic focuses on Irenicus waking up in a nightmarish landscape filled with rocks and lava. Irritated he exclaims:
He is then attacked by man-sized, horned monsters, which he tries to fend off with his magic. His spell fails and in terror he backs away to the ledge of the rock he is standing on. Then the monsters jump him and they all fall down into the lava. The image fades to black.
What follows is large, wooden round table with a metal symbol of Bhaal in its center. Seven hooded figures are sitting around it, speaking about the protagonist:
One of the figures' face fades into a skull, transitioning the image to a bird's eye view of the table and the Bhaal symbol in its center.
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==External links==
*YouTube Playlist with all Baldur's Gate II cinematics
*YouTube Playlist with all Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition cinematics
Category:Cinematics