“Dark Sun: Shattered Lands”<\/em> was good for many of the same reasons as Baldur’s Gate. It was turn-based It used Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition rules, just as Baldur’s Gate did, and allowed for the same kind of strategic combat that Baldur’s Gate did.<\/p>\n While it was released in 1993, I got a copy much later as part of some kind of multi-game value pack. As such, I may have played Baldur’s Gate before Dark Sun. In addition to all the standard spells, Dark Sun used psionics, and a number of other special rules specific to AD&D’s Dark Sun setting. While there were no dwarves or elves, you could play as a half-giant or Thri-kreen. Weird.<\/p>\n You began the game as a slave gladiator, a la Conan. By the end, I remember my party battling an army. There must have been dozens of troops, as well as wizards summoning Djinni to attack me, and clerics healing the troops I wounded. That was a fun game.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lungfishopolis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/darksun.jpg\" "\\"Dark")
rather than using Baldur’s Gate’s pause-based gameplay. While it was considered one of the “Gold Box games”, following such gems as Pool of Radiance<\/em> and Azure Bonds<\/em>, it bore much more of a resemblance to Baldur’s Gate.<\/p>\n