An undiscovered gem - don't pass it up.

User Rating: 8.5 | Icewind Dale II PC
By cheeseball123 | Review Date:
Like a lot of other people, when I first played the original Icewind Dale I was disappointed. It lack the ground-breaking element of Baldur's Gate and the immersive storyline. Yet when one compares Icewind Dale II to Baldur's Gate II, it's quite a bit different. A lot of the small things have been changed for the better as well as big ones, but primarily I have to say that I absolutely love the Third Edition AD&D rules. The plot of IWDII is, admittedly, not really of the standard of the BG series and the lack of any banter between party members does lower this game's score for me. Making a summary of key points:

Gameplay - as I've already said, the relative inferiority of the plot compared with the BG series and the lack of the funny conversation known and loved from BGII and Throne of Bhaal bring this down, but other than that it's excellent, the new ruleset makes the game much more accessible and battles can be a lot more fun, so 8/10 seemed fair.

Graphics - utterly flawless. A lot of people don't seem to understand that much of the point of the Infinity Engine is that the 2-Dness of the game means that it relies upon hand-painted backgrounds, hence the better the background, the better the graphics. Since the developers have gone beyond the call of duty with the effort in drawing these, each area is stunning to behold, 10/10 here.

Sound - um, come on. From the splendid battle music right down to the delightful 'splat' when an enemy is cut to pieces, this is a clear 10, and it's what I expect with the brilliance of the BG and SoA soundtracks.

Value - I've seen this game (pre-owned, but it doesn't matter) in Gamestation for 99p. Can't say fairer than that, can I?

I just wish they'd made an Icewind Dale III...

Other Helpful Reviews for Icewind Dale II

  • Rating:9.3

    Great sequel to a great game.

    By Beechbone666 | Review Date: Aug 09, 2007 | PC

    Black Isle Studios was one of the best if not the best computer games developer in history. Among their best achievements stands "Icewind Dale" set in Forgotten Realms and based on Advanced Dungeons & Drago... Read Full Review

    3 of 3 users found the following review helpful
  • Rating:9.1

    An RPG that is worth every penny! Hack 'n' slash is an understatement!

    By dillmundo | Review Date: Jul 05, 2006 | PC

    When I first played the original Icewind Dale, I wasn't impressed. Sure there was an ok story and so-so graphics, but nothing spectacular. But over time, more and more the game began to appeal to me. The plot unfolded ... Read Full Review

    5 of 6 users found the following review helpful
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