Icewind Dale II PC
Metascore
83 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
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  1. Gaming Age
    100
    It succeeds in presenting a believable story with likeable characters in a world that is far more detailed than the original. If I had to pick an RPG of the Year, (or hell Game of the Year) right now, Icewind Dale II would be it.
  2. Game Informer
    95
    This is the role-playing engine that has ever been invented. [Oct 2002, p.92]
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  3. IGN
    90
    It lures you from one challenge to the next, and just when you think ah ha, I've finished the game, a quietly compelling little voice asks whether you might have even more fun restarting the thing with a completely different party.
  4. GameZone
    90
    A joy to look at. It features stunning graphics, terrific audio and a rich storyline.
  5. Yahoo! Games
    90
    Every bit as good as you’d hope... If any criticism can be found with Icewind Dale II, it's that it may be more than a little inaccessible to the non-"hardcore" role-player.
  6. Computer Gaming World
    90
    Every shadowy corner in Icewind Dale II harbors one intense, challenging, and difficult battle after another. [Dec 2002, p.116]
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  7. PC Gamer
    87
    With some nifty tweaks to the engine, A-class writing, and a dazzling implementation of the D&D 3rd Edition rules, ID II is like hauling out yesterday's burrito casserole and realizing that it tastes even better reheated. [Oct 2002, p.87]
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  8. PC Gameworld
    87
    This game will definitely have you saying “just one more battle” deep into the night (or early morning), and fans of the original Icewind Dale can definitely expect more of the same hack-n-slash-y goodness from the sequel.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 64 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 12
  3. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. TheMitherer
    7
    More hardcore than its predecessor this game delights in placing you in very tough situations repeatedly. I got tired of the 'now get out of that' scenario quite quickly and despite my affinity for IE games I only just mustered the motivation to finish the game. The villains I thought were unispiring as were a lot of the locations. I got quite a bit of satisfaction from winning tough battles but sadly that's where the satisfaction started and ended - nothing else about this game seems pleasurable. Worth one playthrough, more if you just like fighting for fighting's sake. Try some summons if you are struggling - they are strangely overpowered for some reason.… Full Review »
  2. KaiEkkrin
    6
    A second Icewind Dale, set many years after the first game, with a new player-created party following in the characters' footsteps. This game tries to be more than the first: it's scattered with bits of side plot, puzzles, and strange items, and it uses the new (at the time) and better D&D 3E ruleset. Sadly, it just doesn't work as well. The difficulty is pitched all wrong: it's much too hard in the first and last chapters and too easy for the rest. The awful "resting" mechanic of D&D was retained, which forces stop-offs in bad places during the hard bits, where extra monsters spawn when you rest -- destroying the pace of the game. The puzzles are another pace-breaker, if you don't like that kind of thing: stop progressing and slaying monsters now, and scratch your head at this illogical piece of scenery! Ultimately, the game doesn't flow in the way the first Icewind Dale did. Disappointing.… Full Review »
  3. noisewater
    2
    if you played baldurs gate or icewind dale 1 you know what to expect. Same graphics, same game play, art is really cool. This is hack and slash like the others, but i found this game really boring...by chapter 3 i could not wait to get this game over and done with. At least the other games had a story that was interesting to follow... this time it fails. i would encourage people to play it so that they may learn what not to do when you are a dungeon master and thinking of plots and hooks to your dungeons and dragons home campaign. if you do not feel frustrated by the predictable npc's and mish mash of random monsters then i don't know what is wrong with you.… Full Review »
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