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Icewind Dale II

EMAIL PRINT pc

9.5 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 10 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Interplay

Developer: Black Isle Studios

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: August 27, 2002

Summary

The worst fear of the civilized realms has come true. The Goblinoids have united into an army of outcasts and misfits and they want to call the Ten Towns their own. Massive swarms of Orcs and Worg-mounted Goblins are attempting to overrun the town of Targos, and that's just the beginning! A call has gone out to all those willing to face insurmountable odds in defense of the Ten Towns. Will you heed the call to arms and face the greatest threat to the Spine of the World? [Interplay]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central IGN Insider Guide

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Gaming Age

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.

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Game Informer

This is the role-playing engine that has ever been invented. [Oct 2002, p.92]

IGN

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.

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Computer Gaming World

Every shadowy corner in Icewind Dale II harbors one intense, challenging, and difficult battle after another. [Dec 2002, p.116]

Yahoo! Games

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.

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GameZone

A joy to look at. It features stunning graphics, terrific audio and a rich storyline.

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PC Gameworld

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.

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PC Gamer

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]

Gamers' Temple

Designed for RPG veterans and particularly those familiar with Dungeons & Dragons. The game comes with an excellent and thorough manual, but at well over 100 pages it might be overwhelming to a newbie.

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GameSpot

Like its predecessor, Icewind Dale II is simply a great role-playing game.

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GameSpy

It's bigger and better in almost every way. If you're looking for a blood and guts 3rd Edition role-playing game, Icewind Dale II fits the bill perfectly.

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Computer Games Magazine

It may not look like much, but it's got it where it counts. [Nov 2002, p.80]

Quandary

The single player game is a worthy challenge for players with a taste for strategic fighting, punctuated with some puzzles, and all wrapped up in a daring journey to save the world.

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Adrenaline Vault

For a game that's billed as strictly linear, the multitude of possibilities in Icewind Dale II is striking; its breadth is in its depth, not its scope.

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G4 TV

So the engine is clunky and the pathfinding is bad. Ultimately that doesn't matter much. This is a great RPG.

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ActionTrip

Immersed in a good story, slicing enemies, completing quests, advancing you group's experience, are all elements that will keep you going in Icewind Dale 2 and they represent game's essential qualities. These features are all well-balanced and can guarantee some long hours of fun RPG fun.

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FiringSquad

While the original Icewind Dale was a very tight, focused product, the sequel is very rough around the edges, and though the aesthetics are superior to the original, the game itself is undeniably inferior.

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Game Over Online

Despite moving to Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition rules, the game seemed much too familiar, it didn’t look particularly good or run particularly well on my computer, and it didn’t even come close to capturing my imagination.

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Gamer's Pulse

A very good game...Though, one simple fact remains constant. The engine is truly showing its age.

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Armchair Empire

Without the adoption of 3rd Edition rules, IWD2 is essentially the same D&D game released years ago.

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PC Format

There’s little new that stands out in Icewind Dale II to recommend it. There's a lacks the style and emphasis on story that characterises the genre’s best.

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eToychest

The control aspect is passable at times, and downright painful at others. Whoever wrote the code for this "nodes" system needs to be taken out in the road and ran over.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

John R gave it a9:
Can't give this a 10 as perfect scores must be reserved for perfect games, viz. Baldur's Gate I & 2, Torment. But this and the first Icewind Dale are certainly worthy of the next rank. If you love fantasy RPGs every BioWare/Black Isle Infinity Engine game is a must because they're quite simply the best CRPGs ever created, eclipsing Oblivion, The Witcher, NWN et al, both for their storylines (which are better than most novels) and quality of the writing and imagination in general, and also because of the peerless D&D rules-based tactical combat and character development (the only system that really works, RIP Gary Gygax) and the fact that party-based adventuring from a 3rd person perspective will always be better than the much vaunted, overrated but now seemingly mandatory 1st person perspective. It's a mystery to me why BioWare ditched this engine and it's clear that their games have lost some of their magic since they split with Black Isle (creators of the awesome Fallout series). All RPGs since the Infinity Engine games have been markedly inferior : quite how BioWare and Bethesda can believe that the dialogue and general writing quality in the likes of NWN and Oblivion is even remotely comparable to that in classics such as the Icewind Dales is an utter mystery to me - don't hold out too much hope for Fallout 3 because Bethesda have no idea how to inject any personality into NPCs and while they're not too bad at creating atmospheric game worlds they can't hold a candle to Black Isle/BioWare. Buy both Icewind Dales (they're equally good), both Baldur's Gates (again, can't split them) and Planescape : Torment (best RPG story ever) and you will thank the day you made the decision - because these games are genuine classics, are almost infinitely replayable owing to their depth, breadth and complexity, contain more personality than all other games ever created put together and have stood the test of time.

Elias O. gave it a10:
Yet another brilliant RPG!

Kyle A. gave it a10:
This game is the love of my life in a way me and my dad beat this game countless times over LAN Black Isle - I appreciate your work.

Dragon Boy gave it a 10:
Nothing more satisfying than letting a river run red with orc blood.... and that's just the second level :)

Daniel M. gave it a 10:
Well, this game was the CRPG of the year for me. I enjoyed Morrowind, but it was a little baren for my tastes. I expected so much more from NWN. Nope, IWD 2 didn't make huge promises, but it came through with huge results.

Ron C. gave it a 10:
Not the breadth of story Baldur's Gate II was, but the tweaks to the interface have finally evolved. The graphics are on par with Throne of Bhaal and the AD&D Third Edition rules add an inventive touch to character development that will resuscitate the genre for jaded RPG fans. I didn't play the first one, but you start fresh in this one anyway - no character porting from the first allowed! Since Neverwinter Nights sucks so much, maybe they should seriously revamp this engine into 3D and call it Neverwinter Nights II?

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Icewind Dale II

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