Icewind Dale II

1. Omegawolf8

   Apr 3, 2011

   10

   This game is probably is one of the BEST RPGs ever. The atmosphere, is exhilarating, the combat is fun, You get to create your own party, thisThis game is probably is one of the BEST RPGs ever. The atmosphere, is exhilarating, the combat is fun, You get to create your own party, this thing is just so good. If you like games, Then BUY this right away.… Expand

   • 3 of 3 users found this helpful
2. Arroyo_man

   Jul 6, 2017

   10

   Truly immortal game..Truly immortal game.. .… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. Kai82

   Nov 22, 2020

   10

   A real good D&D game. It is set in Faerun in the Forgotten Realms in a region called Icewind Dale. It is a harsh icy land full of dangers thatA real good D&D game. It is set in Faerun in the Forgotten Realms in a region called Icewind Dale. It is a harsh icy land full of dangers that does not easily forgive mistakes or weakness that became famous from the novels from R. A. Salvatore about Drizzt Do’Urden. It uses the third edition rule set of D&D with some adaptations and is set approx 30 years after the events of the prequel. Don't worry you do not need to know the first game to appreciate the story (There are some references and developments from back then but that is not important here). You play a party of up to 6 adventurers on the way to the town of Targos to defend it against a siege of constant attacks by a goblin army. This however is just the beginning of the story as there is far more to this menace as you can see on first glance. I like the story and twists. I becomes better and better as you uncover more of the plot and backstory. The villains are also well done and I understand their motivations and actions. Gameplay: You can create your own party or use a premade one. Instead of tossing the dice for character stats you have a pool of ability points to spend (min/maxing works well). This game gives you more options than ever for races. You can use Drow, Asimar and Tieflings as well as sub races. Each race has their benefits and drawbacks. Along with all classes there are a lot of options including multi-classes (Beware of alignment restriction, stats and experience penalties). Alone the thinking and testing of builds made a lot of fun. There is also the Heart of Fury (HoF) mode which is a challenging difficulty and will give you troubles (Beat the normal game first and then try it). I think I give some tips: Summoning creatures or undead is really useful. These get stronger as you level up and in HoF they get also an upgrade. While fighters work well I would multi-class them into spellcaster classes as the benefits are superior (Maybe not Berserker but even there a few levels for weapon mastery help and not for Monks while I heard good arguments about Clerics with some Monk levels). Some races like Drow gain experience slower because they are more powerful at the beginning but because of min/maxing this means not that they are always better (Use races that get stats bonuses in classes that benefit from them). There is not much need for a pure thief character. Have a cleric or two in your party (Should be a no brainer). There is some variety here at different deities. Carefully plan ahead when you want to play in HoF. There are some good guides on GameFAQs. Back to the game. It focused more on exploration and challenging battles. I like it a lot as I had to figure out how to overcome the challenges. There were some memorable battles that I praise. I must clarify that focus on battle is not equal to poor story. Like I said before the story is engaging and I fully understand the antagonists motivation to a point were I can see myself dragged down their ways if I were in their situation. They are like Thanos in the Avengers. While you disagree with the methods, you see the validity of the problem and understand were they came from. The technical presentation is excellent. The graphics improved a lot since the prequel. The soundtrack is atmospheric and helps to create the immersion. Overall this is an excellent D&D game that won me over. I did not even like the Icewind Dale setting or region (outside the books). However the good story, villains and battle system made a remarkable experience. Special warning: I want to play the prequel after this game and it was the wrong decision. D&D games improved a lot including this and made Icewind Dale 1 look inferior.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
5. Kelu

   Mar 28, 2012

   9

   The last game to use the Infinity engine, it represents the technical pinnacle of old-school 2D cRPGs. It was also the first game to use,The last game to use the Infinity engine, it represents the technical pinnacle of old-school 2D cRPGs. It was also the first game to use, although not fully implemented due to the engine's limitations, the Dungeons&Dragons 3rd edition ruleset. Although noticeably lacking in plot compared to such giants as Baldur's Gate and Torment, IWD2 caters an enjoyable, action-packed experience, as the journey you embark on with a party of custom charaters will throughoutly test you tactical expertise. The locations are varied and interesting, and so are the foes you will face. All and all, this is a hacky-slashy gem from the time many percieve as the golden era of cRPG genre.… Expand

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
6. JohnR

   Jun 7, 2008

   9

   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 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.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
7. Joewashere

   Aug 28, 2019

   8

   The Infinity Engine produced five games; Icewind Dale II was the swan song to this extraordinary period in RPG history, and perhaps the mostThe Infinity Engine produced five games; Icewind Dale II was the swan song to this extraordinary period in RPG history, and perhaps the most controversial title. Greenlit to relieve Interplay's sagging accounts, the game famously had its outline written by Josh Sawyer in 24 hours and less than a year of full development. Critics lamented the lack of cohesion in level design and atmosphere compared to the high standards set by its predecessor, while the plot is not much more than background for combat.
   
   But IWD II remains an incredibly fun game. Its adaptation of 3rd edition D&D rules is well done, and the now mature Infinity Engine is pushed to its limit to create its own distinctive challenges. Goblins beat on war drums to call their comrades, who arrive on wargs and continue to fight on foot when their mounts are shot down; orcs can be shot ablaze through flaming barrels, while giants lob rocks the size of ten men at your party. Large dungeons like Dragon's Eye and the Severed Hand are full of little quests, distinctive boss encounters, set pieces and backstory that fully satisfy that good old dungeon crawling itch.
   
   IWD II is a solid dose of killing, looting and pillaging that fully deserves a try.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. KaesoBedrai

   Nov 30, 2015

   1

   There is some climate, there are some nice handmade graphics... Well, that's it. The mechanics may be a lot better than in the first game ofThere is some climate, there are some nice handmade graphics... Well, that's it. The mechanics may be a lot better than in the first game of the franchise, still it doesn't matter if the game itself sucks. It it was just a hack-and-slash game, I'd say there are numerous better games of that genre. It it was a joke, it'd be a sick joke indeed. Maybe if the game were created by fans, there would be something to be proud of.
   Unfortunately, the game has nothing to offer for most of us, NPCs are sick and the poor story cries to heaven any time someone tries to play that mess :(… Expand

   • 1 of 3 users found this helpful

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