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Pleasantly Surprised!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 03, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I was apprehensive to buy this game. The idea of another Hack & Slash game on the market was like nails on a chalkboard to me. But, I've never played anything like this before. This game took my breath away! It took me two days to tear myself away from this game...and a lot of resistance not to call in sick at work. The story and action move smoothly, and the increased speed in movement is a definite enhancement compared to its predecessor, Baldur's Gate. It is difficult to write this review without giving spoilers. I will just end by saying, if you didn't buy this game for some of the same reasons, I almost didn't. Or, if you didn't buy it because you thought it would be filler between Baldur's Gate and Shadows of Amn, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! This game is incredible. Luckily, I'm a die-hard Pen & Paper RPGer and R.A. Salvatore fan or I would have missed out on this experience. This game definitely has meat, most of it decayed, diseased, or regenerating fast...eek! ;)

It's fun, but it is also frustrating and tedious

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

What did I miss here? This is not a great game at all. It is above average, and that is about it, unless you think that good cosmetics like graphics and sound effects are all that's needed to make a great game.

In case you weren't aware, this game uses a real-time action system, where you issue orders to the characters and they perform them all simultaneously with your enemies, in real-time. It adds a realistic element to combat that turn-based combat doesn't have. However, the real-time combat system isn't all that it's cranked up to be. Let's just say that it's a royal pain. It's impossible to manage your characters without babysitting them and pausing the game every five seconds to issue a new order. So, although it might be more realistic, it isn't any more exciting. I had a lot more fun playing turn-based "Fallout" than I did playing Baldurs Gate or Icewind Dale. If you don't know what the word "micromanage" means, you will find out playing this game.

Another drawback to this game is that it is almost a pure brute force game. Slash and hack. Don't get me wrong, I love my fantasy violence as much as the next guy, but it should be mixed in with some problem-solving too. Icewind Dale has almost none of that. If you like that stuff, on the other hand, then you might like this game even more.

The worst part about this game though, is that the "fight, die and reload routine" is frustrating. You know that routine. You keep saving your game and playing an encounter over and over until you win. In Icewind Dale, this routine consists of...

1. Entering a room guarded by beasts too powerful for your party to defeat(as an added twist for fun, the game sometimes puts your magic user at the front of the marching order when you enter a new room).

2. Getting slaughtered.

3. Loading your most recent saved game.

4. Repeating steps 1-3, preparing for battle a little different each time and hoping that your luck is different. Eventually, you win.

5. Immediately clicking "save". I hope that you like saving your game often, because you will find out how badly you really do need to do it. Icewind Dale has a lot of "fight, die, and reload".

There are other little problems in this game as well. One of them is the automatic pathfinding function. You would think that in this day and age, someone could make a game where if you click a point on the map the game can figure out the quickest way to get there. Not so. You will find this especially annoying in combat, when you want one of your priests to heal someone, and you find him wandering around the room because of the lousy pathfinding function.

But, like I said, I am satisfied with this game. The visual and sound effects are truly stunning. I usually don't care about this stuff, but it adds so much to the game (especially spellcasting) that it is worth mentioning. If you have ever wanted to know what a magical ice storm, fireball, or noxious stinking cloud looks like, you'll get to see it here. Icewind Dale is a game that is fun, but it is not addictive.

Great game! Major improvement over BG!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: May 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you like good, American-style D&D RPG's with tons of fast battles, then Icewind Dale (based on Bioware's Infinity Engine--also used in BG1) is for you! The overall pace of the game is much faster and less tedious than BG1 and Tales of the Swordcoast. The price is great, there's a lot to see and do and plenty of monsters to kill! You'll definitely use the save function a lot in this game, but you won't find yourself getting frustrated as the difficulty seems pretty well balanced out.

At this price...you can't go wrong by buying this title if you missed out on it or if Baldurs Gate II is a little out of your price range. Lots of great gaming for a low price!!

Even better than part II...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Although Icewind Dale II is an excellent game, I cannot help but prefer the original. The environments were slightly more diverse, the storyline slightly less convoluted, and the gameplay was slightly less repetitive. Aside from these elements, both games essentially play the same. Therefore, if you just ran through Icewind Dale II and you loved it, and yet you somehow missed playing the original, then by all means grab a copy and tear into it. You'll feel right at home with this venerable title.

The Pros:
· You don't get to play the game with just one character - you get a custom party of six. This is the very thing that sets Icewind Dale apart from the rest of the pack. RPG fans will spend hours devising their cast of six, and enjoy liberal amounts of fun doing it.
· Excellent storyline.
· Excellent production values (if you can get past the Infinity engine). The music, voice performances, and sound effects are top of the line.
· Atmospheric backgrounds and locales. You can almost feel the snow beneath your feet and the freezing wind at your cheeks.
· Combat requires more tactical consideration than it does in games like Diablo or Dungeon Siege.
· You really feel like you're playing a good D&D novel.

The Cons:
· The gameplay is very linear, so if you only play RPGs when the latest Elder Scrolls games comes out, you might not be interested in playing Dale. I, however, love both. There's always room for variety.
· Some annoying backtracking sessions through scenery you've covered seemingly hundreds of times.
· Monster battles can get repetitive after a while.

In my own humble opinion, Icewind Dale is hands-down the best isometric RPG I've ever played, despite its faults (which are few and far between). My advice is that you take a pass on that overhyped Neverwinter Nights and venture into the harsh climate of the Dale.

Final Grade: A-

Beautiful story. Definantly RPG game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: October 13, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Although IWD doesn't have the state of the art graphics and stuff, this is a great RPG game for people who prefer to do more that just hack and slash. The storyline, though kinda short, it still good. In many cases, the game awards you for NOT killing, but trying to talk your way out of situations, capturing the true essence of RPG.

Even though I don't think IWD can compare to Baldur's Gate in terms of size, number of quests and all, it is still a good game in itself.

Riveting story and non-stop action

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: August 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I've not played Icewind Dale in a few years, but since I never finished Heart of Winter, nor Icewind Dale II, I just decided to go back and reload them. The first game is 2D, using sprites to represent creatures and PCs with painted backgrounds. While this may sound primitive compared to the full-on 3D games out today, the artwork is beautiful (as are the character portraits), the story is truly engaging, and the action really doesn't let up from start to end. My favorite game genre is RPG, and even though this one puts more emphasis on action over role-playing, it's still up there with the Baldur's Gate series and Planescape: Torment as one of the best fantasy RPGs made.

Not quite Baldur's Gate, but still good

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is really cool. Creating 6 characters is the best part. The graphics were great. The story line could have been better. It was just too short. It's a great way to pass time until Baldur's Gate 2 comes out.

Overall good plot info...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Any game requiring cheats is flawed! There are some essential plot developements provided. If you enjoy reading the novels, especially the North of Faerun, this game is good. I like the pronunciation of elven words but found the Elven civiliztion out of context in the frozen North. Make sure you create strong characters as well as enable your cheats, or the game is impossible!!!

The design is great. Music, special effects, and the voice over hooks you from the beginning. The role playing is minimal, unlike Baldurs Gate. Hack and slash for those who like that style of play. The final scene is unbeateable, thus if you want to continue with the expantion, you must finish the original. Neverwinter Nights is much better in my opinion.

This game is simply outstanding

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

If you are a fan of Computer Roleplaying Games, you MUST purchase this game. Additionally if you liked Baldur's Gate or Planescape: Torment, you will MORE than love this game. The voice-overs, the rendered art, the underlying story are ALL immaculate. In this game the player has TOTAL control over their party. You create ALL six (or less if you choose) of your party members. This game is absolutely captivating as the story compels the player to proceed tirelessly through the game. If you want a captivating, beautiful, and masterfully designed game, Icewind Dale is the one for you!

Is it Baldur's Gate? No, but it's just as great.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 03, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Fans of Baldur's Gate will love Icewind Dale. Granted, it doesn't have the level of story that BG did, but it's still phenominal in its own right.

A longtime D&D player, I highly recommend this game. Imagine D&D, sans the GM's hideous sense of humor, and with great fantasy graphics, and you have Icewind Dale, a good, ole-fashioned dungeon romp in the truest sense.

As a computer gamer, I can again offer positive recommendation for this game. It's not just a walk in the park, but it's not impossible, so the difficulty level was good. The graphics aren't hideously overbearing, instead seeming perfectly suited to the game material. And, of course, who can resist a dungeon romp?

I hate to say this again, but you really should buy this great game, and while you're at it, pick up Baldur's Gate.

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