Icewind Dale II (2002 Video Game) User Reviews

This Game Rocks!!!

[yawgmoth_742 · 21 April 2003]

For a very long time now have I waited for a game like this: It's made with the Bioware Infinity Engine. It's based on the 3rd Edition D&D rules. You get to create a party all your own and go around destroying entire armies of goblins, orcs, and other such misfits.

With the exceptions of Baldur's Gate and Shadows of Amn (both extremely hard to top), this is the best Infinity Engine game around, and I would strongly recommend that you buy it now and start playing it.

Behind all the action, there is a very good plot, in which two demon twins are insulted by the people of the town of Bryn Shander, and wage war on the entire confederation of Icewind Dale, with their monstrous horde of outcasts and misfits known as the Legion of the Chimera.

10 out of 10! This game is an enormous adventure and I think everyone should play it!

Not even close to good waste of time

[realvedmak · 1/10 · 22 August 2013]

First of all I should point out that as far as voice acting in this game goes, its some of the worst I have ever heard. Bad script does not help any, but I could not find single voice that sounded like person was into it at all.

I read somewhere this was supposed to have been made in four months. I don't know how long it took them, but all this game is, is a badly done mod of original Icewind Dale. Something I'd expect as fan made mod, but not something I would expect anybody to have nerve to ask to be paid for.

This game is meant to be played with six characters. I played it solo, with one, Human Sorcerer. That did not make it more challenging in any way, actually if anything it made this borefest move quicker, especially as I set it to run at double speed in configuration. I cannot imagine somebody willingly subjecting themselves to a torture this game is at default speed setting.

After first couple chapters game devolved into just repeat castings of Wail Of The Banshee for most part as all there is in this game is hordes of pointless, badly scripted, mobs. There are no challenging bosses, 3rd edition DnD rules have been mis-implemented and have very little to do with actual 3rd edition (example: most classes get just 1+int mod skill points, but that does not even matter as virtually all skills in this game are worthless just like 90% of spells they chose to include).

There is no decent story to be found. I felt nothing for people I was supposed to be saving, and morally I would have had to side with Chimera Legion as they actually had a cause, as badly explained as it was. The side of ten-towns are racists at very least who discriminate even against their own kind, while what we are supposed to think are "bad guys" are fighting for equal rights for all.

Puzzles in this game are nonsense. Badly explained, linear, uncreative nonsense. For most part, you need to know beforehand that you should do something, or ask somebody something, to get extra xp. Since writing is absolutely horrendous in this game, I can safely say I missed out on most of dialogue in chapter 5 and beyond as I caught myself just wanting to get it over with, skimming and skipping all I could skip.

If you want to play solid 3rd edition DnD game, play Neverwinter Nights. I picked up Diamond Edition recently, I owned original but those disks are not made to last, and no regrets about it.