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I still play these today and love every second. Before Oblivion these were the best fantasy rpg's you could buy. Amazing graphics, amazing scenery, wonderful combat system, fun create a party system and great quests.
Compared to 3-4 hour games, extra charges for essential content, Limited Installations and RootKits (of the likes of StarFORCE and SecuROM), well, games such as the ICEWIND DALE saga stand out as landmarks in PC-gaming history.The expansion (THE HEART OF WINTER) improved things somewhat but the series did not find its stride until the very good ICEWIND DALE II. Little did I know at the time how far into hell greed would drive the gaming industry. As a result, what was expected to be an enjoyable experience turned into a chore of endless autopausing, retargeting and constant battling.Having said the above, I must admit that, in hindsight, my complains seem trivial.
I had just polished off the excellent BALDUR's GATE and the incomparable PLANESCAPE: TORMENT. The storyline was nothing to complain about - after all, any story set in "the spine of the world" can hardly go wrong. I have a confession to make: when the first ICEWIND DALE came out I bought maybe the first copy and rushed home to immerse into it.
What I did not appreciate was the rushed feeling of a job on an impossible deadline.In order to prolong the duration of the game, much smaller maps were stuffed with a far greater number of powerful foes - and almost nothing could be solved without combat. I remember spending endless hours with the sequel and can compare it to the original BALDUR's GATE.RECOMMENDED. A day into ICEWIND DALE and I absolutely hated it.The graphics were comparable (all three games share the same engine) and the gameplay was almost identical.
The music was excellent and certain tunes stayed with me ever since.
If you're looking for more story depth, try Planescape: Torment or the Fallout series. Though no longer the state-of-the-art in graphics technology, the Infinity engine's prerendered backdrops hold up quite well in comparison to today's rather bland 3D technology, and the spell animations are still quite good.Play this game for the lonely, howling-wind atmosphere and intricate set-piece environments. The Icewind Dale series is not particularly deep or complex story-wise, but it does have a great mood and some wonderful scenery to explore using the now-antique - but beloved - Infinity engine. The atmospheric, haunting score by Jeremy Soule adds a lot of depth to a chilly, frost-bitten landscape filled with endless hordes of unpleasant creatures, foul NPCs and very interesting magical items.The whole setting seems like something ripped out from Beowulf or the Viking sagas, replete with sacrificed warriors and vengeful gods.
While these don't have the depth of say Baldurs Gate 2 and expansions they are still good serviceable games. I tend to play RPGs almost exclusively. These tend to be more linier than the Baldurs Gate titles.fewer (almost no) side questa etc. I owned these games years ago and actually replaced them with this set as an after thought. I enjoyed them then.
This game is true to the D&D rules and lore as well. One of my favorite parts of this game is in the haunted elven fortress, it is a very difficult place to get through, even for experienced gamers such as myself. The storyline is incredible, and the controls are fantastic.I only wish I had the time to play it again.Overall = Superb Icewind Dale is probably the best RPG I have ever played, althought Morrowind may be right there as well. I loved playing this game, all the way from creating my characters to completing the end-game content.
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