Icewind Dale

"Some of the best Hack and Slash action on the PC!"

Icewind Dale was a game I picked up a few years back since it was made by the guys who did the great Baldur's gate. Once I started playing this game I was hooked. Better graphics than Diablo2. More fun, and just a better game all around.

GRAPHICS-8.5/10-
The graphics in Icewind are great. Crisp, clear, and able to hold a decent number of monsters on the screen. The art is second best in the infinity engine, and some of the later levels are totally awesome. Only a few problems are found. First, when the action gets chaotic later in the game, it tends to lag a bit, and he resolution is only on 640x480. It's not too bad, but it would have been a lot better if it was 800x6000.

SOUND/MUSIC-9.5/10-
The sound and music in the game rocks! In 2000, this game got game soundtrack of the year for the PC! The music is done by Jeremy soule (Baldur's gate:Dark alliance, Morrowind, Dungeon siege, and others) and his music fits the game perfectly. The music makes you ready to kill all the monsters during fighting, and the music when in towns is soothing, and calming. Everything fits the environments perfectly. The sound effects are great also, with your classic sword clashes and armor changs! and spell effects. This game has a great audio track!

GAMEPLAY-9/10-
Icewind Dale allows you to create your own party from scratch using the 2nd edition rules from AD&D. It's fun, and rewarding. Everything is done just like in Baldur's gate. You click, you watch, you issue commands, etc. You can pause the game at anytime using the spacebar, and your still able to issue commands, set spells and such. It's fairly easy, and it doesn't take long in till everything becomes second nature.
If your not familiar with the AD&D rules, do not worry, as all the work takes place behind the game. The manual tells you everything, including history, areas, monsters, spells, and other goodies. This game is full of monsters ranging from weak goblins to towering fire giants that are about 5 times as huge as your characters! Around 70 monsters are ready for you to kill, and dozens of different environments for you to discover. This game will take you to places far and away from what you've seen in Baldur's gate.

STORY-8/10-
Icewind Dale isn't about a epic story like Baldur's gate. It's about killing monsters and getting the bets loot. The story in the game is actually decent, telling you your reasons for what you are doing. The story it self never takes center stage, but when there are story elements, its fun to watch. Just don't expect a epic tale.

OVERALL-9/10-
This game is great, even if a bit short(around 15-25 hours). While people will play diablo2 for its multi player, people should play Icewind for its great single player. It's fun, exciting, and rewarding. Pick this up along with Icewind Dale 2 if you haven't already!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/15/03, Updated 02/15/03