Icewind Dale 2

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Torment and BG2
Review: I would have given this game 5 stars if the plot and the quests were as good as Torment and BG2. However, the implementation of the 3rd edition rules was a success. The game lets you choose and create all of your 6 party members. At first this might seem like a good feature, but the interaction between the party members is what makes an RPG a real RPG. The plot is weak and standard. If you want to be intellectually challenged, go and play planescape-Torment. If you like hack and slash type games like Diablo etc.. you'll definetely like this one.

Rating:
Summary: Slash and Bash
Review: !!I LOVE THIS GAME!!
My favorite part is the combat because it isn't turn-based
like some RPGs. I also like the character design options
when you start. the game gives you some already made or
you can make your own to fit how you want to play through
the game. I think this game is great with good enough grapics
for most people,plenty of quests,lots of little beasties,and enough action to keep you on your toes.:)

Rating:
Summary: Creating the Icewind Dale All-Stars
Review: When comparing various titles of the same genre, you quickly see that Icewind Dale 1 & 2 are truly what games like Baldur's Gate and Planescape are supposed to be like. Not only are players able to construct an entire party of their own design, but the pause feature allows players to execute a variety of commands at their own pace. Not only does this keep play interesting, but it also allows for a much higher survivability of your characters, since you can plan your tactics at your own pace. A truly breath-taking, eye-opening experience.

Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Ending to the Infinity Engine Saga
Review: Icewind Dale was a very overlooked game mainly due to the fact that it came out between Diablo II and Baldur's Gate II. However that doesn't stop the Icewind Dale Saga as my second favorite RPG series behind Baldur's Gate of course.
The game makes excellent use of the 3rd Edition AD&D rules with a simplier leveling up system and a new skills system. There are also new races like the Drow and Half-Orcs and various Elves and Dwarves. Gameplay wise the game is very similiar to the original with some minor changes. So if you enjoyed the original Icewind Dale you'll love this one as well. However some Baldur's Gate fans may be turned off with how incredibily linear this game is. You essentially move from battle to battle with few side quests. This may not be a bad thing as the gameplay will be very addictive. There is also some replay value here with the Heart of Fury mode.
There are a few complaints though. Novices to the Infinity Engine may find this game difficult so I suggest Easy difficulty. The straying of party members is still evident as some will run into enemies without you knowing it or they take the scenic route. But overall a fantastic game and sure to make any fan of the Infinity Engine happy.

Gameplay - 9.5
Graphics - 8
Sound - 9.5
Longetivity - 9.5
Overall - 9 out of 10

Rating:
Summary: Should have been a turn based game
Review: I love every aspect of this game outside of the combat. You get so many cool options with your characters, but it's difficult to use them in a timely manner because combat is moving so fast. If Icewind Dale 3 is in the works & especially if you're going to use 3rd Ed D&D Rules, please make it turn based combat

Rating:
Summary: Satisfying hack & slash
Review: First of all, if you expect or hope for meaningful character interactions, go away. Icewind Dale 2 is hack and slash. True, it's glazed by some nice voice acting, beautiful locales, villains that are satisfying to kill (and even some that you half don't want to kill) -- but in the end, the game is linear, and there is really only one way to complete it. Sure, you can take slightly different conversation paths when you're talking to other characters, but these rarely have any effect other than minor experience point bonuses here or there.

In short, the talking doesn't really matter. What you're out to do in this game, is putting together a party of six people, and going out to kick butt. And butt. And butt. For a very long time to come, the heroes you make will be doing little else but fighting for their very survival.

Being focused on combat does not make a game poor by itself. Heck, chess has no character interaction and is solely simplified combat. Icewind Dale 2 is infinitely more complex in its mechanisms than chess, but it is still done with a professional quality.

IWD2 is the third computer game to implement the 3rd edition version of the 'Dungeons and Dragons' rules -- the first one being Pool of Radiance 2, which did an abysmal job, and the second one was Neverwinter Nights which did a much better job. IWD2, however, beats out both of them. The implementation of the 3e ruleset is not perfect (sneak attacks, attacks of opportunity, things like that are flawed if there at all) but it is the best thing out there at the time of publication. IWD2 contains a wide variety of feats for your characters to choose from, and skills such as Wilderness Lore actually have some use (at least here and there) and interaction skills (Bluff, Intimidate, etc.) can be used to steer conversations down other paths -- although within the confines of the caveats given before, the conversations don't really matter much in the end.

The story is lengthy, but fairly decent -- it keeps you immersed throughout, although there are a few areas that get tedious. But for the most part, the locales and terrains vary enough, and the goals and plots shift enough, to keep you interested. The villains are on the shallow end, as is to be expected from a hack and slash game, but the main villains at least have been given a quasi-plausible motivation that the heroes, given a less strained situation, might even agree with. Kudos for that.

I, personally, can't play through the game more than once, but the game certainly was entertaining all through that first time. I do consider it worth the money I paid, and I can even recoup some of that money by selling the game onwards now that I'm done with seeing the story through. If you like fantasy RPGs, and don't mind a game that is 90% combat and 10% story, then I can warmly recommend Icewind Dale 2.

Rating:
Summary: both better and worse than the first one
Review: The first game was all combat and offered a nice challenge with nice moody 2D graphics. I really enjoyed building up the team and not playing just one character. This time around far too many of the maps are just long non-descript paths where you must fight from one end of the map to the other. ONe location (the ice palace) you play thru twice and it was tedious the first time. The game-makers were looking to make the game longer the easy way and I felt I was being lead by the nose thru the entire game.

Rating:
Summary: Icewind Dale II - Great Addition to the Baldur's Gate Series
Review: This is a 3rd person RPG, well written, long, and detailed. You are not saving the multi-verse from the Prince of Darkness (again), you are a band of mercenaries, hopefully doing some good, while helping out some regular folks with some regular bad guys, and making a living at it. I found it easy to buy in and connect with them. The character pic's and backgrounds make this game feel more like the middle ages than other games of this type do. The fight system is mature and works well in either turn-based or real-time mode. I found no bugs worth mentioning in the code, but I always recommend loading an existing patch before playing. I'm a D&D fan, and this game is a good addition to games of the genre. 5 stars. I'll play this game again.

Rating:
Summary: The Best One Yet!
Review: I have played Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn with Throne of Bhaal, and the original Icewind Dale with Heart of Winter and Trials of the Luremaster. I would have to say that Icewind Dale II tops them both. It is not really fair to compare the Icewind Dale Series to the Baldur's Gate series because they both were designed to give the player a different experience and roleplaying feel. Both do an extraordinary job on what they set out to do though. One action and the other plot. I am very satisfied with the last of the Infinity Engine games. My two wants were fully fufilled: more monsters, spells, and the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. If you play DnD computer games at all, you owe it to yourself to buy Icewind Dale II.

Rating:
Summary: If you''ve played Baldur's Gate, you'd be crazy not to buy!
Review: So far, IWD 2 is the best game out for 3rd Edition rules. It also has some great quests and story elements as well as excellent voice acting on the part of NPC's and Player soundlists.(unlike most games these days).
Some people are saying it is a hard game, but only if you let it be. The "Favored Class" is not always a best choice for certain races. For instance, Wild Elves are dumb as rocks and don't make good sorcerers because of thier lack of skills(arkana ect.) and thier normal human level charisma.(you can always multi-class them as rogues though) Aasimars(if spelled right) make excellent sorcerers, however because of the 20 charisma(you can add points at higher levels). Give'em Snake's blood too.
On the Paladin of the Helm(one of my favorite classes) you can actually specialize in a wheapon like the bastard sword if you have gained four levels of Fighter. Add to that focus on a Greatsword and sprinkle on Fiendslayer and Heritic's bane and you have a pretty powerful character who can heal and dish(more at dish) at phenominal rates. What use is the fighter you ask, well, fighters gain feats more often(quite a bit more)than paladins and you don't have to pump points into charisma.(and they can be any alighnment) I usually have at least one fighter along with the Paladin and a Barbarian too. For those of you who don't like Specializing Paladins, too friggen bad! That's your opinion and that's all it is. I, for one hope the Helm rules remain. Onward The Helm! Elven Clerics are as effective at fighting as Paladins(non Helm) but nooo! nobody is complaining about them. That is another thing, an elevan Cleric will lesson your reload times as well, healing and dishing. The rules are great, but you need loop-holes for creativity and that is what 3rd Ed has!
Specifically, IWD2 is about goblin slaying,(my kindom for a shield dwarf!) but thier are more powerfull foes after Targos. The sub-plotted quests are there, but not the pointless give the bag of sugar to the miller type like in Baldur's Gate and other games. A guide can make your trip through areas much quicker if you ask for help in your arrand-boy stuff.
If you want a good single player game with 3rd ED rules, this is it. If you want to play with your next door neighbors(and across the street) this is perfect, if you want to chat about nothing with complete strangers all over the world, look elsewhere. I rate this game and the 3RD ED rules ***** and nothing less. 3rd Edition Rules Rules!

This review is for the Collector's Edition of Icewind Dale II which is escentially the same with some nice extra stuff and a CD with added gameplay elements.(The Sword of_insert your name here_ and others)