|
Developer:
Black Isle Studios
Release Date: Out Now
Avg. Price: £22.99, $39.99
Hopes
where high for this game, after the huge success of Baldur's
Gate II, Icewind Dale II was hoped to be similar in depth
and game play. The worries were that it was going to be very
combat orientated, fighting the endless boring dungeons, as
in the first one. This how ever is not so, the character
interactions play a much greater role, although it is still
very combat heavy. Right from the beginning there are lots
of people to ask questions and gain information, where as in
the first one they would mutter the odd sentence then off to
send you off on a quest were you would go and kill, and kill
some more.
|
The story
revolves around a goblin invasion of the ten towns. It all
begins when they invade the town you are in at the time.
Throughout the game you will be taken from location to
location trying to repel the goblin hordes and bring peace
back to the world. During the game you will be bashing
goblins to bits, but this is about it, but with talking to
people all the time, all the battles and the killings have a
meaning and a storyline behind them. |
|
Icewind Dale II is an RPG
combat game, like Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment. You
command a ground for soldiers, witches and wizards, casting
spells to help you on your way.
Its a
little repetitive at the beginning and a bit of a chore,
having to fetch endless items and gather arrows for
soldiers. But stick with it and soon enough you will get to
the toe-to-toe combat, and carnage. Combat is pretty hard to
begin with, since your casters have very few spells at there
disposal, but as the game progresses your characters
increase in strength and become very powerful. Then you send
in you melee characters to keep the foe at bay while
your caster cast stun and sleep spells to make it easier for
your to win the battle.
Graphically this game isn't amazing, the engine is a little
dated, but for this sort of game you don't need and amazing
game engine, it doesn't need to look that good. In an RPG
you want story and content, and in Icewind Dale that is what
you get.
On the
music and sound side, all
The
controls for the game are fairly easy to get the hang of,
once you memories all the keyboard shortcuts your sorted. As
using the mouse for everything is to difficult, there is
generally just too much to do at once. but after you have
mastered the controls this is a very enjoyable and tactical
RPG.
Overall
Icewind Dale II is
nothing to write home about, its not the best RPG out there,
but it is most certainly not the worst. This well thought
out, and cleverly build game does the job and is and
essential for all RPG fans.
|
Graphics : |
7/10 |
| |
Not
brilliant graphics, but they are clear and you can see
what you are doing |
| |
|
|
Gameplay : |
9/10 |
| |
The
game play is very good, very gripping and in depth. |
| |
|
|
Sound & Music : |
8/10 |
| |
The
sound and music is good, its your typical RPG |
| |
|
|
Longevity : |
9/10 |
| |
This
game last as long as you make it last, but I can assure
you that you will be playing this for a while, and t
does have replay value. |
| |
|
|
Learning Curve : |
9/10 |
| |
It
takes some getting used to, and learning of controls,
but once you have got used to them they are very good. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Overall :
42/50
Black Isle
have done well in the second episode of Icewind
Dale. Most certainly a worthy RPG |
|
|
|
|
