The classic
Infinity engine retires in style with Icewind Dale II, the sequel to the
original AD&D hack-and-slash adventure. Thirty years have passed, and
the events of the first instalment have begun receding into legend,
taking their place in the story-rich history of the Spine of the World
mountains. Your band of humble mercenaries, interested in adding their
own names to the tales of heroic valor, comes to Targos to help disburse
a goblin siege. In the process they unwittingly step into the middle of
a conflict between freaks and normals that threatens to destroy the Ten
Towns for humanoids everywhere.
Icewind Dale
IIs story is even more epic than the first, covering more terrain with
a broader scope. Black Isle reports that the sequel is bigger than the
original and both its add-ons combinedthis game will keep you busy for
a long time. However, dont be surprised by an occasional feeling of
deja-vu. There are definitely some familiar elements in IWD II.
The
Infinity engine still operates pretty much the same way it always has,
though it hasnt aged well. Standing IWD II beside this seasons other
mammoth RPG Neverwinter Nights is like comparing a Honda Civic to a
Ferrari: they both get to more or less the same place, but one drive is
noticeably sleeker and more stylish. The Infinity engine just cant
support the kinds of animations IWD IIs storyline asks of it, so that
brewing a potion or poisoning a water supply looks a lot like picking up
treasure or visiting a store.
In the end,
however, this is a minor drawback to a relatively great game. The most
important change IWD II brings to the table is its use of third edition
rules. The new rules open a long list of freedoms to players, allowing
wizards to wear plate male or clerics to pick locks. Particularly
notable is the Feats system, which offers a long list of skills to
characters as they get more powerfulwhen the air sizzles with lightning
and the ozone stench of magic missiles, the spells can penetrate further
or, with spell focus, gouge deeper. A fighter can pound his sword harder
with a power strike, or a thief can emerge from the shadows and neatly
cripple an enemys hamstring. Characters begin with less potential for
superhuman strength or intelligence, but regular attribute points get
them to superhero status in no time. And without a noticeable experience
cap, wizards and clerics have a fine selection of powerful ninth level
spells at their disposal, while fighters can become truly legendary
warriors.
And those
spells and hacking swords look just like you remember thempretty but
not gorgeous. If the graphics are standard, however, there are other
refinements this time around. A noticeably larger number of characters
are given a voice, and as usual with a Black Isle studios game, the
voice acting is exemplary. The storyline is richer as well, leading
characters through both familiar haunts and exotic locales, with plenty
of puzzles to solve and major battles to wade through. Also on offer are
invaluable carrying aids like gem bags, scroll cases, potion satchels,
and bags of holding that can actually hold loot. Even with all this
added space, characters backpacks will burst with a diverse array of
powerful weapons, armor, talismans, girdles, bracers, and rings. Behind
most items is a story worth reading, making IWD II one of the most
narrative rich games Ive encountered. To be a traveler through this
world is to happily lose ones way, both dallying in the details and
taking in the enormous snow-swept spectacle.
The
six-character-party system in IWD II is a nice counterpoint to
Neverwinter Nights single character focus, allowing players access to
an assortment of specific abilities. However, this larger number of
characters diffuses some qualities of the role-playing
experiencetheres no main character with whom to identify, no singular
personality to cultivate. Thus, the role a player inhabits in this
role-playing game is more coach than player, ordering all characters
around equally instead of inhabiting a single character who commands a
party of NPCs, as in Planescape: Torment or Neverwinter Nights. Its by
no means an inferior role-playing experience, offering as it does a fine
sense of detachment or, conversely, the chance to cultivate a group
rather than individual personalityjust a different one. This point
doesnt necessarily apply to the multiplayer experience, which offers
support for up to six players, so that each can truly play her or his
own character.
If you have
plenty of time and concentration to give it, Icewind Dale II will reward
your attention with an engrossing story, challenging puzzles, a richly
furnished world, and plenty of hard battles to strategically wind
through. Its morally complex conflict also promises to satisfy, allowing
you the freedom to remain an indifferent sellsword, become an arm of
evil, or declare yourself a defender of righteousness. If youre a fan
of the genre or interested in getting started, if youre familiar with
the first instalment or were just intrigued by your friends
descriptions of it, you can trust Icewind Dale II to sit you down, open
its world, and tell you the best kind of storyone in which the main
character is you.