Customer Reviews

Icewind Dale: The Ultimate Collection

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've decided to buy this collection after a reading a lot of reviews from different websites. But none of them are very clear about the contents of the package, so here is the contents of the package

1.Icewind Dale (2 CD's)
2.Icewind Dale Expansion Heart of Winter (1CD)
3.Icewind Dale II (2 CD's)
4.Icewind Dale soundtrack
5.Icewind Dale II bonus disk
6.Icewind dale strategy guides, trailer of IWD II

This package is well worth the purchase, u get a series of one of the best selling game, developed by pioneers who have also developed games like Fallout series, BG1 abd BG2.

The graphics are great, they look bright and crisp. The soundtrack is great and suits well with the ambience, u really feel the snow falling and the cold weather.

The gameplay is fun, it is more like a hack n slash game, i'm a greatest fan of diablo series, so i love this game as well. To put it in a nut shell, this game is Hack n slash with D&D rules. If u like diablo u will certainly like this. Baldurs gate fans will slightly get disappointed with the game play. Charecter creation is great, this game allows dual class charecters, so it adds more fun to gameplay. My only complaint is, there is no interation within r party members, but this doesn't affect the gameplay experience.

Overall if u ever have a thought of getting this game and don't know whether its worth the money, the answer is plainly, a best value for r money!

Pros:
1. Character creation is fun, detailed and basically unmatched by any game on the market, much better than the NWN creation system.
2. Graphic is beautiful, but if you are expecting fully 3D environment, you will be disappointed.
3. Music is just awesome.
4. Did I mention Character Creation is FUN! Playing your custom made party is a very satisfying experience. Any kind of team is playable, You can solo the game too if you like.

Cons:
1. Does not feature 3D environment like NWN
2. Gameplay is linear, but I didn't care as the point of my game is to develope my character.

I have played all the rpgs, Baldur's Gate, NWN, Dungeon Siege, Final Fantasy, TOEE, etc.

And I have to say, that stumbling upon Icewind Dale 2 was a real treat..

Sure the graphics are dated, but WOW..the storyline, the dialogue, the descriptions of the rooms and actions are all incredibly well written (A breath of fresh air, after playing DS). The quests don't get in the way of the game, like so many others that get bogged down in annoying side-quests as a lame attempt to flesh out the world. I would have prefered the game to be turn based like TOEE, but this game's battles are numerous and really fun; partially to good monster design..compare bugbears in this game to NWN..so much better, and partially to the unforgettable situations and dungeons.

When pitted against other D&D ruleset games, the spell choices offered and levels they are given at is superior to all others. I actually enjoyed having a Druid in my party, who could transform his arms into pythons, and for the first time in CRPG history actually used summon animals spells. Even if many spells were simular to other games, these felt more tailored to the characters and made useful, instead of waiting till higher levels to get one useful spell.

My favorite part is that I could handpick my team, where as in Baldur's Gate I was forced to play with characters I didn't like, or NWN where it was removed and tedious to interact with henchmen.
I enjoyed RPing the characters backgrounds, and interactions in my head, and really enjoyed finding the treasure, unique to IWD2, like a wide variety of cut gems. (which became an addiction)

If you updated this game graphically to the level of TOEE, and made it Turn Based with battle tactics, It would be my all time favorite RPG.

I have played D and D since college, and Icewind Dale is the closest experience to a D&D game I have had in 20 years. The characters are developable and fun, the game is challlenging and forgiving, and this package contains the strategy guides. If you are like me, and have a life outside of gaming--GET THE STRATEGY GUIDE! It makes the game SO much more playable. I have just started the HOW module, and it is good.

ENOY!

I was inspired to write this after a review for the Icewind Dale Collection (thank you!). When I pre-ordered it, there was no information regarding the contents of THIS package on the Amazon site, only the Regular complete collection, so I looked around for these missing details.
According to the Interplay Store, this package, differing from the Icewind Dale Collection, includes:

"Icewind Dale ™,
Icewind Dale ™: Heart of Winter,
Icewind Dale ™II,
The soundtrack for Icewind Dale,
Bonus CDs, including Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter strategy guides, an additional level, and a set of 4 character portraits from Icewind Dale II."

The game play is much the same as that of the Baldur's Gate Series, with minor helpful additions, like being able to right-click on any quick slot to get a spell/item shortcut, and then right-clicking on the quick button you want, and then right-clicking once again on the item you wish to place there. One drawback is that this selects the item or activates the spell. A handy way to deactivate this is to right click just ONE more time!
The character portraits are simply gorgeous, and the paper-doll views more traditional (I did not enjoy the cartoony ones in BG2). I love that the player can put 4 sets of weapons into the weapons slots, and can have a bow equipped in one set and have a sword and shield in the next set. Not realistic, but if we imagine that items are strapped to the sides of the characters, it's more believable.
Very fun to play. Good story line so far.

Great game, very enjoyable with many features. Character creation is awesome, with good implementation of D&D guidelines. Lots of fun to play, very lengthy. The replay value is raised by the amazing variety of choices during character creation. I had no technical issues with the game running Windows XP with a 2.4 ghz, 256mb ram, and 64mb video card.

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. 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. This game is true to the D&D rules and lore as well. The storyline is incredible, and the controls are fantastic.

I only wish I had the time to play it again.......

Overall = Superb

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. I had just polished off the excellent BALDUR's GATE and the incomparable PLANESCAPE: TORMENT. 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. The storyline was nothing to complain about - after all, any story set in "the spine of the world" can hardly go wrong! 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. 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. Little did I know at the time how far into hell greed would drive the gaming industry. 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. I remember spending endless hours with the sequel and can compare it to the original BALDUR's GATE.

RECOMMENDED.

1# game Is great, you get to save the north from a demon.
There is truble in a small village. And you are hired as mercenaries to help get rid of the things that are trubeling this place.

The adventure will be fun, interesting and surpricing, you will not be bored for a minute.

The game is developed as Baldurs Gate, and is played the same way.
- with small characters, and a camera in a *bird perspectiv*.


2# game is an expension pack, and is a no brainer, if you are a full time gamer you will most likely win it in a day.

3# game, there have been few times when I have been amazed by the adventure and history in a game, but this was just amazing, you start to think that it will never end (and I mean that in a good way)
You will always have something to do, and the exitment factor is so thrilling!!!

This game pick up the ends from the first Icewind Dale, and now there are new races to pick in your pack of characters, like the drow who are my favorit!

A great triology, I will really reconmend it!!!!!!!!

HAVE FUN!!!

This game is not attempting to do anything but let you gather up a bunch of heroes, set out on an epic adventure, while exploring fantastic dungeons, caves, ruins, and finding cool stuff to kill big ogres with. If you are dying to play an engrossing story driven RPG that makes you feel all warm and cuddly inside, or makes you tear up, and then causes you to spend hours thinking about the characters and growing attached to them, then don't play this game. Just forget it.

If you are dying to play an adventure full of heroic deeds being accomplished simply because you are a group of awesome adventurers who can capably handle a 5 foot long sword, then this game is for you!

Aside from this the game is incredibly well balanced, highly tactical, elegantly produced, perfectly paced, has wonderful music, and a dragon.

Actually I'm not sure there is a dragon as I'm only 25 hours in but I'm counting on it. It's an adventure! How could have an adventure with no dragon?!

So, in closing, if you have been playing a lot of newer RPGs and you constantly find yourself asking yourself, "Why are they talking so much!" then this is your game!

As a disclaimer: I love Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate and all the things their made up character say.