Icewind Dale II is a role-playing video game created by Black Isle Studios and released by Interplay Entertainment on August 27, 2002. The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms fantasy world, specifically in the Icewind Dale region, just like its earlier version from 2000. Players control a group of mercenaries fighting in a war between the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale and a group of races and religions that are being mistreated.
The game is designed to focus more on action than exploration or storytelling, compared to other games using the Infinity Engine. It uses a real-time version of the rules from the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). The Infinity Engine was changed to work with these rules, but some rules had to be removed because the engine was not up-to-date. This was the last game made with the Infinity Engine.
Critics gave the game good reviews, saying the combat, pacing, and use of the D&D third edition rules were strong. However, some reviewers noted that the graphics and engine were not as modern as other games from the same time.
Gameplay
Icewind Dale II is a game based on the rules from D&D Third Edition but plays in real time. The game uses a 3D-like view from above, and a screen at the bottom shows important information, such as a map and a journal that keeps track of quests and events. Players use a mouse to click on the screen to move characters or talk to non-player characters (NPCs). When talking to NPCs, players choose from multiple dialogue options. The game world is divided into maps that are hidden by fog of war and become visible as you explore. A multiplayer mode allows up to six players to play together on a local network or the internet. A "Heart of Fury" mode increases the game's difficulty and includes stronger items. The game includes more than 700 items, and a system randomly assigns items from enemies to players.
At the start of the game, players can choose to use a pre-made group of characters or create a group of up to six characters. Unlike other games in the Baldur's Gate series, Icewind Dale II does not let players bring characters from previous games. When creating characters, players select traits such as gender, race, class, alignment, and abilities. Some races or classes have specific types, like Deep Gnome or Cleric of Ilmater. A character's race, alignment, and abilities influence dialogue choices and how NPCs respond. For example, some NPCs may not like certain races, or characters with low intelligence scores have fewer dialogue options. Some races in the game are stronger than standard D&D races but require more experience points to level up. Characters can reach a maximum level of thirty. Additional characters can join the group at any time, even during battles.
The game focuses on combat. The combat system is based on the turn-based rules from D&D Third Edition but plays in real time. Some features, like "attacks of opportunity," were removed. The game simulates dice rolls instead of using physical dice. Instead of turn-based rounds, each character has their own time to act, depending on how long the action takes. Players can pause the game at any time to give commands to characters. Each character can carry a limited number of items.
Plot
Icewind Dale II is set in the Forgotten Realms D&D campaign world, on the continent of Faerûn. The story takes place in the northern region of Icewind Dale, thirty years after the original game. The game begins in Targos, one of the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale, which is attacked by a goblin army. The goblins are led by the Legion of the Chimera, a group made up of outcast races and religious groups, including goblinoids, half-breeds, and followers of the winter goddess Auril. Targos hires mercenaries to protect the town. Key areas in the game include the Black Raven Monastery, built above an entrance to the Underdark; Kuldahar, a town built around a magical tree that gives off warmth; the Severed Hand, an ancient elven fortress lost during a war with goblinoids; and the Dragon's Eye, a network of volcanic caverns inhabited by yuan-ti. Other locations include the Underdark and the Jungles of Chult.
The game starts when the player’s group of mercenaries arrives by ship to defend Targos. They report to the town’s defenses and fight off the goblin attack. Afterward, the mayor of Targos orders them to attack the goblin army. The group kills the army’s leader and learns he was controlled by a woman named Sherincal. When they return to Targos, the mayor tells them to meet reinforcements from Neverwinter. The group travels to meet them in an airship piloted by Oswald Fiddlebender.
A storm causes the ship to crash, and the group wakes up to find a glacier blocking the path to the reinforcements. While exploring the glacier, they find Sherincal, a half-dragon, guarding the entrance to an Aurilite temple. They learn Sherincal leads the Legion of the Chimera’s western forces, and the leaders of the Legion, two cambion twins named Isair and Madae, live in the Severed Hand. Inside the Aurilite temple, the group meets a prisoner from Kuldahar, who asks them to warn Kuldahar about the Legion of the Chimera. The group then creates a path through the glacier and meets the reinforcements.
As the group travels to Kuldahar, they meet a drow (dark elf) named Nym, who tells them the path to Kuldahar is blocked by the Legion of the Chimera and that an alternate route through the Underdark exists. Later, Isair and Madae find the group using information from Nym. They warn the group not to interfere with their plan to attack Kuldahar. The group then travels through the Black Raven Monastery to enter the Underdark. After leaving the Underdark, they are flown to Kuldahar by Oswald Fiddlebender.
When the group arrives in Kuldahar, they find it has been invaded by the Legion of the Chimera. They meet the Archdruid of Kuldahar, who tells them a portal has been opened to allow yuan-ti from the Jungles of Chult to attack Kuldahar. After stopping the attack, the Archdruid tells them they can reach the Severed Hand through an exit on the bottom floor of the Dragon’s Eye. The group travels through the Dragon’s Eye and goes to the Severed Hand. Inside, they learn the war between the Ten Towns and the Legion of the Chimera was started by the mayor of Bryn Shander, who sent poisoned food to Isair and Madae. They also discover a mythal placed on the Severed Hand has been corrupted, and the fortress will be moved to the plane of limbo. Eventually, the group finds and kills Isair and Madae.
Development
In the summer of 2001, Black Isle Studios had three development teams working on different projects. These teams included the Icewind Dale team, the team working on a game called Torn, and a team working on a project that had not yet been announced. Before and during the development of Torn, some members of that team wanted to create another game using the Infinity Engine. The team was not told about Black Isle Studios’ decision to make Icewind Dale II until Torn was canceled. Lead designer J. E. Sawyer explained: "I was not told about the decision to make Icewind Dale II until Torn was canceled. I learned about it on a Wednesday afternoon, and Feargus Urquhart asked me to work with Steve Bokkes to create a story and area overview by Thursday afternoon. Steve and I discussed the project for the rest of the day. I worked on the overviews that night and the next day. I turned in the documents, and after a Friday meeting, the project began." During this time, Interplay Entertainment relied on Black Isle Studios’ games to help with financial problems, which created pressure to release games quickly. The decision to develop Icewind Dale II was partly based on the success of the original Icewind Dale and the teams’ ability to create a game using the Infinity Engine quickly. Sawyer said: "The reasons for making Icewind Dale II were about limiting risks and increasing the chances of making a popular game." Planning for Icewind Dale II happened during the development of Icewind Dale expansions, and production started in late July 2001, shortly after Icewind Dale: Trials of the Luremaster was completed. After six months of development, Icewind Dale II was officially announced on February 4, 2002.
Icewind Dale II was originally planned to be a partial conversion to the D&D Third Edition ruleset, with some rules left out. A system called the "kit system," introduced in Baldur’s Gate 2, was considered for use but later abandoned. Sawyer and others on the team pushed to fully convert the game to Third Edition. The team was given extra time to complete the conversion. The Infinity Engine needed major changes to work with Third Edition rules because it was originally designed for Second Edition. Some rules were removed due to technical issues. The game’s interface was redesigned, and all-new artwork was created. New item and spell icons were added, with spell icons designed by Brian Menze, who had previously worked on Planescape: Torment. Jason Manley, the artist for earlier Icewind Dale games, left Black Isle Studios in late 2001, but some of his artwork was later used in Icewind Dale II. Artist Justin Sweet was asked to replace him. The game’s minimum resolution was increased to 800×600, with an unofficial maximum resolution of 2048×1536.
J. E. Sawyer oversaw the implementation of rules, but different areas of the game were divided among designers. For example, Chris Avellone created the opening sequence, Dave Maldonado developed the Black Raven Monastery and a large wilderness area, and John Deiley and Damien Foletto designed the ending areas. Later in development, Sawyer left the team to work on another project, and Maldonado and Avellone finished his areas. The developers wanted the game to include more non-combat elements, such as character interactions and puzzles, compared to the original Icewind Dale. This decision was influenced by the positive reception of puzzles in Icewind Dale: Trials of the Luremaster.
The game was completed on August 5, 2002, and released in North America on August 27 and in the United Kingdom on August 30. After its release, Sawyer said he was not happy with how the Icewind Dale series turned out, calling Heart of Winter "worse than my Icewind Dale work." He said Icewind Dale II "came out better than I expected, but still, not exactly awe-inspiring." Chris Avellone later said: "Icewind Dale was a fun series, but it didn’t try to set the bar for anything other than a fun romp. People may remember enjoying it, but it wasn’t trying to break any new ground or do anything revolutionary." A Collector’s Edition with bonus material, such as a full-color map and a soundtrack CD, was also released. Icewind Dale II was the last game made using the Infinity Engine.
The game’s music was composed by Inon Zur, who had previously worked on Baldur’s Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal and Fallout Tactics. Zur worked with Jeremy Soule, the composer for Icewind Dale, to keep the music’s tone consistent. He also collaborated with Interplay’s audio director, Adam Levenson, on earlier projects. Zur said: "I wrote and rewrote the main theme several times. We tried to create a piece that would preserve the sound of the first Icewind Dale while showing new elements." He described the process: "After learning the storyboard and getting input from producers, I start with a main melody or rhythm. Then I add accompaniment and orchestration, making sure each piece has its own unique flavor." Zur called the experience "pleasant" and "rewarding."
The music was composed in five weeks, and recording and mixing took three weeks. Because the budget was limited, a small orchestra in Los Angeles was used, and each instrument’s sound was doubled during production. Zur described the music as having "some uniqueness," with more instruments added throughout the game, such as flutes and percussion. He said: "We compared our work to big-budget film scores and were happy with the result." The game includes voice work from Gabrielle Carteris, Peter Stormare, and Grey DeLisle, among others.
Reception
Icewind Dale II reached number 6 on The NPD Group's weekly sales chart for computer games during the week of August 25–31, 2002, with an average retail price of $45. The game moved to fourth place the following week and left the top 10 in its third week. It was the 20th best-selling computer game in North America for August 2002 and the 14th best-selling for September. By August 2006, Icewind Dale II sold between 100,000 and 270,000 copies in the United States alone. Combined sales of the Icewind Dale franchise in the country reached 580,000 units by that date.
Most reviewers gave the game positive feedback. Game Informer called it "one of the best RPGs ever released for the PC," and GameSpot described it as "a great role-playing game." However, PC Format noted that the game was "uninspired" and "unspectacular." Some reviewers compared it to Neverwinter Nights. IGN said Icewind Dale II had "more varied pacing" and "better balance" than Neverwinter Nights, while Game Informer praised its interface as superior. PC Format and PC Zone said the game did not match the quality of Neverwinter Nights or Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
Many reviewers praised the game's combat and pacing. G4 called the combat "sublime" and said it had "the most interesting and intricate tactical combat" of any Infinity Engine game. GameSpot described the pacing as "expertly planned." PC Zone noted that some gameplay features, like the spell system, felt outdated. The game was also praised for using Third Edition rules and its interface. Computer Gaming World said the game "has the Third Edition rules down" and "character development" was especially well done. GameSpot and IGN said the interface was improved compared to earlier Infinity Engine games. Game Informer called the interface "inspired" and its inventory system "second to none."
Some reviewers criticized the game's graphics and engine, calling them outdated. G4 said the engine was "old" and "clunky," and PC Format called it "limited by the creaking engine." However, Game Informer and GameSpot praised the engine, with GameSpot saying the game "plays great" despite its age. Reviewers noted that while the graphics used the Infinity Engine's isometric style well, they also looked "dated." IGN said the animations were "crude" by modern standards, and New Straits Times compared the engine to newer games like Dungeon Siege and Neverwinter Nights. Computer Gaming World and Computer Games Magazine said the game's environments were "striking" and "immersive." The pre-rendered backgrounds were praised as "beautiful" by Game Informer and "attractive" by IGN. Many reviewers criticized the game's pathfinding AI, with PC Zone calling it "outrageously bad."
Reviewers praised the game's writing and story. Game Informer said the story was "on par with any fantasy novel," and PC Gamer called it "rich" and "engrossing." GameSpot said the story had "strong characters" and "serious themes," and PC Zone noted that the "excellent NPCs" added meaning to battles. PC Format said the story suffered from "anonymous central characters." Reviewers also praised the audio, with GameSpot saying the music was "fantastic" and the voice acting was "as great as expected" from Black Isle Studios. Computer Gaming World said the "sound effects, music, and voiceovers were all excellent."
Icewind Dale II was nominated for Computer Gaming World's 2002 "RPG of the Year" award, which went to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It was also nominated for PC Gamer US's "2002 Best Roleplaying Game" and The Electric Playground's "Best RPG for PC" awards, but lost both to Neverwinter Nights. Allen Rausch, writing for GameSpy's 2004 retrospective, said the game was "a terrific game" and "the Infinity engine's swan song."
Enhanced Edition
Other Infinity Engine games, such as Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, were remade into Enhanced Editions by Beamdog. Beamdog was unable to remake Icewind Dale II because the game's source code was lost. The Red Chimera Group, a team of modders, coders, artists, and other contributors from the Infinity Engine community, rebuilt Icewind Dale II and created an Enhanced Edition. This version includes simpler gameplay, an adjusted class system, and new content. The team used WeiDU, a program that helps develop, share, and install game changes for Infinity Engine games. The Enhanced Edition was released on November 4, 2023.