My Adventures in the North Country
(A review of Icewind Dale 2)
as told by Wulfgar
This is a fun and challenging game. You can build your own party of 6 or use one that is pre-made. The game is similar to other RPG's in control of your group and it's interface. You can stop the action in battle, which is a big help later in the game. You can start out in Targos, a town being attacked by forces of darkness (what else). In this case "Goblins".
This & the next battle are just to get you warmed up & familiar with the game workings. You have the usual assortment of side quest, which will help with XP& in giving a better feel for the storyline. The hardest part here is defending the walls. When the battle starts you have to defeat 3 separate groups of enemies who come in as each previous group is beaten. Just a taste of things too come. After getting your just rewards its off to the next section & it just gets harder as you progress. After chapter 3 they just get nastier, in terms of amount of enemy swarms & their levels. Saving your game a lot is a smart move. By chapters 5&6 insanity is a good description of what you are facing.
The AI is for the most part excellent. You can still sucker them into 1 vs. 1, but doesn't always work especially on higher level enemies. Archers & Spellcasters are real good at finding protection & sniping you. The casters like to cast summoning & fear or holding spells, so what started out as a simple battle gets confusing real fast. The Golems seem a lot tougher than in other games (BALDUR). That's just a small hint of what awaits you who are Brave or Foolhardy enough to venture into this hostile land.
Just 1 thing really bothered me, that was the trip through The Fell Wood. Constantly got lost (had 2 resort 2 the forums 4 that 1). I thought it took from the flow of the game.
A question for developers of this type of game, why can't we get the level of party interaction that we got in the "Baldur" series. I miss those times in the graveyard with Viconia, finally breaking through to Jaharia.
Just seemed more of a fun experience & cared more if something happened to any party member.
Still IwD2 was a fun game & kept my interest throughout. Except 4 FellWood. Hope there are more in the series planned.
Well off to gather some Dragon treasure (wish they brushed their teeth more)
- Wulfgar
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My Adventures in the North Country