The Wicked Wench crawls into the port of Targos carrying a precious cargo – adventurers, or mercenaries, if you prefer. The town is under siege by goblins, and few ships are making port. It is a perilous time.

The adventurers land without much in the way of weapons. But there are some dead goblins about, their armament lying on the ground for any eager scavenger to claim. There is little time to sightsee for quests are laid before you, and battle is imminent.

Icewind Dale II wastes little time in pulling players into the game. This game, a PC release from Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay, throws you right into the action. It is a good thing that the game has features which will enable you to contemplate your moves before being knee-deep in goblin warriors.

However the game does have a few minor problems that can raise the hackles of players who don’t save often enough. There are those who believe that if you save regularly, you are cheating yourself of the thrill of challenging the game. But early in the prologue to the game, you can enter the house of Firtha Kerlos, the mother of the captain of the Wicked Wench. Her house is crawling with cats. One of the adventurers approached Firtha to engage in conversation. A cat walked up behind the adventurer on a plank. The cat wouldn’t move and the adventurer was stuck. Couldn’t go forward because of Firtha, and couldn’t move back off the plank because of the cat.

There were three options: abandon the adventurer, kill everything in the room so the adventurer could leave, or reload a saved game. Not a good thing.

This is a game of intrigue, exploration, quests and combat. And even with the little annoyances, this is still a game that will suck in RPG fans, and give them plenty of challenge.

The look of the game is two-dimensional with a fixed camera view. That can pose some challenges, especially when the pause button is activated and you are sorting through your adventurers and assigning which character attacks which enemy in close quarters.

However, the spell effects, character portraits, and environments are beautiful – lush, colorful and richly textured, they are a treat for the eyes.

The sound of the game is equally amazing. The vocal acting is superb, and while not every conversation is tracked, the quality of what is there makes this a joy. Be forewarned, you will do a lot of reading.

Icewind Dale refers to the land, which is the northern part of Faerun, which is part of the Forgotten Realms (for those who have been playing Neverwinter Nights, you’ll recognize Luskan as being the point of origin for the adventurers coming to Targos). The goblins are attacking towns throughout the region, and not only are their numbers impressive, but they seem to be more organized than ever before. Your adventurers will have to find out what or who is behind this whole mess.

The game tracks through six rich chapters, with increasing difficulty each step of the way. Of course, there are several difficulty levels for the game, and you can tailor the experience in numerous ways.

The original Icewind Dale had a reduced main screen simply because there were interface panels along the sides and bottoms. Icewind Dale II has eliminated the side panels and put one simple panel along the bottom of the screen. You can, of course, open the character frames and inventories with simple clicks. If you have had experience with the Baldur’s Gate series, or even Neverwinter Nights (this game uses BioWare’s Infinity Engine), you will recognize the interface and hot keys will be somewhat intuitive.

The game also features a rich options package. You can create your own party, or jump right in and use one of the pre-made groups. The adventurers all start at level one and are poorly armed. There is the usual assortment of character classes, and the game uses the 3rd Edition Dungeon and Dragons ruleset.

Icewind Dale II is a joy to look at. It features stunning graphics, terrific audio and a rich storyline. This is a wonderful game.

This program is rated Teen for blood, mild language and use of alcohol.

Gameplay: 8.3
The combat is interrupted for strategic alignment, but should you choose to keep your fingers off the pause key, your characters will intuitively attack the nearest foe. The game does transition well from one chapter to the next. The load times seem quick.

Graphics: 9
The environments are rich in texture and wonderful to look at. The animation is solid and the spell effects are well done.

Sound: 9
The audio track of the game is also very well done. The vocal acting is excellent.

Difficulty: Medium
For those who have never experienced this type of game before, you will probably have to allow about 45 minutes to get a solid feel for the game. You can adjust the difficulty level to tailor the experience, and you can turn the party AI on or off.

Concept: 9
The storyline is well done, and the improvements to the game interface make for a more enjoyable experience.

Multiplayer: 9
The game is supported through GameSpy and the multiplayer game is identical to the single player game as far as the storyline is concerned. The main difference is that each of the characters in the multiplayer outing is a human.

Overall: 9
The stalled character in the prologue was frustrating. That aside, even though this is a two-dimensional game, it boasts an amazing look. The interface is very player-friendly, and the game moves along at a terrific pace. Icewind Dale was a good game. Icewind Dale II is a better game.