Devotees to Interplay's RPG division, Black Isle Studios, may recall their previous work on the now classic CRPG, Planescape: Torment. Whereas Planescape: Torment had its main character wandering into situations that were odd even for an RPG, Icewind Dale returns us to a more familiar fantasy oriented setting. Once again the Bioware Infinity Engine is utilized to bring the Forgotten Realms to life. Unlike Baldur's Gate however; Icewind Dale trades the balmy climate of the southern region of the Sword Coast for the craggy, windswept mountains of the Spine of the World.

Our adventure begins in one of the ten towns of Icewind Dale. A small fishing village known as Easthaven. Weary from the journey north, our heroes decide to stop by the local tavern when almost instantly, they are accosted by a warrior who introduces himself as Hrothgar. After performing several minor quests, Hrothgar invites the party to an expedition heading towards the nearby town of Kuldahar. Apparently Kuldahar is in dire trouble and terribly in need of any assistance. In typical RPG fashion, the expedition turns out to be a dismal failure when an unexpected avalanche crashes down on the would-be heroes. The only survivors turn out to be members of the player's party. After trekking to Kuldahar the plot begins to gradually unfold. The source of the evil plaguing the town will lead us deep into hidden crypts, fiery caverns, and massive snowdrifts.

Icewind Dale's biggest flaw is without a doubt its less than stellar storyline. I knew going into this that Icewind Dale would be primarily a dungeon crawl and not a story driven RPG. However, that doesn't mean that I will be lenient in regards to the quality of the story. For the most part Icewind Dale suffers from a quest that is far too linear. A good portion of the game has the party travel from dungeon to dungeon with an occasional stop at Kuldahar to plan the next objective. I spent more time meeting new and interesting monsters to chop up than people to chat up. After the incredible plot in Planescape: Torment I expected more. Constant action has its benefits. I was rarely bored with the on screen action; which is always a good thing. However, the lack of a solid base in the storyline gave the combat little purpose beyond kill or be killed.

Graphically speaking, Icewind Dale shares much in common with its Infinity Engine brethren - perhaps too much. 2D images are still the rule of the day. While these graphics may have been impressive a few years ago when Baldur's Gate captivated the masses, I couldn't help but feel that they appeared dated when compared to many of today's flamboyant PC titles. The animations for each of the character avatars were stiff, choppy and out of place. This is most likely because each avatar was recycled from Baldur's Gate. The same problem loomed over any other recycled image maps as well. Townsfolk, wolves, ogres, and skeletons fell prey to these shortcomings. However, whenever I ran into any goblins, giants, salamanders, or any other new monster, the animation was incredibly smooth. It was as if they were from an entirely different game. This disparity in the graphics really detracted from the experience.

Backgrounds on the other hand were consistent throughout the game. Every area had unique vibes to it. There were also little touches everywhere. The backgrounds' only flaw was that they were at times very static. Spell effects are a mixed bag. A few of the old staples are redrawn; other spells are all new. Never did they dazzle like the magic in Planescape: Torment, but they were a marked improvement from Baldur's Gate. Black Isle did include 3D effects for magic if you have a decent video card. Unfortunately this isn't officially supported and is therefore prevalent to bugs.

Despite the slightly dated graphics, Icewind Dale's presentation is above average. The opening cinematic is accompanied by a nicely voiced narrative, clearly explaining the events that precede the current plotline. These cinemas appear throughout the game, giving Icewind Dale a storybook touch for important events. Also of note are the amazing portraits used to represent each party member. Every portrait exemplifies meticulous work with detail; truly immersing us in this world in a way conventional graphics never could.

However, as nice as the artwork is; the key strength in Icewind Dale's presentation is the noteworthy music. Granted, music only graces us with its presence during key moments in the adventure, but when it does it is truly a surreal experience. Wandering around the hamlet of Easthaven alone showcases a piece of music worthy of an epic movie score. It is truly a pity so much of the exploration takes place in total silence. Sound effects are also a treat for the ear. Swords clang, maces wham, and the arcane musings of a mage or priest just feel appropriate.

Sound in Icewind Dale would have received a near perfect score if it wasn't stymied by one thing - horrible voice selections. With the exception of one sound set the voice choices for a character are horrid. They range from exceptionally corny to downright laughable. I'm personally very thankful Black Isle Studios saw fit to allow us to include our own recorded sound sets if desired.

Control should be immediately recognizable to Baldur's Gate veterans as it is nearly identical. The party can be easily controlled with a few simple mouse clicks. All the stat screens, player actions, and dialogue windows are readily accessible to the initiated. Control had only one significant flaw, and that is the sheer learning curve for anyone not familiar with the Infinity Engine. Icewind Dale is not a game you will be able to play effectively without either a ton of experimentation, or at least a skim through the manual. This alone may make the title a less enticing purchase for those who like trying a game right out of the box.

On to the issue of gameplay, Icewind Dale is the closest representation of pen and paper AD&D Second Edition rules so far. While the original Baldur's Gate covered a lot considering it was the pioneer of AD&D's revival on the PC, Icewind Dale does an even better job of bringing the experience to life. Aspects like racial to hit bonuses, penalties, and small touches added to spells have been implemented. For example, the shield spell can now absorb magic missles. Try that stunt in Baldur's Gate and you are in for a world of hurt. Good and evil is also a unique personality choice now. Black Isle has included weapons and armor that can only be used by those with a far from altruistic slant. Even the dialogue responses for an evil aligned character vary from those pure of heart. Not since Planescape: Torment and the Fallout series has playing the scum of the world been so enjoyable.

Character creation in Icewind Dale is the similar to Baldur's Gate, but with a new twist. Your entire party is created from scratch. There are added weapon proficiencies now that certain weapons are no longer under one category, so which arms you choose to fight with is more crucial than ever. Choices like what race, class, and alignment must still be made by the player. However, since now the whole party is created at the start it is imperative that a balanced party is made. A fighter isn't much without a cleric to back her up. A lack of a thief makes you vulnerable to traps, and no mage present means you may not be able to tackle certain monsters. Of course the choice of whom you need in your party is up to you, but don't be surprised if a party of six fighters doesn't tear up everything in their path.

Combat in Icewind Dale functions using a real time battle system that allows the player to boss his party around at will with quick mouse clicks. In order to make it easier to monitor the entire party however, a nifty pause feature is included to stop the action at any time. Are those trolls working their way around your front line fighters to your mage? Meanwhile, are a few spiders trying to overwhelm your bard and kill him off? How on earth can you safely maneuver both your frail mage, and your aloof bard in time to avoid danger simultaneously? Simply click the pause button and set up a new plan of action without any worries. While this engine may sound less than complex at first, later on the action gets so thick that I considered it a godsend. The pause feature also adds an unparalleled depth of strategy that becomes increasingly necessary as the game treads on. Every battle can be perfectly calculated for maximum efficiency. If charging monsters head on in a bloody mess is your idea of fun, look elsewhere as Icewind Dale has very few encounters of that nature.

If you find yourself needing a CRPG to fill the void while waiting for the release of Baldur's Gate II, give Icewind Dale a spin. Sure the game is a little combat heavy and has its share of flaws, but rarely is an RPG able to enthrall one the way this little gem can. It amazes me that Black Isle Studios began developing this game from scratch only about a year ago. I can only imagine the masterpiece they could create with a bigger development cycle. Until that happens look no further than Icewind Dale. It will not disappoint you.