Icewind Dale II Preview at ActionTrip

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(Originally posted by Mollusken)

Still, even with all these novelties, all new levels, races and rules, Icewind Dale 2 wouldn't be what we want it to be without a thrilling and involving story. Some thirty years after the events depicted in the Heart of Winter, Ten-Towns gather mercenaries and adventurers, because of the increasing frequency of Goblin attacks on civilized territories and especially Targos. Some unknown force wants to destroy all good races in Icewind Dale, and it is up to you to get into the entire mess and find out who is responsible for it. Once you finish this part of the story, the game will unlock several new locations where you can look for the great finale (like in Baldur's Gate 2). Icewind Dale 2 will, unfortunately, be just as linear as its predecessor, but it will give you an insight into many new locations in Faerun. You will get a chance to wander around Underdark and meet all of its typical inhabitants like the Hook Horror (indestructible worm-like things) or Duergar and Drider (half-drow half-spider). You will get a chance to cut through the dense forests of Chulta, and run through Cold Marches and Fields of Slaughter. The very thought of all the locations covered in this game sends shivers down my spine.

The game should take about forty hours of quality gameplay, in case you decide to go straight through the main campaign. And if you decide to complete every single quest in the game, or turn the Heart of Fury mode on and go through the game again, you are looking at eighty hours of pure fun, provided by the guys who made Fallout with some fresh reinforcements.

All in all, Interplay never had to be ashamed of any of its AD&D RPGs, and being a game-master myself, I have to say that the quality of the descriptions and dialogues made Black Isle RPGs dangerously similar to the real thing. Icewind Dale 2 is scheduled for release in May 2002. I can hardly wait!

There's more to read and a few screenshots to see here.