Icewind Dale is a classic fantasy computer roleplaying game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment in 2000, featuring epic story, tactical combat, and party customization.
Icewind Dale is a classic fantasy computer roleplaying game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment in 2000. It utilizes the Infinity game engine which was created specifically for the critically acclaimed Planescape: Torment.
The game is set in Icewind Dale, a frozen area located in the Spine of the World mountain range in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The story follows a group of adventures who arrive at the remote fishing town of Easthaven and soon become embroiled in an epic struggle against an evil force that threatens the entire region.
Icewind Dale focuses heavily on combat tactics and party customization. Players create an entire party of up to six different characters and carefully build out their skills and abilities to survive the game's intense battles against monsters like frost giants, orcs, and goblins. The real-time combat allows for precise control of positioning and each character's actions.
While the story is more linear compared to contemporary cRPGs at the time which favored open-ended narratives, Icewind Dale excelled in providing rich tactical depth during combat scenarios. Its icy arctic setting was also praised for evoking a foreboding atmosphere and diverse locations to explore ranging from frozen tundras to sprawling dungeons.
Icewind Dale was very well-received upon release and is regarded as one of the best tactical party-based computer RPGs. Its emphasis on combat and party customization over narrative depth provided a different type of roleplaying experience that appealed to gamers looking for more strategic gameplay.