Beamdog continue to go through the library of old Black Isle hits armed with a resolution upscaling paintbrush and a bucketful of additional content; the latest title in their sights is the often overlooked but actually excellent Icewind Dale.
Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition will feature all the visual jiggery-pokery the Baldur’s Gate: EE received, as well as new spells, new class kits, cross-platform multiplayer, both expansions and, most intriguingly, six restored quests cut from the original game.
Yes, you can grab the original Icewind Dale for about $5 and get it upscaled and partly modernised with a few mods, but these Enhanced Editions are still nice for those who’d rather jump straight in without any fuss. The game itself is a personal favourite of mine, a down-to-basics dungeon-crawler with some incredibly punishing encounters and possibly the most beautifully crafted fantasy backgrounds of any Infinity Engine game.
Here’s hoping Beamdog get around to Planescape Torment and Icewind Dale 2 next. Here’s what you can expect from Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition when it launches - ”within a month”, according to the developers.
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Swords and Sorcery: Discover dozens of new spells and items, including new magic armor and weapons.
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Blackguards and Wizard Slayers: Select from over 30 new kits and classes to create the perfect adventuring party.
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Bring A Friend: Join your fellow adventurers in cooperative, cross-platform multiplayer games.
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See The Unseen: Explore quest content cut from the original game, now finished and restored.
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More to Experience: Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition includes both the Heart of Winter and Trials of the Luremaster expansion packs.
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