<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Black	O
Isle	O
Studios	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Interplay	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
27	O
,	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
its	O
2000	O
predecessor	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Forgotten	B-Application
Realms	I-Application
fantasy	B-Application
setting	O
in	O
the	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
region	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
assumes	O
control	O
of	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
mercenaries	O
in	O
a	O
war	O
between	O
the	O
Ten	O
Towns	O
of	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
and	O
a	O
coalition	O
of	O
persecuted	O
races	O
and	O
religions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
adaptation	O
of	O
the	O
D&D	O
Third	O
Edition	O
ruleset	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
viewed	O
from	O
an	O
isometric	O
perspective	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
head-up	B-Application
display	I-Application
(	O
HUD	B-Application
)	O
occupies	O
the	O
bottom	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Accessible	O
from	O
the	O
HUD	B-Application
are	O
an	O
automap	O
and	O
a	O
journal	O
that	O
records	O
quests	O
and	O
important	O
events	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
uses	O
a	O
point-and-click	O
interface	B-Application
to	O
interact	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
clicking	O
on	O
the	O
ground	O
moves	O
the	O
selected	O
player	O
character	O
,	O
and	O
clicking	O
on	O
a	O
passive	O
non-player	O
character	O
(	O
NPC	O
)	O
will	O
initiate	O
dialogue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
is	O
available	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
six	O
players	O
over	O
a	O
local	B-General_Concept
area	I-General_Concept
network	I-General_Concept
or	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
beginning	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
may	O
choose	O
to	O
play	O
a	O
pre-selected	O
party	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
party	O
of	O
up	O
to	O
six	O
characters	O
;	O
unlike	O
the	O
Baldur	B-Application
's	I-Application
Gate	I-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
does	O
not	O
permit	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
import	O
characters	O
from	O
previous	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
IIs	I-Application
gameplay	O
is	O
focused	O
on	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
Forgotten	B-Application
Realms	I-Application
D&D	O
campaign	O
setting	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
continent	O
of	O
Faerûn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
centers	O
on	O
the	O
northern	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
region	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
set	O
thirty	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
begins	O
in	O
the	O
harbor	O
town	O
of	O
Targos	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
Ten	O
Towns	O
of	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
under	O
siege	O
by	O
a	O
goblin	O
army	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
they	O
return	O
to	O
Targos	O
,	O
the	O
mayor	O
asks	O
them	O
to	O
rendezvous	O
with	O
reinforcements	O
from	O
Neverwinter	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
learn	O
that	O
Sherincal	O
leads	O
the	O
Legion	O
of	O
the	O
Chimera	O
's	O
western	O
forces	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
leaders	O
of	O
the	O
Legion	O
of	O
the	O
Chimera	O
,	O
cambion	O
twins	O
named	O
Isair	B-Application
and	I-Application
Madae	I-Application
,	O
reside	O
in	O
the	O
Severed	O
Hand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
Isair	B-Application
and	I-Application
Madae	I-Application
locate	O
the	O
group	O
with	O
information	O
from	O
Nym	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
inside	O
,	O
they	O
learn	O
that	O
the	O
war	O
between	O
the	O
Ten	O
Towns	O
and	O
the	O
Legion	O
of	O
the	O
Chimera	O
was	O
caused	O
by	O
the	O
mayor	O
of	O
Bryn	O
Shander	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
sent	O
Isair	B-Application
and	I-Application
Madae	I-Application
poisoned	O
food	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eventually	O
,	O
the	O
group	O
finds	O
Isair	B-Application
and	I-Application
Madae	I-Application
,	O
and	O
kills	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
included	O
the	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
team	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
developing	O
Torn	B-Application
,	O
and	O
a	O
team	O
working	O
on	O
an	O
unannounced	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
and	O
during	O
Torns	B-Application
development	O
,	O
several	O
members	O
of	O
its	O
team	O
expressed	O
interest	O
in	O
developing	O
another	O
game	O
using	O
the	O
Infinity	O
Engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
team	O
was	O
not	O
made	O
aware	O
of	O
Black	O
Isle	O
Studios	O
 '	O
decision	O
to	O
develop	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
until	O
Torns	B-Application
cancellation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lead	O
designer	O
J	O
.	O
E	O
.	O
Sawyer	O
described	O
:	O
"	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
know	O
when	O
the	O
producers	O
decided	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
I	O
was	O
told	O
that	O
we	O
were	O
making	O
the	O
game	O
when	O
I	O
learned	O
that	O
TORN	B-Application
was	O
being	O
cancelled	O
...	O
on	O
a	O
Wednesday	O
afternoon	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
Feargus	O
Urquhart	O
asked	O
me	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
Steve	O
Bokkes	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
story	O
and	O
area	O
overview	O
by	O
Thursday	O
afternoon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
decision	O
to	O
develop	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
based	O
partly	O
on	O
the	O
original	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dales	I-Application
reception	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
development	O
teams	O
 '	O
ability	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
game	O
with	O
the	O
Infinity	O
Engine	O
relatively	O
quickly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sawyer	O
said	O
of	O
the	O
decision	O
:	O
"	O
In	O
all	O
honesty	O
,	O
the	O
reasons	O
for	O
making	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
have	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
limiting	O
risks	O
and	O
maximizing	O
our	O
chances	O
for	O
a	O
popular	O
title	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conceptualization	O
of	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
progressed	O
during	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
expansions	O
,	O
and	O
production	O
began	O
late	O
July	O
2001	O
,	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trials	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Luremaster	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
six	O
months	O
of	O
development	O
,	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
on	O
February	O
4	O
,	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
an	O
incomplete	O
conversion	O
to	O
the	O
D&D	O
Third	O
Edition	O
ruleset	O
,	O
with	O
many	O
rules	O
omitted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
kit	O
system	O
(	O
class	O
specialization	O
)	O
introduced	O
in	O
Baldur	B-Application
's	I-Application
Gate	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
idea	O
was	O
later	O
abandoned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Infinity	O
Engine	O
required	O
extensive	O
modification	O
to	O
comply	O
with	O
Third	O
Edition	O
rules	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
had	O
originally	O
been	O
designed	O
for	O
Second	O
Edition	O
rules	O
;	O
certain	O
elements	O
of	O
the	O
rules	O
were	O
removed	O
due	O
to	O
interface	B-Application
and	O
engine	O
issues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
interface	B-Application
was	O
redesigned	O
,	O
and	O
all-new	O
art	O
was	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jason	O
Manley	O
,	O
the	O
portrait	O
artist	O
for	O
the	O
previous	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
games	O
,	O
left	O
Black	O
Isle	O
Studios	O
in	O
late	O
2001	O
;	O
several	O
new	O
works	O
he	O
painted	O
before	O
his	O
departure	O
were	O
later	O
used	O
in	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
wanted	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
contain	O
more	O
breaks	O
from	O
combat	O
,	O
with	O
character	O
interaction	O
and	O
puzzle	O
solving	O
,	O
than	O
the	O
previous	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
decision	O
to	O
include	O
more	O
puzzles	O
was	O
influenced	O
by	O
the	O
positive	O
reception	O
to	O
the	O
puzzles	O
in	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trials	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Luremaster	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Sawyer	O
expressed	O
dissatisfaction	O
over	O
the	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
series	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
"	O
I	O
was	O
n't	O
particularly	O
thrilled	O
with	O
how	O
my	O
work	O
on	O
[	O
Icewind	O
Dale ]	O
came	O
out	O
...	O
"	O
and	O
,	O
"	O
...	O
[	O
Heart	O
of	O
Winter ]	O
managed	O
to	O
actually	O
be	O
worse	O
than	O
my	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
stuff	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
regards	O
to	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
he	O
said	O
:	O
"[It]	O
came	O
out	O
better	O
than	O
I	O
expected	O
,	O
but	O
still	O
,	O
not	O
exactly	O
awe-inspiring	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chris	O
Avellone	O
later	O
said	O
:	O
"	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
was	O
a	O
fun	O
series	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
did	O
n't	O
try	O
to	O
set	O
the	O
bar	O
for	O
anything	O
other	O
than	O
a	O
fun	O
romp	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
developed	O
using	O
the	O
Infinity	O
Engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Inon	O
Zur	O
,	O
whose	O
previous	O
works	O
included	O
Baldur	B-Application
's	I-Application
Gate	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Throne	I-Application
of	I-Application
Bhaal	I-Application
and	O
Fallout	B-Application
Tactics	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inon	O
Zur	O
worked	O
with	O
Jeremy	O
Soule	O
,	O
the	O
composer	O
for	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
,	O
to	O
maintain	O
the	O
tone	O
of	O
the	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
debuted	O
at	O
#6	O
on	O
The	O
NPD	O
Group	O
's	O
weekly	O
computer	O
game	O
sales	O
chart	O
for	O
the	O
August	O
25	O
–	O
31	O
period	O
,	O
at	O
an	O
average	O
retail	O
price	O
of	O
$45	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
sold	O
between	O
100,000	O
and	O
270,000	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
alone	O
by	O
August	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combined	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
franchise	O
reached	O
580,000	O
units	O
in	O
the	O
country	O
by	O
that	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
reception	O
was	O
generally	O
positive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Certain	O
reviewers	O
compared	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
to	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
said	O
:	O
"	O
[	O
Compared	O
to	O
Neverwinter	O
Nights ]	O
the	O
pace	O
of	O
[	O
Icewind	O
Dale	O
II ]	O
is	O
more	O
varied	O
,	O
its	O
balance	O
better	O
,	O
the	O
gameplay	O
more	O
interesting	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
Game	O
Informer	O
considered	O
the	O
interface	B-Application
superior	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Format	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
light	O
of	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
in	O
particular	O
,	O
there	O
's	O
little	O
that	O
stands	O
out	O
in	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
to	O
recommend	O
it	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
PC	O
Zone	O
concurred	O
"	O
it	O
's	O
not	O
the	O
[	O
Baldur	O
's	O
Gate	O
II	O
:	O
Shadows	O
of	O
Amn ]	O
killer	O
we	O
had	O
all	O
hoped	O
for	O
and	O
neither	O
does	O
it	O
stack	O
up	O
to	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
also	O
praised	O
for	O
its	O
implementation	O
of	O
the	O
Third	O
Edition	O
rules	O
and	O
interface	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
called	O
the	O
interface	B-Application
"	O
a	O
big	O
improvement	O
on	O
the	O
spread-out	O
interface	B-Application
of	O
all	O
previous	O
Infinity	O
Engine	O
games	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
IGN	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
customization	O
improvements	O
to	O
the	O
interface	B-Application
that	O
seem	O
so	O
natural	O
,	O
they	O
make	O
you	O
wonder	O
why	O
they	O
were	O
n't	O
thought	O
of	O
before	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
called	O
the	O
interface	B-Application
"	O
absolutely	O
inspired	O
"	O
and	O
its	O
inventory	O
system	O
"	O
second	O
to	O
none	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
best	O
role-playing	O
engine	O
that	O
has	O
ever	O
been	O
invented	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
 '	O
immortal	O
 '	O
may	O
be	O
a	O
better	O
word	O
to	O
describe	O
the	O
engine	O
,	O
because	O
the	O
fact	O
is	O
,	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
plays	O
great	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
regards	O
to	O
the	O
graphics	O
,	O
GameSpot	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
in	O
many	O
ways	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
represents	O
the	O
best	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Infinity	O
Engine	O
's	O
prerendered	O
,	O
isometric	O
settings	O
to	O
date	O
,	O
 [ but ] 	O
that	O
does	O
n't	O
change	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
generally	O
looks	O
dated	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
Straits	O
Times	O
agreed	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
although	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
effects	O
were	O
attractive	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
dated	O
Infinity	O
Engine	O
"	O
could	O
not	O
compare	O
to	O
contemporaries	O
Dungeon	B-Application
Siege	I-Application
and	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
reviewers	O
complained	O
about	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
pathfinding	B-Algorithm
AI	O
,	O
which	O
PC	O
Zone	O
called	O
"	O
outrageously	O
bad	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
called	O
the	O
writing	O
and	O
story	O
"	O
on	O
par	O
with	O
any	O
fantasy	B-Application
novel	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Format	O
thought	O
that	O
"	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
also	O
suffers	O
,	O
like	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
from	O
a	O
story	O
irrevocably	O
weakened	O
by	O
anonymous	O
central	O
characters	O
–	O
the	O
six	O
you	O
create	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
regards	O
to	O
the	O
audio	O
,	O
GameSpot	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
Inon	O
Zur	O
does	O
a	O
truly	O
fantastic	O
job	O
that	O
's	O
perhaps	O
even	O
better	O
than	O
Soule	O
's	O
effort	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
"	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
voice	O
acting	O
in	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
as	O
great	O
as	O
you	O
've	O
perhaps	O
come	O
to	O
expect	O
from	O
a	O
Black	O
Isle	O
Studios	O
role-playing	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
2002	O
"	O
RPG	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Elder	I-Application
Scrolls	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Morrowind	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
wrote	O
that	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
"	O
is	O
the	O
last	O
great	O
game	O
from	O
a	O
fading	O
engine	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
love	O
it	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
a	O
nominee	O
for	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
USs	O
"	O
2002	O
Best	O
Roleplaying	O
Game	O
"	O
and	O
The	O
Electric	O
Playgrounds	O
"	O
Best	O
RPG	O
for	O
PC	O
"	O
awards	O
,	O
but	O
lost	O
both	O
to	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
Black	O
Isle	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
Baldur	B-Application
's	I-Application
Gate	I-Application
and	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
,	O
have	O
been	O
remade	O
into	O
Enhanced	O
Editions	O
by	O
Beamdog	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
:	I-Application
Enhanced	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beamdog	O
had	O
unsuccessfully	O
tried	O
to	O
do	O
the	O
same	O
for	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
due	O
to	O
the	O
unavailability	O
of	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Red	O
Chimera	O
Group	O
,	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
modders	O
,	O
coders	O
,	O
artists	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
contributors	O
drawn	O
from	O
the	O
Infinity	O
Engine	O
community	O
,	O
is	O
re-building	O
Icewind	B-Application
Dale	I-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
producing	O
an	O
Enhanced	O
Edition	O
.	O
</s>
