All of this sounds pretty basic. It is, though the point A-point B-point C nature of things actually provides a more intriguing plot than that found in the supposedly more story-oriented Baldur's Gate. Removing all that hackneyed search for an identity stuff lets the player focus more on the important things at hand, like exploring haunted crypts, forbidden elven ruins, and mysterious towers, and then slaughtering the inhabitants for their way-cool stuff. The storyline moves along very quickly, and although the unremitting hacking 'n' slashing can get pretty dreary at times, there's nothing here to compare with the sheer dullness of turning over every rock between Beregost and Gullykin.

Some of the simplicity makes for a good time. Veterans of "Monty Haul" AD&D campaigns will feel right at home here as they concentrate on collecting powerful magical weapons and assorted items (including a few unique artifacts), slaying nasties, and pushing their experience point totals into the millions. Characters can advance to levels impossible to attain in Baldur's Gate because of the experience point cap. When the final battle rolls around you'll likely be sporting a 17th or 18th level mage with access to devastating spells such as Finger of Death and Power Word: Kill, and a couple of 14th level fighters who can chop up even the tallest giants with a few strokes of their (undoubtedly magical, by this point) blades. I'm glad to see that a design team finally recognized the certain satisfaction that comes from building characters with the strength and arcane abilities of your friendly neighborhood demi-god.

Controlling such powerhouse adventurers also means that you'll be going up against some of the most fascinating beasties that the Dungeons and Dragons universe has to offer. Replacing the bland Gnolls and Kobolds of Baldur's Gate are such fearsome adversaries as Fire Elementals, Mummies, Frost and Fire Giants, Yuan-Ti, Umber Hulks, all manner of skeletal and shadowed undead, and even a Lich. This adds further to the sense that you're playing in the big leagues, and also gives the story an epic feel. I should note that these never-ending battles are made almost painless as the game uses the same "pause when you want" system introduced in Baldur's Gate. Wiping out hordes of Skeletons with a few clicks of the mouse and the space bar has never been easier.

The Infinity Engine used here is getting so old that it should be creaking by the time Interplay hauls it out again for Baldur's Gate II this autumn. Almost everything about the presentation is dated, from the resolution limitation of 640x480 to the too-large interface that further obscures events taking place on-screen. Such poor resolution turns even the most well-drawn lizard man into a pixelicious treat on the larger monitors most gamers use nowadays. Playing this game marked the only time that I was glad about my desk being too small to support a 21" monitor. Still, the results on a 19-incher aren't exactly pretty. About the only in-game effects that look presentable are the jazzed-up flashes and bolts of light that accompany spells. Baldur's Gate was behind the times when it came out just before Christmas of 1998; using nearly identical technology almost two years later makes Icewind Dale a fully-fledged throwback. You almost expect it to come in a gold box.