To begin at the beginning?

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G'day all.

I was a little way into IWD2 before I realised it was '2' and that there was a IWD + expansion.

Is it worth playing IWD + HoW first, or are they simpler, 'experimental' games which add nothing to IWD2?

I know this is a large degree subjective, but I'd like to know what people think.

Cheers.

 

They are hardly experimental. They are to IWD2 what BG is to BG2. You can play IWD2 without having played IWD, but it's probably better to play them in order. But it isnt essential to have played them, so it's up to you.

 

It matters much less though whether or not you play IWD before playing IWD2 than playing BG before BG2; because in IWD2, you are a totally different party of adventurers, whereas in BG2, you're the same character. but as Takara said, its hardly a requirement.

 

It's not really a requirement, but some NPCs make comebacks in IWD2, and some areas are revisited. It's nice seeing how things have changed during your absence.

Besides, IWD+HOW(+Trials, which is a free add-on) make a good game in its own right (some would argue better than the sequel), so I'd say they're definitely worth playing.

 

Considering the two games are played under different rule sets, there is hardly any similarity between the two gameplaywise.
Also unlike the BG, BG II games IWD II is not a sequel to the original game, you start off with a completely new set of charecters.

The only note of interest is how the places and NPCs you saw during the 1st game have aged over these past 30 years.
However there is not much carried forward from the original story itself.

As such there is no need to play the original IWD +How + TotLM.
You should play them though if you want to play a game which was had a more compelling and interesting story than the one currently in front of you IMO.

 

Actually, I think IWD2 is the "simpler, experimental games which add nothing to the serie" here

 

Yep, I agree with Greystar. Icewind Dale 2 sucked.

 

I disagree that IWD2 sucked. I thought it was cool. But I agree that the link between the two games is less important than in Baldur's Gate (which even there, isn't that important).

 

I'm actually re-playing IWD 1 for the 5th time, and it's still great fun. The expansions are great! I plan on playing IWD 2 again when I've finished, but I think I'll have to agree with everyone else that the first is better (although I wouldn't say IWD 2 sucked), and the two are quite different games. I was tempted to re-play IWD 2 first, but I couldn't resist the habit of trying to do things in chronological order.

 

IWD 1 is the best game.

IWD2 is okay, but IWD1 is far better...

It dosn't matter if you play IWD2 first, IMO...

 

I think that IWD2 is better than the first one, might be because it's been a long time since I've played IWD, but also because I think that the graphics and landscapes, the riddles and schemes you encounter in IWD2 are so much better than in the original IWD.

I think it doesn't matter which game you play first, although I think you could much easier go through IWD if you play it first, rather than playing IWD2 first.

But this is just my 2 cents...

EDIT: Typos

 

IWD II has a great character generation system, which makes you want to try the game with various parties. I think it's a good game, but there are some serious dead spots you have to play through. The character generation system in IWD I is primitive by comparison, but the story line is better thought out and much more compelling.

 

It's true that the character system in IWD2 rules, but other than that, everything else is inferior to IWD1.

 

Yes, everything else really is inferior in IWD2, I lost track of why I was doing everything and didn't really care to find out. In IWD1, which I just replayed, I was again impressed by all the cool little details and things you can do, and the great combat. IWD2 just doesn't have that, and the cool little details stop once you leave Targos.