Icewind Dale

The Good
Let me just say that I have finished IWD twice and re-started it about 5 times. I was new to D&D when I started and it while you can get the main concepts easily you gain a lot by understanding the stuff that happens behind the curtains.

Once you do get to know the mechanics of D&D and the world of IWD, the game really shines. The story is interesting and the fights are fun. There are a lot of treasures to find and bodies to loot. The spells are awesome and the effects are cool as well.

The game will give you plenty of time to finish as there are many battles and as I said it takes time to learn the world of IWD. If you want to play on the easy level and just hack & slash you way through the game you will miss a lot.

I strongly advice you plan your party carefully and read all the tips about party creation online. It really makes a difference to have the right party.

Also the tools from TeamBG for IWD are cool to have, but don't use them to cheat!

There is an unofficial patch for IWD that removes a lot of the annoying things that I also recommend installing.

Also, if you get to read the books of R.A Salvatore it also adds whole new depths to the game.

The Bad
Well, the game is a few years old and it shows a bit, but don't let it effect you.

Sometimes through all the battles it is hard to see the "big" picture.

There is a steep learning curve to fully enjoy and benefit the game.

When there are many spells effects the game can slow to a crawl. This may be fixable.

The Bottom Line
Wonderful that can serve as a way to enter the wonderful of RPG and D&D. Can be finished easily but played again and again once you learn more about how the game works. A real gem!