Sol Invictus
Erudite
The story was no less nonsensical than the original story or any other 'epic fantasy' story, and the NPCs were most certainly as interesting as those in the original, especially the story built around the twins who formed the chimera army.
The game was definitely more interactive than any other game with the Infinity Engine, especially in regards to the maze (which wasn't a good addition, mind you - but it was something different), the monk trials, and the fun with the barrels in Targos.
Targos itself was beautifully designed, with the house with the old woman and her cats, the mayor's office and the haunted Inn. I thought that part was really nice, especially with the ghost's wailing and the concept art that Justin Sweet made for that specific encounter.
While the Ice Palace and the Maze may have suffered from relatively poor design especially for having too many combat encounters, they certainly had some flare of originality to their design. The machine that operated in the Ice Palace was certainly unique and added a very nice touch to the game. It's much more than can be said about Neverwinter Nights or even Baldur's Gate. Firewine, anyone?
And no, VD, you can't compare IWD2 to Lionheart. Lionheart was completely abysmal with very, very few good points - the music, and some of the written dialogue. IWD2 had so much more to offer.
The game was definitely more interactive than any other game with the Infinity Engine, especially in regards to the maze (which wasn't a good addition, mind you - but it was something different), the monk trials, and the fun with the barrels in Targos.
Targos itself was beautifully designed, with the house with the old woman and her cats, the mayor's office and the haunted Inn. I thought that part was really nice, especially with the ghost's wailing and the concept art that Justin Sweet made for that specific encounter.
While the Ice Palace and the Maze may have suffered from relatively poor design especially for having too many combat encounters, they certainly had some flare of originality to their design. The machine that operated in the Ice Palace was certainly unique and added a very nice touch to the game. It's much more than can be said about Neverwinter Nights or even Baldur's Gate. Firewine, anyone?
And no, VD, you can't compare IWD2 to Lionheart. Lionheart was completely abysmal with very, very few good points - the music, and some of the written dialogue. IWD2 had so much more to offer.