Take the combat and exploration from Baldur's Gate and compress it into a compact dungeon crawling experience and you have Icewind Dale. The only thing preventing me from giving this five stars is the lack of fantastic characters as are found in Baldur's Gate. But for those who simply want to get into the thick of the action of an old school RPG without the all the window dressings, you can't do much better than Icewind Dale.
Fallout is what every RPG should strive to be like. Freedom to achieve your goals in whatever fashion you devise is a godsend. But with that freedom comes consequences, and few games since have managed to achieve what Fallout has. Story, style, memorable characters - this game has it all. Don't be turned off by the dated engine. The widescreen mod can breathe new life into this classic game for those who missed it when it first came out as well as those who've played through it numerous times. Quite possibly the best RPG I've ever played.
Once you get over the steep learning curve, this game really shines. Never before has real time tactical combat been so intense. The fully destructible environments are best shared with friends working together to achieve the mission objectives. Give this one a try - stick to it or tone done the difficulty and you'll have a grand time.
