[SPOILERS] So I Finally Finished IWD2 for the First Time and...
...the ending was rather anti-climactic. Did anyone else feel the same way?
I started the game about a year ago and had lost interest sometime during the Underdark quests, but I recently decided to try and finish the game just to see what I've been missing. At least my curiosity is sated, but I really have no desire to replay it. It felt like the developers were rushed for time at the end, given the abrupt and vague conclusion to the game. My final thought was, “That’s it?!”
I was surprised that I was able to (just barely) beat Isair and Madae on the first try with an evil party (I sided with Iyachtu Xvim--and found out what additional challenge that poses for the final battle). I did a core rules, minimal reload, rest-only-when-necessary game, and my party had already fought three or four battles--including the Dragonborn envoys--before being involuntarily (and unexpectedly) teleported to the final fight, so everyone was low on spells and my fighter had around half his HP total. Thankfully, I had saved most of the high-level scrolls I had collected throughout the game, and still had most of the charges left in the Wand of Lightning. Having potion cases stocked full of healing and buffing potions helped out a lot as well.
All of my party members were at character level 16 at the end of the game, so no one was able to cast 9th level spells, except for the few 9th level scrolls they picked up toward the end. I also didn't multiclass anyone but my Monk:
Female Aasimar Dreadmistress of Bane, level 15 - Lawful Evil
Male Gold Dwarf Fighter, level 16 – Lawful Evil
Female Tiefling Monk of the Old Order/Rogue, level 12/3 – Lawful Evil
Female Wild Elf Druid, level 16 – Neutral Evil
Female Human Bard, level 16 – Neutral Evil
Male Human Necromancer, level 16 – Lawful Evil
I finished the game with only my Bard and Necromancer still alive. I had run out of Resurrection scrolls, so my Bard’s only option was to sing the War Chant of Sith while sticking close to my Necromancer, who used the Wand of Lightning to slowly wear down Isair while they were chased all throughout the level. I really didn’t think they were going to survive, but given the amount of time it took to get to the final stage in the battle. I was dreading having to reload and start all over, so I just pressed on to see if I could beat them.
There were many memorable battles in IWD2, and the most difficult one for me was the Guardian Dragon. It definitely makes it on my list of hardest battles (and the most frustrating!).
All-in-all, IWD2 was a fun battle-strategy game with some entertaining dark themes that don’t appear in the BG series. The Yuan-ti are probably my favorite enemies to kill, as they’re just so implacably vile. I found the Iyachtu Xvim religion, especially the sermon in the cleric tower of the Severed Hand, to be a humorous reversal of the Golden Rule: “Turn to your neighbor and hit them as hard as you can to let them know how much you hate them!” It’s like they deliberately made being an oppressive jerk their religion. ^.^
My vote goes to Limha for the best voice-acted NPC. I just wish they had done more with her story and had other options than to kill her.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! Feel free to leave your own comments on your IWD2 impressions.
I started the game about a year ago and had lost interest sometime during the Underdark quests, but I recently decided to try and finish the game just to see what I've been missing. At least my curiosity is sated, but I really have no desire to replay it. It felt like the developers were rushed for time at the end, given the abrupt and vague conclusion to the game. My final thought was, “That’s it?!”
I was surprised that I was able to (just barely) beat Isair and Madae on the first try with an evil party (I sided with Iyachtu Xvim--and found out what additional challenge that poses for the final battle). I did a core rules, minimal reload, rest-only-when-necessary game, and my party had already fought three or four battles--including the Dragonborn envoys--before being involuntarily (and unexpectedly) teleported to the final fight, so everyone was low on spells and my fighter had around half his HP total. Thankfully, I had saved most of the high-level scrolls I had collected throughout the game, and still had most of the charges left in the Wand of Lightning. Having potion cases stocked full of healing and buffing potions helped out a lot as well.
All of my party members were at character level 16 at the end of the game, so no one was able to cast 9th level spells, except for the few 9th level scrolls they picked up toward the end. I also didn't multiclass anyone but my Monk:
Female Aasimar Dreadmistress of Bane, level 15 - Lawful Evil
Male Gold Dwarf Fighter, level 16 – Lawful Evil
Female Tiefling Monk of the Old Order/Rogue, level 12/3 – Lawful Evil
Female Wild Elf Druid, level 16 – Neutral Evil
Female Human Bard, level 16 – Neutral Evil
Male Human Necromancer, level 16 – Lawful Evil
I finished the game with only my Bard and Necromancer still alive. I had run out of Resurrection scrolls, so my Bard’s only option was to sing the War Chant of Sith while sticking close to my Necromancer, who used the Wand of Lightning to slowly wear down Isair while they were chased all throughout the level. I really didn’t think they were going to survive, but given the amount of time it took to get to the final stage in the battle. I was dreading having to reload and start all over, so I just pressed on to see if I could beat them.
There were many memorable battles in IWD2, and the most difficult one for me was the Guardian Dragon. It definitely makes it on my list of hardest battles (and the most frustrating!).
All-in-all, IWD2 was a fun battle-strategy game with some entertaining dark themes that don’t appear in the BG series. The Yuan-ti are probably my favorite enemies to kill, as they’re just so implacably vile. I found the Iyachtu Xvim religion, especially the sermon in the cleric tower of the Severed Hand, to be a humorous reversal of the Golden Rule: “Turn to your neighbor and hit them as hard as you can to let them know how much you hate them!” It’s like they deliberately made being an oppressive jerk their religion. ^.^
My vote goes to Limha for the best voice-acted NPC. I just wish they had done more with her story and had other options than to kill her.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! Feel free to leave your own comments on your IWD2 impressions.
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