Icewind Dale vs Planescape: Torment vs Baldur's Gate

[VbSkoR]

Greetings folks, I need your advice.
I've been planning to try one of these games for a long time, I never really played them, although back in those days, I tried them a few times. Now I am very enthusiastic about them, but I just can’t choose which one to pick first. I'm sort of leaning towards Icewind or Torment, but Baldur's Gate also looks interesting.
What advice do you have for a newbie in the series?

[Silamon]

I played this game back in the day, at least I think it was this game. I have been enjoying it so far after buying it on sale.

[Armanz]

Icewind Dale is the hack n slash version of the 3 guys. It's fun, it's replayable, has great atmosphere and music, but it's rather shallow, barely an RPG.

Planescape Torment is the best game you will ever read. It's no joke that it's always on the top of every RPG list, mostly placed first, sometimes second. It's a very incredible experience, the story, the characters are so interesting. It's so unique, but it's hard to give you a small gist of what it is. It's big flaw is that the combat, albeit it happens rarely, is utter trash. The game is really held down by the combat.

Baldur's Gate is the middle man. It's a great RPG (both parts), but it's not as deep as Torment and it has really cool combat. Part 1 has you start from scratch as a helpless hapless lvl 1 guy in the middle of nothing. Part 2 cranks up the epicness to 100 and gives you a big juicy installment with every possible monster D&D has to offer.

These couple sentences don't do the games justice, mind you.

I think Planescape is best played after experiencing BG, it's a very slow burner but once you get into it it's very rewarding. Icewind Dale is hard to judge, it's my childhood game, so I love it but tbh I don't think it can compete with the other 2 titles.

[Silamon]

Hmm, thanks for the info Armanz.
I think in the end I will pick up all but the planescape game, that will probably be enough classic rpgs to last me a good while.
Definitely going to keep playing this one first since I am about 90% sure this is the one I played when I was younger.

Edit: actually it might have been the second one I was thinking of. Which one had very few undead in it? I remember making a character with lots of turn undead like abilities and finding out there was almost no undead in the game. Fairly sure that was an icewind dale game... hmm

[VbSkoR]

Thank you for such a detailed clarification, Armanz.

[lx.mcnll]

Agree with Armanz.

Icewind Dale 1/2 = The Hobbit, Baldurs Gate 1/2 = LoTR, Planescape = The Silmarillion.

IWD definately a CRPG and still very good IMHO, Planescape = amazing flavour and backstory, hope you like reading and talking, BG1/2 Epic on every level and THE BEST party duo ever.

Get all three, they are on massive sale right now.

Then finish them and cry for what Bioware has become and join us old people complaining about the good old days.

[Ragnarök]

The story aspect of the original Baldur's Gate is overhyped by the community. Icewind Dale had the superior villain mainly because he was actually competent. Your party won't even become aware of his existence or actions until about halfway through the game. I was also more invested in saving Kuldahar than I ever was in the Sword Coast. Dialog options were better in IWD even though there were less of them due to the nature of the places you go to.

The two are different, but not as much as a lot of people make out. Baldur's Gate is more open, but most of the encounters are weak. Lot's of junk mobs and empty areas with barely anything to find in them. Baldur's Gate has good party vs. party encounters though. Despite the lack of humorous quips and interactions, I still prefer rolling my own custom characters in IWD.

Comparing their overall feel, I'd say Baldur's Gate feels like the Disneyland of CRPGs. It has what most people who have never played a game of D&D might expect to see in D&D. Very Renaissance Fair-ish. Icewind Dale on the other hand, feels smaller, but more intimate in scale, something that you'd find in an actual game of D&D that focuses a bit more on combat.

[Ironfist]

IWD and BG are in the same world - forgotten realms. PT - aloneside game and a lot different. Its d&d too but seems like a book/rpg
Also if you want andvise try after BG and IWD game called - Neverwinter nights, its a great game in same world like previous games.

[VbSkoR]

Originally posted by Blade:

Also if you want andvise try after BG and IWD game called - Neverwinter nights, its a great game in same world like previous games.

Thanks for the advice, but I am very familiar with Neverwinter Nights, it is indeed great game.

[Magic Rince (SIMS4=WIFE)]

I just want to point out something the others left out.
In MY opinion BG1 introduce one of the most memorable NPC character(s) Minsc(&Boo) just hillarious trust me.

[Lyle]

Baldurs Gate 1 is the best of the lot in my opinion. Classic Forgotten Realms, even featuring both Drizzt Do'Urden and Elminster as guest characters.
Very well rounded and atmospheric adventure/revelation story, with the best exploration element of all the Infinity Engine games. With the Enhanced Edition the character customization is on par with BG2, as is Icewind Dale: EE.

Id place Icewind Dale second. Weaker NPC interactions, better customization (you create your entire party), and the most streamlined of the lot.
Less text, more dungeon crawling.

Planescape: Torment is good but a little more niche, with tenfold the amount of text as BG, and not as 'vanilla' fantasy (which can be a good or a bad thing) as the others. More streamlined than BG but less so than ID. the weakest character customization. Really, mostly about reading. Characters are very eccentric and colorful, almost super-heroish.
But again, quite good. It was the first of the IE games that I finished.

[Coalition]

I played a lot of Baldur's Gate when I was young, and then got Icewind Dale and IMO, you should start with " Icewind dale II " it's easier than Icewind Dale and Instead of creating 1 character in Baldur's Gate, you get to create a whole team, that way you can experience every class and play as you wish.

Baldur's Gate is too restricting in term of maximum XP, and if you're playing a multiclass you'll end up half the level of pure classes or so.

Good luck choosing.

[iamdorf]

Icewind Dale I and II are the games that got me into these types of games so it's hard for me to be objective. BG2 has lots more story and interaction but I felt like the combat makes jumps I am unprepared for and gets frustrating. Once you have a good strategy in IWD it can carry you for the rest of the game. I'm not the strategist that some players are though.