Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition Announced

Beamdog and Wizard of the Coast have chosen PAX Prime as the perfect avenue to announce their latest project: an Enhanced Edition of the original Icewind Dale. The official website has all the info and a few screenshots that, predictably, look very much like the original version of the 2000 classic. Like the Enhanced Editions of both Baldur’s Gate titles, Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition is going to be released on Windows PC, Mac, iOS and Android, and is going to include a revamped UI and all the original expansions, but rather than including newly developed content, Beamdog has opted to finish what was cut from the original title. Let’s start with the announcement trailer:

Then we’ll move to a brief feature list:

Evil is growing beneath the Spine of the World.

In the northernmost reaches of the Forgotten Realms lies the region of icy tundra known as Icewind Dale. Journey deep into the Spine of the World mountains, a harsh and unforgiving territory settled by only the hardiest folk. Beneath the carven glaciers and mountainsides, you must confront an evil that schemes to wreak destruction upon the face of Faerûn. This is the world of Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition.

Originally released in 2000, Icewind Dale is a Dungeons & Dragons game set in Wizards of The Coast’s legendary Forgotten Realms. This Enhanced Edition allows players to experience the epic adventure on PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Android tablets and phones, and includes a host of new features:

Swords and Sorcery: Discover dozens of new spells and items, including new magic armor and weapons.
Blackguards and Wizard Slayers: Select from over 30 new kits and classes to create the perfect adventuring party.
Bring A Friend: Join your fellow adventurers in cooperative, cross-platform multiplayer games.
See The Unseen: Explore quest content cut from the original game, now finished and restored.
More to Experience: Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition includes both the Heart of Winter and Trials of the Luremaster expansion packs.

…

Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition features the following enhancements:

• Six expanded quests, featuring content cut from the original game
• 60 new items
• Heart of Winter and Trials of the Luremaster expansions
• 31 new class and kit combinations from Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition, well as the half-orc playable race
• 122 new spells carried over from Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition
• Cross-platform multiplayer
• A new “Story Mode” difficulty setting to allow players to experience all of the story with none of the Game Over screens
• Available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android

Judging from the pre-order page, the title should cost $19.99 on PC and Mac. If I had to guess, based on Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition and how the app store works, the mobile versions will cost less than that. Interestingly, none of the game’s versions will get additional DLC:

Q: Is there any DLC for Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition?

A: There are no additional in-app purchases required to access all of the content in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition. Play the entire game with all its features, no matter what platform you’re playing it on.