<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Grinding Down]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://grindingdown.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Paul]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://grindingdown.wordpress.com/author/mylifecomics/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[The Annals of Halgren slaughter goblins for an hour in Icewind Dale&nbsp;II]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="3470" data-permalink="https://grindingdown.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/the-annals-of-halgren-slaughter-goblins-for-an-hour-in-icewind-dale-ii/111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far/" data-orig-file="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far.jpg" data-orig-size="500,325" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far.jpg?w=500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3470" title="111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far" src="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far.jpg?w=500&#038;h=325" alt="" width="500" height="325" srcset="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far.jpg 500w, https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far.jpg?w=150&amp;h=98 150w, https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/111273-icewind-dale-ii-windows-screenshot-civilized-place-in-far.jpg?w=300&amp;h=195 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></p>
<p>Well, now I can say I&#8217;ve played <em>two</em> <strong>Forgotten Realms</strong> videogames, and both turned out pretty uninspiring in my eyes. Which is strange, given the wide berth of fiction and fantasy they can draw from. I just don&#8217;t know. Maybe if I had played <strong>Icewind Dale II</strong> when it actually came out in 2002, back when I was eating up <strong>Diablo II</strong> and <strong>Commander &amp; Conquer: Red Alert</strong> by the handful in my college dorm deep into early hours of the morning, I might have fallen madly in love with its high levels of customization and general openness. But it was not meant to be.</p>
<p><a href="http://firsthour.net/first-hour-review/icewind-dale-ii">Anyways, click this very sentence to see how the first hour of </a><strong><a href="http://firsthour.net/first-hour-review/icewind-dale-ii">Icewind Dale II</a></strong><a href="http://firsthour.net/first-hour-review/icewind-dale-ii"> panned out for me and my adventuring band.</a></p>
<p>At some point, I&#8217;ll be trying out <strong>The Temple of Elemental Evil</strong>, too&#8230;since it came free with my purchase of the game at hand. So long as there is less goblin-slaughtering in the first sixty minutes, I&#8217;ll be pleased.</p>
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