"Icewind Dale" was well received by critics, scoring 86% from GameRankings and 87/100 from Metacritic. "GameSpot" Greg Kasavin gave the game 8.6/10, opining it is "well suited for fans of Black Isle Studios' previous games, fans of classic hack-and-slash AD&D computer games, and anyone looking for an action-packed role-playing game with a lot of depth". "IGN" scored it 8.8/10 and GameZone gave it 9.5/10. According to GameSpy's Allen Rausch, ""Icewind Dale" was a fun dungeon romp that can hold its head up high, even if it can't match its big brothers". The game's music score by Jeremy Soule received widespread critical acclaim. Chris Chan of the "New Straits Times" said the game was one of the best he ever played, and went on to positively compare it with "Diablo II".