Running around mythical worlds slaying dragons with two-handed swords has never been my bag.

So I was not expecting great things from this Dungeons and Dragons spin-off, Icewind Dale.

I have never understood how sane people have been known to spend 12-hour stretches pretending to be dwarves called Gandalf while attempting to discover mystic runes in a ruined castle.

But Icewind Dale is not a bad way of spending a few hours at all, even if it does bear an uncanny similarity to a previous title in this series called Baldur's Gate.

The plot is the usual hokum - you control a band of travellers who must unlock various secrets, slay big bad monsters and...well, you get the picture.

Where it succeeds is in the thought which has gone into the gameplay, which was extremely easy to get to grips with.

Ten minutes after installing this on my PC, I was fighting goblins, solving riddles and drinking mead in the obligatory tavern.

Icewind Dale isn't going to be to everyone's taste but there is obviously a large adventure waiting to be enjoyed here.

I for one shall be returning to this mythic quest in the weeks to come - just don't tell anyone.

Price: £29.99
Contact: 0207 551 0000
Feelgood factor: 7 out of 10