That's a cool game really!
One of the main differences,wich can be concidered a drawback perhaps,is the linear style of the game.You can't move around from area to area at will but only straight forward as the games dictates you.The end of the story is not the most original you've ever seen,since the final bad guy is a powerful Demon.By the way that fianl battle is one of the toughest i had in these kind of games.
The final conclusion is that despite he's minor flaws Icewind Dale reamins a really entertaining hack'n'slash CRPG that'll give you the chance to furthermore explore the world of Faerun.