Neverwinter Nights

First, a helpful warning: Do NOT buy this game for the included game campaign. Instead, buy it for the amazing network play, customizability, the toolkit, and the community-created adventures and modifications, some of which are absolutely marvelous.

The included game campaign is far, FAR from perfect, but it still isn't nowhere near as horrible as most people think it is. It is average, has rather unamazing plotlines and - well - isn't quite as thrilling and polished as the Baldur's Gate series, or other respected CRPGs. There aren't too many really memorable scenes in it, and somewhat too many less interesting quests, but overall, it left a good taste. Not as good as the competition, but good anyway.

Yet, the community creations are already getting FAR more interesting than the included campaign, so there's not much to complain. And Bioware's later NWN releases - the Witch's Wake module and Shadows of Undrentide expansion - show also that the game isn't as worthless as the critics of the game say.

The game itself is graphically more than decent, the gameplay works wonderfully, and the included toolkit and netplay features definitely make it interesting enough. The game has great potential: The toolkit allows people to create their own adventures, which is always a good thing, especially since the toolkit is powerful, easy to use and well polished, not just a hacked-together pile of trash that was added as an afterthought. The only obstacle is that most complicated things require some programming skills, but this is being remedied (plot wizard in the newest patches, script wizard from the community).

I recently also got the expansion pack Shadows of Undrentide, which contains (based on cursory playing) a FAR better game campaign with some rather interesting ideas. If you haven't got this game already, get it along with the expansion. You won't regret it.

I heartily recommend this game to everyone who is tired of merely consuming entertainment and would also like to (at least try to) be creative. 10/10

A fun experience, I felt it's biggest flaw lay in its open endedness. Like traditional board D&D, you get to create your own character from the ground up, selecting the polygonal appearance, voice, character portrait, and even writing the story. The NeverWinter Nights engine fairly accurately translates the D&D 3rd edition rules to a computer environment, naturally much is lost with the broad scope of D&D and the time constraints of making a video game, but if you have any understanding of the videogame design process you'll appreciate what did get translated.

I think the biggest fault in NWNs is the open-ended nature that they tried to give the game. I never felt it offered anything interesting in terms of alignment choice; whether a Paladin fighting for the good of Neverwinter or a Rogue mugging and murdering the remaining living inhabitants of city, you get the same story and the same ending.

Role playing in less significant dialogue leads to a variety of outcomes which ultimately lead the same path and only influence the amount of experience points you receive and maybe an item or two. Plot crucial dialogues, it doesn't matter if you try to bargain with the devil, just up and try to kill it, or make a heroic declaration before drawing your sword – the bad guys will say virtually the exact same things to you . . . which brings up the question, `Then why bother role playing?'

The game has only one generic ending regardless of how you role play. So again, if you're fighting on the side of good and nobility your ending is no different if you're a cut-throat villain who only wants to save the world from certain peril so -you- can hold that power . . . you get the same ending. I would have preferred to see endings based on the characters alignment (at least) and I really would have loved to have seen even more character-specific endings, alas, that's something that would prove very difficult to accomplish outside a face to face D&D session where the DM can write the endings as he sees fit.

NeverWinter Nights, itself, loses momentum by the time you get to the third chapter – usually your character is on a treasure hunt for 3 or 4 special items and performing various optional sub-quests in each area you have to explore. There really isn't enough variety in NeverWinter Nights to sustain its initial momentum through all four chapters of the game (though, thankfully, Ch 4 is different and shorter.) The Expansion pack carries a little more of a dynamic quest, and it doesn't go on longer than it needs to so in the end it's a better experience I think . . . even if the henchmen aren't that interesting.

But these really are minor more nit-picky gripes. I still had a blast playing a Paladin/Rogue and tinkering with all the in-game benefits of the open-ended nature. I did feel cheated in the end, though to have this highly customized character get a generic farewell. Better than average, but at the same time nowhere near one my all time favorites either. Definitely a fun game, though.

for me, it was a real masterpiece! the beginning of a real legend. the characters were OK for a first game. this is the base for the rest of the series, it certainly lacks some controls, but is compensated with great pace and action, game story do a great work mixing all the lore and the awesomeness. You just get attached to it quickly.

All things considered, this was the best D&D game when it was released, finally overtaking Diablo, and even now, when remastered version came out, it still holds its own. Recently bought this one, and I must say that I really enjoyed it. Forgotten Realms world is rich with characters, locations and a good story. It's not challenging, gameplay wise, yet it feels really fun. I actually lost few hours of dedicated sleep time, completing the main story and its expansions, and i feel no regrets about it. It should be noted that HoU expansion is excellent, and well worth the extra hours spent. There are a few bugs to graphics, and speed of characters can be better, therefore I gave it a 9/10. If you're a fan of this kind of gameplay, you really shouldn't miss this gem.

Good expansion, with allot of new features. BUT it was quite short, AND came with a bug that froze the game up on the third level, which took about a month for a patch to be released for!!! GRRRRRRRR.....

Other than that, quite a decent storyline, with a good tie-in to the original Neverwinter game. Shame about the abrupt ending as well, but gave a few good new tilesets for developers (LOVED the desert ones!), and a couple of new weapon types.

The characters were a tad annoying, with the new 'conversation steering' feature pretty frustrating (when they decide to have a chat with you, it's ALWAYS at the most frustrating moments!), but again, a decent feature.

Overall, I'd say 7.5/10, but only buy if you have internet access (for the patch)