Neverwinter Nights 2
by Atari
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Video Game Reviews of Neverwinter Nights 2
Customer Review: Great game, but watch out for system needs
Summary: 3 Stars
The first Neverwinter Nights (NWN) games through BioWare and Atari were great in that they were available for Windows, Macs and even Linux. The graphics were not super-impressive, but worked well. Gameplay was equally good, and there was a strong multiplayer and development community to keep the gaming fresh.
Neverwinter Nights 2 (NWN2) revives much of what was available in NWN, but falls short in many technical areas. Gone are Mac and Linux users; this game runs on Windows XP (and maybe Vista) only. Further, you MUST have a high-end 3D video card to run it. As an Apple MacBook Pro owner, I wasn't going to be dissuaded, and (using Apple Boot Camp) played the game on my laptop. The system's fans go into overdrive to keep the chipsets from overheating. There is no computer on this planet that can run this game without straining its graphics system. Nevertheless, I could play the game very well and enjoy much of its rich graphic environment. Obsidian Entertaiment (the developers) need to take a page from BioWare (who also made the equal or better graphics of Jade Empire) and learn to code much more efficiently-. This game has terrible overhead.
The storyline and gameplay, overall, is immersive and enjoyable, with many sidequests. Purists of DnD may not like it, but past NWN players will like the additional prestige classes and expanded multiclassing (although they should be warned that NWN2 does not support elite classes--yet). Character dialogue works well (Jade Empire, to compare, uses a nearly identical process) and works great in a court trial in the midway of the game. Special effects and fighting are good. Multiplayer is weak as the provided toolset for user-based games and the like is very difficult to use.
Some players will be ticked off at the ending if they are a good-aligned character. Obsidian fell totally on its face in the endgame, which will appeal to no one and is a total disappointment for most (another point that many game makers need to understand). Some satisfaction may be gained for players when the expansion, "Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer", arrives. But, why does it take the purchase of two games to gain the satisfaction from one? The game has much to offer, but like your new cell phones (except perhaps an iPhone), the "cool" and "fun" factors will wear off NWN2 for many. That's too bad, as the game doesn't deserve the scorn. Atari and Obsidian just aren't great storywriters, and this needs a correction. Buy "Jade Empire" for PC before this one, but consider it if you find it for under $40.
Customer Review: For a sequel, it's a disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
Considering a new game engine was used, supposedly better than the original Neverwinter Nights, it's a huge disappointment. I have played the game through, examined the reviews and in general have to agree that the system requirements are extremely puzzling. Just where is all this system power being used? Why does it need it? Apparently only the creators of the game know since many gaming magazines are unsure as well as those who have bought the game. The creation of characters is better, although I greatly miss character portraits, which the original Neverwinter Nights had but was again removed for unknown reasons. Without the portraits, the characters all start looking the same. There are limited heads, of which I found a few them to be slightly above average at best and the rest uninteresting. As for bugs, they've had 5 updates and they're still not all fixed; I know all games need them but glaring bugs should've been fixed with the first patch - not still needing to be fixed. As for repeat playability, I place it very low; I've long since gone back to the original Neverwinter Nights again and again.Customer Review: Read the Gamespot.com review
Summary: 4 Stars
I am a big RPG fan. I really enjoy the dungeons and dragons games in particular and I have been playing since the time of pencil and paper AD&D. Neverwinter Nights has become one of my favorite games and I was greatly looking forward to the sequel. However, I nearly did not buy the game because of the bad reviews that I read on amazon.com. Because of this fact I would like to draw potential buyers' attention to the review done on gamespot.com so that they can make a fully informed decision.
Gamespot.com is a wonderful resource for the gamer community and they have done many informative and professional reviews of games. I rely on their input regularly when I am looking for new games to play. They gave Neverwinter Nights 2 a rating of 8.6 out of 10. Over 4,000 other gamers gave their personal opinion of the game and gave it a rating of 8.5 out of 10. The rating system takes into account many factors including: gameplay, graphics, sound, value, and tilt. The reviewer made this statement at the beginning of the review "Neverwinter Nights 2 isn't without some technical issues, but the engaging, dynamic story and proven Dungeons and Dragons framework make it a roleplaying game the shouldn't be missed". I value the opinions of my fellow amazon.com reviewers but I simply wanted to let people know about the review on gamespot.com because I do not want anyone to miss the opportunity to play a great game. I hope this information was helpful.
Customer Review: Potential Not Realized
Summary: 3 Stars
It is a real shame that they managed to take the stick from NWN and not run with it. The story is okay, the menus are a pain and difficult to work with. They really messed up the multiplayer portion in the campaign mode. Everyone playing freezes as you talk to NPCs. Even at the merchants. If one person zones, everyone has to zone. There are way too many cut-scenes. I found NWN more enjoyable even with its limitations. What can i say. It's an okay RPG, fun enough to pay at a moderate price... could/should have been so much better.Customer Review: Classic D&D Adventuring--Excellent Roll Playing
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been enjoying this game a great deal. The reason? There is a strong focus on an immersive story, character development, interesting equipment, and intriguing adversaries, and the graphics ain't bad to boot. I think the reason that many people have been grumbling about this latest entry in the D&D computer games universe (besides the significant system requirements) is the proliferation of action oriented games for the Xbox and Playstation series that focus on graphics and extreme action. This game is more of a thinking person's game where strategy and tactics count more than reflexes and skill at pressing multiple buttons. A lot of the enjoyment comes from advanced planning, character development, thinking through a variety of options, item management, and resolving encounters without fighting (although there are plenty of rewarding opportunities to slug it out in the trenches or kill the enemy using stealth and precision). This is the closest I have been in a long while to the enjoyment of the Baldur's Gate/Icewind Dale games.