Neverwinter Nights 2 review

The original Neverwinter Nights is held aloft as the best translation of the beloved Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role-playing experience of all time. And not necessarily for the core game, either - but for the dungeon-building tools that came alongside the original adventure. In true D&D fashion, would-be Dungeon Masters everywhere used that opportunity to modify the existing content or create all-new "modules" of their own. This continual stream of fresh content has kept Neverwinter alive to this very day - easily making it the biggest value in PC gaming in recent memory.

The sequel, Neverwinter Nights 2, contains a staggering bonanza of improved visuals that grant both indoor and outdoor environments complete, high-tech makeovers. This, in addition to an influx of new skills, feats, spells and character classes thanks to the introduction of the new D&D 3.5 ruleset (the original used the 3.0 rules).  Significantly, these new rules break down levels into smaller chunks - you'll see new abilities much more often during your adventures. This makes the game harder to put down at the end of the day - or in the wee hours of the morning.

Like the original Neverwinter, the adventure itself is a complex web that has simple beginnings. You start as a nobody in a small town - a humble start that is a nod to believability but also cute and relaxed enough that it will certainly draw the Japanese RPG crowd. After the opening vignette, however, things get rolling quickly and you are caught up in a desperate fight for survival in your tiny hometown of West Harbor.