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Platform: PC Review: Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon (PC) Review: Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction (PC) Review: Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (PC)
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Neverwinter Nights 2
The first Neverwinter Nights was an unqualified success with fans of both Dungeons & Dragons and action role-playing games. The sequel, coming later this summer, promises to both live up to the reputation of the first game and to fulfill some of the promise that some players thought the first game left unfulfilled. Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 rules (or a close approximation thereof) are being used as the statistical engine which means that the game should benefit from the various improvements made by Wizards of the Coast in the newest revision. Along those lines, Neverwinter Nights now includes a tweaked Ranger class with better abilities and a brand new Warlock class as well as some new Prestige classes.
The biggest selling point for the original game was the ability to create and run a Dungeons & Dragons campaign online or through a LAN. In fact, Neverwinter Nights remains a popular game at our local LAN gaming store to this day. The local group has been using it lately to play through some of the classic D&D modules that have been adapted for the NN engine. I’m happy to say that developer Obsidian is keeping the multi-player aspect of NN intact in the new game. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of changes to how multi-player works, but Atari promises some changes in the level-design process. Of more interest to modders might be the new ability to mod the user interface. Modders can add their own graphics to the UI and, even cooler, have some ability to add new UI functionality. On top of this, the tool set has been totally revamped to make it easier to jump in and begin creating scenarios. The mod scene really expanded the life of the original game and it is nice to see the Atari is both rewarding the scene and encouraging it to grow. |
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One of the few complaints players had with the first game and its expansions was the generic look of many of the levels. Because the game used tile-based level construction for both indoor and outdoor levels, things tended to look blocky and similar. Of course, this limitation was by design as Neverwinter Nights was meant to be very mod-friendly and the tile-based level design meant throwing together a scenario for a group of friends to play through was a simple process. To give the new game a more dynamic look, Atari is implementing the use of height maps for the outdoor levels which will allow for more creativity and variety without affecting the mod scene adversely. |
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The developers have also added a second control scheme that they hope will enable new players to get into the game more quickly. The new controls are similar to those used in RTS and turn-based strategy games. All in all, Neverwinter Nights 2 is shaping up to be bigger and better than the original. I’m looking forward to diving into the game when it arrives later this summer. - Danny Webb (June 27, 2006) |
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