Rating: Summary: Not up to Bioware's Standards Review: Having loved all of the previous Bioware RPGs (Baldur's Gate 1&2, Torment, Icewind Dale) I was very disappointed by this one. The interface is a step down in my opinion, and though others may disagree with that change, nearly everyone I've talked to about the game has agreed with this analysis: the plot of the game is boring and the enemies unchallenging (I ended up playing a sorceror, only to find that for the first large portion of the game, I was completely useless on the battlefield, while my mercenary and familiar easily trashed anything I ran accross.) Unlike previous Bioware RPGs where I have been sucked into a rich world filled with colorful NPCs and interesting and challenging monsters, this game plays more like find the zombies, kill the zombies, and even the more powerful enemies all seem to be cast from the same mold. Perhaps other world-creators will come out with better modules in the future, that might actually be worth playing, but for now I'm still playing a 2 year old game while this is languishing on my shelf.
Rating: Summary: Excellent! Review: Hours and hours of fun! Our group of friends is constantly swapping home made modules. Always trying to outdo each other.
Rating: Summary: The best adaptation of pen and paper roleplaying to computer Review: As is said in the title, Neverwinter Nights is thus far the best adaptation of Pen and Paper roleplaying (and more specifically, D&D rules as a whole) to computer thus far. It should be said that the single player game is in fact not the best. The storyline is decent, though mediocre compared to the likes of Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate. The plot is rather linear, and as has been said in previous reviews, much more akin to perhaps Icewind Dale (though yes, it does have more "brains" than Diablo). The graphics are immersive, though I have seen better. Sound is a truly great aspect of the game, and aids incredibly in helping you become a part of the environment. The dynamic lighting system is also incredible.However, what truly makes this game unique (and worthy of my 5 star rating) is the multiplayer. Simply put, the options for enjoyment are unlimited. At the time of this review, there are 1000+ modules for download and play either alone or in a group, and nearly as many servers online catering to all types of gameplay. There are local and server vault worlds, high and low powered campaigns, role play enforced or hack-n-slash communities, etc. The list truly is endless. And if you don't like what's out there, then just use the provided in-game tools to make your own NWN experience. Port that nearly forgotten gold box game or classic AD&D module from back in your gaming days to a more advanced medium, or simply start from scratch and create your own world. Quite frankly, any review of NWN that weighs the single player experience more heavily than the multiplayer is defunct. The game has always been touted for its multiplayer versatility, and the single player game really does seem as more of an add-in. If you ONLY plan on enjoying the single player aspect, then you would honestly be better off either waiting for the price of the game to sink a bit, or buying another product altogether. However, if you even think you'll be using the online resources of NWN (which are furthered by great official and non-official sites out there, such as neverwinternights.com, neverwinterhaven.com, the neverwinter nexus, etc.) then make a purchase that you will not soon regret. As for issues concerning hardware compatibility: I myself have not once experienced such an issue with this game, though I know that many real problems did exist. However, with the latest patch, and a little computer maintenance you should be quite fine. So long as you support the game's minimum requirements (and possibly even come up a small ways short) you will indeed be in the clear.
Rating: Summary: One Game, Infinite Possibilities Review: I have never been as pleased with a game as I have been with Neverwinter Nights. The actual 'game' that you play when you buy it seems a bit weak and didn't keep me entertained. Honestly, though, that isn't why I bought this game. NWN is about Dungeons and Dragons on the computer. A Dungeon Master can create an adventure and through the online play, have friends from across the world play through it. The scripting is easy but for those who don't want to take the time to learn it, the community is vibrant and enthusiastic more than willing to churn out whatever you want. Most likely, whatever you want, someone else has thought of and already posted it to one of the massive archives. This is one game that much like the table-top D&D, you will be playing for years to come.
Rating: Summary: Best game ever, Review: Neverwinter Nights is the best game I've ever played. Character creation is fun and easy. Music is fantastic and game play couldn't be more easy. I don't know why people are putting this game down. For instance you don't need a first person view to play. They already give you 3 views. I also have heard of possible advancements on camera views. Graphics aren't bad either. Equipment is cool and other tools are easy to use. My favorite part is the Aurora Toolset, the possibilities are "endless." Making "whatever" you disire and more. Bioware is trying to make the perfect game with releasing over 17 patches in the first 200 days. And the new champain Witchworks which is based on people like you. Taken designs to place within the champain. AI is great, almost flawless. Unlike Diablo 2 you have many compartments for storage. DM controls all aspects of your world, giving new challanges. But either way, in conclusion this game is the game you want. Flawless and stunning. The people at Bioware are great people. So go buy this game. The stories of the hero never ends.
Rating: Summary: *sigh* Review: Man oh man! i just didnt like this game at all. the camera, useful but annoying was just made poorly.And when i decide to vs. some other NWN players (PvP) the servers were so full of hackers that you couldnt do any good clean fighting, or trading for that matter. Though, the storyline was pretty good. Graphics, and monsters/NPC's were also very good. If you are looking for a REALLY DAMN GOOD RPG, buy Morrowind, maybe even Tribunal expansion (caveat emptor i havent got it yet, so i dont know if it is any good, but Bethesda made it, and it IS Morrowind material). my conclusion, buy this if, and only if, you are a HARDCORE D&D fan. if you dant kno what D&D is, you are a total lamo. bye.
Rating: Summary: OVERRATED - but a decent RPG Review: Neverwinter Nights has been praised by much of the gaming press in the time since its release, yet I can't help but feel that they have somehow overlooked the game's numerous and glaring flaws. I'm not claiming that Nights isn't a fun combat-oriented RPG (with more brains than Diablo and most of its ilk) - but does it have problems? Oh yeah, it definitely does! First of all, here's a list of what the game does well: · As one might expect from a Dungeons & Dragons product, the character creation segment is deeply involving for die-hard RPGers, and it is worlds better than the "here's your pick of classes and a name" system that so many shallow RPGs employ these days. · The graphics are immediately appealing to the eye - particularly where the player character models are concerned. Swords shimmer in the light and armor flickers as you pass by flaring torches. The hand-drawn artwork that accompanies this polygonal world is also top-of-the-line. · This game is massively replayable (assuming you dig the game in the first place). With all of the character options and quests, the official single player campaign is quite massive (although the story-driven part of the campaign is rather brief). On top of this, the mod community is thriving, and should produce material that is even better than what the folks at Bioware have given us. · The combat animations are the best I've ever seen in an RPG. You can actually see your character deflecting incoming blows and generally fighting for his or her life. Your opponents do likewise. · The best thing about Neverwinter Nights is that it generally allows the player to tackle problems in various ways. For example, you can enter that dungeon through the main entrance, sneak around the back, or enter through the cellar in some cottage nearly a mile away. Neverwinter Nights certainly has its strengths - some of which should henceforth be required in a self-respecting RPG. Unfortunately, the game has more than its share of faults that you may not have heard about at PC Gamer or Gamespot. Here are some examples: · Despite all of the things there are to do in and around the city of Neverwinter, the scenery is horrendously repetitive. Sure, the outdoor segments of the game really shine from a graphical standpoint (most notably the druid encampment mid-way through the campaign), but once you head indoors, things get really bland. It's not because the level design is poor, but because the game suffers from repetitive textures. For example, you begin the game in the Academy at Neverwinter, which, oddly enough, resembles pretty much every other indoor locale the game has to offer. Get used to it, or you're not going to enjoy adventuring all that much. · As I mentioned before, the game sports some impressive visuals - but somehow, despite this, the enemy character models tend to look rather silly. Orcs look like blocky rejects from WarCraft, and panthers' legs disjoint as they run to catch up with you. Needless to say, the enemies probably won't impress much. · The storyline is severely lacking in Neverwinter Nights. The game does include some memorable characters, events, and one particularly good surprise, but apart from that, it's just another "bring down the evil cult" sort of scenario. Note to all you game-makers out there: hold the evil cultist stuff. It's tired. · Neverwinter Nights also suffers from poor writing. Conversations with NPCs are most often boring, and that's a shame since there's so bloody much conversing going on throughout the course of the game! On top of this, the voice acting is generally bad. These people like to chew the heck out of that proverbial scenery. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You are too late to stop me!" Yeah, it's like that. · There are many portraits to choose from when you're setting up an alternate persona, and yet the NPCs wandering about in the game world can end up looking just like you! It was annoying in Baldur's Gate, and it's annoying now. NPC portraits and PC portraits should be completely different from one another, and I don't care how busy the artists get. · Buggy. I reached a point in the game where a bug prevented me from continuing, and I had to RESTART the entire game. That is BAD, folks. All in all, my take on Neverwinter Nights is that it's a good, enjoyable adventure that's worth taking, provided you know what to expect and don't subscribe to all that media hype floating around out there. Don't be fooled - this game has its problems, and it is completely undeserving of its 95 of 100 score in mags like PC Gamer. Fortunately, solid gameplay keeps you coming back for more... provided some of the bugs don't force you into early retirement. Final Grade: C+
Rating: Summary: Worth the purchase Review: I normally only play more 'first-person' type games, but didn't take me long to like this one! The graphics were great and the story line was very involving. Can't remember how many hours I played it when I first got it, but alot! The only negative I had was online play. Anyone can host a server, ala Quake, and even on high bandwidth lines, it was still laggy. But other then that, it was well worth the cost.
Rating: Summary: What a waste. Review: I can only echo the thoughts of what others have said so far, if you do not have the correct hardware you will probably have big time problems getting this game to work. The requirements on the box don't help any since a lot of people who meet or exceed the stated requirements are having problems with this game (Bioware should have included a large bottle of extra-strength aspirin with this game). The only advice that I can offer is, when buying ANY game always check out the games support page to see what kinds of problems people are having before you buy. I learned this lesson the hard way, if I had checked out NWN's website I would have passed on this game, too many people having too many problems. What a waste.
Rating: Summary: D&D lives on in NWN!! Review: I have been a D&D gamer since 1978 and I have never had as much fun on a computer-based D&D style game as I had with this. The graphics are awesome and the gameplay preserves much for the roleplay/D&D flavor that I loved even back then.
|