fantasy

... why people give this game such a low rating, it's quite good if you ask me.

Now of course I'm rating this ENTIRELY on the Multiplayer aspect, I personally don't like to play the game alone. I've joined an online guild, play on five consistent world servers and play smaller mods with people all the time, and I will say that so far I've had a blast, and this is despite the small number of feats, skills and average number of spells. I don't play with people I know, and most people I play a mod with I never see again but hey, that hasn't stopped me yet.

The graphics are very good, spell effects are sweet and, with the help of the toolset, item possibilities (not to mention adventures themselves) are endless. NWN has all of the classic AD&D races and the 3rd Edition Half-Orc as well as all your favorite classes, including Paladin, Ranger, Monk, Sorcerer, Druid, Bard etceteras. Really it depends on the module, but battles can be stunning and viscous, with your characters ability to parry and do attacks aimed at certain body parts (called shot). Rogues can sneak attack, Bards can sing, Druids can summon animal hommiez (Rangers can too), Sorcerers and Wizards can call their familiars, but alas, you paladin will go without his trusty steed. Writing your character a biography can really help when playing online because other people have the ability to read it and can role-play their characters interaction with yours better.

Now yes a fair amount of the 3rd Edition rules have not been implemented but I can understand that and all the important stuff is there.

Take my advice and go buy this game you wont (shouldn't) be disappointed.

Neverwinter Nights (NWN) is another creation by Bioware which is the same company that brought life back to the Dungeons and Dragons series, mainly through one of the all-time RPG series, Baldur's Gate. NWN is the first test for Bioware's new playing engine which promises to deliver Dungeons and Dragons with better graphics and smoother online play. The game begins with four options: One, you can play the included campaign by yourself; Two, you can join online and play the campaign with other gamers; Three; you can create an online server and host a game as the Dungeon Master (if you have a very fast connection and computer); Four, you can use the tool set which allows you to create any kind of campaign you can think of.

My first warning about this game is that if you don't have a high-speed modem and a group of online friends to play with on a regular basis, the multiplayer experience in NWN will not be much fun. NWN is a revolutionary game in that it makes an honest attempt to simulate the pen and paper Dungeons & Dragons product by allowing someone to host the game as a Dungeon Master and control the adventure. The Dungeon Master can change the creatures the players are facing, create dialogue and alter other plot aspects to make the game more fun for online players. All pen and paper role-playing games rely on one player to control the game and this is probably the best attempt at having a Dungeon Master control a PC RPG game.

Unfortunately, I haven't had much fun with it. The experiences one obtains from sitting at a table and watching a Dungeon Master articulate the adventure, roll the dice and act out a story are not present with a PC game. Most of the servers are password protected so the best way to enjoy NWN online is to already have a close group of friends that you can hook up with on a regular basis. The online experience even tries to simulate player vs. player scenarios and Bioware has already released an additional "Tournament of Champions" module that allows people to fight against each other. If your main intention is to player kill, you'll have more fun in an MMORPG. Also note that many servers only allow people to control server-based characters which means that you can only play characters stored on the server's hard drive and will have to join that same server to play the character again.

ACTION FANS - 2 STARS - This is not a game for people that want action first. Some "RPGs" such as Diablo and Dungeon Siege are more hack and slash driven and draw in more action gamers than an RPG normally would. This game is not in the mold of Diablo so if you are expecting those types of fast-paced-cut-down-everything-in-sight-no-reading-required-dungeon-crawlers you probably won't enjoy NWN.

STRATEGY FANS - 2 STARS - The campaign included has some puzzle solving but nothing that can't be figured out quickly. Probably one of the biggest appeals for strategy fans in previous Bioware games was taken out: the ability to micromanage your adventuring party. In past Bioware D&D games, you could pause the game and pick individual commands for other party members in battle which made the games more fun and added a strategic angle to the game but sadly this option has been taken out of NWN. While you can still pause and change the commands of your character, you can not do this with your henchmen anymore and even worse, the game only allows you to hire one henchman instead of the five members that tagged along in previous Bioware D&D games.

ADVENTURE/RPG FANS - 5 STARS - This it the game that the pen and paper D&D crowd has been waiting for. Unfortunately, the only way to enjoy that experience is with a great group of online buddies and fast connection. For those that purchase NWN to enjoy the great single-player experience that brought in so many fans to games such as Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, you may be disappointed. Bioware promised to pay as much attention to the singleplayer mode as it was to the multiplayer aspect but it looks like the singleplayer mode was neglected. Hopefully, Bioware will add some changes that the singleplayer fans are asking for.

X FACTOR - NEW BIOWARE ENGINE - 3 STARS - While the new playing engine definitely improves the graphics and adds several user-friendly options like more control over the journal and maps, it seems like some of the previous perks of the old D&D engine were changed for the worse. One example would be the new camera angle which doesn't go below 45 degrees making it almost impossible for you to see ahead in a dungeon without drawing back the camera until your character is a little spot on your monitor.

BUGS - 5 STARS - Very few bugs which Bioware is known for. While some have complained of bugs and crashes, I myself have only had one in-game freeze and I have played it for several days and too many hours to mention. There is also a very friendly updater in the game that allows you to easily patch it with any fixes that have been released.

REPLAY VALUE - 5 STARS - While I haven't enjoyed the campaign included in the game as much as previous Bioware D&D stories I feel the redeeming factor is that an easy tool set has been included in the game that allows anyone to design a campaign of their own. Already, some small campaigns have been released at various fan websites. Comparing the editor to other games, it is very easy to use and Bioware has just released a great online tutorial for it. Considering the vast imagination in a fan community that plays D&D, I'm sure there will be several great mods released in the future that promise to bring hours of enjoyment.

Neverwinter Nights is by far the greatest RPG ever created. I know a lot of people say that the plot is not very deep, or that the gameplay is repetitive, what they are descibing is their opinion on the single player campaign that comes with the game. Possibly they have failed to find the toolset, where you can create your own adventures, or if not that, the Bioware website where you can download hundreds of fan submited modules. Hopefully through the website or the toolset you can find a module more suited to your tastes.