Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition – Review
If there is any game in the world that deserved to call itself a Dungeons & Dragons digital game, it’s Neverwinter Nights. Already back in 2002, players were met with intriguing combat and deep, long RPG conversations based on the D&D genre and dice-system. Now, developer Beamdog tried to breathe in new life to this old gem with the Enhanced Edition. For players who experienced it before and those who never played it alike, if you want to be submerged in RPG, Neverwinter Nights is a good place to start.
Story
Neverwinter is a city located in a rough land full of lawless places. Led by a legendary hero, Neverwinter was supposed to be one of the few safe havens left, until a violent plague swept through, killing all the inhabitants. There are whispers of this plague, called the Wailing Death, to be purposely spread by enemies of the city. People turned into mindless zombies, death and rebellion ruled the streets and a desperate cry for a champion had been placed. An academy for heroes was born, training potential warriors of greatness and you are one of the applicants. After completing the training, an attack aimed at the academy starts out of nowhere, causing panic and destruction, destroying the little hope that was left. As you help with some important objectives, you catch the eye of your current leader who gives you the opportunity to set out on a great adventure of hope and desperation alike.
Other than the main story, Neverwinter Nights is absolutely filled to the brim with stories, text and side missions. Everywhere you go it’s a lively environment with depth and plenty to discover. If you like a good read next to strategic fights and roleplaying, there is plenty for you here.
Graphics
A giant negative side of the enhanced edition is that there is more graphically-wise expected to be, well, enhanced. Yes, the textures might be slightly crisper than they used to be, and there is a little bit more support for upscaling to current resolutions. Besides this though, barely anything changed. It rather looks and feels very old in terms of HUD placement and surroundings. Even at all the highest settings, nothing became noticeably better really. The enhanced edition does supply the DLCs and it also gives multiplayer support and Steam Workshop opportunities, but all the graphics could have been way more improved for something called an ”enhanced edition”.
Sound
Where the graphics aren’t really enhanced and it matters, the sound isn’t enhanced and it doesn’t really matter. Even though most sounds have a slight amount of dust and noise on them, the combination of cinematic background tracks and very lively noises such as a full city of clamoring people calling out different things, really passed the test of time. It’s still a great composition and it makes every part of the world you walk around in different and special in its own special way. It’s another part of depth that just makes Neverwinter Nights a true and fair Dungeons & Dragons experience.
Gameplay
Now, if you ever played Dungeons and Dragons, you know how many possibilities there are to play the game. It’s considered the mother of all RPG boardgames when it comes to fantasy-filled worlds. So Neverwinter Nights, naturally, also is an RPG. It follows the Dungeons and Dragons (3.0) rules pretty closely and gives an elaborate set of options to build a character with different features, strengths, and looks. Every weapon even follows a traditional roll of the i.e. 10-sided or 8-sided dice before it does damage. Even though you see the action happening, it’s translated into the text bar as rolls with different outcomes.
The game can be divided into two types. The first is the RPG where you read, try out your character’s skills and discover new ways to reach your goals. The second is the action part where you try to strategically overcome your enemies. When fighting, your abilities, equipment, and luck all play a part. Because the game rolls dice, you basically watch a sped-up version of turn-based combat, where you have a few options such as special attacks in between. From the moment you are set free to discover the world of Neverwinter, these two types are to be tested at many places, leaving you to find out what to do next in a big campaign with many hours of playtime.
Not only is the campaign large and overwhelming, developer Beamdog also decided to rebuild the multiplayer system, one of the biggest advantages of the enhanced edition. You are able to bring your friends online and go on a dungeon adventure together. For the real creative people among you, there is even Steam Workshop support, bringing practically unlimited options to the table. Especially for those ambitious enough to bring their own dungeon master touch to the digital table, this is a great thing. For others, it might prolong the game’s gameplay by a bunch if they are truly captivated by what it has to offer.
Conclusion
Neverwinter Nights is a cool game. The main point of criticism is that for the claim of an enhanced edition, it doesn’t feel enhanced enough. At many points in the game, you might as well be playing the original. Despite the graphical disappointment and the very positive sounds effects, the game can be sluggish in tempo at times due to its age, but still amazing if you like roleplaying games with a large dose of depth. By adding Steam workshops and renewing the multiplayer, if you wish to play a classic, this might be a good time to pick this one up provided you are not bothered by the lack of graphical improvements.
Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition - Review,
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