Dungeon Siege - Hmm... some people might claim that Dungeon siege was really a ‘no brainer’ RPG, and that it’s hack and slash gaming was limited. I have a feeling that those gamers might be inclined to tilt their way towards Neverwinter Nights, whose combat is far more intricate and complex.
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - This is the real kicker, I personally think that Morrowind holds a far greater ‘fun factor’ than Neverwinter Nights, and that it’s an easy game to ‘pick up and play’. However if forced to choose one over the other I would still pick NWN, as the sheer scope and dedication that has gone into the game makes it a far more rewarding experience. If you’re new to the RPG scene then I’d have to suggest you go with Morrowind, as its first-person interface and simple rules of character development will hold your attention longer.
Conclusion
Good
- Excellent game dynamics
- Perfect Backgrounds
- Intricate Plot
- Intricate side plots
- Excellent combat system
- Infinite opportunity for expansion with the Aurora toolset.
Bad
- A little disappointing
- There’s no point being bad
- Unbalanced character classes
- Character models are a little too simple
- Little control over henchmen
- Requires a hell of a lot of dedication
- It costs forty knicker! (That’s forty british pounds for those in other countries – Core)
Summing Up
I really like Neverwinter Nights, but for forty quid I can’t help but feel that I’ve been cheated. Despite the endless fun to be had in multiplayer, it’s the single player campaign that most gamers will spend their time doing and this is where this title shows its warts. I keep returning back to the ‘being evil’ doesn’t mean much argument.
It may not mean much to you but when I murder everyone in a pub I want people to know I want the guard to try and beat me to death, I want to be shunned by my former allies, I want to become the videogame equivalent of Michael Winner; feared and hated by all. Although it may seem a minor point, for me it’s the computer game equivalent of a set wobbling in a TV show- It utterly destroys the sense of emersion.
In short Neverwinter Nights is a damn fine RPG, unfortunately it’s not the revolution in role-playing we were promised. Bioware had best start work on Baldur’s Gate 3...
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