Neverwinter Nights 2 (pc: 2006): Reviews

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Neverwinter Nights 2


5.2

based on 46 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 216 votes
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GAMES:

Neverwinter Nights 2 is the sequel to BioWare Corp.'s best-selling and genre-defining role-playing game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe created by Wizards of the Coast. Neverwinter Nights 2 will be developed by Obsidian Entertainment, founded by Feargus Urquhart who, as the President of Black Isle Studios, was responsible for the publishing of the Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance series and the development of the Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment franchises, both powered by BioWare Engine Technology, as well as overseeing the creation and development of the Fallout series. BioWare will provide tools, technology, and game assets from the original Neverwinter Nights as well as lend creative input and oversight to the development process. [Atari]

PUBLISHER:	Atari
DEVELOPER:	Obsidian
GENRE(S):	Role-Playing Game
PLAYERS:	4
ESRB RATING:	T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE:	October 31, 2006

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

GameDaily

This extremely enjoyable action RPG contains fabulous visuals, plenty of options, and incredible gameplay. Neverwinter Nights 2 is truly one of the most epic adventures found on a PC, and it should be purchased without hesitation.

Next Level Gaming

The replay value in this game is astronomical.

Game Over Online

The adventure is rich and detailed, the D&D freak can go positively orgasmic with statistics, and the user community is undoubtedly going to create nearly limitless modules for the less-initiated among us to explore and experience.

Just Adventure

The music and voice acting are superb. I really liked Qara’s and Neeka’s voices. The performance was with a ton of attitude and personality.

eToychest

It offers a rare, deep developer experience, a very good single player RPG campaign, the ability to play these online, and the ability to use Neverwinter Nights 2 within a dungeon master framework, creating one's own persistent campaign piece-by-piece.

PC Format

NWN2 is the sequel we've been waiting for. With the graphical and systematic changes to give bedroom RPG makers a boost, and a solid single-player campaign to play through while we wait to see what they can do, it's hard to think of anyone who could be disappointed with the contents of this box. [Dec 2006, p.102]

PC Gamer UK

It's warm, deep, intricate beyond belief, so very funny (just wait until you meet the gnome bard), and opulently involving... A marvellous RPG with stunning tools. [Dec 2006, p.68]

Worth Playing

Based simply on the pack-in module, I can't recommend Neverwinter Nights 2 enough to RPG fans and those who follow the table-top gaming systems.

Yahoo! Games

It's no "Baldur's Gate II," nor is it a "Planescape: Torment," but the way things are going it's the closest we're likely to get this century.

Games Radar

The amazing single player installation improves on the original game in nearly every way imaginable - without breaking anything what has gone before. Even for players who have never hurled a 20-sided die in anger, Neverwinter Nights 2 is not to be missed.

AceGamez

My biggest concern is that the performance and system requirements will turn potential players - and module developers - away from the game, and it won't have the reach and long life of its predecessor.

Game Chronicles

Rich narrative, engaging gameplay, and total attention to role-playing detail.

RPG Fan

A splendid platform bundled with a highly agreeable romp through a lengthy and entertaining sample adventure. In addition, fan-made modules are already beginning to pop up, and while most are tests and exploratory attempts at present, there are a few coffee-break modules that immediately extend the life of the purchase.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

We’re just counting the weeks until the first expansion comes along.

PC Gameworld

We'll be playing this one for a long time.

GameZone

It is graphically very nice, has solid sound and has addicting gameplay. Much fun to be had here, with the entertainment factors far outweighing the few flaws the game has.

Games Master UK

Too hardcore for all but the most hardcore of D&D beardies, but a brilliant RPG. [Christmas 2006, p.70]

PC Zone UK

A near-perfect sequel. [Jan 2007, p.78]

GameSpot

Neverwinter Nights 2 isn't without some technical issues, but the engaging, dynamic story and proven Dungeons & Dragons framework make it a role-playing game that shouldn't be missed.

IGN

The ability to play through the official campaign with others online in addition to the toolset that can be used to create and play your own adventures gives Neverwinter Nights 2 a bottomless replay value.

Computer Games Online RO

The story, characters and the choices I had at my disposal made me overlook the bad AI, frustrating party micromanagement, gamebreaking bugs or the Spartan inventory system.

GamingTrend

The game that almost gets it right. Over time, and a bit more testing, I believe that the game will live up to its Bioware-powered predecessor.

Gaming Nexus

The final word when delving into the richest Dungeons & Dragons experience available on a hard drive today. The bugs will get mashed, the community will thrive, and Obsidian's reputation for challenging and meaningful narratives will live on. No self-respecting D&D fan should go this holiday season without it.

Pelit (Finland)

Starts off too slow and easy, but really picks up the pace once you gain control of your own keep. After that it keeps getting better and better in every regard. The horrid pathfinding and stubborn NPC AI are still problems, though. [Dec 2006]

ActionTrip

Obsidian obviously hasn't made any real breakthroughs, which is a bummer, really, seeing as the original brought quite a lot of fresh ideas to the RPG scene.

PC Gamer

It's less polished than the original, but it's a more epic D&D adventure. [Holiday 2006, p.90]

GamerNode

For RPG lovers, picking up NWN2 is a no-brainer. The game has the story, the characters, the action and the lore behind it to make it an enjoyable piece of work.

Digital Entertainment News

Neverwinter Nights 2 is a strong single-player adventure thoroughly enjoyable in and of itself. That it will serve as a platform for endless mod gaming only makes it that mich more appealing.

Quandary

So it isn't perfect, particularly not for players who prefer using the mouse, but Neverwinter Nights 2 is nevertheless a hugely enjoyable trip.

Just RPG

If you are looking for a radically new and innovative gaming experience, steer clear of Neverwinter Nights 2. This is very much like a second helping of Neverwinter Nights, albeit a tad longer and more complex. Which, come to think of it, ain’t such a bad thing after all.

Edge Magazine

There’s scope to build everything from a two-hour co-op dungeon crawl to a 100-hour purple-prosed epic. It’s that breadth that makes NN2 as much of an essential purchase as genre fans could ask for. [Christmas 2006, p.88]

EuroGamer

It's not the future of PC gaming, but a glorious slice of the recent past. This may be the last adventure like this you'll ever go on. And there's a certain style and grandeur to anything like that.

GameSpy

Just like its acclaimed spiritual predecessors, the game is wholly engrossing and begs to be explored. Rare is a game with such meaningful and varied character development, and the plethora of options available will guarantee that many players will want to indulge in its experience from the point of view of several different types of characters.

Game Informer

A very entertaining, classic D&D tale that will provide dozens of hours of entertainment to RPG fans, as well as some mod tools with great potential. If the online scene takes off, though, you can expect many years of outstanding gaming out of this little package.

Sydney Morning Herald

Role-playing addicts won't be disappointed by the scope of this fantasy romp but a certain level of perseverance is required if you are unfamiliar with the intricacies of D&D.

Game Revolution

With fifty hours of story, branching down different paths based on your moral choices, Neverwinter Nights 2 would have already been a hefty adventure. But with the thousands of amateur dungeon masters that can’t wait to get in on the action, this quest will truly have no end. Despite a few nagging issues, this trip to Neverwinter is a satisfying experience and a worthy sequel.

GameShark

A fun ride that is sure to please old-school RPG fans who want to play a classic party-based adventure.

Play Magazine

NNights 2 is a huge, engrossing adventure with scads of player-influenced character development and plot twists. [Dec. 2006, p.94]

VideoGamer

Like KotOR 2 before it, Neverwinter Nights 2 promises much without quite delivering its full potential. It's a shame, as it could have been the Elminster of computerised AD&D games.

Computer Games Magazine

Neverwinter Nights 2 has enough pluses and a solid enough core design to make it compulsively playable. [Jan. 2007, p.46]

games(TM)

Our worries about monotonous dungeon-crawling have proved unfounded as Obsidian has given this integral part of the game a good shake up, ploughing surprises and intrigue into every dark cave and ancient ruin. [Jan 2007, p.98]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

A great story—but maybe they should have stuck with pencils and dice.

PALGN

NWN2 doesn’t even come close to matching the high caliber that has been reached with other recent action-RPGs on the market, and is ultimately a poorly executed finish.

G4 TV

This game, unfortunately, tries too hard to play true to its D&D roots to be able to offer much appeal to casual gamers.

RewiredMind

This game may be worth playing in about a year’s time when Obsidian has finished patching this clunky monstrosity, but right now, it’s a strictly average affair.

1UP

In its current state, and for those who just want a single-player RPG, this is recommended to D&D diehards only, who are probably the only ones with enough goodwill to slog through the problems. Everyone else -- wait awhile. A great RPG is in here somewhere; it's just not ready yet.

The average user rating for this game is 5.2 (out of 10) based on 216 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sean B. gave it a7:
An alright game. Nothing spectacular about it that saves it from its flaws. The interface or really the entire game as a whole seems unpolished and clunky, with things such as your character taking half a second to move after you tell him to detracting from the experience. Spell effects are weak and clearly quickly thrown together. Multiplayer, the original NWN's strongest point, was not focused on in NWN 2 which is a real shame. Overall, not a bad game, but I was expecting so much more from the sequel to what is possibly my favorite game of all time.

Elias O. gave it a1:
What happened with this Game? Obsidian should not be allowed to touch any other RPG's from now on, just look at what they did with KoToR2!

Owen T. gave it a7:
At the start of this review of NWN 2 I like to quote the words of Feargus Urquhart, the CEO of OBSIDIAN from the manual that comes with the game. - "What we really wanted to do is bringing the playing and crafting of D&D adventures to the computer." - "keep the sequel as true to the original product as possible" These statements reveal the aims of the game at the moment of release: it was to differ little from NWN 1 and specifically to make a game and toolset in one like NWN 1 was. It is therefore not surprising that there have been no groundbreaking changes. The same levelling system, same classes, races, skills, abilities, spells and feats are implemented. Except for the introduction of a new base class, the warlock, nothing has been altered so drastic as to attract attention. A few changes have been implemented. The first two stem from criticism against NWN 1: the rather uninspired plot and the fact that it was a single character game. So these points have been addressed by creating a better story line and adding a party game system. The third change is maybe the only real new thing: a more elaborate system to create your own items and potions. Many problems make the game rather wearisome. Wearisome because the action is interrupted continuously. Battles are generally followed by resting because you need regenerate spent spells and lost health that way, since both won't regenerate themselves. Irksome is that by slavishly sticking to the restricted AD&D rule set little interesting is brought into the game. You find that some classes are repeating their actions again and again and again. Notably the fighter class offers little variance. But even when a change of tactic might be possible this is hampered by the way OBSIDIAN has implemented it. The thief class offers sneaking which could be used in other games to scout ahead, but this advantage is nullified because in NWN 2 the thief can't act on his own. What is even more tiresome is that the already small area's are filled with roundabout routes and blocked area’s. You might see your target lying ahead but to reach it you need to follow a needless roundabout route because the short route has been made inaccessible by the level designers. The dullness is visible in every feature of the game. The companions are much the same as in any other given ADD related game. Neeshka for example is Imoem from BG 1, Mission Vao from Kotor I or Annah from Torment. The bad guys are the usual assorted group. Badguys are not simply people who have different aims, no, they are EVIL people that want to spread evil through the world with the aid of undead and orcs. Despite the fact that all the bad guys are selfish power hungry sociopaths who are prone to infighting, they are apparently able to organize more powerful forces than the "good guys" until the hero comes along. The way the story is delivered is equal bland as is ominous denoted at the start of the game because it starts with... an attack. NWN 2 implementation of this much overused ploy signifies the bland tale that is delivered. After so many predecessors one would expect the writers feel the challenge to invent something new or a use a surprising angle. There is nothing like the exceptional double cross you do in BG II in the underdark(player party, magical altered into drow, is sent in by good dragon to retrieve eggs from drow and ally with one drow schemer who wants to double cross the drow leader and both these are eventually double crossed by third drow with help from the player). Nor does at any point in the game the way the story is delivered excel. Also no inspiration is shown the in the creatures you encounter, the usual plethora of overused monster types make an appearance: skeletons, zombies, ghouls, wolfs, giant spiders, lizardman and bandits, trolls, orcs, bug bears and so on populate the stage. The lacklustre is mirrored in their names as everything is called what it is. Thugs are called thug's and bandits bandit. With thug sergeant, leader and captain denoting different ranks. And citizens are called… citizens. Art design is non-existent. Everything looks like the typical AD&D fantasy art defined decades ago by Elmore cum sui and no diversity has been achieved. Everything is cast in the same high middle-ages fantasy look. Even if one would just look how medieval Moscow differed from Byzantium and Paris one wonders why the developers could not even try at introducing some typical architecture. As a final remark about the boredom that pervades the game one should listen to the music. Part of it are NWN 1 sounds shamelessly reused and like the art design the music is lacking in anything that smacks imagination. Conclusion It all is very surprising. NWN 2 is a galling conventional remake of NWN 1 and a stick-to-the-rules implementation of the AD&D game system that at no point shines with creativity. One would expect something more from a game that stands in the shadow of such (great ) games as Baldur's Gate and Torment, has had four years to mature and is delivered in a market that has changed remarkably in those four years. One would expect something from a developer that has such a great reputation Yet at no point does (to quote a critic) NWN 2 deliver a WOW factor in a positive way. That such a game has been given something like an eight on average is astounding. As it stands, even after the patches, the game should be a seven at best.

[Anonymous] gave it a1:
I really don't feel it lived up to its name as NWN 2. The graphics are definately a step up, but it lacks polish, and performance is horrible. Spell effects are on the whole unoriginal, uninspiring, and don't really connect with the spell. The user interface is a major step back from the clean, uncluttered, forgiving one of NWN. Trying to quickly navigate a multi level menu where the options are really close together just doesn't work. Unlike the first NWN, its also fairly multiplayer unfriendly. Its only saving grace is that it has a fairly decent story.

Mario K. gave it a9:
I dont know what is the problem with you people here!! NWN2 had some bugs, true! But they are not so big to give a great game a score 0/10. Almost noone mentions the bugs Oblivion had, which is far worse game in every regard when compared with NWN2! This so unfair! And it is clear that Bethseda payed you people to slander NWN2 so they could boost their sales on Oblivion, which BTW doesnt deserve one point above 7.

gave it a1:
I really don't feel it lived up to its name as NWN 2. The graphics are definately a step up, but it lacks polish, and performance is horrible. Spell effects are on the whole unoriginal, uninspiring, and don't really connect with the spell. The user interface is a major step back from the clean, uncluttered, forgiving one of NWN. Trying to quickly navigate a multi level menu where the options are really close together just doesn't work. Unlike the first NWN, its also fairly multiplayer unfriendly. Its only saving grace is that it has a fairly decent story.

Mareus Durante gave it a10:
Everyone who gave NWN2 a score 0 is a total retard. The game has some bad points, true. Its far from perfect, but 0!!!! COME ON!!!! Thats why i am giving 10!