Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of The Betrayer

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 219 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 181 out of 219
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 219
  3. Negative: 13 out of 219
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  1. AndymanMessiah
    Mar 23, 2011
    10
    This direct sequel to Neverwinter Nights 2 is everything I've wanted since Planescape: Torment. The comparison to Black Isle's masterpiece is entirely justified.
  2. SuzieF.
    Oct 10, 2007
    9
    Deep and engaging, Mask of the Betrayer is a role-player's delight.
  3. KevinD.
    Oct 12, 2007
    9
    While the lack of inter-party banter, the silliness of everything being scaled for epic levels, and a few annoying bugs keep this from being a perfect expansion, being less than perfect is far from being bad. If you loved Planescape: Torment, chances are you will love this. If you thought Planescape: Torment was too wordy and needed more combat, chances are you will love this. If you While the lack of inter-party banter, the silliness of everything being scaled for epic levels, and a few annoying bugs keep this from being a perfect expansion, being less than perfect is far from being bad. If you loved Planescape: Torment, chances are you will love this. If you thought Planescape: Torment was too wordy and needed more combat, chances are you will love this. If you don't know what Planescape: Torment is, find a copy of that when you go buy this. Mask of the Betrayer is much more polished than the original Neverwinter Nights 2, and includes an entirely new musical score, which is amazing, vastly improved voice acting, and a story good enough for me to say its one of the best RPG stories of all time. The engine has been optimized leading to much less lag, faster load times, and faster save times. The autosave has also been set to be more frequent, saving almost every time you enter or exit an area, but the superfast save speed means you aren't waiting for more than 1-2 seconds for the autosave to finish. I highly recommend this to anyone who loved the original Neverwinter Nights 2, and even some who didn't. If you couldn't handle the unoptimized engine, or long load times in the original, both are fixed. This is one game where the developers listened to feedback and fixed nearly every complaint.… Expand
  4. Scott
    Nov 30, 2007
    8
    I think its a great edition to nwn2 and smooths out some things. I still hate the camera and the lack of it really following you character correctly. I have played D&D online and the camera is perfect for me there, i wish the camera was better. And the new way cameras work to me made it all worse. But if you can get past that its awesome. The new races and classes make it that more I think its a great edition to nwn2 and smooths out some things. I still hate the camera and the lack of it really following you character correctly. I have played D&D online and the camera is perfect for me there, i wish the camera was better. And the new way cameras work to me made it all worse. But if you can get past that its awesome. The new races and classes make it that more enjoyable that i will be playing through the main story line again with the new options!… Expand
  5. ShamaL.
    Nov 1, 2007
    10
    Easily the best RPG since BG2. It's so head and shoulders above NWN2 it's ridiculous.
  6. MatthewW.
    Oct 26, 2007
    9
    This is how NWN2 should have ran and looked like when it was released. They have polished the game to a beautiful level and the new graphics are beautiful. The extremely upgraded influence system is fantastic, it actually gives you stat and feat bonuses from your companions, It also has a huge influence on the game as well. The only thing I wish they would have gotten better is the This is how NWN2 should have ran and looked like when it was released. They have polished the game to a beautiful level and the new graphics are beautiful. The extremely upgraded influence system is fantastic, it actually gives you stat and feat bonuses from your companions, It also has a huge influence on the game as well. The only thing I wish they would have gotten better is the camera, it's still clunky and broken, not as bad as when the first game came out but it's still pretty aweful. But if you can get past that there is a wonderful game here. It turely does feel epic. When you consider lvl 20 in d&d is nearly god -like then you can see how powerful these 20-30 levels are, but trust me, the game is challenging and you'll need the extra power, every battle is a hail of magic and steel it's almost surreal the amount of power your characters release, and the new graphics engine was specifically designed to improve the look and effects of magic spells. The story is fabulous as well. I recommend this to d&d fans or anyone who just loves RG's.… Expand
  7. Jiz
    Nov 19, 2007
    10
    A very creative game.
  8. mc
    Apr 26, 2009
    10
    RPGs are at their strongest when they create a world of wonder and intrigue with strong and interesting characters to discover and explore, and Mask of the Betrayer does this with a mastery that is seen in only a handful of the genre's best games. From shadow planes to dream walking to soul eating to dead gods, Mask of the Betrayer is enthralling.
  9. jimbobslimbob
    Dec 10, 2014
    10
    A superb add-on for an already superb game. The story is vastly improved over the original campaign. It also allows you to level up your character to level 30 - with a plethora of new feats and classes to boot.

    It is an essential for anyone that liked NWN2 - a masterpiece of game making in every regard.

    Jimbo Rating: 10/10
  10. hazsch
    Apr 11, 2020
    10
    Mask of the Betrayer is one of the best RPGs of all time. It is an epic level adventure and relies on you having a previously established character from the base game of NWN2, which many people find too formulaic for their tastes, so that may put some people off. MotB is fantastic in so many of the same ways that Planescape: Torment is fantastic, and in terms of tone and depth, MotBMask of the Betrayer is one of the best RPGs of all time. It is an epic level adventure and relies on you having a previously established character from the base game of NWN2, which many people find too formulaic for their tastes, so that may put some people off. MotB is fantastic in so many of the same ways that Planescape: Torment is fantastic, and in terms of tone and depth, MotB surpasses any of the "spiritual successors" to Torment.

    The writing is a big improvement over the original NWN2 campaign, and the dialogue trees are very in depth in comparison to modern day RPGs in which your dialogue options don't mean anything. The high level combat is balanced by the "gimmick" of the game, which I won't spoil, but it turns the 'chosen one' concept on its head.

    Bloody fantastic. Pick up Neverwinter Nights 2 Complete for $25 on GOG.    … Expand
  11. aazru
    Sep 1, 2012
    10
    This expansion proves that sequels can be better than original games. Any faults it had were outweighed by its good parts. Worst thing about it was that it's too short. ;D
  12. lutteres
    Jul 17, 2014
    8
    Nw2 motb is the expansion and the direct sequel to Neverwinter Knights 2 original campaign, which not only managed to improved upon what nw2 oc did right; but also fixed many of the technical issues that plagued it before.
    Unfortunately it didn’t fix the camera issues and some of the performance issues, but oh well, at least, this time, the game is playable from start to finish without    Nw2 motb is the expansion and the direct sequel to Neverwinter Knights 2 original campaign, which not only managed to improved upon what nw2 oc did right; but also fixed many of the technical issues that plagued it before.
    Unfortunately it didn’t fix the camera issues and some of the performance issues, but oh well, at least, this time, the game is playable from start to finish without any significant problem.
    But as always Obsidian had to fu** things up again by adding a new mechanic in act II know as: The spirit bar.
    Without spoiling, the spirit bar decreases as time progresses, if it reaches a certain thresholds your character will suffer stat penalties, and if it reaches zero, you’re character will die. You can delay these effects by feeding on spirits, suppressing or sacrificing XP points.
    Basically, the spirit bar works like a timer and If you don’t work your way through the story fast enough, you’re character will end up severely gimped.
    Fortunately there is an easy exploit for this. The solution can be found here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/939027-neverwinter-nights-2-mask-of-the-betrayer/40775737

    The difficulty as also been tweaked, so if you have an unbalanced character from the Nw2 OC, prepare to die….allot.

    But what about the story?
    Motb has arguably one of the best stories in any Obsidian game I played to date, and is probably one of the best stories in the D&D universe.
    To sum it up it’s a bit like a Greek Tragedy meets NW2 OC.
    Although, motb was a refreshing change of pace from what we seen before, I still have a few gripes with its story, especially the cop out/ fu** you type ending they gave, that kind of reminded me of the infamous Mass Effect 3 ending. But at least the motb ending made some sense, something that ME 3 ending did not.

    In conclusion: Nw2 Motb is a must play for all D&D fans out there, but its still flawed like its predecessor.    … Expand
  13. kilmindaro
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    Long, engaging story, multitude of new abilities and choices that actually have an impact on the plot and the character progression. Loved every minute of it, great expansion pack.
  14. KaiEkkrin
    Jun 24, 2011
    10
    This "mere expansion" to Neverwinter Nights 2 is possibly the best story-driven CRPG that's been made. Following the legend of the spirit-eater of Rashemen, it sets you on a tale that spans thousands of years and crosses the Planes -- but a tale that's *personal* in a way no other game of this type has quite managed. This is the one where the biggest combat mechanic is there for a reasonThis "mere expansion" to Neverwinter Nights 2 is possibly the best story-driven CRPG that's been made. Following the legend of the spirit-eater of Rashemen, it sets you on a tale that spans thousands of years and crosses the Planes -- but a tale that's *personal* in a way no other game of this type has quite managed. This is the one where the biggest combat mechanic is there for a reason deeply linked to the story; where you'll actually believe it when you select the "I love you" option; where the ending will have you burst into tears -- and then start again, to see a different path the story can take. Utterly wonderful.… Expand
  15. thesisko
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    The best RPG since Planescape:Torment, Obsidian Entertainment finally live up to their Black Isle legacy. Simply one of the best RPG's ever made. The fact that it has a lower critic score than the travesty that is Dragon Age 2 is an insult to the obviously passionate people who developed this game. That passion died a long time ago at BioWare.
  16. whitepawn
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    This isn't easy to figure out. You'll also like it best if you can carry over your character from the base game. Mask of the Betrayer has a constant background noise of you dying outright if you don't manipulate the confounding problem right. You survived the endgame of the first installment, but only at a price. That said, you can finally ascend into epic levels, not a common thing inThis isn't easy to figure out. You'll also like it best if you can carry over your character from the base game. Mask of the Betrayer has a constant background noise of you dying outright if you don't manipulate the confounding problem right. You survived the endgame of the first installment, but only at a price. That said, you can finally ascend into epic levels, not a common thing in D&D e-games.

    PROS:
    -D&D 3.5 character creation/play
    -the story
    -the turmoil/tension
    -companions
    -epic levels for an already well-worn character (or try something new, your choice)

    CONS:
    -figuring out how to manipulate the potentially lethal problem you wake up with can be a challenge
    -listening to the hag in the maze on repeat (you'll understand when you get there)
    -companions from the first game are gone, no they cannot join your party again
    -finding a rogue is difficult unless you are one
    -it ends here, the other game releases under the NWN2 title are crap, especially SoZ    … Expand
  17. KalrocVN
    Aug 10, 2011
    10
    An excellent game in the same vein as the Black Isle classic, Planescape: Torment. Well paced with improved graphics over the original Neverwinter Nights. As with any RPG though, it boils down to dialogue and character interaction, and this is where MoTB shines. Dialogue is clever and unique to each creature you encounter. The NPCs have unique, interesting, and strong personalitiesAn excellent game in the same vein as the Black Isle classic, Planescape: Torment. Well paced with improved graphics over the original Neverwinter Nights. As with any RPG though, it boils down to dialogue and character interaction, and this is where MoTB shines. Dialogue is clever and unique to each creature you encounter. The NPCs have unique, interesting, and strong personalities without being rude and abrasive (what's the deal with rude in-party NPCs that insult you constantly in a lot of modern RPGs? It's just dull. Why would you hang out with these people, much less trust them with your life?). Attention to detail abounds in this game. Great attention to detail abounds, such as load-screen text specific to the area you're entering and off-hand situational comments from your party during exploration. Highly recommended.… Expand
  18. binmaze
    Oct 5, 2014
    10
    A true classic RPG in its own. Any serious RPG fan should play this game.
    Not any single RPG has achieved this level of mastery over epic story, not even Planescape (because PS is not really an RPG, but an adventure) has.
    While combat is not really balanced, it's far better than expected, considering how broken D&D 3.5 mechanic is. In real D&D 3.5 pen and paper RPG, high level gaming    A true classic RPG in its own. Any serious RPG fan should play this game.
    Not any single RPG has achieved this level of mastery over epic story, not even Planescape (because PS is not really an RPG, but an adventure) has.

    While combat is not really balanced, it's far better than expected, considering how broken D&D 3.5 mechanic is.
    In real D&D 3.5 pen and paper RPG, high level gaming is so broken that you cannot play at all.    … Expand
  19. J.J.
    Nov 12, 2007
    7
    I have to admit: I've played about halfway through. I cannot agree with what othes have said concerning the performance issues which plagued NWN2. (Or the polish, but I'll talk about that later.) Truth be told, there hasn't been much of a performance upgrade from when it was first released. The engine is still god-awful. 8800GTX and Core2 @ 3.2 and 4 gigs of RAM, with all I have to admit: I've played about halfway through. I cannot agree with what othes have said concerning the performance issues which plagued NWN2. (Or the polish, but I'll talk about that later.) Truth be told, there hasn't been much of a performance upgrade from when it was first released. The engine is still god-awful. 8800GTX and Core2 @ 3.2 and 4 gigs of RAM, with all shadows disabled and 2x aa 8 af, the game clearly dips into the 20fps range at times when outdoors. And the outdoor areas in MOTB are smaller and less populated with stuff than they were in NWN2, so much so that the game feels like a beta or a user-made mod. Still, the game still simply doesn't look good enough to warrant the resources it seems to demand. However, Bioware wisely decided to start MOTB in an indoor area, which is much easier on the hardware than the large, highly populated town that the PC found herself in in the first game. NPC AI is horrible. Your companions bug out on one another when running behing you, cast ridiculous spells during combat, etc. My party NPCs have continued to fight each other to the death after winning a battle, more than a few times. Others have mentioned how difficult the game is, compared to the original. And it is. If you start fresh with the mediocre items the game provides you with and, most importantly, you choose not to micromanage companion NPC attack behavior, you will be dying a lot. I played through the first chapter as a paladin, and it was such a struggle that I had to roll a pure fighter, just to make sure I had the mojo to get through the scripted fight sequences. The story (so far) is typical NWN-- lots of mysterious warring factions with motives opaque, each led by a boss who is in thrall to another boss who is in thrall to another. As usual, it's easy to lose track of who's who. But however it pans out, one or more of them is responsible for removing the silver shard from your chest and/or cursing you with the 'Spirit Hunger' mechanic new to MOTB. (A nuisance mechanic more irritating because I can't spend forever re-arranging my inventory like I used to. Sitting in town and setting up your gear and swapping junk between party members just might get you killed, in the long run.) Instead of typical fantasy-world RPG companions, it seems as if Bioware wanted to do some really weird stuff this time around; Half-Celestials with antlers, A Narcissistic Sex-Starved Half-Witch-Goth-Boy, a undead-unliving curly-plumed Bear God who's colored like a Rocket Pop-- and others--will fill your party. Your home base at the beginning of the game is a theatre called The Veil. The Veil's nemesis is The Sloop. There's some dialog about how the Sloop puts on light fare to appeal to the masses, while the Veil's productions are deeper and more meaningful. It is clearly the game commenting on itself. Whether or not MOTB is deeper or more meaningful is debatable, but the notion that it's presumed complexity is the the cause for the Veil's financial struggles, as well as the notion that their plays are simply too much caviar for the general is probably correct. Here's the short version: It's not as good as NWN, the expansions, and NW2. It still performs horribly. It is darker. It feels much more narrow and slapdash than NWN2, which for all its problems had a wide vision and clean, professional layout. The only thing keeping me playing it is my interest in what happened to me and my companions from the first game, and the irritating level of diffuculty.… Expand
  20. Paradosi
    Sep 26, 2011
    10
    One of the greatest RPGs I've played. The moral choices were excellent, and the malevolent path was very fun. Had a great ending as well, much better than the first evil ending where you just become a servant. I'd hope for a sequel, but the guy's story is pretty much achieved. He's become akin to a god, an elder evil so to say.
  21. faceless-1
    Sep 9, 2012
    10
    For me this is by far best RPG i ever played. I like MotB even more than Baldurs gate 2 and planescape torment. Main story, music and Art style of this game are just perfect.
  22. lifeofbrian
    Aug 23, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Its overrated. There are only 5 companions to be found in the entire expansion, and while they are well written you are shoehorned into either having no companions or choosing from one of only a few for a good portion of the game.

    In addition the items you come across in the game are ridiculous. Its literally at the point where you are finding +3 swords in barrels. There is a reason why higher level campaigns in D&D don't always work well and this game exactly shows why. Throwing such powerful items at players, even in situations where you are are just walking around regular old Thay, is totally uncalled for.

    The spirit eater meter is just uncalled for. The whole concept was frankly pretty weak from the get go.

    Its certainly better than the main NWN2 story but it still has too many flaws to get above an 8 for me.

    7.5/10    … Expand
  23. Orctownorc
    Nov 12, 2012
    10
    Betrayal is at the apex of fantasy RPG design. It is there with a sub-optimal engine. The story and plot are great. The scale and scope of the adventure are huge, and far beyond the trite offerings of DA2, Witcher 2 or Skyrim. The character design and inventory are amazing and endless fun to explore. All of the design fundamentals are here. The game's main weakness is in the visual qualityBetrayal is at the apex of fantasy RPG design. It is there with a sub-optimal engine. The story and plot are great. The scale and scope of the adventure are huge, and far beyond the trite offerings of DA2, Witcher 2 or Skyrim. The character design and inventory are amazing and endless fun to explore. All of the design fundamentals are here. The game's main weakness is in the visual quality of the cut scenes, which are dreadful and tend to break immersion. This game shows just how much recent AAA titles have cut out of the gaming experience for the sake of finding a broader audience. This game shows the many things Bioware should remember and restore if they want to save their Dragon Age franchise. This game shows Project Red in Poland the kind of scale and scope and epicness that a game needs to be truly enthralling. No doubt about it. This is the model from which ambitious RPG projects need to work.… Expand
  24. EvilTerrorizer
    Nov 19, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Played on PC. No issues with bugs or UI. Loved the game. Mask mechanic was great. Eating the soul of the dragon in the spirit world was a nice touch :)… Expand
  25. EliasO.
    Dec 28, 2007
    6
    A game deserving of a 8, too bad that it's only a expansion of a mediocre game.
  26. EdS.
    Dec 27, 2007
    5
    This is a difficult, burdensome NWN module, due to the gameplay-stilting "spirit eater" aspect. Thankfully I found the "cheat" to turn this feature off.
  27. Corwin
    Mar 1, 2012
    10
    Epic story that follows the hero from the original NWN2 campaign. Amazing characters with their own backgrounds, limitless customization, many side quests, epic levels, and best of all, lots of room for player choices. There are several different endings available depending on your actions throughout the story. The endings are very satisfying, particularly the "evil" one. This is a PC RPGEpic story that follows the hero from the original NWN2 campaign. Amazing characters with their own backgrounds, limitless customization, many side quests, epic levels, and best of all, lots of room for player choices. There are several different endings available depending on your actions throughout the story. The endings are very satisfying, particularly the "evil" one. This is a PC RPG done right!… Expand
  28. Zoso
    Jun 15, 2012
    10
    Even better than the game it's based on.
    A darker story and especially the black-and white aesthetics to signify the shadow realm make this one even more fun to play.
  29. Zuberos
    Mar 24, 2012
    9
    Ohh it has been 3 years ago when I bought this expansion. What can I, Mask of The Betrayer is one of the best expansions ever created. Obsidian have proved their abilities to create such piece of cake. It is improving EVERYTHING from NWN2. It is so ridiculous that expansion to good, well made game with lots of bad sides kicks ass so hard. For me, one of the best stories in rpg history,Ohh it has been 3 years ago when I bought this expansion. What can I, Mask of The Betrayer is one of the best expansions ever created. Obsidian have proved their abilities to create such piece of cake. It is improving EVERYTHING from NWN2. It is so ridiculous that expansion to good, well made game with lots of bad sides kicks ass so hard. For me, one of the best stories in rpg history, that was great pleasure of mine to play this game.… Expand
  30. somedude14
    Nov 2, 2017
    7
    In its time, had a clunky engine that provided significant performance issues even on (again for the time) beast rigs. Shouldn't be an issue for pretty much any machine made recently these days. Highly suggested you utilize a workaround to disable the Spirit Eater mechanic as it is a huge flaw in the game design. Otherwise if you can deal with the DnD rules, dated visuals, occasionallyIn its time, had a clunky engine that provided significant performance issues even on (again for the time) beast rigs. Shouldn't be an issue for pretty much any machine made recently these days. Highly suggested you utilize a workaround to disable the Spirit Eater mechanic as it is a huge flaw in the game design. Otherwise if you can deal with the DnD rules, dated visuals, occasionally cumbersome pathing (mainly with AI), and a serious letdown with one of your party members side quests (anyone who's played the game in its entirety knows exactly what I'm talking about), this is the greatest story ever told in a CRPG. Not next to Planescape Torment. This is above it.… Expand
  31. Aeryx
    Mar 1, 2017
    10
    Why Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer doesn't have a bigger cult following is truly beyond me. Its greatness was totally unexpected and changed the way I see RPGs forever.
  32. gracjanski
    Nov 3, 2020
    6
    We know MotB is the best campaign of NWN2, so I wanted to play only this addon. I played whole NWN 1 and especially Hordes of the Underdark was great. I am disappointed of MotB: First, you need to be lvl 18, so you start with a high lvl character in a complex game system. Second the D&D system is much too big in my view: too many decisions, overloaded with talents, skills, and so on. DontWe know MotB is the best campaign of NWN2, so I wanted to play only this addon. I played whole NWN 1 and especially Hordes of the Underdark was great. I am disappointed of MotB: First, you need to be lvl 18, so you start with a high lvl character in a complex game system. Second the D&D system is much too big in my view: too many decisions, overloaded with talents, skills, and so on. Dont forget you start with lvl 18...Your start will be even more difficult, because there is no introduction: I discovered a little summary about what happened before in the journal window. But still, in the beginning you dont know what is going on and who you are. Somehow I didnt want to play more, it didnt let me immerse in the world. It is like the developper forgot to implement some elements to enjoy the game. Another bad point is the controlling and interface: very circumstantial, the camera is very annoying. But the interface is beautiful.… Expand
  33. Solaris123
    Dec 24, 2019
    10
    The best plot in games since Planescape Torment, the best companions, brilliant dialogues that bring a lot to the story, everything matters, after this game there was no better Western RPG.

Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best PC Game of 2007
46
#46 Most Discussed PC Game of 2007
30
#30 Most Shared PC Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Computer Games Online RO
    88
    Regardless of these problems however, Mask of the Betrayer is a triumph which should be saluted by all RPG fans, since it proves once and for all that “old school” RPG principles – wonderful story, interesting characters, great dialogues – which seem to have been forgotten by newer “RPGs”, are still as valid as ever.
    Read full review
  2. 1UP
    80
    The new Mask of the Betrayer expansion is a stronger, more complex, and ultimately more satisfying game.
    Read full review
  3. Game Informer
    90
    Mask of the Betrayer delivers on all fronts: tactical battles, exceptional story, and great characters. It’s truly remarkable how far NWN 2 has come. It’s not perfect, but as far as I’m concerned the smooth execution and excellent new content in this expansion make this the best electronic D&D experience since "Baldur’s Gate II."
    Read full review
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