Review Nevwerwinter Nights 2 double review whammy

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights 2

Two new reviews of <a href=http://www.atari.com/nwn2/>Neverwinter Nights 2</a> are available, this time from <a href=http://www.gameshark.com>GameShark</a> and <a href=http://www.fragland.net>Fragland</a>, which award the game with a <b>"B"</b> and an <b>85%</b>, respectively. Both jump on the trend of claiming <a href=http://www.obsidianent.com>Obsidian</a>'s game to harken back to Baldur's Gate in some fashion.
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<a href=http://www.gameshark.com/pc/reviews/2509/Neverwinter-Nights-2-Review.htm>GameShark review</a>:
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<blockquote>As far as storytelling goes, it's not in the same league as Planescape: Torment, or the Baldur's Gate series for that matter, but is head and shoulders above Neverwinter Nights and the Icewind Dale saga. There's no reason to supply storyline spoilers, but there are parts of the campaign that feel like it's just a direct path to your main goal. There are very few side quests. They're there, but they are few and far between. In Neverwinter Nights 2, you have a goal to reach, and you'll spend almost all of your time trying to reach it. People with a cat stuck in a tree are just going to have to wait.</blockquote>
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So the game is like "playing Baldur's Gate II" yet "it's not in the same league as the Baldur's Gate series". You heard it here, folks.
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<a href=http://www.fragland.net/reviews.php?id=892>Fragland review</a>:
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<blockquote>With the story, the replayability, the classis and skills things are pretty good already and also the combat is something we're very pleased with. With the space bar you pause real-time fights so that you can easily think about your strategy and give assignments. An ideal compromise since the heavier fights can be controlled well and the easier ones can be done almost on automatic pilot. The AI is smart enough to help with that, only too bad that the pathfinding in small corridors or complex dungeons is a bit off. It's frustrating that such small flaws can take away a lot of the fun.</blockquote>
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AI that reveals itself to be deficient in complex dungeons isn't what I'd call a small flaw.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com/">RPG Watch</A>

 

[Vault Dweller]

God bless you, Role-Player. It's so nice to read news posted by someone else.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

You're more than welcome, VD. Sorry for not having posted news in the last few days. Been busy with some content for the site. I promise to keep up with the news posting on a somewhat steady basis.

 

[Volourn]

Another bullshit review(s). NWN2 is the sequel to NWN1 and plays, looks, feels, acts, and is a sequel to NWN1. Most similarties it has to the IE games (or KOTOR or whatever other junk it's being comapred to) is because those games happen to be similar to NWN1 as well (or in BG's case, NWN1 shares stuff with that series).

Dumbasses.

 

[The_Pope]

NWN1 was diablo mixed with DnD. NWN2 is a party based DnD game. There are a lot of similarities, but the difference between single character* and party based are enough that the comparisons to IE games are valid.

*Diablo 2 had a henchman too.

 

[Volourn]

NWN1 didn't have henchmen until SOU and HOTU. NWN2, BG, and BG2 all have henchmen. NWN1 OC had Expert Hirelings.

You are simply another victim of BIO's brainwashing.

Moron.

 

[sabishii]

NWN1 didn't have henchmen until SOU and HOTU. NWN2, BG, and BG2 all have henchmen. NWN1 OC had Expert Hirelings.

You are simply another victim of BIO's brainwashing.

Moron.

Playing style and feel changes a lot when you have control of all the party members versus just your character with computer AI assists. No arguing here that of course NWN2 is basically the same technically as NWN1. Having party control just makes it feel different.

 

[Volourn]

Different; but not by much. It's still Aurora style combat. Either you like it or you don't.

 

[sabishii]

Different; but not by much. It's still Aurora style combat. Either you like it or you don't.

No doubt. But I'm sure that's why he thought it felt like BG style combat. How different from Infinity is Aurora, anyways? They feel essentially pretty similar.

 

[Volourn]

Not much really. Both pause n play, both ahve the 6 second rules. Aurora is just an advanced Infinity (completely different engine mind you); which is why I always laughed at those people who whined about NWN1's gameplay when the gameplay is pretty much like the IE but with MORE options and with 3.0/3.5 rules (in NWN2). they always try to come back with the 'control my party members uunk'; but that doesn't change the fundamental gameplay, imo.

 

[The_Pope]

It does, because it gives you a lot more to do. When you only have one character who only acts every 6 seconds it gets pretty dull, but selecting spells for several wizards to cast each round helps.

As for henchmen, that was the diablo name. Expert hirelings are the exact same thing, r00fles. moron.

 

[Volourn]

NWN is a D&D games. It should use D&D terminology. Fool.


"It does, because it gives you a lot more to do."

More of the same. Big whoop.

 

[Solaris]

The AI/pathfinding in NWN2 disgraceful. Worst I've seen in a so-called Triple A title for years.

Everything else in the game is okay or a bit buggy but still good fun. What a pity the AI ruins everything though...and it seems Obsidian doesn't give a fuck.

Can't bloody win these days, there is always a stinking log of shit lurking somewhere in every release it seems.

 

[The_Pope]

NWN is a D&D games. It should use D&D terminology. Fool.

I agree, but from a gameplay perspective they're the exact same.

"It does, because it gives you a lot more to do."

More of the same. Big whoop.

I'd rather an RTS with 6 units than an RTS with one. More controllable characters provides greater scope for tactics. I wouldn't go so far as to say NWN2s babysitting of retards is tactics, but it does at least give the player something to do while they step on foozles. Playing a fighter in NWN1 was very, very dull. Repeatedly ordering your wizard not to charge into hand to hand combat with a giant demon and trying to get your warriors into close combat without getting lost on the way is stupid gameplay, but at least it is gameplay.

 

[Volourn]

"Playing a fighter in NWN1 was very, very dul"

Bull.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Most classes, Fighter included, were generally interesting since Feats and skills allowed for some different character concepts that actually worked. The combat however, was pretty dull and generic.

 

[The Rambling Sage]

As far as storytelling goes, it's not in the same league as Planescape: Torment, or the Baldur's Gate series for that matter, but is head and shoulders above Neverwinter Nights and the Icewind Dale saga.

So now we have that Baldur's Gate story is close to PS:T's one? That is a good way to lose all credibility in just one line. And the second part doesn't seem that much of a compliment to me.

As for henchmen, that was the diablo name. Expert hirelings are the exact same thing, r00fles. moron.

Not really.

Henchman
1. A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate.
2. A person who supports a political figure chiefly out of selfish interests.
3. A member of a criminal gang.
4. Obsolete A page to a prince or other person of high rank

Hireling
Somebody motivated by money: somebody who works only for money, especially at menial or unpleasant tasks ( disapproving )

Also,

Hireling
One who works solely for compensation, especially a person willing to perform for a fee tasks considered menial or offensive.

And, lets take a look at the Synonyms:

Henchman: accomplice, adherent, aide, ally, assistant, associate, companion, company, comrade, confrere, consociate, contingent, disciple, fellow, follower, friend, hand, henchman, legion, mate, myrmidon, partisan, regiment, satellite, sidekick, stall, supporter.

Hireling: agent, apprentice, assistant, attendant, blue collar*, breadwinner*, clerk, cog*, company man, craftsman, desk jockey*, domestic, flunky, hand, help, hired gun*, hired hand*, hireling, jobholder, laborer, lackey, member, operator, peon, pink collar*, plug*, punk, representative, salesman, servant, slave, staff member, wage-earner, white collar*, worker, working stiff*, workman

As you can see, they are not Synonyms one of the other. Those were just two random examples, you can take google and do your own search for the rest - Also, notice how both have synonyms in two completely diferent lines, one being related mainly with the concept of Follower while the other mainly with the concept of Employee.

And if i, someone who knows almost nothing of english grammar and the like, managed to discover such amazing facts with five minutes of googling, you surely could too. The fact that some people who makes games is obviously retarded doesn't mean you should take their words and naming conventions as good and use their misplaced labels as if they were true and well placed.

Just picking on you. I have a bad day.

 

[Volourn]

And, more importantly, D&D terminology has NWN OC npcs coined as Expert Hirelings while SOU, HOTU, NWN2, and a host of other games have Henchmen. This is a FACT. But, BIO has BRAINWASHED people.


"So now we have that Baldur's Gate story is close to PS:T's one?"

In fact, BG's story is quite possibly better. Ooo... "Look at me, I have amnesia." How awesome!!!

 

[The Rambling Sage]

In fact, BG's story is quite possibly better. Ooo... "Look at me, I have amnesia." How awesome!!!

"Oh, look at me! I have a true identity not even i know of!"

Is not Nebula material either. In Torment the magic is in the details, the atmosphere, and the narrative, not the vehicle to that story - The deeds and conflicts behind the Nameless One is way more interesting than the one behind the Bhaalspawn. I do concede, though, that if the last chapter in BG saga had been a game in itself (as i think it was intended to be, but that may be just a rumor) instead of just an under-developed expansion, the story would have come as more compelling than it finally was. The Bhaalspawns' highlander like battle was THE moment every BG player was looking to, and it was kind of a let down how they pulled it at last.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

You are simply another victim of BIO's brainwashing.

Moron.

 

[kris]

AI that reveals itself to be deficient in complex dungeons isn't what I'd call a small flaw.

Compared to Baldurs gate 2 for example the AI pathfinding is actually better. In Baldurs they could walk far in the wrong way if someone was in the way. In NWN2 they can wait a bit long before they begin to walk and they can get stuck in the walls, but that is not a AI problem.

 

[Zlaja]

The problem I have with the whole Bhaalspawn storyline is that the second part of the series mostly felt like one big giant sidequest. Throne Of Bhaal feels like the true sucessor to the original game. Jon "Elfpussy" Irenicus was just a waste of time.

 

[Pseudofool]

Volourn's Bull

Narratively speaking, not within the context of the engine, or the game play, NWN2 is very much like BG2. Get over it Volourn, not all comparisons are universal. There are more components to CRPG than just the engine. The story telling, companion interaction and development, the nature of the side quests, the world map are all indicative of NOT NWN but of BG series. What weirdo attachment to do you have to slamming the idea of using BG as a narrative and character developmental basis to NWN2?

There needs to be an "extra dumbass" tag, because thread after thread Volourn cakes his lips in pooh over BG comparisons to NWN2, which are perfectly legimate *in a certain context*.

 

[Pseudofool]

The problem I have with the whole Bhaalspawn storyline is that the second part of the series mostly felt like one big giant sidequest. Throne Of Bhaal feels like the true sucessor to the original game. Jon "Elfpussy" Irenicus was just a waste of time.

I agree with this, and moreover, I think NWN2 has a far superior narrative arc than BG2...

 

[Hamster]

I agree with this, and moreover, I think NWN2 has a far superior narrative arc than BG2...

Would you please remind me, in what part of BG2 storyline were you asked to save the world from CERTAIN DESTRUCTION and assemble shards of THE GREAT SWORD that will help you SAVE THE WORLD? NWN2 story is very weak, it have good points, but when this githzerai bitch said that i am the only one who can save the world i've nearly fallen asleep in front of my monitor...BG2 storyline may not be one of the greatests in history, but at least it's not ruining the gameplay with it's cinematic(c) and immersive(tm) stupidity.

The problem I have with the whole Bhaalspawn storyline is that the second part of the series mostly felt like one big giant sidequest. .

Thats exactly why i like it so much: noone is annoying you with retarded "save the world" requests, you are fighting for yourself.