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Works suprisingly well for me

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: November 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I must say that after reading some reviews on how the game ran rather poorly on relatively high-end hardware, I was a bit apprehensive about the performance on my machine. Specifically, whether my fairly old video card would break a hip:
Athlon 64 3500
Nvidia 6600GT
1GB RAM

Unnecessary worrying in my case. After I downloaded the patch, the game runs quite smoothly on medium-high settings. Still looks beautiful, no major bugs so far, and fun story. I have found it to be more immersive than the first game, mostly due to how the companions, camera and dialogue are set up, and there seems to be a bit more choices, which is fun. I like how the party members are more than simply, "K, boss, working for you now" mercenaries. Speaking of which, character death is implemented in a much less irritating fashion than in the first game. Instead of being magically transported to a temple at which you have to pay to get back, you are simply knocked out until either your party all dies (reload time), someone resurrects you, or the combat is over and you recover slightly. Sort of like Knights of the Old Republic.

Anyway, the character creation is greatly improved upon. It is no City of Heroes, but at least you have the option to pick one of 16 races and customize the face, eyes, hair, and skin to a fairly diverse degree; which is great for those who like to spend a ridiculous amount of time with (ultimately non-essential) character vanity (yeah, I am guilty of this). There are also 12 base classes and 16 prestige classes to play around with.

Also the GUI is laid out nicely (very similar to NWN1), but has some extra zazz thrown in. Feat, item, skill, and spell icons now have shiny new paintjobs, and inter-party swapping has a nice drag-and-drop feature, to name a couple. My only complaint is that I wish some of the menus were scalable (then again, maybe they are and I haven't been paying attention).

A hint for those annoyed with the camera settings: if you like the "driving mode" camera, but hate that it doesn't completely stay behind the character (ie. turning!), go to the nwnplayer.ini and change CameraFollowAlways to 1. That should make it behave a bit more like the camera in KOTOR, for instance.

By the way, get the DVD-ROM version; unless you do not mind messing with 7 CDs (if I remember right) for installation.

Update: Fine, you want cons, I shall give you cons:
- The loading times are quite long.
- The manual needs to have pictures.
- There should be more recorded voices for NPCs, more "cutscene" type dialogue.
- I miss radial menus.
- The A and D keys are oversensitive.
- I want a hellhound again.

Better than I expected.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: February 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I received this as a gift- I wouldn't have purchased it myself so soon as I'm still knee deep in Oblivion and World of Warcraft. I'm playing it from the get-go with the first major patch already in place.

I was a fan of the first Neverwinter, immediatley purchasing all the expansions. I thought that the original was a solid game, from the interface to the rules implementation. The story in the original, however, left much to be desired, sometimes being downright boring (the second expansion comes to mind).

The story is where NWN 2 really shines, fortunatley. The story flow, side quests and NPCs are all vastly improved over the original. Your choices can have a considerable effect on the game, in a manner that is reminiscent of Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic. If I could give the story itself 5 stars I would.

The character creation and development options are still top-notch. You can really express yourself with your character choices. I find this aspect of the game to be superior to all other RPGs out currently.

The interface in the original was simple and powerful. The interface in NWN 2 is far more unwieldy and sometimes downright ugly.

The graphics are a mixed bag, and are ultimatley the most frustrating thing about this game. I understand that they wanted this game to look fantastic longer than the previous edition and so included *very* high texture and lighting settings, but this game doesn't seem very optimized even with the low end settings, which are quite ugly. Even friends with beastly computers have a tough time with this game.

So, if you like RPGs with great stories and can look past the ugly user interface and chugging graphics, then by all means- here is your game. Otherwise, wait until you've upgraded your PC and this thing is in the bargain bin, possibly with some expansions attached.

AKA: Neverwinter Nights 2 BETA !!!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: December 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Overall, this is an excellent game that is still in the beta stage. Therefore, 1) please do not buy this game unless your gaming computer meets the recommended requirements -- not the minimum requirements - that is almost certainly not good enough. 2) even if you can run the game smoothly, be ready for bugs. 3) be sure to download all the patches: either 1.02 or 1.03 beta (they're huge) 4) Go to the NWN2 community web site and see what kind of problems are out there (there are tons of problems - some of which you surely will encounter) I won't go over them because there are simply too many to list and they happen too randomly. That is, the few reviewers who criticized the "whiners" did not experience them. On the other hand, there are a lot of non-whiners who have absolutely legitimate reasons to complain over a game that is being released at least 6 months too early. I hope to be fair to both group.

With that said, please let me repeat that this is still an excellent game that has major issues. Graphic is good but NOT spectacular considering the game being a resource hog. Oblivion, albeit being a different type of gameplay, truly has spectacular graphic for the same system requirement. However, we all know that games should not be based on eye candies alone but on how fun it is to play, and that is NWN 2's saving grace. Gameplay is a big improvement over NWN1. You now have almost full control of up to 5 party members - very similar to Star Wars Knight of the Republic 2 (from the same maker, Obsidian) with a touch of Baldur's Gate gameplay thrown in, but do not expect the same level of high precision of control over party members as in Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale. But that also means that you don't have to micro-manage too much, so it's a give and take situation. It does take a while, maybe even a great while, or maybe never, but if you can get over the camera annoyances and come to term with it, the game play can really rock as this is really a fun game.
The story is excellent, though not as compelling as NWN 1. Once you get into it, it will hook you and won't let go. This is simply what Obsidian does best in this game (and probably all their games). There is noticeable lack of a central character that you can immediately identify as both the antagonist and a protagonist, and develope a love/hate relationship with, such as Kreia in SWKOTOR 2 or Aribeth in NWN 1. Regardless, it still is great story telling.
Sound is also excellent but also has lot of minor setback. To begin with, there are very good theme and backgrougd sound and music, as well as good voice acting. The complain here is that way too much are borrowed from NWN 1. If you ever play SWKOTOR 2, you will probably agree that the Obsidian team has plenty of musical talents that does not require borrowed-music. Perhaps the problem here, as well, is the fact that the game is being released way too early.

As is, my biggest complaint is directed at the corporate suits, AKA the new Arch-Angels of the new God: Profit, that pushes this game to release before X-mas, all for the sake of being able to make the timely offering to their newfound God. My next complaint goes to Obsidian, an extremely talented team (I've played all their games - I've been a gamer since the late 80's) that has the leverage to play hard ball, but instead, chose to bow down or (or bend over) to the Arch-Angels and take it with a smile.
Lastly, I should also complain about us, the gaming community that, apparently, are beginning to think that it is OK to produce unfinished games. Please take some times to think about this. If you have a real job, you would agree that there is no chance in hell that you can release an incomplete product that did not make it through quality control -- and worst of all, think that it is OK to do so. If you want to be more precise, then here's one: a game should easily run with the stated minimum requirement printed on the box (recommended requirements are purely for eye candies). Do your own research and you will find that is not the case with NWN2. With that said, I will make myself a reminder to look for Atari's contact email so I can "whine" at the right place.

In conclusion, this is an excellent game if you have the recommended gaming rig (remember: recommended - not minimum), and have the patient to deal with the bugs. Your best bet, however, is to wait a 2-3 more months for more patches to come out, and probably at cheaper price, to make it really worth it.

PS. Don't even think of giving this game to some kid for X-mas if their computers don't meet the recommended stats - Oh, the disappointment! that's simply too cruel.

Decent game, but for all of the issues you would think you just bought a beta

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: September 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

In seeing the other reviews I'm sure you are aware of the huge machine requirements and the equally large amount of bugs in this game. While I didn't find either to be a game stopping problem, I have to admit that it was aggravating at times. More notably, the patch caused so many other bugs that I had to play the original install errors and all.

The storyline is better than the previous game, and it does look a bit nicer. Not up to par with what it requires to run it, but I would score it with Titan Quest in looks.

Many reviewers complained about the camera in this game and while I admit I was moving and adjusting it constantly, I recall doing the same thing in the first game. The only gripe I had about the camera was that it swivels the opposite direction of what one would expect. An annoyance yes, but nothing to make me thrown down the keyboard in frustration and stomp away crying about it.

In all honesty, I found this game to be more enjoyable than NWN 1. If you recall, the original didn't get good until the Hordes of the Underdark expansion and even that paled in comparison to the incredible fan created modules such as the HEX Coda.

The huge amount of bugs and subpar graphics operating under a staggering system requirement list give this a game a rating of 3 stars. Perhaps Obsidian (as they did for Knights of the Old Republic 2) with release a working patch of bug fixes and optimizations soon. If and when this happens, I fully expect this game to make it just as big as the first.

The wait is over....

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 24 / 54
Date: November 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

...and it was all for naught! I loved the original Neverwinter Nights and was looking forward to this title. All the 'insiders' gave it rave reviews. What were they thinking? This game has a horrible feel. It's absolutely boring and the controls are wanting. (I have a 256 MB nvidia graphics card...still lags after adjusting gameplay options, etc) My system runs the game well, it's just that the game is awful--great hardware can't fix that. The new dialog system is nice and a lot of the other ideas are well-intentioned, but the end product is a very, very boring game. I only hope I have enough time to cancel the Limited Edition I have on order.
Additional comment after edit: It's obvious that these guys put a lot of work into the effort. I truly empathize with them as human beings. But manipulating Amazon's rating system by saying negative reviews aren't helpful while all positive reviews are helpful is obvious and demeans the intelligence of those who read the reviews. Put a demo out like one of the latest reviews suggests. Let people play the crappy game before they decide. Oops...they won't do that (for obvious reasons) Sorry you guys put hours upon hours on an ill-conceived plan. I empathize with you, but you failed.

One of the worst UIs ever

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 8 / 12
Date: November 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Give me back "gold-box" NWN on AOL! Constantly having to adjust the camera angles ("excuse me Mr. Dwarf can you hold off attacking for 30 seconds while I turn the camera so that I can see you.") eliminated any enjoyment that I could squeeze out of this.

Trying to distinguish which character was which gave me a headache. I cannot even imagine trying to plan a battle tactically with this UI. So far it basically seems like a chaotic, thoughtless hack fest. I fear the first dungeon puzzle I come across.

At this point, I am hoping the lizard people slaughter my character so I can quit and play planescape, BG 1, BG2 or NWN1. Any of them would be much more fun than this.

While I appreciate others opinions, for me the prettiest thing about this game was the box. Everything else was unremarkable.

NWN Part Deux...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: November 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Neverwinter Nights 2 is the sequel to the popular Neverwinter Nights. How does it hold up to its predecessor? Well, if you are looking for upgraded graphics, a new user interface and new "bling" then it is probably what you were waiting for.

First off, let me state that Neverwinter Nights 2 is NOT a game that caters to the console crowd. It is not a "hack and slash" nor is it an adventure game like The Longest Journey or Syberia. It is a PC Role-Playing Game designed specifically for PC gamers which happens to appeal to me. You cannot quickly run through killing hordes of monsters nor are the quests "smash and grab" oriented.

I found it most refreshing that the RPG elements were presented in a KOTORish type of environment. That is, when you are in a dialogue with important NPCs the setting changes that promotes dialogue, choice and interaction which delivers a good immersion value.

Is this game for everyone? No, fans of Diablo, Dungeon Seige or FPS will probably not get into this game. Fans of the original Neverwinter Nights will because it stays fairly true to the premise of the original. It delivers a solid single-player expierience with robust tools to create your own campaign settings, bringing Neverwinter Nights into the next techno-gadget environment. If you were thrilled by Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and the simplicity and speed with which you can run through everything then you probably will need to switch gears to come down to a slow paced true PC RPG and not a hybrid like Oblivion (Designed for the console and PC).

However, there are problems. From the NWN Vault boards, among others, there are postings of technical problems abound. Personally, I have not expierienced any using a Pentium IV 3.4, 6800 GT video card with 1gig of DDR RAM. This is not to discount problems others are having, but some solutions might be to ensure you have the latest drivers. I am not the smartest guy when it comes to computers, but when I updated my sound, video drivers I noticed a marked improvement in all my games including Neverwinter Nights 2. The system requirements are a bit steep, but if you are serious about PC gaming then you need to have money to spend. If not, the consoles are relatively cheap, although you have to like the console environment over the PC one.

The story starts out fairly standard for a RPG, you are the adopted son of a prominent member of a villiage and encounter various hardships that lead you up to becoming the big hero of the day. It does not feel bland at all, the voice acting is well done and the story flows fairly smoothly. I especially like the KOTORish interaction in the dialogue.

I have found no significant bugs that have been a game-killer for me. Is there items that need to be improved upon? Yes, an excellent posting on the main NWN site lists 101 things that can be improved in NWN 2. The moderators are responsive, and based upon their historical patterns of replying and fixing/moding areas that gamers want improved...well, patches will be coming.

Already I've downloaded several patches from the Update link, one of which was pretty extensive. The customer support is there, and that is definately a good thing. Should games come ready to play out of the box? Oh yeah, but the reality is with complex games (like RPGS) that it doesnt, as long as the techinical support is there then my money was well spent. Overall a 4-star game.

Pros:
- Improved graphics over the original
- Good voice acting
- Excellent dialogue
- Fun gameplay (If you like PC RPGs)
- Great tutorial

Cons:
- Camera controls aren't user-friendly
- UI needs to be revamped (Particulary the SHIFT-Right click when interacting with objects)
- Game can stutter even on high end gaming rigs.
- Too many users expieriencing techinal difficulties. These need to be addressed so everyone can enjoy the game.

Note: I strongly suggest getting the DVD version. I purchased the CD-ROM and there are 7 CD's to swap and load. Much easier to have the DVD.

Way behind the times!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 12 / 23
Date: November 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Read the other reviews to get a good idea of what you will be dealing with. It is definitely buggy...even with updates. I firmly believe a game should be fully functional out of the box. This game requires and will continue to require updates and patches. I have a pre-release copy because
I was a beta tester. I have played the retail release version for over 3 weeks.

Forget this game and go buy Elder Scrolls: Oblivion!!!

To be honest, if you want the best of both FPS and RPG environments...skip this game. The graphics are outdated, the concept is outdated and the inventory management system is horrible. Just wait till you have 2 or 3 characters to manage!!!! UTTERLY FRUSTRATING and TIME CONSUMING!!

If you like clicking around with your mouse all day....you could just cruise websites...it won't cost you a dime...or you could play this game!

Pass it over, especially if you played the first NWN game. Not much new folks.

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion is still the GOLD STANDARD!

Pretty bad for a A+ game

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 21 / 50
Date: November 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Firstly despite having a system with requirements I have to turn all the graphics options way down to make it even halfway playable.

Constant fighting with the camera to get a decent viewing position.

Very very long loading screens. Even for something as simple as going through a door in an inn to get to a upper floor.

Essentially dull gameplay as you HAVE to space bar pause the game endlessly in combat to fight with the camera to even find the next target. Thats just with the fighter I rolled, a caster would be even worse.

Wasn't enjoying endless dialogue cut scenes either. I held out through the starting area hoping that it was just setting the stage and teaching game mechanics. Then the first character you meet outside the start zone is a Dwarven Monk who "likes punching people in the face" and woo-hoo you're in luck because we can trek all the way to Neverwinter together.

Rrrrrrrrrright.

Uninstall. Toss game into the used pile on Amazon. Post review so as not to feel guilty about selling it to anyone without a warning.

2 Stars because it *might* play better on some kind of ZOMG powerful computer.

Unplayable

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: December 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is by far the worst game I have ever tried to play on a PC. It has many, many bugs kill the performance of the game and make it a wholly frustrating experience trying to play. These bugs are not because I have insufficient hardware - my h/w in fact is quite suitable for playing every other game I have thrown at it including Company of Heroes, BFME II, M2:TW, Call of Duty 2, etc. Also add to this the fact that it is impossible to successfully patch the game (patch 1.03 is out right now and I have spent over four hours trying to patch - it has failed about 25 times), and Atari tech support is a black hole. Do yourself a favor and do not buy this game!

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