Neverwinter Nights

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 689 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 520 out of 689
  2. Mixed: 129 out of 689
  3. Negative: 40 out of 689
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  1. roboticsun
    Oct 7, 2011
    6
    This game is no Baldur's Gate imo. But it has a different purpose and that's multiplayer and endless modding. One of down side of Neverwinter Nights' gameplay is you can control only one character, instead of a whole 6-persons party. True, this is dissapointing in a way, but the game is meant for playing with other people online with various mods. Story wise, I can not say the main plot isThis game is no Baldur's Gate imo. But it has a different purpose and that's multiplayer and endless modding. One of down side of Neverwinter Nights' gameplay is you can control only one character, instead of a whole 6-persons party. True, this is dissapointing in a way, but the game is meant for playing with other people online with various mods. Story wise, I can not say the main plot is terrible but it's too generic and predictable. The game also suffers from way too many fetch quests (Comparing to Bioware's Modern Games, it's quite like Dragon Age 2) . However, I do LIKE this game as it offers fun multi-player experience. Overall, it's a great game but do not expect a masterpiece like baldur's gate series… Expand
  2. KaiEkkrin
    Jun 24, 2011
    5
    A D&D 3E construction set with a game attached, Neverwinter Nights just doesn't work for me. The construction set is a lot more effort than just making a pen-and-paper game, and it's hard to find good modules built by other people to play in co-op. As for the supplied campaign, it's not Bioware's finest hour. It's a long, rambling sequence of Go-to-Four-Places-and-do-Four-Things that IA D&D 3E construction set with a game attached, Neverwinter Nights just doesn't work for me. The construction set is a lot more effort than just making a pen-and-paper game, and it's hard to find good modules built by other people to play in co-op. As for the supplied campaign, it's not Bioware's finest hour. It's a long, rambling sequence of Go-to-Four-Places-and-do-Four-Things that I never had the will to finish. The party based format of the Infinity Engine games is gone, replaced with a single henchman (not even levelable/gearable by you), in a big disservice to one of D&D's strengths. The story is un-engaging. Buy it for the expansion packs if you must.… Expand
  3. Voyou
    Dec 17, 2016
    5
    The Infinity Engine gets a serious downgrade.

    The solo campaign is, all things considered, a waste of time, with too little fun to care. And I don't care for coop things: when I want a group, I play table RPGs with friends in the flesh. I don't blame too much the setting and the rules system. D&D is what it is, its rules get worse with each newer edition, for reasons I won't discuss    The Infinity Engine gets a serious downgrade.

    The solo campaign is, all things considered, a waste of time, with too little fun to care. And I don't care for coop things: when I want a group, I play table RPGs with friends in the flesh.

    I don't blame too much the setting and the rules system. D&D is what it is, its rules get worse with each newer edition, for reasons I won't discuss here, yet the video game version has to run with that. Using kitchen sink Faerun, the worst campaign setting ever designed for D&D, wasn't mandatory, but I understand it is commercially successful, since it feels more like contemporary USA than exotic ancient times. Don't worry if you don't get my meaning, it's not an important point.

    Now, also with the times, the game goes 3D, losing the past appeal of the IE games, and looking seriously dull as a result. I can now play in 3rd person perspective. But I'd rather not, thank you very much.

    Time to mention some serious flaws. The biggest possibly concerns the companions. They are gone. Now you have mercenaries, all waiting for you in orderly fashion at the same inn. No interesting introductions, no unlocking, no nothing. You can pay and pick one to come with you. Yes, one. And you don't control it and don't access his inventory. With half the fun gone with each of these restrictions, there's about 6% of fun left. I decided to play solo and never looked back.

    As usual, I built a rogue. I could pickpocket, but it never, absolutely ever, brought me anything of worth. And 99% of the time, nothing at all. I'm serious. And for some retarded reason, there's a bloody cooldown constraint between 2 attempts. That one seriously grated my nerves. Even for a rogue, the quantity of locks and traps found on anything, even a barrel, constitutes an abuse. The fact that what a trap is supposed to protect is often worth less than the trap itself speaks volumes of the design effort. Also, thanks to insane randomisation, you can find riches in a street barrel and junk in a treasure chamber. Setting traps happened to be another waste of time; better sell them, if you can find the only merchant who will buy them (just another nonsensical constraint.) Sneaking works good though, I have to say; I've never had the need for magical invisibility. Sneaking is surely the most powerful tactical tool in the game.

    Merchants also got downgraded. Their inventory, just like yours, is a mess. You have to peruse each object one by one just to see if one of them is anything special. You also buy and sell items 1 by 1. Want to buy a potion or magical item ? Description tells you what spell it emulates, not what it actually does, and that's it. Better yet, 2/3rds in the game, I realised that even merchant prices are random ! And with a huge interval of randomness. Yet another time waster of a save/load routine.

    Let's speed up some more inanities: You can't find or even buy low levels spells after a while. At this point, leveling to Wizard 2 would cost you millions of XP anyway, because multiclassing is seriously flawed. Your equipment is much more important and powerful than your skills. Many skills do nothing but bring or save you money, therefore they are completely useless (as usual, you carry millions of weightless gold pieces in your front pocket.) cosmetic dialogues galore, no quick load shortcut, broken path finding, dreadful voice acting, useless consumables… Sorry, can't be exhaustive in less than 500 pages.

    What good is left then ?, you ask. The variety of builds, i.e., a rich character creation system. UI-wise, a good toolbar. And combat is dynamic, still varied, if never really challenging once you bought the protection belts. I can't tell you what non-undead bosses can do because they don't have a chance to do anything against an assassin. I almost forgot: if they decide to talk when nearly dead, just go out and have a 7 courses dinner to give the assassin's paralysis enough time to wear off.    … Expand
  4. roachtbp
    Dec 7, 2018
    5
    I played this game more than 10 years after it's release. I played the original campaign and both official expansions (Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark). I hear that the multiplayer component of this game is great and that there are many great mods out there, but I didn't try multiplayer, nor did I install any mods. This review is only of the single-player experienceI played this game more than 10 years after it's release. I played the original campaign and both official expansions (Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark). I hear that the multiplayer component of this game is great and that there are many great mods out there, but I didn't try multiplayer, nor did I install any mods. This review is only of the single-player experience (without mods). So alas, here is my opinion of the main campaign and both official expansion!

    The Good:
    The character creation system is amazing with lots of depth! The game uses D&D 3.5 rules, and there are sooo many options when creating a character - race, class, attributes, skills, feats, etc. But that is where the fun ends...

    The Bad:
    Unlike most D&D video games, you do not have a full party. Instead, you control only one character and can bring only one companion with you (but in the 2nd expansion, Hordes of the Underdark, you can bring two companions with you). And you cannot even control your companions - companions fight on their own. Also, in the original campaign you couldn't even equip your companions with weapons and armor (their weapons and armor automatically upgraded as they leveled-up), but in both the expansions you can actually equip your companions. Because of the lack of the party dynamic, I found the combat to be DREADFULLY boring. If the game had a good story, maybe you could tolerate the dull combat to advance the story, but alas, the story is also pretty boring (except for the story of the final expansion, Hordes of the Underdark, which was somewhat entertaining and held my interest for the most part). With the dull gameplay and boring story, it was a real chore to push myself to complete this game and both expansions (though I did manage to do so through sheer willpower/OCD - I wanted to be able to say I had completed Neverwinter Nights and both its expansions).

    Besides the great character creation system mentioned above, there is one other redeeming quality about the game - a companion character named Deekin Scalesinger, a kobold bard, who is available in both expansions. He is absolutely hilarious!!! But besides the character creation system and Deekin Scalesinger, I can say very few good things about this game...

    So to sum up, character creation has great depth and is a lot of fun. But after character creation, it's all downhill from there - you don't control a party like most D&D games, boring combat, boring story, and boring characters (except for your loyal kobold bard companion, Deekin Scalesinger, who is totally awesome!!!). I give this game a 5.

    I do recognize that this game has a cult following of diehard fans, but I believe that is due to 2 things: 1.) it is very easy to create mods for this game, so the modding community loves this game, and 2.) many people love the multiplayer component of the game. But since I didn't install any mods, nor did I try multiplayer, I can only judge the single player experience, which was very, very boring (in my humble opinion).    … Expand
  5. fateappointed
    Feb 3, 2014
    6
    Story: 7 out of 10, Graphics: 6 out of 10, Fun: 7 out of 10, Controls: 7 out of 10, Ease to Learn: 7 out of 10, Length: 9 out of 10, Re-play: 2 out of 10, Value: 7 out of 10
  6. BrianJ.
    Aug 23, 2006
    6
    The only redeeming quality of this game is the toolset. The toolset has allowed people to make worthwhile single player adventures and wonderful multiplayer D&D experiences. The single player games that come with Neverwinter Nights Diamond, however, are pure tedium. This is NOT a true sequel to the Baldur's Gate series. The stories in these games are 100% linear, character The only redeeming quality of this game is the toolset. The toolset has allowed people to make worthwhile single player adventures and wonderful multiplayer D&D experiences. The single player games that come with Neverwinter Nights Diamond, however, are pure tedium. This is NOT a true sequel to the Baldur's Gate series. The stories in these games are 100% linear, character interaction just doesn't matter. You cannot have a party of characters, only yourself and one henchmen, whom you do not control and has no significance whatsoever on the plot of the game. Unlike most RPGs, which attempt to weave stories involving as many characters as possible, each game that comes in NWN is just one simple plot, drawn out with as many repetetive action sequences as possible. Technically, there is an awful lot of role playing, as you repeatedly cast spells and use special abilities. Lots of role playing, but almost no game. The game does not require strategy, as any literate person can read what spells and abilities are more powerful than another and choose them. The game has puzzles, but they are completely obvious and will always require a bunch of boring combat - just like everything in the game. This game would have been infinitely better given the character interaction, full party control, and interesting plotline of Baldur's Gate II. Those were all the best parts of BG2, yet Bioware left them out. Buy only if seeking to play multiplayer (where people have taken the time to create interesting worlds where you can interact with other people, filling all the voids left in the singleplayer NWN).… Expand
  7. Orctownorc
    Aug 9, 2013
    7
    Neverwinter Nights was a mixed bag. The game had a very solid rule system and character development based on Dungeons and Dragons. This was great. It also comes with the toolkit that allows players to make their own adventures. This was amazing but is history now as the servers were permanently closed this year. Sad but inevitable in a quickly evolving industry. However the engine itselfNeverwinter Nights was a mixed bag. The game had a very solid rule system and character development based on Dungeons and Dragons. This was great. It also comes with the toolkit that allows players to make their own adventures. This was amazing but is history now as the servers were permanently closed this year. Sad but inevitable in a quickly evolving industry. However the engine itself is not that great. Visually it is bland and I doubt anyone can seriously claim that it is better than what was already established with the Infinity Engine and Baldur's Gate. However sad to say the actual adventure of Neverwinter Nights is pretty bloody dull! It takes forever to level your character, to explore the city and make sense of the plot lines. The final result is kind of a long winded mediocrity. As an old sucker for Dungeons and Dragons I actually enjoyed it a lot in the day, but doubt that this could be considered appealing now to any but the most hard core RPGers. The GOG platinum version (when on sale) is the best buy!… Expand
  8. LidiaM.
    Dec 12, 2007
    7
    The best, the online gameplay. The rest, a boring D&D story looooong, and boring.
  9. LindaC.
    Nov 21, 2003
    5
    I guess it's ok, but after playing The Elder Scrolls III, I couldn't help being bored to death with Neverwinter and put it aside rather quickly... though I am a dedicated rpg player. I'll have to readjust to games being more limited again...
  10. AnonymousMC
    Dec 30, 2002
    6
    Okay. I like RPGs, I have both Baldur's Gate games (they are excellent, by the way), and had pretty high expectations for this as an RPG.
    Get it if you want a multiplayer game, and buy a different game if you are looking for good single player.
    I give it a ten for overall potential, and a two for the single player campaign. It is awesome as a multiplayer game, the toolset    Okay. I like RPGs, I have both Baldur's Gate games (they are excellent, by the way), and had pretty high expectations for this as an RPG.
    Get it if you want a multiplayer game, and buy a different game if you are looking for good single player.
    I give it a ten for overall potential, and a two for the single player campaign. It is awesome as a multiplayer game, the toolset is great, and the user created mods are quite good. However, the campaign that comes with the game is really just pandering to the slavering masses; it is simplistic, painful, and just like Diablo 2. Also, the voice acting made me want to gouge out my ears with a spork. Not to say it isn't playable, or even fun occasionally, but I don't believe it worthy of a high score.     … Expand
  11. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    6
    Ultimately a fun dnd romp with a lot of build freedom and interesting stories to engage in. Held back by formulaic dungeon design, forgettable characters and main story, and dreary art style and stone. Blueprint for bioware games to come. I hear the real strength is the custom content but I never engaged with it so can't consider it.

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PC Game of 2002
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2002
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Total Video Games
    90
    If you’re going to play on your own there is enough to keep you playing for days, take it online and you have a masterpiece that could last you a lifetime.
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  2. Yahoo!
    100
    It's hard to fathom, but what it really boils down to is the fact that gamers may never really have grasped just how faithful an adaptation of the D&D ruleset we are looking at. It is totally accurate in every, single detail.
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  3. PC Gameworld
    98
    Where Neverwinter Nights really earns the points is in its longevity.
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