I've put more time into this game (in its various incarnations) than all others combined over my lifetime, I figure. I could write a lot more but will focus on the current value of NWN:EE. If you played NWN multiplayer and want to do it again, in a small group (with or without a DM) or on bigger community servers, the MP client and server setup is much more robust, stable and easy to use. No more port forwarding for the average wireless LAN setup. There are a large number of NWN:EE persistent worlds (PWs) online and it's easy to set up your own MP game with the original campaign or a large number of community modules and campaigns. You will have to look up online how to launch the DM client with a shortcut command, but at least it's still included - no other game has one - and there are easy-to-follow community multiplayer guides for both the technical and roleplay functions. The official campaign's single-player experience was never great, compared to Infinity Engine and others; Hordes of the Underdark is an exception. That said, a number of the old Hall of Fame community modules are well worth the time, some of them equaling other full games in story and adventure value, and new ones are still being created. The graphics are in fact measurably better and work on modern systems, but are not completely overhauled. C'est la vie. Essentially there are a number of improvements, bugfixes and ongoing developer support for the modding community, so if you liked NWN before, or just want to play D&D on the computer with a near-infinite supply of content, offline and online, this is the option that will continue into the future.
I've played this game much more (time-wise) than most, losing an Ironman run-through as the KGB, then winning on Ironman as the CIA. On the third (game+) run-through, about 3/4 or so completed, I couldn't get away from the fatal errors, which seemed related to calling up a particular new intel docs item as a reward. Since it's Ironman and the save is in a tactical scenario, it seems that this one is done for. I'd wanted to wait until completing the last playthrough to leave a full review, but this will have to serve. * The best (only?) game of its type out there in the Cold War. * Somewhat steep learning curve, but if you get into the mechanics and treat the dangers with respect, you can beat almost all the scenarios. Sometimes bad things happen and you have to deal with it the best you can. * The loading screen tips are all very helpful and should be followed - never leave your agents without cover! * Missed opportunities for additional story and flavor content, along with occasional continuity issues * Analysis board tasks get repetitive, although there are some differences with the different run-throughs * Disappointing fatal error technical issue :(
Yes, I bought this a number of years ago when I saw it in a store, after having not paid much attention to the gaming world for a while. I thought "another Ultima! Outstanding!" and looked at the box, which indeed promised a darker side, etc. as you can read in the official description here. I wondered why it was on sale for so little. Soon I found out. The platforming issues were fixed - which had made the original version unplayable - but don't be fooled, this is not a true, quality Ultima game. On the basis of plot, character interaction and everything else that the Ultima series was beloved for, this has no real relation to its predecessors. If you don't actually care about the Avatar's story or the moral "decisions" you are forced to make in this game, perhaps you could enjoy parts of it (although the platforming is still ridiculous). That begs the question of why someone would want to start with this game, however, when there are many, many better standalone RPGs. The story (such as it is) is essentially erased for Ultima IX in any case, so that makes it even less worth a play. I recommend you spend your hours (and money) elsewhere.
Having finished Fallout (and loved it), I thought Arcanum would be a logical next step to play. Having gotten accustomed to Fallout's basic graphics style, I was looking forward to playing something with a bit more evolved visual style and a novel RPG framework, pre-Baldur's Gate. While I enjoyed the story and much of the NPC interactions, I could not finish the game due to its interface and design frustrations. The combat system is horrid - I thought this wouldn't mean all that much (I'm more interesed in story/RPG elements), but that combined with my character build meant that much of the play was reduced to grinding and reloading. I mean, a system which punishes you with permanent maiming damage is bad enough, but when there's a 10% chance of that happening every combat round, it's ridiculous. If you want to do a power build for a character and go through the game, it appears doable, but the fun factor is much less than other RPGs with similar plot and NPC depth. Too bad.
