This game is a masterpiece. It is non-linear, well researched, and unlike any other computer rpg ever made. It also runs sweetly on DOSBox now, and the horrible bugginess that helped make it a commercial failure way back in the day is gone.
Great game, great fun, but still, after 25 years, deeply flawed. At any point in the game, if you don't finish a quest, or quest chain, in quite the right way, the final sequence of battles won't trigger. Nothing like spending a few dozen hours playing a game, only to have it break at the last moment with no way of knowing exactly what broke it, or where you have to go back to to fix it.
If ever a game deserved a 5 out of 5, it is Neverwinter Nights. From an immersive gaming experiencing with a great story line, to a multiplayer experience that was revolutionary for it's day. I've seen a number of complaints in reviews on this page about Beamdog's Enhanced version and I'm not understanding what that is all about. The game works perfectly, far better than the original did, or does, on any version of Windows. It looks amazing, far better than the original did. It's smooth as farm fresh butter on local artisanal bread, made by a cooking genius. My only quibble with all of Beamdog's Linux ports is that they are a little too hard core. I'd prefer the game files in Documents, rather than hidden away in the "approved" Linux file structure (".local/share" if you are looking).
The best Civilization version ever, because of the mods. If you are into fantasy the entire Fall From Heaven series, inspired by Master of Magic, is the best turn based fantasy strategy in the history of computer gaming—in my ever-so-humble opinion. The best of that series is Ashes of Erebus. Even though AoE isn't finished, and still has some issues, it's depth of game play and variety is unparalleled. What sets the Fall from Heaven series apart is the depth of game play and the quality of the user generated art. Civilization IV seemed to hit that sweet spot where the game was beautiful, but the art wasn't so complex that it was inaccessible to modders. I think for a lot of newer games, where they aren't trying to nickle and dime you to death, the artwork is so complex to produce that it is far less accessible to hobbyists and casual modders. Having said that, there is nothing casual about the quality of many of the mods available for this version of Civilization.cc
