Years before people when gaga over the companions in Mass Effect 2, this game created equally great characters. This is where the game differs from the criticized NWN1: your companions are not just bland followers. You WILL be tested on your influence with them. But don't worry, they are worth getting to know. And that's without counting MotB, where you can get a technicolour bear god or invisible collection of dead souls to join your party. The OC has it's ups and downs. It does get a little dry at times, but it WILL pick up again. There are plenty of amusing sidequests and a decent variety of enemies to fight. The ending sucks, but MotB fixes it, don't worry. SoZ is an interesting expansion, focusing more on exploration and fighting than characters and plot. Haven't played MoWG yet, I intend to fix that shortly. Gameplay is alright, spells have awesome visuals, even the weaker ones. Skills and feats are great, you really feel you're building a unique character instead of a bland rogue or wizard. And the game's forgiving enough that you don't have to worry about maximizing your potential, any class/alignment can succeed. This game is often overlooked, which is a shame. It has fantastic characters, great music and visuals (character models look dated, but the environments have stood the test of time), a really fun plot with an even better expansion, and lots of replayability. Yes, it has flaws. But those are barely noticeable in the grand scheme of things.
