I tore into this game when it came out. After Baulder's Gate 2, I couldn't wait for BioWare's next epic. I mostly ignored multiplayer games, but Neverwinter Nights sported an uterly unique multiplayer / modding system that seemed directly targeted toward someone like me. The whole concept looked like the next logical step in BioWare's translation of D&D to computer RPGs. But the more I played, I felt a growing sense of disapointment. The single player campaign lacked Baldur's Gate's depth. Party interactions were one of the best features of the Infinity Engine games. Neverwinter Night's party system was drasticly simplified. Party characters came off as sketches. Party size was cut down too, but two more generic characters wouldn't have added much. The main storyline was a bit cliché, and the side quests weren't as interesting. The whole game lacked the grandure of the Infinity Engine games. The modular level system restricted the art design. The combat animations were a huge improvement, and the use of real 3D models rather than isometric perspective let you rotate the camera around and zoom in close to the fully animated (apart from faces) characters and world. But, there was a drabness to the whole game. It was still fun for the most part. I loved screwing around in the level editor, and had a few memorable campaigns with my friends. But, the parts of the game that mattered most were missing or scaled back. Of couse, this version is a pretty good deal: it has all the content, engine and asset improvements, and doesn't cost $50. It's a strange entery in BioWare's CV, but one woth having in your collection.
