Neverwinter Nights 2 - Preview

[madmaxplay]

'm starting this preview with good news: Neverwinter Nights 2 ended up in the crafty hands of Obsidian. Those guys have already shown us what they're capable of. Have you already forgotten KotOR II, the Force-leaking RPG? Honestly, I think KotOR 2 was way better than what Bioware have done, starting with the story and ending up with the gameplay. It's true, the final part of the game doesn't live up to the expectations, but for this I can only "thank" LucasArts and their obsession to publish the game faster. Other things considered, the fine line between good and evil wasn't drawn with Stalin's carpenter pencil - each planet had a more realistic and well-thought scenario, a bit more original than Bioware's version (as a side note, the "Romeo and Juliet" episode - Dantooine, KotOR 1 - seems deplorable to me). As for the gameplay, there are plenty of examples, but they don't really fit in here. Let's move on.

Playfuls (http://www.playfuls.com/gamespace_95_preview_4498_Neverwinter_Nights_2.htm l) has the full preview.

[Varsity]

Try talking about the news next time you post some, yeah?

[baz]

Yeah, I'm there.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Looks pretty good. Never even played the original though...

[PIPBoy3000]

Needless to say I'm really looking forward to this game, so much so that I'm already planning a campaign for it. (http://adamandjamie.com/da).

One of the biggest improvements over the original is the eyecandy. Take a look at these screenshots (http://www.nwn2wiki.org/Screenshots) to whet your appetite.

[Tohoya]

Yay, someone else who likes KOTOR2!

[The Iron Weasel]

Yay, someone else who likes KOTOR2!

Don't worry I really liked it aswell, except for the last few hours.

[Dakar]

KOTOR2 was GREAT. Except for end of the game.

I hope a KOTOR3 is made. I don't see why greedy ass LucasArts wouldn't okay a third, so I'm really just hoping a good developer gets it.

I'm also anticipating NWN2. This preview was pretty good, but it's a little awkward reading it, seems like the writer was either foreign or it's a translated story.

[F3nyx]

Uh, thanks for including a link with your editorial?

[Tia]

I am having problems taking seriously someone who says KOTOR2 was better than the first one. Yeah yeah, blame Lucas Arts all you want, but it wasn't just the ending that sucked. Most of the planets were very short, almost no side quest, no big fun areas, not much choises in where to go and what to do. They way the story felt, they were in the middle of it when they endded it, which is partially because of poor planning.

So Lucas Arts are at fault for bullying them into release it early, but Obsidian could have planned better.

[EL CABONG]

I am having problems taking seriously someone who says KOTOR2 was better than the first one. Yeah yeah, blame Lucas Arts all you want, but it wasn't just the ending that sucked. Most of the planets were very short, almost no side quest, no big fun areas, not much choises in where to go and what to do. They way the story felt, they were in the middle of it when they endded it, which is partially because of poor planning.

So Lucas Arts are at fault for bullying them into release it early, but Obsidian could have planned better.
Kotor one's story,swoop raceing and ending was better but the gameplay was better in kotor 2.

Looking forward to NWN2. I would love to see a Star Wars NWN type of game where you can make your own and play other peoples campains.

[gsmith]

Was it just me, or was that very poorly written? Grammatical errors and bad jokes combined! "and another hand placed somewhere only can imagine." And a gnome boob joke? Sheesh!

[Balthasar]

Editorial post aside, I'm really looking forward to this game. I never got to really enjoy NWN as much as I could have due to my computer's performance.

[hotdrop]

KOTOR>KOTOR2 nuff said

[Mason]

I am having problems taking seriously someone who says KOTOR2 was better than the first one. Yeah yeah, blame Lucas Arts all you want, but it wasn't just the ending that sucked. Most of the planets were very short, almost no side quest, no big fun areas, not much choises in where to go and what to do. They way the story felt, they were in the middle of it when they endded it, which is partially because of poor planning.

So Lucas Arts are at fault for bullying them into release it early, but Obsidian could have planned better.

Sadly, LA really are at fault. For those who haven't looked this up, much of the script of KOTOR2's full ending was included on the disc, and it is really amazing. If it had been made as written and had some more polish all around, KOTOR2 would've been one of the best-regarded RPGs of all time. The planning was fine, they literally just had to hack away a lot of the game to get it shipped for Christmas 04.

And as far as developer scheduling goes, Obsidian isn't a bunch of noobs. The KOTOR games have a pretty huge scope, and KOTOR2 was made on a pretty brisk development cycle as it was. This wasn't DNF here, KOTOR2 came out 17 months after KOTOR. I'm not sure when they started initial development, but it's silly to expect that it happened too long before KOTOR was released. 17 months (+/-) for an A-list RPG is rough.

[gawaintheblind]

Jezus what a useless ass review.


lemme see if I can nutshell what we've learned so nobody else will have to read that.

1. Obsidian will be making NWN2.
2. Obsidian made KOTOR2.
3. You will get a group of 3 other people, which you can control.
4. There is a new class, and lots of races.

Did we really need 4 pages of crap?

[Balthasar]

Jezus what a useless ass review.


lemme see if I can nutshell what we've learned so nobody else will have to read that.

1. Obsidian will be making NWN2.
2. Obsidian made KOTOR2.
3. You will get a group of 3 other people, which you can control.
4. There is a new class, and lots of races.

Did we really need 4 pages of crap?
It actually does say other things, such as your allignment is going to be based on your conversations (I took that to mean you don't get to pick it from the start anymore), that henchemen will play a greater role, and that you get a "dwelling."

[baz]

It sounds more like the BG series... which is a good thing.

[Tia]

Sadly, LA really are at fault. For those who haven't looked this up, much of the script of KOTOR2's full ending was included on the disc, and it is really amazing. If it had been made as written and had some more polish all around, KOTOR2 would've been one of the best-regarded RPGs of all time. The planning was fine, they literally just had to hack away a lot of the game to get it shipped for Christmas 04.

And as far as developer scheduling goes, Obsidian isn't a bunch of noobs. The KOTOR games have a pretty huge scope, and KOTOR2 was made on a pretty brisk development cycle as it was. This wasn't DNF here, KOTOR2 came out 17 months after KOTOR. I'm not sure when they started initial development, but it's silly to expect that it happened too long before KOTOR was released. 17 months (+/-) for an A-list RPG is rough.

Obviously you didn't read what I said. So you might want to read it again. It was obsidian's own fault for planning to do things they simply won't have time to. It Obsidian who were too ambitious.

Anyway the story imo wasn't nearly done, and the levels felt short and rushed. Not just the end, pretty much everything except Nar Shadaa, and that first place you go to, I forgot the name.

EDIT: by the way, calling it 2 was simply a marketig thing. They charged you a full price for something that is more of an expnesion pack. Much shorter development time.

[Heretic Machine]

Both KOTORS were too linear, with cliche stories, small areas, and they both started you off without a lightsaber which immediatly throws them into the category of BAD-STAR-WARS-GAME. If you play a Jedi, you should start with a lightsaber, it's that simple.

Most of the side-characters were good though.

[Bushido]

HK-47 made Kotor I couldnt play more than 10mins of Kotor2 knowing there was no HK-47.

[nein89]

...You, uh, might consider sticking with the game a little bit longer there, Bushido.

[Heretic Machine]

...You, uh, might consider sticking with the game a little bit longer there, Bushido.

...Ya... I mean, might be something he should look into.

[Mason]

Obviously you didn't read what I said. So you might want to read it again. It was obsidian's own fault for planning to do things they simply won't have time to. It Obsidian who were too ambitious.

Anyway the story imo wasn't nearly done, and the levels felt short and rushed. Not just the end, pretty much everything except Nar Shadaa, and that first place you go to, I forgot the name.

EDIT: by the way, calling it 2 was simply a marketig thing. They charged you a full price for something that is more of an expnesion pack. Much shorter development time.

Your points are contradictory. If Obisidan overscoped (i.e. planned something they couldn't finish), and the final game was still too short, then they just bloody didn't have enough time to make the game. LA wanted a proper sequel, but they didn't give enough time or money to make a sequel.

You can't argue simultaneously that they overscoped and underscoped. That's wacky.

[Dakar]

HK-47 made Kotor I couldnt play more than 10mins of Kotor2 knowing there was no HK-47.

Oh man... I feel sorry for you.

Like the others said... you may want to play for a bit longer.

[Tohoya]

I seem to be the only one who enjoyed KOTOR 2's ending as well.

[Stormwatcher]

KOTOR 2 was better than 1 in both story and gameplay. The game was less Black-and-white, the whole mandalore thing was pretty good, the party interaction was a lot better, the party characters were pretty good, but unfortunately they couldn't finish it. but it is indeed superior to the first.

And no "expansion pack" has a full fledged new "campaign", four disks of assets and a stand-alone installation.