5 Minute Review: NWN2

Now I admit, I enjoyed the first NWN considerably, due in no small part to the fact that the toolset offered a lot of replay ability once you got past the UI quirks. With Obsidian at the helm, NWN2 looked to be a very ambitious project and it turned out very well in my opinion.

The UI has been in many ways simplified and while at first can be confusing, I found myself adapting to it fairly quickly. The graphics are also significantly improved, however they tax my limited hardware =\ You may want to watch just how many visual features you turn on.

Storyline however is the area that this new iteration of NWN shines. The dialogue, subplots and quests that string you through are varied and interesting. The different paths your character can take are certainly still there (lawful/good, neutral, evil) and some of the jabs and jokes during character interaction are downright hilarious.

If you enjoyed the first NWN and are willing to open yourself to the new UI I think you'll find NWN2 to be a very enjoyable experience. Visually you may need to accept that your hardware might not be up to snuff (sadly as my own gear is) but I think most user will overlook that once they see how fun the gameplay is. I'm rating NWN2 an 8.5/10 at initial glance.