Title: Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition
Developer: Beamdog
Publisher: Beamdog
Genre: RPG, Adventure
Available On: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo eShop, Steam
Official Site: Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition
Release Date: Dec 3rd, 2019
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
The classic RPG has returned, and this time it is updated for new consoles. Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition is a fun nostalgic trip for fans of the original game, and fantastic for newcomers to the series.
First released in June 2002, Neverwinter Nights was a major hit for fans of classic roleplaying games. Now it is available on modern consoles, including portably on Nintendo Switch.
The Classic RPG On Modern Consoles
Following in the vein of other RPGs and Dungeons and Dragons, Neverwinter Nights lets you create your character to explore the world and fight. Whether that is an elven rogue or an orc fighter, there are dozens of characters to develop.
The gameplay revolves around exploring different zones, completing quests, and fighting enemies. The combat is done in real-time, but with a slight twist.
While other CRPGs play from an overhead perspective, Neverwinter Nights plays from a third-person perspective. Instead of feeling away from the action, you are right there with your character in the fight.
The story has your character helping to solve the various problems plaguing the town of Neverwinter against an opposing enemy force.
While the story is nothing original compared to other media in the fantasy setting, what makes it special is BioWare’s talent in writing charming and unique characters. Every character feels real, and the best aspects of the game are conversing with them.
Over 100 Hours Of Game To Play
What is most impressive about this game is the amount of content it contains. Neverwinter Nights easily has over 100 hours of the game, from the main campaign, expansion packs and other DLC packs all included. Even then, you can replay it over and over again as different characters.
After finishing the single-player, there is even more to play. Neverwinter Nights has a robust multiplayer component to have your friends join you in the action. You can play with friends in either online or LAN modes.
Neverwinter Nights is Perfect For Beginners to CRPGs
I tried to play the Baldur’s Gate and other classic BioWare games, but not being from that era of gaming, it felt too clunky and confusing to play. However, Neverwinter Nights has a fantastic tutorial to introduce each of the classes and how they work.
The controller implementation is also fantastic; the game is easy to play when navigating around worlds and fighting enemies. However, some aspects of the port in regards to the controller are more clunky.
Even though the game plays genuinely well, some of the menu navigation and other options are poorly done. For example, equipping items would be simple with a mouse, but the menu system is slow and sluggish on a controller.
Another aspect that has some issues is the save system. The system currently in use is akin to most classic PC games, which requires going to the save menu, selecting a new save, giving the save a name, then the game will save your game.
On PC, it works because it also has auto-save and load, but the console port does not feature the same tools. With a game like Neverwinter Nights, having a more streamlined save system would infinitely help to give players the freedom to try different things.
Graphical Issues On Nintendo Switch
In regards to performance, Neverwinter Nights runs very smooth when docked on Nintendo Switch. However, problems arise when playing portable.
In portable mode, Neverwinter Nights has serious pop-in issues and stuttering when exploring the larger environments. Even with that, it is still a plus to have this game on the go.
Some might find the graphics style outdated, but personally, it is a treat to see and play and game in the same fashion as it was first released. While it is fantastic to have new visions on a classic game, for example, Resident Evil 2 Remake, seeing games as they originally were brings perspective on how far games have come.
Verdict: Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition brings the classic CRPG experience to modern consoles, for new and old fans alike. Even with some slight issues, it is fun to play and packed with hours of content to sink into.
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