Right now, most PC role-playing game fans are likely burning the midnight oil playing marathon sessions of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Given the fact the game has 200-plus hours of scripted gameplay--and the potential for near-endless wandering--it's possible it will occupy many players' time until later on in the year.
Luckily, PC RPG fans who finish Oblivion a few months from now--but are afraid of getting readdicted to World of Warcraft--will have another AAA high-fantasy fix. Atari has announced that that Neverwinter Nights 2, the sequel to its popular 2002 RPG, will ship worldwide in September 2006. Previously, the game only had a nebulous "2006" release date.
Like the original, NWN2 will be based on the Forgotten Realms line of Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games. It will also be based on the latest version of the Aurora Engine from Canadian studio BioWare. However, development duties for the sequel have been handed over to Obsidian Entertainment, the independent studio formed by former Black Isle Studio staffers. It is the second sequel Obsidian has handheld for BioWare, after Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. (The shop is also working on a next-generation RPG for Sega.)
In addition to the release date, Atari and Obsidian also relaunched the official Neverwinter Nights 2 Web site, www.nwn2.com. The site is now fully fleshed out with features, including screenshots, gameplay movies, trailers, and interviews with developers. It also retains the previously active forums for fans of the site.
For more on Neverwinter Nights 2, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Awesome to finally know when.
Finaly a sequal. If you remember when the first NWN came out it was a huge step forward for D&D RPGs hopefully this will be the same. Come on ATARI lets see if you still got it. Thnx Mastou
Gr8 news but I don't really lyk de game, I'd rather the off-line Total War series ^__^
The first one was AMAZING -- it'll be a hard act to follow.
I believe a "woot" is in order.
heheh...I wonder if there will be cloaks, ridable horses and skyboxes? ;)
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oh woe i will buy this game when it comes out, spend about a day reading the manual, another day deciding the character, load the game and then spend a day realising the high spec of the game has caused my computer to curl up and die.
Will surely get this one.
I love the people like chrisdojo who just love seeing their thoughts in print so bad that they comment on topics that don't even interest them. To all the people asking why Bioware isn't doing this one themselves, its because they are working on Mass Effect for the 360. Just like when they didn't do KOTOR 2 because they were working on Jade Empire.
this game will be awesome
This is going to be sweet.
Finally, a game I am very interested in worth upgrading to a new PC as this PC has been upgraded to its limits.. Time to start saving my pennies for more than just a Revolution and PS3.
Still playing NWN actively... Just can't wait. However, the NWN2 website has no gameplay movies DARN IT!
i'll be expecting this game this time.
Wheres Bioware?
I've been over NWN...but I hope this is good...
I hope a 360 port as well.
Very good news for the RPG fans. :)
cant wait
[QUOTE]will have another AAA high-fantasy fix. [/QUOTE] Love the confidence. I bet it will be great!
Yes! I love Neverwinter Nights!
I believe that ATARI has the D&D license, and Bioware had that spat from which they soured on the experience on using these kinds of license as a crutch from what I see, so they embarked on creating new ips and whatnot. Has anyone read the synopsis of how the storyline will unfold in NWN2? From what I've heard, it's quite asinine and derivative. That does not dampen my enthusiasm for it though.
a pass for me.
omg ++++++ how long till september, mommy?
Ugh... yet another reason to not leave the house. I'm seriously gonna have to work on being social.
Black Isle was the best studio ever. Obsidian is its legecy. Real work on Baldur's Gate 2 was done by Black Isle. (They also did Fallout and Torment) So Lucas Arts (Knights of The Old Republic 2: Sith Lords) and Atari (NWN1) understand the power of Obsidian (Black Isle) so give the project to them. I hope its as good as Baldur's Gate 2 and Fallout.
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Missed the first one, but loved Baldur's Gate 2. Why isn't Bioware doing this game?
NWN was awesome, and with an even more advanced toolkit this has twice the potential.
I'm with Lord_Calidor, RPG's have been going the "casual" route for awhile now. It will be nice to play something that is designed with the hardcore crowd in mind.
Yikes! It's time to upgrade my video card and system RAM!
Yes! It's about time old-school RPG developers show some hardcore RPG stuff, instead of this console-like RPG-lite crap we get these days... I want complex calculations, I want saving throws, transparent dice rolls, armor ratings, weapon profficiencies & masteries, prestige classes... If it'll be anything like Hordes of Underdark, it will rule!
September? Booyah! Better get crackin' to get my computer ready . . .
Wahoo!
cool
Awesome!!! Cant wait to get it!