Neverwinter Nights is among the first computer games to use Wizards of the Coast's 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule sets, and while it takes a few liberties with the system, it does a good enough job of translating the occasionally labyrinthine Dungeons & Dragons rules into a surprisingly accessible role-playing game. This accessibility is one of Neverwinter Nights' most remarkable features, and although it belies the game's hidden depth--Neverwinter Nights lets you create many different kinds of characters in the single-player game and also features a full editor to let you build your own adventures--just about anyone with any interest in role-playing games can pick it up and start playing.

Of course, if you happen to be a more-serious fan of role-playing games, you can use the game's complicated but powerful editing tools to create your own adventures and even host them online. Neverwinter Nights' online play seemed a bit lacking at launch, since it could be difficult to coordinate party members' actions, but a very strong player base has developed around the game and its editing tools--more than 1,000 different fan-made modules have already been released for public consumption. Despite its technical issues, and despite the fact that there were so many other worthy contenders for the title of PC RPG of the year, Neverwinter Nights ended up being the role-playing game for just about anyone, and it ends up with our vote for best computer role-playing game of 2002.