Difficulty:

Very Hard

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Immersive"

Hey GS

Id like to put down how I Score games (this is important if you want to understand why my score is so 'low'):
1 - Utter rubbish
2 - Utter rubbish
3 - rubbish
4 - average
5 - Good
6 - Pretty good
7 - Great
8 - Greater than 7
9 - Awesome
10 - so great ill never review a game that's this good...period.

This is the 3rd REAL game in the Neverwinter Nights series. Which include of course Neverwinter Nights, and Shadows of Undrentide, which i have reviewed also if you want to check them out. This IS a direct continuation of SoU if you use a premade character from SoU (not sure if it is if you use a different one, haven't checked). You have to have played the others fully to play this as it only JUST touches on the story of the past games and uses a few memorable characters from the past such as Deekin the Kobold Bard...yeah i know...weird huh? Anyway, lets get started.

GRAPHICS

The graphics once again HAVE NOT CHANGED...well not much anyway. There have been some clean ups and alterations to the engine making it look prettier than the other games, but still keeping with the dated yet great Aurora Engine. New spell effects look good and if im not mistaken, they have made some of the particle effects on older spells look better to keep up with the standard of new spells.

SOUND

With the return of past characters, theres obviously some old actors, which is good, but theres also some new actors...although few, are up to the same standard as the others. Theres another great soundtrack with some recycled tracks but still as epic as ever. Now for the bad parts. RECYCLED CHARACTER BATTLE CRIES AND CHANTS! I mean seriously...this is getting ridicules, they have used the same chants and cries since baldurs gate ONE! which is ANCIENT. However, they are pretty awesome chants and cries...

GAMEPLAY

Whilst SoU was story light and action heavy, this installment is more in the middle. You have a epic 20 hour plot and some awesome battles. Which is a winning formula. You also have the underdark to battle through. Which if your not a DnD nerd as i am(lol) is basically a huge underground dungeon that is the home to the most powerful beings know to man...and some not even known to us! As well as this its filled with deadly traps, portals and secret doors filled with puzzles to keep you on your toes. Its also the home of the Drow, or the Dark Elves...who rock. This game also steps up on difficulty. But to counter this, you start at level 15 so you can handle it without much of a problem...until later on of course. Theres plenty of dragons and armies of demons and drow to fight to keep you entertained and a story that sits in the background thats gradually builds up when your not looking. This expansion also adds some more tool set gear to keep you happy aswell as a few tweaks to classes and a level cap increase. Which is all good. However, the downside to this expansion has to be the Puzzles, they are generic, and boring and ou wish you could just get on with the killing and plot development.

OVERALL

Despite the puzzles this is a solid expansion and a fitting end to a great RPG series. I recommend it to those who loved the others and want something new. And just to add, im NOT reviewing King maker. Its not a real game, its a MOD thats been released properly so stop sending me mail about it. Its good, but i don't review mods.

Oh yeah, just to add, if you add this to the other 2 games, you have 100 hours of gameplay out of this series...well worth the amount they charge nowadays.

6.5/10 Not great, but worth your money