Nothing new under the sun...
And that's where this game falls short. To Obsidian's credit, the graphics are beautiful, but after about 20 minutes of playing I found myself wishing the gameplay was as refreshing as the visuals. Interaction with the game world is still limited to point-and-click characters and objects and simple scripting. Compare this to Oblivion, where nearly every object can be picked up, moved, according to real time physics no less.
The tool set is still the best part of the game, and it's always fun to see what people create. But the tool set is still just as limited as the game. It used to be that D&D-style games prided themselves on having better character development and story than action RPGs like Oblivion. This is no longer the case; as it would seem, quite the opposite. The story is good, but not stellar, certainly not what I would call involved. The gameplay is far too linear, even for NWN, and there's no chance of developing any kind of role for yourself outside the main quest. A Forgotten Realms setting offers the potential a complex and involved fantasy world, which is something a game developer would be wise to recognize. Let us explore something... something bigger, something new.