The much anticipated sequal to Neverwinter Night 1. After 5 years of development and high expectations this game fails to live up to expectations. The game is fun to play, but feels very retro. In the time since Baldurs Gate was released the world of fantasy roll playing games has moved on. Games such as Dungeons and Dragons online provide an emmursive action filled world, Neverwinter Night 2 by comparison has the same mechanics as Baldurs Gate series with a party consisting of several characters all controlled by a single player. Action is very stillted; having four players to control means constantly pausing the game, stupid AI means that if you turn your back for just a second, your casters start fireballing the party with on hard core rules really hurts.
In keeping with its closeness to Baldurs Gate series Neverwinter nights 2 has an involved story with plenty of cut scenes. If one is prepare to overlook some bad acting in places and some rather cliqued plot line (you foil your nemesis at every turn until he has no more henchies left, then you take him down), it can be kind of fun. The cut scenes are certainly much better than trying to read some inscurably small dialog text.
The game works in a multiplayer mode tollerably well. With two players, each having control over their own character plus all the henchmen one can play the game without pausing. The social aspect makes the game more fun. It doesn't work playing with random people because they can for instance loot your NPC and then disconnect leaving you trying to hold off hoards of undead with nothing but a naked dwarf.
NWN 1 was famous for the community hosted servers. Some of these were really a lot fun. So far here is very little online action to be had with only a small assortment of power levelers and endless hack and slash fests to be had. This may well change.
