May 22 Views (1145) Neverwinter

My Review Articale about Neverwinter

Having been playing Neverwinter for many days. Many of my friends asked me how do you think of Neverwinter. I did not know actually. But since the exploit happens, I can take a short break and write my reviews for this game.
First, it isn't the game I was expecting. Neverwinter is a solid action RPG, with a great MMO foundation. The mechanics of D&D sit somewhere as a base, utilizing the dice roles and namesakes for skills, but rarely does it jump into the realm of pen and paper and allow for the type of imaginary experience that Gygax's original game does.
Actually this isn't a fault of Neverwinter. The experience and adventure is very similar, albeit with some nice twists and turns. The familiar breadcrumb trail of quests, lest anybody accidentally wander off, and the setting is very well made, but formulaic. It is still a collect X of Y type of affair, but done very well. Also its game currency neverwinter gold is not that popular in the game.
So, with that in mind, what do I think of Neverwinter? It is good, but returning to my earlier point, even in open beta I don't think I could call this my "virtual home". I can see the lines of design too clearly; the game world is fantastic, but ultimately it fails to truly recreate that D&D experience I was looking for.
But at this point I haven't yet mentioned The Foundry. If any system or design tools were to amount to the same building of a campaign encounter, this system is it. The quests and adventures posted up so far are astounding in quality, and show a real verve for story and excitement. It's nice to see a developer such as Cryptic not just reacting to players, but actively allowing them to participate, and I feel that if they opened The Foundry even further, we could see an immensely satisfying MMO.


Neverwinter is very enjoyable. But even with the above said, I couldn't say that it fits the needs that I desperately need fulfilling. Interestingly, I caught up with RuneScape lead Mark Ogilvie, just a few days ago and he explained to me how important it was a developer to fit the role of Dungeon Master, rather than linear designer. During our conversation, he described his team at Jagex are making the tools and content so that RuneScape adapts to the player, reflecting their choices, and not the opposite way around, that is why runescape gold is still hot today.
I find this point is extremely interesting, and one that I feel I share in opinion. Neverwinter is a game, but right now I think I'm looking for a simulation. The past week’s columns may have been bemoaning the lack of immersive spirit or nostalgic gameplay, but I think it's a craving for a return to imagination. The best dungeon keeper, as Mark told me, is the one that allows players to walk away from the predetermined adventure, and create an entirely new one. It's an interesting thought.
With that in my mind, and purely in terms of Neverwinter utilizing the D&D license, I find Cryptic's game a slightly missed opportunity. The tools are in place, The Foundry works, but the designers themselves seem to have missed their own important lesson.
The above is what I think about the neverwinter. Currently, the auction house is still not available, I hope it will work soon so that I can exchange my Neverwinter Astral Diamonds.