“Dungeons & Dragons has been a part of my life since I was a teenager, and I've tried every D&D-based video game I've ever come across in that time.
I first played Neverwinter several years ago when it first arrived on Steam. I play Neverwinter at least on a weekly basis - usually several times each week.
Rather than attempting to be an electronic adaptation of the tabletop ruleset, Neverwinter does an excellent job of keeping the mechanics of the game hidden while allowing you to explore and interact with a rich representation of all of your favourite D&D worlds, locales, characters, lore, and campaign settings - including Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Eberron, and many more ... and, of course, The Forgotten Realms is very well represented.
By choosing to hide the mechanics of D&D and adopt what seems to have become the gold-standard of MMORPG design (the gameplay is VERY WoW-like), the developers have sacrificed player agency - one of the core guiding principles of D&D - in favour of delivering a game that is easy to learn and play. This, however, has resulted in gameplay that can feel somewhat repetitive. The work they've put into worldbuilding is some consolation for this (the scenery and storylines are truly spectacular).
If you're looking for an electronic version of the tabletop rules which will give you the freedom to forge your own path, then this isn't the game for you. To be fair, the attempt made by the developers of Dungeons & Dragons Online to expose more of the game mechanics has left their offering feeling clunky and almost amateurish by comparison.
If you want to experience the wonder, the splendor, the rich stories, settings, and worlds in a well-polished and very playable way, then you are going to LOVE Neverwinter.
Date of this experience: 2024-06-18”
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