NWN's original release brought the new D&D 3rd Edition rules to CRPGs – Baldur’s Gate & Icewind Dale had used variants of AD&D 2nd Edition – and as such it brought some radically different approaches to game play and character generation. Like many CRPGs it initially had numerous bugs, but these were regularly acted on by Bioware who have supported the product consistently and efficiently. Not all bugs have been resolved but the one's that remain are minor and there is plenty of community support to customise and patch these with free scripts and hak packs.

By the time the Platinum & Diamond editions of NWN were released incorporating the 2 expansion packs the game had been greatly expanded and the depth of play, the ability to become immersed, was excellent. With extensive online, multiplayer, & DM capability (compare NWN2 which is lacking in this area in the initial release) there is hundreds, if not thousands of hours of satisfying play before you even look at the toolset and start writing your own modules! Although not totally perfect it is a true game of infinite possibilities.

If you have not played either NWN or NWN2 and are considering buying one or the other – I strongly suggest NWN over the latter. Although the graphics are a little dated and suffer from ‘polygons’ some of the time the overall game play is much more compelling at this time and you will get excellent value for money in the long-term; whereas NWN2 may or may not become an equally enthralling game – which probably won’t be known until mid-2007. The original NWN (Neverwinter Nights) will always have a special place alongside Baldur's Gate I & II in the CRPG Hall of Fame…