Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition

Buried deep within Neverwinter Nights' loins remains an entertaining, engrossing and lengthy RPG adventure, bundled with oodles of extra campaigns and one-off adventures. But to enjoy that you're going to have to put up with some of the most stuttery, bug-riddled nonsense we've seen on the Switch. Fun and frustrating in equal measure.

A well-remastered fantasy romp across familiar tropes; just be prepared to accept the game systems are straight out of 2006.

NWN2: Enhanced Edition is not a revolution, but it does not claim to be one either. It is a bridge that allows old Forgotten Realms sessions to reach new players, but also veterans with an accessible update. Obsidian and Beamdog have...

Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is a minimal preservation effort. At least it's not abandonware anymore. Higher resolutions and controller support make it playable on modern PCs and now consoles, but old bugs and dated assets remain. It's still a richly layered D&D adventure - with all the charm of its 2006 origins.

Neverwinter Nights 2 is an artifact of its time, and today straddles a somewhat uncomfortable spot where it’s not quite so nostalgic that it feels “retro” while at the same time, the games industry is now producing far more complex and nuanced narratives, in particular. With that being said, as a stand-in for getting a group together to play some tabletop Dungeons & Dragons, it’s difficult to look past this. Basically, it’s the right kind of kitsch.

Those who have never gotten to play Neverwinter Nights 2 before will find a lot to love about this console port of the game. However, that experience will be tempered by some UI interface issues that make the game clunky at best in certain portions of the game.

Ultimately, if you can forgive the crusty aesthetics (and I would encourage you to do so - even if there is a lot of forgiveness to be dished out), Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition will still absolutely decimate your social calendar as it thoroughly draws you into its Dungeons & Dragons setting. It's just a shame that some more care and attention wasn't lavished to give this re-release the proper love it deserves.

CRPGs are a difficult genre to do well, and are often clunky. Neverwinter Nights 2 is both clunky and old, making it hard to enjoy today. This version has not made meaningful updates to the game, so it remains a pain to play for all but the most hardcore CRPG fans.

The Enhanced Edition isn't a major overhaul, some original issues like the clunky UI and awkward camera still persist. In return, you get improved visuals and high-resolution textures. But even with its flaws, Neverwinter Nights 2 and its Mask of the Betrayer expansion continue to offer exceptional storytelling that holds up remarkably well. Play it for the nostalgia.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition revives a classic adventure for acquired tastes, but didn't roll high on its "enhancement" check.