Neverwinter - Review @ Gaming Nexus

In case you have been living under a rock, or missed the other reviews you already know about Neverwinter. If not Gaming Nexus has a new review.

Money versus time

As Neverwinter is a free-to-play title, many potential players ask the same question regarding the game's microtransaction system. While the game does employ its fair share of occasions in which the completion of tasks could be accomplished quicker with the aid of purchasing premium points. Even with the continually advertised premium items such as special mounts or character apparel, none of the content creates disadvantages for other players. As with other free-to-play models, players themselves have to decide between the value of their time versus spending money for instant gratification. While a flaming horse mount may look spectacular in-game, it's not in any means required to experience the game's overall content.

Identity crisis

The visual presentation of Neverwinter isn't bad by any means, but the largest problem is simply its lack of identity. From the monsters to the locations, nothing seems unique or even that interesting. There isn't much variety to the exterior and interior environments either, which result in an overall lackluster appearance. Yet, some designs do stand out, such as the primary city hub and some of the various loot items.

Fortunately, the game's actual performance makes up for the design as the game runs smooth without any sort of crashes or server issues. The interface is one of the best around for free-to-play titles, with an overly simple layout to navigate, in addition to clear and minimal icons. Sparkly breadcrumb trails can also be toggled to make navigation between the city hub and quests a simple and quick process. The polished presentation and easy-to-use interface make for a dangerously-addictive experience for partaking in an array of quests.

Twenty-sided dice not included

Neverwinter enters a crowded market of free-to-play games, many of which have a similar fantasy theme. Yet, the Dungeon & Dragons-inspired Neverwinter is one of the more polished and content-rich online games available. The fluid combat combined with a near-endless amount of quests to complete ensure that players will be kept interested and busy for quite sometime. Neverwinter stands apart from other free-to-play games by not only providing a highly-polished gameplay experience, but one in which players can create their own adventures and ultimately become the dungeon masters themselves.