The Free2Play MMORPG Neverwinter has been available on PC since 2013. It can now also be played on PS4 and Xbox One. We took a look at Neverwinter Online and wonder: Is it worth playing Neverwinter in 2017?
As an RPG fan, I somehow still feel stuck in a summer slump. In recent months, no decent MMORPG has been released. And if one has come out, I apologize: I missed it.
Since I am currently going through a dry spell, I thought I’d dig up an older gem from the box and check out Neverwinter.
What kind of game is Neverwinter?
Neverwinter is a free MMORPG that utilizes the Dungeons & Dragons universe as its template. The classes and races are inspired by D&D. The MMO launched in 2013 as a free-to-play title and has since added a lot of content. New classes, races, and areas have been introduced in recent years. The combat system is action-packed and uses an active combat control scheme. Players need to perform targeted attacks and dodge at the right moment. The fights flow smoothly, and one always wants to seek confrontation.
Using the “WASD” keys, you control your hero and execute standard attacks with the mouse buttons. Instead of clicking on the enemy, you have to target the opponent like in an action game and keep the crosshairs on them. You use skills with the “QER” keys.
The special feature of Neverwinter: There is a dungeon editor called “Foundry.” You can virtually build your own mission and release the completed instance for other players.
My first minutes
I turned on my computer and quickly created a sword-fighting character. Then I headed into the first mission. I woke up on the beach, picked up my sword, and set off to defend Neverwinter against the evil sorceress named “Valindra”. After I dealt with a few undead, I finally faced Valindra.
However, this unpleasant character hurled my companion through the air and sent a giant meatball after me. After dealing with that, my companion unfortunately still died. Thus, the first minutes in the small tutorial played out. The atmosphere was definitely engaging, and I was hooked to keep playing.
The class selection
You have access to 8 classes with different play styles. Some, like the tactical wizard, were already present at launch, while the vigilant ranger or warlock were added later. I took a closer look at the classes and their skills. Here, you’ll find everything a role-player needs.
Those who want to heal should look at the cleric of faith. In addition to healing, they can also deal substantial damage.
If you’re more into melee combat and want to take a fair amount of damage, you can confidently opt for the guardian fighter. This is the classic tank, drawing the attention of bosses.
Then there are special classes like the devastating warlock. With this one, you can deal damage and drain life from your enemies. A plus point for the good selection of various play styles.
I chose the two-handed weapon fighter. This class is agile. I particularly like their special skill, which is unlocked at level 10. When I activate this, I fight a little faster and withstand a bit more. Essentially, it’s a turbo for knights.
The races
During character creation, you also have the opportunity to choose a race. These provide various bonuses. To get the most out of your hero, you should consider which race to select.
The human has more defense and is therefore well-suited as a tank. Moreover, they can distribute two attribute points as desired. If you want to deal more damage, the tiefling is the right choice. Once the enemy is below 50% health, the tiefling deals 5% more damage. This demon-like race is particularly meant for DPS characters. If you are unsure which class to play with the tiefling, you should try the devastating warlock. With the racial bonuses, they can easily dispatch enemy minions.
To match the two-handed weapon fighter, I chose the half-orc. This one deals 5% more damage on critical hits. Additionally, I have a higher movement speed for a few seconds once I am in combat.
Old-fashioned quests
Neverwinter offers a rather old-fashioned quest design. There are many “kill this” or “collect that” tasks. These missions are acceptable at the start, but when you have to do the same tedious tasks at higher levels, it becomes boring. It gets annoying when multiple players are working on the same tasks in the same area. Thus, questing turns into a race, where it applies: First come, first served! How often has it happened to me that I needed to collect something for a quest, and the required items were snatched right before my eyes. Such gameplay is outdated and frustrating!
The world of Faerûn
After completing the small tutorial, the gates to the “Protector’s Enclave” open. This place is the capital of the game and where various players gather to trade, chat, or simply enjoy the atmosphere.Neverwinter is divided into smaller zones, so it’s not a real open world. At the city’s gates, players select their next destination to travel to. It’s divided into adventure zones and dungeons.
In the adventure zones, you can move relatively freely, accept quests, beat up enemies, or visit merchants. These zones also contain entrances to solo dungeons. For large instances, however, players need to sign up through a menu.
The special feature of Neverwinter: You can create your own dungeons
With the Foundry, you have the opportunity to create your own quests and instances. And this editor is quite powerful.
It almost feels like a game within a game, because with a bit of experience, you can write your own stories here. For example, I started to create a map and was able to place various houses, NPCs, and enemies. Then I wrote little quest texts to make everything more atmospheric. Over time, I realized how complex this editor really is.The cool thing: Once you complete your creation, it can be made accessible to other players. Players then rate it, and with good work, you become more well-known.
You can even unlock different achievements by creating or playing various Foundry adventures. Additionally, there is, of course, experience. Some players even claim that you can reach the max level through the Foundry without ever playing an official quest.
I selected a dungeon from the Foundry and played it briefly. I ended up in an abandoned village and found out that it had been overrun by undead. In every corner, there were injured inhabitants, and I gathered with the last remaining forces to face an army of zombies.
After the fierce battle, I pressed directly toward the heart of the enemy. A portal had opened, and I needed to destroy it by any means necessary. After a few minutes and more battles, I finally destroyed the portal and was able to rate the quest. Here you can see that with a little practice, wonderful stories can be crafted. I gave the dungeon a perfect score and was not surprised by its popularity.
The current state
The developers behind Neverwinter have released a total of 12 new modules in the last years and months, packed with game content. There are more and more classes, races, new areas, additional instances, and continuations of the story. The most recently released module is called “Tomb of Annihilation.” It features the jungle of Chult, another area where dinosaurs would love to make a meal out of you.
Here’s a small list of the modules that have been released so far:
- Fury of the Feywild: A new zone called “Sharandar” along with a campaign. In addition, the sun and moon elves have been integrated as races.
- Shadowmantle: Besides the new “Ring of Horrors” campaign, the vigilant ranger as a new class is the highlight of this module. They come with a bow and daggers, thus they can function as a melee or ranged character.
- Curse of Icewind Dale: Another area “Icewind Dale” plus campaign is included in this module.
- Tyranny of Dragons: This module brings the Tyranny of Dragons campaign and the “dragonborn” as a new race. Additionally, the devastating warlock appears as a new playable class. This class uses dark magic: a wizard who sucks the life out of enemies.
- Rise of Tiamat: Here, there’s a new area called “Dragonwell” along with an extension of the Tyranny of Dragons campaign. There is also an additional paragon path for the devastating warlock.
- Elemental Evil: A major expansion that raises the level cap to level 70. The oath-bound paladin comes as another class.
- Strongholds: This module focuses on guilds. Now, there are own guild fortresses and battles between guilds.
- Underdark: This module introduces a new adventure zone called “Mantol Derith.” This leads you into the Underdark, where you annihilate nasty demons.
- The Maze Engine: The story from the previous Underdark module continues here.
- Storm King’s Thunder: This module offers new tasks to accomplish in Icewind Dale.
- The Cloaked Ascendancy: A wizard conspiracy and the “river district” as a new area are part of this module.
- Tomb of Annihilation: Here, there’s the new zone “Chult,” where you fight against dinosaurs in the densely overgrown jungle.
The community is generally satisfied with the modules that have been released so far. The only thing that has been criticized: The quests are often too monotonous.
Free2Play with limitations
First of all, it must be said that you can have fun with Neverwinter for hours without spending a single cent. However, like in almost all free-to-play titles, there are some limitations to contend with.
Here, you also have limited character slots; the rest must be purchased. What annoys me: even some races like dragonborn need to be unlocked. Moreover, increasingly frequent ads will pop up, urging you to use real money.
However, the developers constantly bring more content in the form of new expansions, and these are free. So there are new areas and new classes, like the vigilant ranger, without you having to reach for your wallet.
The shop is also a bit annoying. There are mounts and companions for hefty prices; sometimes I feel like I’m shopping at an online market. During leveling, you might find various treasure chests, which remain locked until you buy a key in the store.
There is also the option to exchange earned astral diamonds for the real currency “Zen”. But it takes a long time before you can afford a mount.
Conclusion: Is Neverwinter worth it?
Neverwinter has been on the free-to-play market for 4 years now and has continuously received new expansions since then. These have brought new classes, entire areas with new tasks and enemies.
A big plus point is the complex dungeon editor. You can really invest a lot of time here and basically build your own little story. I could almost say I spent more time in the editor than in the main game. Additionally, I enjoy the great variety of classes and races, even though you ultimately have to purchase additional character slots.
As already mentioned, you can have a lot of fun with Neverwinter without having to reach into your pocket. However, if you want to get the most out of the game, you should consider the use of real money more carefully.
The gameplay is solid, and the combat control feels quite action-oriented. It is always fun to attack new enemies and eliminate them. In this regard, one can almost forgive the developer for the old-fashioned quests.
I will certainly continue to cut my way through enemies with my sword and level up to max.
