Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide

Review - Bioware's first NWN expansion comes under scrutiny.

As surely as winter follows the summer or a comedown follows a hard night out, an expansion pack will trail a successful game. And with a game as popular as Neverwinter Nights there was no question that a new adventure would follow soon after. But in this age of modding can a new boxed adventure stand up to the literally thousands of home made modules that have been created by enthusiasts over the last few months? Or will it be crushed by the sheer weight of numbers of the free entertainment just waiting to be downloaded? Judging by the number of users on Bioware's forums that have registered both the original and Shadows of Undrentide it seems that there's a third, more definite possibility. That Neverwinter Nights was such a brilliantly executed conversion of the D&D experience onto the computer that its fans will lap up anything thrown at them.

Starting off as a new recruit, Level 1, whose school comes under attack and whose master looses four important magical artefacts to unknown assailants, Shadows of Undrentide begins in a ridiculously similar fashion to its predecessor. The story will see you hunting round a community for thieves (check), heading of into the wilderness to discover who is behind it all (check) and working for dragons in exchange for help (check). It's up to you and one of the three new henchmen to go out into the world to track down these pieces and uncover the nefarious creatures behind the theft. While the plot invites feelings of deja-vu there's an interesting interlude after chapter one and a plot twist in chapter two that is not only a surprise but makes for a pleasingly different adventuring dynamic.

Over the three chapters you'll come across the impressive list of additions that make SoU at the very least a value-packed update. There are five new prestige classes to take your character into. The Arcane Archer is a great way of enhancing a Ranger into a deadly arrow-spitting killing machine, able to launch fireball arrows and steadily improving enhanced arrows. Or maybe you'd like your thief to develop into an Assassin, able to deal deadly blows and turn himself invisible. If these don't interest there's the Blackguard, Harper Scout or Shadowdancer to choose from. None of these classes are really geared towards improving fighters or mages. Rather they tweak the skillsets of players who prefer to sneak around and kill from the shadows. There are 16 new creatures you'll get to do battle with; from Frost Giants to Pit Fiends, insectoid Formicans to deadly Gorgons. There are some new familiars to choose from as well such as the Psuedodragon or the Faire Dragon although the only useful function I could find for them was as a posing accessory. On top of this there are 50 new spells, too many to list but an impressive number that should keep the wand wagglers happy.

There are three new tilesets; winter, desert and ruins, which help to expand the scope of the world, it's just a shame that each area is devoid of much in the way of atmosphere. While the occasional giant stone head or over-arching walkway make an appearance your surroundings are bland and make little lasting impression. This isn't helped by the lack of any real focal point like the city of Neverwinter. The fallen city of Underentide is presented as a ruined dungeon, and the rest of the adventuring will take place almost exclusively in caves or plain, small hamlets.