Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir Review
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Even the area in which this game has always stood out -- the art direction -- has wonderful parts that fail to gel into anything compelling. On a certain level, the game is beautiful. For a game engine that's getting pretty long in the tooth, the developers do a great job providing some exceptional setpieces and creatures to look at. The shipboard opening scenes are beautiful and the ornately decorated buildings, clothes and furnishings of Samarach add a lovely touch of Persian elegance to the game. The Yuan-ti and other new creatures are stunning. The problem is that none of them are used very well. The Yuan-ti languish in square-roomed dungeons that scream "graph paper!" The beauty of the Persian-style design is badly overused in the game's buildings, making the game seem less Arabian Nights than a faux-Persian rug sale at Pier One.
In the end, a player's reaction to Storm of Zehir will be very dependent on what he or she looks for when they open the box. Those who have always looked at the Neverwinter Nights series as a glorious toy they can tear apart and reconstruct into their own D&D fantasies are going to be very happy with what comes in this installment. If you've come to uncover the mystery of the "Storm of Zehir," you might want to stay indoors until the shower passes.
