Neverwinter Nights 2 Expansion This Month

If you’ve finished the Storm of Zehir or Mask of the Betrayer expansions for Neverwinter Nights 2, then Atari has some good news for you - a new expansion is on the way later this month. That new expansion, The Mysteries of Westgate is download only and will be available for a mere $10 USD. You won’t need the other expansions, but of you have them already you’ll be able to play classes from those products in The Mysteries of Westgate.

The Mysteries of Westgate promises a 15 hour campaign featuring multiple paths and endings for players to choose from, non-linear gameplay and sidequests, balanced gameplay for various classes of various strengths, 4 new creatures including like the wererat and quelzarn, a new Sewer tileset used to create the seedy underbelly of Westgate (tunnels, vaulted ceilings, rusty pipes, deep pools, and bridges), 25 minutes of new music from composer David John, and whole lot more.

More details at Atari.com.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir at E3

Perhaps i’m alone here, but I thought Neverwinter Nights 2 was pretty good, so I’m kind of jazzed that Obsidian is taking some time away from Sega’s espionage RPG (Alpha Protocol) to make another expansion for the game. The new expansion, Storm of Zehir, is currently on display at E3 but players will have to wait until late 2008 to get their clammy little hands on it.

The expansion returns to the formula that made Baldur’s Gate and the first Neverwinter game so popular: open-ended adventures and environments. Players can expect full party customization, dungeon crawling, free exploration in a non-linear game world via an Overland Map and good old commerce - by hook or by crook.

Using the overland map, players will be able to explore the Sword Coast and Samarach and put skills like Spot and Survival to good use, uncovering new locales and points of interest. You’ll also be able to put together a party of your own created characters without being locked into carrying the dead weight of an NPC around, which is nice. Parties have been improved with streamlined party conversations, a new Teamwork Benefit System, and new powerful party feats.

Economy will also be important in the expansion, because players will be able to manipulate it through commerce and trade. Players can create and grow a merchant company or join the black market and earn money the old fashioned way (by stealing it). Finally, a whole new set of class are in the works, along with new prestige classes, spells, creatures, and playable races.

Look for Neverwinter Nights 2 to expand in Q4 2008.