Chris InglisFor many, the world of Faerûn and the city of Neverwinter from BioWare’s original 2002 title Neverwinter Nights, published by Infogrames/Atari, was a revelation. I was among those captivated by epic RPG stories of that era, sinking countless hours into its adventures and rich D&D 3rd edition lore. When Neverwinter Nights 2 was released in 2006, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari, my anticipation was immense considering Obsidian’s work on Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. True to form, the game delivered, and I found myself once again lost in its intricate narratives and character-driven quests. Fast forward to 2025 and thanks to Aspyr Media, Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition has been a fantastic journey filled with nostalgia and wonder at the writing of Obsidians games of the time.
My journey with Neverwinter Nights 2 was extensive, encompassing not just the base game but also the first two excellent expansions: Mask of the Betrayer and Storm of Zehir. A third expansion was also released, Mysteries of Westgate, but I never got around to playing it for reasons outlined in the next paragraph. Each added significant depth and new dimensions to the experience, with Mask of the Betrayer standing out for its dark, philosophical narrative akin to one of my favourite RPGs, Planescape: Torment, while Storm of Zehir changed the formula up with an innovative overland map and party-based exploration. These expansions solidified NWN2’s place as a truly epic RPG experience in my mind.
However, my adventures in Neverwinter came to an abrupt and rather unpleasant halt in 2008 after the launch of Storm of Zehir. A particularly severe bout of food poisoning coincided with a lengthy play session, creating an unfortunate and lasting aversion. For years, the sight of the game’s big box on my shelf, or even the mention of its name, would trigger a distinct wave of nausea. It was an involuntary response that effectively barred me from revisiting a game I genuinely loved. So much so, I still couldn’t bring myself to play Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition when that launched in 2018.
Then, earlier this year in 2025, the announcement came for Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition. It felt like a sign, a chance for redemption, not just for the game but for my own stomach. Despite the lingering apprehension, I decided to take the plunge, hoping that a fresh start untainted by past culinary mishaps, would allow me to appreciate it anew. And I am incredibly glad I did.
The very first thing I did, driven by a surge of nostalgic hope, was to check my old saved games archive that I have diligently collected over the last two decades. Sure enough, nestled amongst countless other digital relics, there was a folder called “NWN2 saves.” Without doing any research or second-guessing, I copied the entire contents of that folder directly into the save games directory for the Enhanced Edition. And boom! Just like that, I was straight back into my 2008 party, standing proudly with my trusty human paladin and his party of scallywags.
The problem, however, quickly became apparent: I had absolutely no idea what the heck I was doing. I ran around the dungeon I was last in, desperately trying to trigger some flicker of recognition but nothing felt familiar. The years had truly wiped my memory of the quests, the characters, the stories, and the immediate objectives. Realising I was adrift, I made the decision to roll a new character and start fresh, this time around I went with a ranger class. This proved to be a great choice, as it allowed me to slowly relearn the base game’s mechanics, controls, and story from the ground up, making the return far more enjoyable and less confusing.
The base game’s first act begins in the village of West Harbor, where your character was raised as an orphan by the elven ranger Daeghun. After a festival, the town is attacked by a group, led by a githyanki, in search of an unnamed object. Afterward, the character is sent by Daeghun to retrieve a mysterious silver shard from a nearby cave, which was left there years earlier after the defeat of the King of Shadows. You then set out for Neverwinter with a party of a fighter and a thief, meeting other adventurers along the way, several of whom are available for recruitment. Memories came flooding back as I completed each major quest, save-scumming my way to glorious victory!
Having eventually got my new party to level 10, I was confident enough to return to one of my original saves and continue the plight of my Level 15 paladin in Storm of Zehir content. The unique overland map and the focus on party dynamics is a slightly different rhythm of gameplay which offered a refreshing change from the more linear narrative of the base game. The tactical combat still holds up once I got a handle on the managing the party I had built back in 2008. Exploring the challenges of the Sword Coast was just as engaging as my deeply buried positive memories of the game.
The Enhanced Edition itself brings with it a host of technical improvements, stability fixes, and quality-of-life adjustments that make the experience smoother and more enjoyable on modern systems, especially consoles. It’s a testament to the enduring quality of Obsidian’s storytelling and character development that even after all these years, and a rather traumatic hiatus for myself, the world of NWN2 still managed to draw me in completely. I am keen as mustard to finally be able to jump into the game’s third expansion, Mysteries of Westgate, to see what that entails post-launch.
For anyone who cherished the original Neverwinter Nights 2 or is looking for a deep, classic isometric D&D RPG experience from the powerhouse that is Obsidian Entertainment, Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is an absolute must-play. For most, it will be an awesome trip down memory lane and a chance to rediscover a true gem (and yes, old save games can be imported!). For newcomers, this enhanced edition is the perfect way to take your first steps in Faerûn. I would recommend starting with the base game for the best experience, or if you want to skip to an expansion, Mask of the Betrayer.
This review utilised a Steam key provided by Sandbox Strategies and Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition launches on July 15, 2025 on Steam, GOG, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch for every gamer to enjoy.
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