DESCRIPTION

This package contains BioWare's breakthrough D&D-based computer RPG, Neverwinter Nights and its two expansion packs, Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark.

While fantasy role-playing on the computer is nearly as old as video gaming itself, Neverwinter Nights may be the first electronic game to add the elements of creative, loosely scripted storytelling that define the pen-and-paper role-playing experience. As in the many previous computer RPGs based on Dungeons & Dragons rule sets, Neverwinter Nights allows players to create their own hero characters, choosing a from a variety of fantasy races and professions, then play the part of that character to interact with other heroes, villains, and monsters that exist under the same system of rules and statistics. Yet unlike its electronic predecessors, Neverwinter Nights also allows one player to become the Dungeon Master, who can bend and append the rules of the game on the fly, in order to tell the best possible version of the story and allow players to more fully assume the roles of their characters. In addition to the tools players need to create and host their own adventures, the game comes with a fully-developed, 80-hour single-player module.

Players can return to the Forgotten Realms for a new adventure in Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide. The add-on's story takes place during the same time period as the Neverwinter Nights campaign, but players won't be able to explore Neverwinter because of a plague. Instead, the new quests take players east into the desert of Anauroch. An ancient race of wizards, the Netheril, constructed cities that floated through the air, but when the Netheril civilization collapsed, their cities plunged and crashed. The ruins, such as Undrentide, remain full of powerful monsters and magic. During the new 40-hour campaign, players can access 50 new spells, 30 new feats, and several advanced character classes (only available after meeting specific criteria). Three new tile sets — Desert, Ruins, and Snowy Rural — are available for module creators.

Heroes of Neverwinter face great new dangers to win unprecedented rewards in Hordes of the Underdark, the second official expansion pack for BioWare's continuing Dungeons & Dragons epic. Set in the heart of the Forgotten Realms, this adventure leads heroes from the fabled city of Waterdeep to the depths of Undermountain. Unlike the otherwise well-received Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide, Hordes of the Underdark is designed for higher-level characters, allowing players to continue to challenge and develop favorite heroes they may have guided through the original Neverwinter Nights campaign or the first add-on adventure. Hordes of the Underdark also adds two more tilesets to the game, offering module designers even more options for creating their game worlds. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide