NWN2 - First Print Review @ GameStar.de

Should someone actually own this mag, can they provide us with a brief summary of pros and contras? I'm looking forward to this game and am interested to know how it fares.
 
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This trend of getting reviews out first 'ftw' is getting old. Seriously, how good can a review of the 'retail' copy of a game be like the day or two after its released? Hell, it isn't even in stores yet here in CA.
 
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This trend of getting reviews out first 'ftw' is getting old. Seriously, how good can a review of the 'retail' copy of a game be like the day or two after its released? Hell, it isn't even in stores yet here in CA.

Actually, game mags get the retail copies a few weeks before they arrive at shops, so theoretically, journalists have ample time to kick up a review. And to leak out the finished game :p
 
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Maybe the industry should just change the terminology according to what they actually mean. Previews -> Dreams, Reviews -> Previews. Leaving the terminus "Reviews" for real in-depth reviews of mostly bug-free games. Which can only happen after one or two major patches, given the status of games in general at release time.

However, waiting is not really an option, as the whole point of reviews in game magazines is still to tell their readers about a game before they buy it. And most of the time that means they have to test unfinished products. They don't really have another choice. But since they do usually get their review copies before the retail versions hit the shelves, and supposed that they are indeed one and the same version, it's all fine. Well, as fine as it gets, anyway. The Internet is to blame for too much pressure on part of developers and too much expectation on part of gamers.
 
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There's no doubt some of these too-early reviews are rushed but the well-organised publishers do make it easy. With some review packages you receive a copy of the gold master, documentation including game highlights and notes ("make sure you go to xxx and enter this code for a cool easter egg" and "don't miss the secret door in level 3") and save games with multiple characters so you can jump further into the game at will.

Having said that, I don't like the practice at all. It's too easy to review something that's pulled or patched before release, or, write a glowing review because you've rushed it out for an exclusive deal.
 
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And don't forget that these reviewers are getting PAID, where most of the time net reviewers like ourselves have to buy our own copy after release, play when we have spare time, and we don't get paid!!
 
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For me the reviews show up the stinkers. Several games I really enjoyed got midline reviews, but the low scorers were always embarrasing to play and I believe to ship. I'll always believe that the route from idea to gold is tough on the original creators. So I buy most.
 
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Actually, game mags get the retail copies a few weeks before they arrive at shops, so theoretically, journalists have ample time to kick up a review. And to leak out the finished game :p

True. But still, for deep and complex RPGs, the fast and early reviews tend to be skin-deep at best with a lot of reviewers back-peddling or foward-peddling weeks later as seen with games like Oblivion.

If a reviewer gets a copy of the next insert_first_person_shooter_here a few weeks early I can see a review being done when the game starts hitting retail shelves. But for deep RPGs, these reviews seem shallow and for the RPGs I've played relative to respective reviews, a huge disservice toward gamers.
 
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*nods* It's particularly hard to review a deep RPG in any limited amount of time, let alone anything that requires interaction with other players across the globe.

However, if they don't, someone else will, and I guess most players believe that some information is better than no information right? ;)

NWN2 single player may actually lend itself better to reviews if, like NWN, it's a relatively linear story-driven game. It's not a widely open game in the same way Oblivion or Gothic 3 are. Of course, it's harder to review the multiplayer experience, or even anticipate what (toolset-screenshot award-winning :p) fans will come up with after release.
 
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The Review is 9 Pages long... of course with a lot of Pictures^^.

They are praising the joinable NPCs for their Personality and cursing the AI for it's stupidity and complain about the bad Control in Combat. In their Testversion was a Bug, that newly recruited Party-Members simply vanished without any possibility to regain them.

And they moan a lot about the blocky Interiors, undetailed Models and about the Area-Loadings. Although they praise the Graphic-Effects, mostly of Spells.
 
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Thanks for the roundup there. I couldn't care less about the graphics, it's been evident to me ever since I saw the first screenshots that I won't love this game for its eye candy. And that's okay by me provided that oh-not-so-nice graphics is counterbalanced by a great story and atmosphere.

I'm glad about the apparently great NPCs (not so about their disapeearance, though) but somewhat frustrated about stupid AI. As for bad combat controls - has the reviewer ever played NWN or either KotOR game? Bevause they all build on the same combat system, which is truly not the best, but you can get accustomed to it. If it's roughly the same in NWN2, I'll be pleased.
 
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They write that you can control your Henchmans Actions in Combat only with a cumbersome "Context-Menu" for each of your Party-Members, so you have to repeat your Instructions for everyone ... this seems to annoy the Tester the most...
 
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That sounds like the way it was done in the KotOR games. It's no problem for me. Thanks for the update!
 
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