Game Review: Hordes of the Underdark

The main problem I have with Neverwinter Nights on any platform is the sheer amount of bugs in it. It's fairly stable, though not perfectly so; but the main problem lies in the myriad of little niggles that plague the game.

This is especially evident in multiplayer games, when there is more than one party. For instance, there's the infamous "bow bug". If your character is carrying a ranged weapon, then you confusingly and unexpectedly get to see all manner of hidden and invisible creatures, free of charge.

There's a pickpocket bug that allows you to pilfer your comrade's pockets without ever being near them. All aura spells, such as silence, are bugged terribly. The dirge spell doesn't even actually work at all. Up until Hordes, spells like War Cry affected the caster (who, presumably, was literally scared of his or her own voice). Greater Sanctuary only provides an advanced form of invisibility, and fails to protect your character as it's supposed to.

These bugs are all in the Windows version as well, unfortunately. Often one just has to work around them. Remember not to use spells like Dirge, of if you do, try not to move. Remember that dragons can inexplicably get around Greater Sanctuary. Remember that if you're invisible, and your opponent wields a bow or a sling, they can see you. Spells can be "stacked"; their effects magnified if cast upon a character more than once, up until the point where the character is invulnerable- which isn't supposed to happen. These are just a few of the things you need to watch out for.

These are really minor-ish issues. The game is still playable, but it would be nice if Bioware playtested their games a little. What's the point in introducing new spells if you don't actually check if they work or not? And what's the point of releasing patches or expansions if you don't actually fix what's broken?