Neverwinter: Uprising

There be no doubt that the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) hype-train shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, and this is further reinforced by the appearance of online MMOs that are set in the D&D universe. These come as a great alternative for those that love Dungeons and Dragons lore but hate the general tabletop feel or the slow pace of the game. One such MMO is Neverwinter, a beautifully designed 3D Action-MMORPG set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe.

Any hardcore Dungeons and Dragons fan knows that the official list of character races you can choose from is already pretty great and is continuously growing with each new addition the creators dish out. You'll recognize the races immediately when you try and create your first character, having the option to choose the commonly seen humans and half-elves, to the D&D-specific Tieflings. The classes are also the ones you are probably accustomed to, although just like the races, not all of them are available, with several of them being made available only afetr applying certain expansions.

The moment you even try to create your first character you realize that the game's graphics are amazing.   Everything from the texture quality, particle effects, lighting, shadows, and reflections make you realize that this game deserves the title of "AAA game." Of course, you do need a beefy computer to run the game unless you plan on running it with everything set to "Low," especially in the capital cities where most players are all gathered.

If you hate those MMOs or RPGs where you waste the first hour of your life just designing the character, then you will truly sigh when you see what Neverwinter has in store for you. Pretty much anything from face to hair, height, skin tone and general build is available for you to modify as you see fit.  There are so many customization options that it would be impossible to create two identical characters, even if you tried it yourself on purpose. However, character uniqueness is not limited to just looks, since even the initial stat distribution and backstory will modify your avatar presents itself, and their initial gameplay experience.

The developers of Neverwinter continuously release patch updates and Expansion packs that always offer entirely new content for you to enjoy, making the game feel alive and well-taken care off. Cinematics are at pretty much every step of the way, and the quests are never dull. Thus character progression is never dull, nor does it feel like a grind fest.

Just like any other MMO, the basic principle of the game is pretty much the same: you kill things, equip whatever they drop, and become more powerful. As far as combat goes, Neverwinter departed from the traditional point-and-click style of combat, instead choosing the more dynamic action style combat. This makes enemy encounters, especially boss monster, feel al the more engaging for the players. This also means that, especially in PVP, it no longer matters who has the best gear, therefore, dishing out the biggest numbers, but the way you move and ability to aim your abilities also play an important role.

Neverwinter has all the things that make an MMO great: it looks good, plays well, it is back up by one of the most well-known franchises out there, and it is continuously updated, so content will always seem fresh, even for veteran players. All these aspects make Neverwinter a game that truly deserves to be tried by any gamer out there, although after you try it, you should remember to go outside to get some sunshine once in a while.