Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate Preview

[GameBanshee News]

IGN rolls out their hands-on preview of the NWN2 adventure pack Mysteries of Westgate.

You can jump into the module with one of your favorite pre-existing character, and your equipment and powers will be entirely intact. However, the encounters are built for a character starting out at level 8. You can select a pre-built character, or roll up a new one, who will be provided with the appropriate gear. There are three companions in Mysteries of Westgate. The first you'll meet is Rinara, a former member of the Night Mask, an underground organization linked to the cursed mask. She drives away a hostile dwarf before offering to tag along. Up next is your tank, Mantides. He's a fallen paladin hanging around in The Black Eye, a tavern that will serve as your party's base for the first section of the game. At the Temple of the Lantharites in the Arena District, you'll encounter the cleric Charissa for some much-needed healing.

Most of the city is wide-open from the get-go. Some doors are locked until specific points in the plot, but Mysteries of Westgate is nothing if not non-linear. There aren't any random encounters, but there are 16 side quests to give players plenty to do on their way along the main storyline. "These are hack and slash quests, role-playing quests, quests with choices to make," says producer Alan Miranda. "They should please every style of player."