Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter Reviews
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GamePro, 3.5/5.
One of the most fun aspects of D&D is making your character. Like previous editions, the 4E rules come with numerous classes and races to choose from. This variety, however, is missing from Heroes of Neverwinter; it only offers four classes (fighter, cleric, rogue, and wizard) and races (Dragonborn, Halfling, Human, and Eladrin, the latter of which is essentially 4E speak for Elves), which is less than even the basic Player's Handbook contains. No Dwarves or Gnomes. No Rangers or Warlocks (even though these appear as foes). I can understand limiting these, either because of the limits of programming for Facebook or saving other classes and races for future expansions (or microtransactions). But since D&D is about player choice, it's sad that the most basic of choices -- who you're playing -- is this limited.
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Heroes of Neverwinter is among the most "gamey" of games I've played on Facebook. The turn-based combat is fun, and it's a good adaption of the 4E D&D rules. I think some players are going to enjoy it for a long time, but Liquid Entertainment has to make sure they're adding options and more adventures to keep things fresh. Otherwise, it's going to be another Facebook game that gets a lot of attention for a few weeks but then disappears as gamers find a new distration.
GameZone, 8.0/10.
Any Facebook game would not be complete without some sort of social component you can check out your friends' houses, where trophies and other such trinkets (that can be purchased in game with gold) are displayed. You can also adventure with your friends, adding them and their NPC companion to your party. There is absolutely no downside to this, as loot is per player and not split between the party.
Also, at level 10, you are able to create dungeons for others to complete via the game's Dungeon Editor - as Facebook games go, this is very customizable with many tilesets and enemy types to choose from, and it also allows for a decent bit of storytelling for would be Dungeon Maters to dabble in.
One other feature that's included in most Facebook games is an option to pay to do things faster it appears the game has an energy system that is like many other games on Facebook. You can either spend Diamonds to refill your energy gauge at any time, or you can purchase drinks at the game's Shop with gold. Diamonds can also be used to purchase things such as additional character slots and recruitable NPCs.
If you are a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, and the Forgotten Realms, this will be like a dream come true to you. Even if you aren't, the game offers an engaging experience rivaled by very few Facebook titles.
GameZebo, 4.0/5.
Heroes of Neverwinter is free to play but progress can be hastened with astral diamonds, purchasable with Facebook credits. These can be used in lieu of the gold earned on adventures to purchase items or hire party members, and must be used to purchase the two most powerful healing items. But Heroes of Neverwinter doesn't appear to unfairly hobble those who choose to keep their wallets closed. It's a tougher slog and you might be in trouble if your cleric goes down in the middle of a fight, but the game has found a good balance between rewarding those who want to pay and not unfairly penalizing those who don't.
It's not the most complex and rewarding RPG experience you're likely to have, but since you're playing it on Facebook you probably already know that. What it is, is a surprisingly fun and accessible little dungeon romp. Gamers with no previous experience will find it easy to pick up and enjoy, while seasoned D&D vets can get a quick fix of turn-based battle while they catch up on email or update their status. Take it from an old-time sword swinger: Heroes of Neverwinter is worth checking out.
