Last week, Canadian developer Beamdog announced that they are bringing back the seminal D&D cRPG, Neverwinter Nights, as Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. This version of the game is mainly the same as the Diamond Edition, but with enhanced visuals that will go all the way up to 11 (i.e., 4k).
Originally released in 2002 and developed by Bioware, Neverwinter Nights is set within the fantasy world of Forgottem Realms and allowed players to experience an entire 40 hour campaign with friends. There was also a Dungeon Master client tool that allowed one player to take on the role of DM and run a custom campaign for friends. Many of these features are similar to what later games, like Sword Coast Legends and Divinity: Original Sin II, implemented within their own framework. So, if you're a fan of those titles, then Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is likely within your wheelhouse.
For longtime fans of the game, here's what Beamdog is bringing to the table to put the "Enhanced" in "Enhanced Edition":
- Improved Display: Your portrait, combat bar, inventory, and other UI elements adjust in size based on your chosen resolution including 1080p and 4k.
- Advanced Graphics Options: Pixel shaders and post-processing effects make for crisper, cleaner visuals. Enable contrast, vibrance, and depth of field options as preferred.
- Community Endorsed: Original developers have teamed with key members of the Neverwinter Nights community to curate important fan-requested improvements to support players, storytellers, and modders.
- Backwards Compatibility: Works with save games, modules, and mods from the original Neverwinter Nights. A galaxy of community created content awaits.
If you've got additional questions about this version of the game and what's new/different, then Beamdog has an official FAQ over on their website.
Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is available for pre-order over on Beamdog's website, or you can add it to your wishlist on Steam to get notified when it's available for purchase there. The Standard Edition will retail for $19.99 and includes the original game, the two expansions (Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark), three premium modules (Kingmaker, ShadowGuard, and Witch’s Wake), the Aurora Toolset to create your own custom maps/campaigns/monsters, and the Dungeon Master Client to run a campaign with friends. The Digital Deluxe Edition will retail for $39.99 and includes everything from the Standard Edition, as well as the soundtrack to the game and additional modules. No release date has been officially announced yet.