As an MMORPG fanatic, I try to dip my toes into still-running games in the genre at least once every couple of years to see how they’re doing in the rather tumultuous landscape that is MMORPGs. One of my more memorable experiences in the genre dates all the way back to 2013 and the release of Neverwinter, a D&D 4th Edition action MMO set in, well, the world of Neverwinter.
Over a decade later, Neverwinter is still going strong, getting an all-new expansion module just last month titled Mountain of Flame. I recently had the opportunity to jump into the latest expansion and take a look at the new content released with the Mountain of Flame expansion module, and get a little bit of insight into the overall direction of Neverwinter.
Into the Mountain of Flame
My glimpse into the Mountain of Flame put me in the shoes of a Bard, a class that didn’t even exist when I last played Neverwinter. To catch me up to speed a bit, my character was already max-level and rocking some late-game gear so I’d get a similar experience to those who are actively playing Neverwinter. Assisting me in my journey into the new expansion content was Brett Norton, Neverwinter Executive Producer, and Christopher Frenton, Neverwinter Art Director.
In Neverwinter, old content that is a bit dated and not as relevant due to recent expansions is vaulted away. While at a glance this may seem like a negative—content disappearing from the game—it actually makes a lot of sense with Neverwinter. The MMORPG is constantly getting vast amounts of content added through its expansions and seasonal updates, and in order to keep the MMORPG moving forward, it’s simply a necessity.
The main feature of Neverwinter: Mountain of Flame is the revamping and rework of a classic vaulted zone, Mount Hotenow. The fiery volcano was actually a release zone all the way back when Neverwinter launched in 2013, and while I very loosely remembered the zone somewhat, the rework the zone received in this expansion has completely changed it. Not only has Mount Hotenow received a fresh coat of paint in the form of visual upgrades, the zone itself is completely reworked to feature new quest hubs, enemies, and all sorts of new activities for new and returning players.
Action Combat that still holds up
One of my biggest realizations throughout playing the Mountain of Flame expansion was just how fun the combat in Neverwinter is. Even over a decade later, the action combat system still felt fresh, fun, and rewarding. As I cycled through my rotation, telegraphed attacks of my enemies would show areas and cones of attacks where incoming damage was about to hit. Using the Alt-Key I could tumble out of the way. It felt like a hybrid of Final Fantasy XIV boss fights with Tera-style real-time action combat. It’s a great system and the more I played the more I wanted to keep going, learning the nuances of the Bard and exploring the harder content Mount Hotenow had to offer.
As we traversed the mountain, exploring the fiery rivers running down its surface and the massive crevasses between, an alarming sound began to play. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it was ominous. The developers told me this meant that Gommoth, the mad Fire Giant, had unleashed his mighty lieutenants in the area that would wreak havoc on any adventurers passing by them.
Gommoth sends his regards
Determined to quell this threat, we ventured out from the nearby quest hub into an area of Mount Hotenow we hadn’t been questing in and came across one of the lieutenants. The developers were very upfront with me from the start: this is typically a fight everyone in the zone would have to work together to defeat, not just our small group.
They weren’t kidding. At first, I felt confident, carefully saving my dodge to move out of the lieutenant’s telegraphed attacks, while throwing what damage I had at the enemy when I could. Slowly its health bar was depleted, but the health bar of our tank was dropping a lot quicker. The attacks got quicker, and harder, to the point I found myself panic tumbling around like a buffoon. I began to see why exactly this was intended to be a larger group effort as opposed to the small team we had.
After some divine (developer) intervention, the enemy was defeated and we were rewarded with some spoils of war. I had a lot of fun over the roughly one-hour slice of the Neverwinter: Mountain of Flame expansion I got to experience. Surprisingly, this was only a small part of the revamped Mount Hotenow, and the expansion also features a reworked and improved dungeon that had also been vaulted, the Lair of the Mad Dragon.
With so many MMORPG’s out there today, it can be easy to look past one due to its age. But you’d be doing yourself a disservice in the case of Neverwinter. At its core, its gameplay is simply fun, which is such an important part of getting involved in an MMORPG knowing it will require some serious playtime. And, the Mountain of Flame expansion seems like as good a time as any to sink yourself into the massive world of Neverwinter.
Published: Aug 10, 2024 04:11 pm