E3 2012: Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter hands-on playtest

Perfect World and Cryptic have teamed up to showcase the world of Dungeons & Dragons, set in The Forgotten Realms campaign setting. I spent a good 30 minutes with Andy Velasquez, Lead Producer of Cryptic, and one other journalist to play in the city of Neverwinter.

This was not a typical interview, where you would sit down to ask questions as you watch them play the game. Rather, there were four PCs, each with different signature class builds. I sat down and played the Guardian Fighter—which is the tank role for this MMO. Andy chose the Trickster Rogue and the other journalist picked the Control Wizard which both are DPS roles.

At first glance it looked like it would be another World of Warcraft clone, but thankfully the combat system is similar to TERA or DC Universe Online—just not as acrobatic. It is not rigid or driven by cooldown-spamming and lock-on targeting like most MMOs. The Guardian Fighter I played had three active abilities which were bound to Q, E, and R. Most of the enemies that we fought turned into ragdolls when we defeated them. The Control Wizard used one of his area effect spells and blew two of the enemies off the cliff and in the process he fell off and got stuck.

Since Neverwinter does not have a single-target system to block an enemies’ attack, I used my ‘utility powers’ which were bound to the shift key to block/dodge out of the way. This is great when you are facing a single enemy/boss but if you are facing multiple enemies, then you will have watch your back since it will be exposed. When I asked Andy if the defensive buff would apply with my back turned, he said that the specific animation/mechanic is a big debate within Cryptic right now. It’s comforting to know that they are still thinking about game elements like that, even this late in development.

Neverwinter will have some key features that will make the experience that much better for all D&D fans, old and new.

Fast, Fluid, Action-Based Gameplay

•  Dynamic, fast-paced, action packed combat system allows players to control the pace of battle, and rewards them for performing their class’s role with action points to activate powerful spells and abilities.

Epic Story

• Fight back hordes of undead, orcs, and beasts of legend while seeking The Crown of Neverwinter, and working to restore the once great city to her former glory.

Themed Zones

• Fight back the orcs in the Tower District, a burned down, war torn field of battle.
• Face unknown terrors in The Temple of The Spider.
• Explore Mount Hotenow, the massive Volcano which is home to the ancient Dwarven city of Gauntlgrym.
• Protect the Sword Coast from bloodthirsty werewolves in Vellosk
• More to come.

Signature Class Builds

• Guardian Fighter — Defend your allies and fight on the front lines with sword and shield.
• Trickster Rogue — Wreak havoc on enemy lines with dual blades and high damage abilities.
• Control Wizard — Control the field of battle with arcane spells.
• More to come.