The storyline of Neverwinter Nights 2 starts simply enough in the middle of the Mere of Dead Men in your home town, the humble village of West Harbor.

Only the brave and strong manage to eke out a living in such a dangerous monster-ridden swamp and Harbormen are tougher than standard folk, maintaining a certain pride in their perversity. But one night trouble comes knocking – and it’s looking for a long-buried relic, a remnant of a dark war fought when you were but a child.

When the night-time raid is staged the enemy underestimates the strength of your village, but victory comes with a price of blood. You are sent on a desperate mission to Neverwinter to unearth the secrets of the relic, all the while being hounded by opposition.

From there a chain of events force you into the role of a hero, giving you the strength, the power, and the knowledge you need to strike back against the forces gathering against you – and the people of the Realms.

Neverwinter 2 features many locations familiar to fans of the Realms, as well as many bonus areas created especially for the game – there’s plenty of adventure to be had, from the Mere of Dead Men, to the murderous back-alleys of Neverwinter, to the mountainous crags of Old Owl Well… all the way to the epic confrontation at the end of the game.

Neverwinter Nights 2 is an RPG based on the rules of Dungeons and Dragons, alignment and morality in general are going to play very important roles in this sequel thanks to the relative fluidity of character alignment. Any paladin seeking to slaughter a helpless old woman might find themselves in a bit of a pickle. As it is in real life, it’s much easier to fall down into the cellar than it is to climb your way back out.

Your choices throughout the game will shape what kind of perswoanlity your character will develop.

Not quite on the epic scale as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be, this game promises to pack a lot of punch and is loaded with magic spells and enchantment to make the adventures rich and fulfilling.

No specific release date has been set other than sometime in 2006. I’ll be keeping a close eye on this one to know when exactly I can get my hands on it.

The screenshot below will link you to IGN’s Web site for more screenshots of Neverwinter Nights 2.