Lame. Dull. These are words that come to mind when we think of the single-player adventure released with the original "Neverwinter Nights" title. Thankfully, thousands of players have created adventures that are available for free. So what can "Shadows of Undrentide," the official expansion pack offer that we can't get already? As you'll find out in tonight's episode of "X-Play," quite a lot.

The story chronicles an adventurer who must recover four stolen artifacts. At the beginning of the quest, it feels like "Shadows of Undrentide" is going to fall into the same trap as the dreaded first chapter in the original "Neverwinter Nights" campaign. But the story quickly veers off in new and interesting directions.

Though linear, you're given plenty of latitude in how to progress. This time around specific player classes are given more to do in the game. Combat is still a major ingredient, but it's been scaled back significantly. More emphasis is given to using the various skills and feats you pick up on the way. In conversation, there are many more chances to persuade, lie, and intimidate. Even when wandering around the land, you'll encounter events where the outcome is based on your attributes.

There's still plenty of combat, but many battles are centered on grand scripted events. It's much more compelling and is a refreshing change from slogging through dozens of monsters every time you turn a corner.

A finely crafted adventure

Another major gripe with the original campaign was how generic it all felt. In "Shadows of Undrentide," everything from the treasure placement to the layout of each area feels lovingly crafted. Time was spent mastering the ins and outs of the toolset, and it shows. Some of the scripted events are amazingly clever.

There are a few areas where the limitations of the toolset are apparent. When entering a new area, corpses that should remain motionless go through a quick death animation first. But this doesn't detract at all from the game. This is a focused adventure that rarely stumbles.

NPC interaction has also improved. Your potential henchmen are much more fleshed out. They offer advice, words of encouragement, and comic relief throughout your adventure. They'll even pipe up when you're talking with other characters. This adds immensely to the illusion that these are companions with their own thoughts and feelings and not just tools to get you through your quest. You can also give weapons, armor, and magic items to your henchman, a feature lacking in the first adventure.

Better game creation though better tools

As robust as the "Neverwinter Nights" toolset is, it still confounds many would be game designers. "Shadows of Undrentide" adds three new tilesets (arctic, ruins, and desert) and several new wizards to help you get the most out of the tools. The best of these is the plot wizard, which will help you quickly create simple plot events with minimal effort. This is a huge boon to those uncomfortable with the "Neverwinter Nights" scripting language.

Even better than the real thing?

"Shadows of Undrentide" is a pleasant surprise. The adventure is a first-class effort all the way and well worth the asking price. The newest additions to the toolset are also top notch. With content like this and all the free stuff created by players everywhere, it's clear that "Neverwinter Nights" is going to be around for a long time.

"Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of the Undrentide" (PC)