proceedings become significantly more interesting—especially in terms of character interaction and development. ... NWN2 is a masterpiece of storytelling and scope." Conklin and Matt Slagle of Deseret News were pleased with the ethical choices in the game, with both noting approvingly that diplomacy was a very valid option that could succeed in place of combat. Other reviewers were less convinced, with Australia's PALGN referring to the story as "rather predictable and clichéd". Jonathan Parkyn of Personal Computer World wrote, "Dialogue is NWN2's key component. ... but those who favour fisticuffs may find it tiresome after playing for several billion hours." Similarly, reception of Neverwinter Nights 2's graphics was mixed. Some reviewers referred to the visuals as "new age" and "beautiful", but others noticed inconsistencies in their rendering and performance, especially on lower-end PCs. The Sydney Morning Herald said "The detailed 3D engine allows for lush scenery, giving you a greater sense of exploration as you poke around the rustic villages and murky swamps". Several comments on the audio and voice acting were positive, though one reviewer expressed disappointment that some sound effects had apparently been recycled from Neverwinter Nights. Conklin called the in-game camera "abysmal" and said the game had many graphical glitches. Slagle agreed, writing, "I had a lot of stuttering graphics and voiceovers that were out of synch with the characters' on-screen animations." The most common criticism of the game was its numerous technical glitches. Adam Diamond of Isthmus was not happy with the pathfinding, writing, "I often found myself traveling solo through a dungeon, my companions spread out far behind me, leaving me vulnerable to attack. What's the point of having henchmen if they're not there to protect you?". Some reviews compared Neverwinter Nights 2 to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, a previous Obsidian game that had received similar complaints. The bugs were described as disruptive to gameplay and "downright infuriating", and one reviewer encountered a "showstopper bug" in the initial retail version that prevented him from playing the game past a certain point. The bugs were said to negatively affect NPC AI, camera operation, and pathfinding. One review stated "The launch–to–load time is fairly long so be prepared to wonder if the game has crashed or is loading." Obsidian was quick to release fixes for several bugs, but later reviews still described the glitches as a serious problem. 1UP.com's review, written two weeks