Neverwinter’s 29th module Mountain of Flame is taking things in a completely different direction from the one-two punch that was Spelljammer and Adventures in Wildspace. The first key difference is that rather than being an all-new zone,Neverwinteris unvaulting and completely overhauling the classic Mount Kotenow adventure zone that was shelved back in module 21. Another contrast from Spelljammer and Adventures in Wildspace is that Mount Hotenow is one larger zone, rather than a collection of disparate asteroids and planetary landing zones.
Game Rant joinedNeverwinterdevelopers on a brief jaunt through Mountain of Flame’s introductory instance and the first stretch of its campaign, and we also tackled one of its hulking fire giant world bosses with a little help from developer tools.Neverwinterveterans should notice some significant changes to the volcanic region in terms of its layout, fidelity, and enemy encounters, while first-timers will be treated with a strong “lava zone” that stands outin the MMO genrewhere these sorts of regions are very challenging to pull off.
Mountain of Flame Is a Nice Change of Pace After Spelljammer
Following up after the intergalactic stakes of the previous two modules, Mountain of Flame returns to a more grounded story focused on dwarves in search of their ancestral home. Vandra Hillborn, leader of thedwarves of Neverwinter, has launched an expedition to Mount Hotenow in search of a passage to Gauntlgrym, the fabled ancient dwarven city. It’s also said that a lucrative mine can be found somewhere in the region, and Vandra would use its resources to help Neverwinter flourish.
Unfortunately for the Hilborn expedition, the fire giant Gommoth has appeared with an army of elemental creatures and ashen zombies, and players are tasked with finding and rescuing the surviving dwarves of the crumbling expedition. At least, that’s the first leg of the campaign, and the story will progress as players make their way through its narrative phases by completing activities in typicalNeverwinterfashion.
Once players complete the available main quests, they’ll begin the loop of completing daily quests and heroic encounters to progress to the next step of the campaign. Mount Hotenow was originally a linear leveling zone, but now it’s been reworked to be an endgame area with an all-new central hub where players can head off to do their dailies and heroic encounters. Not unlike the invasions from the previous two models, Mount Hotenow’s “zone mechanic” is Fire Giant Lockdowns, world boss encounters that pop up once players reach a certain threshold. We had a lot of fun taking on one of these hulking bosseswithNeverwinterdevelopers, and it was a surprisingly engaging multi-phase boss fight with overlapping AoEs and some important positioning considerations.
Neverwinter’s Reworked Mount Hotenow Is A Surprisingly Beautiful Lava Zone
For a molten wasteland, this reimagined Mount Hotenow is visually striking. There’s a strong contrast between the brightly lit magma flows and the gloomy ashen wastes surrounding them, and the zone is dotted with interesting landmarks that add enough variety tokeep exploration from feeling samesy. Of particular note is Heartleaf’s Overlook, a stunning glowing green tree at the expedition camp that can be seen from almost anywhere in the zone. It’s the only time the color green appears anywhere in the zone, and it’s a comforting landmark that always points to home.
Mount Hotenow largely consists of three regions, each containing multiple paths to and from one another and boasting some memorable thematic differences. The Charred Woods to the east are a burned-out grove in an open area, while lava flows coalesce into a brightly burning in the Hotenow Caldera in the west. To the north, Burning Ruins features a sinking, dilapidated fortress near a zone-spanning bridge. Everywhere we went, we were continually surprised at how good agame from 2013can make a lava zone look. The level design frequently presents players with high-up vistas and sightlines to distant areas, making Hotenow feel massive.
Mountain of Flame also comes with a completely revamped Lair of the Mad Dragon dungeon with three difficulty tiers, quality-of-life improvements to guilds, alliances, and companions, and a new Battle Pass featuring Eric the Cavalier from 1983’sDungeons & Dragonscartoon as an unlockable companion. After experiencing the new and improved Mount Hotenow, it’ll be exciting to see if theNeverwinterteam continues revisiting some of these classic zones.
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Neverwinter is the premier Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG experience, featuring fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding regions, battle its many enemies, and be a part of Forgotten Realms history.Experience Dungeons & Dragons Like Never Before - Neverwinter is an action MMORPG that bridges intense combat with classic D&D gameplay. Journey through the city of Neverwinter and the legendary subcontinent of Faerûn, and face off against the greatest adversaries from D&D legend.Build Your Own Legend – Bring your adventures to life through iconic D&D classes and races, advanced paragon paths, companions, and a remarkable range of customization options. Whether you’re hunting dragons and beholders within crumbling dungeons or battling other players in the icy reaches of Icespire Peak, you’ll discover why Neverwinter is the definitive Dungeons & Dragons experience.
