E3 2011: Neverwinter Announcement Trailer Radically Alters The Playing Field

Back in August 2010, we first heard about a new Neverwinter game. Based on the history of its developers Cryptic, known for their (recently F2P) Champions Online and the woefully underappreciated Star Trek Online, most of us had expected another MMO. Instead, the new Neverwinter is a co-operative RPG with MMO elements. You’ll be able to saunter your way through the primary campaign and pick and choose side missions or dungeons as you go. Shipping with 5 classes initially, Cryptic plan to introduce more as they trawl through the D&D ruleset that sits behind the game. There will also be a player-market ala TF2′s Hat system where you might be able to generate real world profit from items you craft in-game.

I’m very eager to try out the changes in combat as well, and based on this new e3 trailer, it’s going to be a very pretty game. But with Guild Wars 2 on the horizon and looking set to dominate the genre, is there really space for another instanced-MMO?

Pleasingly, Neverwinter is a PC exclusive (for now) and currently without a release date. Stay tuned to RipTen for our e3 coverage as our team on the ground bring you all the latest news and impressions.