Neverwinter: Mountain of Flame Hands-On Preview – Mount Hotenow Is Hotter Than Ever

Neverwinter: Mountain of Flame Hands-On Preview - Mount Hotenow Is Hotter Than Ever

As a long-time fan of Neverwinter, I was thrilled to hear about the latest addition to the game: Mountain of Flame. Having played through Spelljammer and Adventures in Wildspace, I was ready for a change of pace, and this new module did not disappoint.


As an avid fan of Neverwinter, I’m thrilled to share that the upcoming 29th module, Mountain of Flame, is taking a fresh approach compared to Spelljammer and Adventures in Wildspace. Instead of introducing a brand-new zone, Neverwinter is revitalizing an old favorite – the classic Mount Hotenow adventure zone, which was previously put on hold during module 21. A significant departure from Spelljammer and Adventures in Wildspace lies in the fact that Mount Hotenow is now a single, expansive zone, rather than a collection of scattered asteroids or landing zones.

Game Rant went on a short tour with Neverwinter’s developers through the initial stages of Mountain of Flame, which included its introductory instance and the beginning of the campaign. We even managed to defeat one of the fire giant world bosses using developer assistance. Long-time Neverwinter players will observe noticeable improvements in the design, graphics, and enemy encounters of this volcanic region. Newcomers can look forward to an intense “lava zone” experience that sets Neverwinter apart from other MMOs when it comes to creating such challenging areas.

Mountain of Flame Is a Nice Change of Pace After Spelljammer

After the grandiose events of the past two parts, Mountain of Flame shifts back to a story centered around dwarves seeking their ancestral home. Vandra Hillborn, the chief of Neverwinter’s dwarven community, is leading an expedition to Mount Hotenow in pursuit of a passage to Gauntlgrym, the legendary ancient dwarven city. Moreover, rumors suggest that there’s a wealthy mine hidden in the area, which Vandra intends to exploit to enrich Neverwinter.

Unfortunately for the Hilborn expedition, disaster struck when fire giant Gommoth appeared with a horde of elemental creatures and ashen zombies. The surviving dwarves need to be rescued as soon as possible. This marks the beginning of the campaign, and the story will unfold further as players complete tasks in the style of Neverwinter.

After finishing the main storylines, I, as a gamer, find myself embarking on the cycle of accomplishing daily quests and taking on heroic encounters to advance further in the game. Mount Hotenow, which was once a straightforward zone for leveling up, has been transformed into an endgame area with a brand new central hub. Here, I can head out to tackle my daily tasks and heroic battles. Similar to the invasions from earlier versions, Mount Hotenow’s unique feature is the Fire Giant Lockdowns – world boss encounters that appear when players reach a specific threshold. These enormous bosses offered an enjoyable multi-phase battle experience with area of effect abilities and crucial positioning challenges during my playtesting session with the Neverwinter developers.

Neverwinter’s Reworked Mount Hotenow Is A Surprisingly Beautiful Lava Zone

Neverwinter: Mountain of Flame Hands-On Preview - Mount Hotenow Is Hotter Than Ever

In the desolate wasteland of molten terrain, the revamped Mount Hotenow presents an alluring visual spectacle. The vibrant magma flows contrast starkly with the dismal ash wastes encircling them, and intriguing landmarks peppered throughout the area prevent monotony during exploration. Among these notable features is Heartleaf’s Lookout, a captivating glowing green tree located at the expedition camp. This lone beacon of greenery stands out in the colorless landscape, serving as a reassuring guide to lead explorers back home.

As I explored Mount Hotenow, I was amazed by the diversity of its three distinct regions. In the east lies the Charred Woods, a vast expanse of charred trees spread out before me in an open area. To the west, the Hotenow Caldera came alive with fiery lava flows. And to the north, the Burning Ruins revealed a crumbling, sinking fortress near a long bridge spanning the zone. I couldn’t believe how stunning a 2013 game could make a lava level look. The designers cleverly placed vantage points for players, offering breathtaking views of distant areas and making Mount Hotenow feel incredibly vast.

The Mountain of Flame update brings a significantly overhauled Lair of the Insane Dragon lair with three levels of challenge, enhanced guilds, alliances, and companions’ features, plus an innovative Battle Pass. Featuring Eric the Cavalier from the 1983 “Dungeons & Dragons” cartoon as a new obtainable companion, this revamped Mount Hotenow experience is sure to be thrilling. Looking forward to more classic zones being revisited by the Neverwinter developers in future updates.

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2024-07-16 19:04