A new gameplay trailer has detailed The Bard, a new playable class coming to Neverwinter. The free-to-play massively multiplayer online game, developed by Cryptic Studios and launched in 2013, takes place in Dungeons and Dragons' fictional city of Neverwinter. The online title uses a modified version of a Dungeons and Dragons ruleset, allowing groups of up to five players to create their own stories and adventures.
Despite having released almost eight years ago, Neverwinter continues to receive support from its developer Cryptic Studios. The developer recently released a trailer revealing a new class for the game, the musically-inclined adventurer The Bard. This new class, the latest addition to the game's roster since 2016's Oathbound Paladin, will use their trusty lute to make music and merriment during gameplay. Two Paragon Paths will be available for the Bard, allowing players to specialize as a deadly Songblade or a helpful Minstrel.
As part of the Summer of Gaming event, IGN has released a new gameplay trailer for Neverwinter's upcoming Bard class. Salim Grant, a Senior Game Designer at Cryptic Studios, explains that the Bard was added to the game due to the unique and interesting mixture of music and combat that the class offers. The Bard can heal allies or rebuff enemies using their music, and engaging in combat always comes with the fast and flamboyant movement of an entertainer. The developer's explanation is filled to the brim with musical puns, which is befitting for the discussion of such a fun-loving class.
Other than the addition of the jolly Bard, new content expansions are frequently being added to Neverwinter by its developer. The game's latest expansion, Module 20: Sharandar, was recently completed with the release of Episode 3: The Odious Court on June 8. The three-part expansion had players return to the land of Sharandar, the location of the game's first-ever module, in order to face off against three deadly Hags. The Odious Court has players journey into the Dark Fey Mire in order to face off with Velma the Green Hag. The developers of Neverwinter recently spoke to Screen Rant about the challenges and successes of creating Module 20: Sharandar, emphasizing the opportunity to evolve the game's world through the latest expansion.
Even years after launch, Neverwinter continues to receive new content for players to experience and explore. While the recent completion of Module 20 gave fans a new location to visit and new foes to vanquish, the addition of The Bard class will evolve the game even further. With musical magic mixing with swift swordplay, The Bard will allow players to bring both merriment and bloodshed to the world of Neverwinter.
Neverwinter is available now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Source: IGN, GameTrailers