Should I get either/or of these games?

I am going to be alone in the flat in Nottingham for a while and wouldn't mind something to help pass the time. Something nice and engaging, and a little escapist so that I can forget about the boring misery that is my life.

<3

NEverwinter nights 1 was ok. The first expansion was also only ok. However the second Expasion Hordes of the Underdark was amazing.

As for Neverwinter nights 2 both the original and the first expansion (Mask of the Betrayer) were even better. The expansion picks up right where the original leaves off. Whatever you do though, do NOT get the second expansion for NWN 2. It is boring and it also made the original and first xp glitchy as hell. They messed up alot of code with that second xp.

So my overall opinion, get NWN 2 and NWN 2 Mask of the Betrayer. The characters are great. The story takes a little bit for it to get really interesting but that applies to almost all RPG's. Mask also takes the story and makes it even better.

Mask of the Betrayer is probably the best PC RPG I've played since Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Even if you don't plan on playing the original module (it bored the hell out of me), it's definitely worth picking up just so you can play its expansion.

I haven't played much of Storm of Zehir. I bought it because I loved Icewind Dale but from what I've heard it's not much of a spiritual successor. Combat has never been the strength of the NWN2 engine, so I guess a boilerplate dungeon crawler wasn't a great idea.

Thanks guys :)

So if I was to go ahead and just start with 2, wouldn't that mean I'd miss out on storyline elements?

Nope other than at one point they mention that the city of Neverwinter had a plague in the past (that was part of Neverwinter 1) but it plays no relevence to the story of NWN2.