NWN2 may not be challenging for an accomplished gamer but for someone who has never played an RPG of the same style as the forgotten realms games might struggle to play it. Personally I think there is little challenge with many games but it does not change the fact they are challenging to others.

The debate over what makes a game good is a big one many say graphics or game play some say storyline I'd like to think that it's a combination of story, world and gameplay as long as a game has those it's got more than a game which has beautiful graphics but no challenge or engaging world. My proof of this is actually a game I work on, it's browser based so it's graphics are virtually non-existent even fights between players take the form of:

You attack < insert player name here > for xxx damage.
< insert player name here > attacks you for xxx damage.

until someone gets the message they're waiting to see:

You attack < insert player name > for xxx damage, killing < insert player name > xx < insert race name > meat fall to the ground.

how simple is that fight? However players get addicted to the game because it is challenging beyond belief.

The world is entirely shaped by players, every character they meet outside of a specified capitol or npc area will be another player of the game, if they kill this player the person can call their friends to help them and avenge them, the players start with 180 skill and can train up to 1340 skill total in any one of 14 weapon classes from unarmed to crossbows. theres a bunch of general skills allowing players to build their own towns and make armour or weapons or potions ect so every item in the game above a certain point has been made by players, every town has been made by players bar the capitol cities where no pvp is allowed. The players can be mayors of these cities and ban people from them and vote new mayors in if they choose. It is with the most rudimentary combat and interface system and yet people who play are absorbed in to the challenge of it. Dying loses all the items you held on you, all your money you were carrying and when you ressurect your character between 1 and 5 skill in your main weapon and a secondary weapon (next highest weapon skill) Dying means a lot in this game perhaps more so than in any other game because death penalties whilst temporary can be hard a player can lose their best armour, weapon and items to another person and unless they get someone to intercept the person kill them they could lose them forever. (the safest place for your valubles is in a town therefore it goes without saying that should the agressor player escape to their town death will be of little use since your items are inside their town and it is up to a member of the agressor's group to withdraw the items and be killed holding them to get them back) Still people forge top items, they build anything up to level 6 runes to place on these items and when they lose them well they lose them and the chase is on.

Now I've played many games and I will point out that in games where death means nothing players lose interest quickly and that in many games where there is no challenge players lose interest just as quickly even if the graphics are fantastic it doesn't matter.

PS. if anyone fancies a try on the game I work on the link is in my sig.