Dungeon Siege

Rating:
Summary: Great graphics, a bit too canned to be 5 star
Review: When I first heard that Dungeon Siege was coming out, I, like many, was very excited. I love playing RPG games. After playing about half the game, I am a bit underwhelmed. It is not a bad game, but there is not a whole lot beyond hack and slash.

First off, the graphics in this game are incredible. If you want to be stunned by graphics, you may well want the game strictly for the graphics. If it were not so graphically stunning, however, I doubt it would be receiving such high kudos. At times, I am playing the game more to see what the next creature looks like than trying to solve the game.

There is basically one path through this game, at least in single player. If you start again, you follow the same path. Unlike games like Baldur's Gate, where you can go in any direction you wish (with consequences, of course), you do not have choices. You are pretty much a "rat in a maze", trying to get the cheese. Your only real decision is whether to explore every side path, which is a good idea in most instances, as you get stronger. The positive point of this canned approach is you do not have to wait for a new section of the world to be created (ala Baldur's Gate) when you enter a new chapter in the story.

The interface takes a bit of getting used to. You have a freeform third person camera angle. If you move your mouse to any edge of the monitor you can watch the battle from a variety of angles. This feature is both extremely cool and extremely irritating, depending on what is going on. In the heat of a particularly dangerous battle, changing angles can change the outcome of the battle for some of your characters. My advice is to practice with the mouse before you get into hot water.

Unlike some, I am also fascinated by the new methodology to advancement. In Dungeon Siege, you do not pick a type of character. Instead, your actions create your character. If you fight with melee weapons, you will get a strong fighter. If you focus on magic, you will become a better magician, as well as increase your intelligence. This allows you to easily create a character that can use both weapons and magic.

The main strategic point of the gameplay, and a strong point for hands on gamers, is the ability to set different characters to attack differently and quickly change formations. Choosing the proper formation and orders will dramatically alter the game. This point makes the hack and slash nature far more palatable to me, as I do actually have a bit of thought in gameplay.

The multi-player game is more fun than the single player, as I get to interact with others on a variety of quests. I also have more choices of where to start (provided my level is high enough), as well as a completely different world (although there are choices here, as well).

Summary:
Overall average game with excellent graphics and unique interface.

Pluses - great graphics, seemless play, flexible character advancement, ability to micro-manage the game
Minuses - forced game path a bit too obvious

Rating:
Summary: Not what the world was waiting for
Review: This is graphically quite impressive in that 3d excelerated kind of blocky figures and unbelievable scenery kind of way. You can also control up to eight characters, which is nice. Unfortunately there is a total absence of plot or meaningful NPC interaction and there are no subquests worth speaking of. All very Diabloesque true, and not necessarily a bad thing, but whereas the Blizzard title has a lot of collectible sets, configurable weapons etc, this has none, seriously denting its replayability. This brings me to my biggest gripe with the game, the much vaunted 'play as you want to' system of character development, which does away with classes and develops your characters around the skills they use. Sounds great on paper but in reality it means that the game is not particularly well balanced (particularly with regards to the Nature school of magic). It also further dents its replayability, as the conscious effort to play the game through in a different way with the same characters makes no sense when you've already worked out how to defeat particular foes. Make no bones about it this game has set itself up to be a Diablo II beater (even going so far as to use the same color letters for different levels of rare , magic and unique items) but fails to address either of the issues that make that title so popular; excellent replayability and extremely simple but effective online play. Last time I checked, Dungeon Siege was unplayably laggy online and only time will tell if Microsoft will put in the necessary ongoing support that this title needs.
In a world where swirly 3D visuals are rated more highly than gameplay (ie the games mags etc) this title will review very well
but I won't go deleteing Diablo II: Lords of Destruction from my hard drive just yet!

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy Team Management
Review: First all of it has excellent graphics. It also has little plotline. Only hack-n-slash immersion. The gameplay is reminiscent of the old Ultimas yet with better graphics. There isn't any hand-to-hand combat determined by hitting a button or a key quickly. The attacks are guided by more or a less an Ultima attack. This is: pick your victim and then the character goes out and attacks on his own with your intervention. This also
reminds me of warcraft/starcraft attacks or even the final Fantasy series.

The Game has a couple of clipping issues. Doors which seem to let arrows pass thru and so on. Graphically, it is beautiful. Trees and shadows bring you into the fantasy world.

This is not a "rpg", anyone that states that it is a rpg hasn't got a clue what one is. This is a acquire, deploy, sit back enjoy kind of game. This is not Baldor's Gate. If you are looking for a quick game to play in which you manage a "fellowship" then it is the game for you. If you are waiting for a rpg , wait for Neverwinter Nights.

I like it. I dont consider it a rpg. I love the interface and also the camera movement. I love the speed of the game (e.g. load times). And so on.

Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: There are worse ways to spend 50 bucks, but better ways to spend 50 hours. I bought it because of all the hype and screen shots I reviewed, but all in all, it was like Diablo II on steroids. The technology is great, but the game just didn't hook me like Diablo II did. Maybe it's because Diablo burned me out and this wasn't enough to keep my interest. For a 12 y/o kid it might be fun, but besides that, it's just kind of boring after a short while. I can't think of another concept or story line that would make this game better, but that's not my job. I think it's worth the 50 bucks, but I'm just not "WOW-ED" about it like I thought I would be. I'm sure the technology used will eventually spawn something better, something more interesting, something more intellectually sophisticated. Sorry Gas Powered and MS, if this game came out right when Diablo II did, maybe you would get a better score. But the intellectually concept of this game is dated. And in technology, everything is counted in DOG YEARS.

Rating:
Summary: It's the Same Old Story... Same Old Song and Dance My Friend
Review: Dungeon Siege was one of the most anticapated games of E3 2001. It had beautiful graphics, beautiful landscapes, the gameplay was simplified, making it a different, more enjoyable RPG, and the sound effects were great. Now, finally, the wait is over. I picked up Dungeon Siege at EB Game World, and here is what I have to say about DS:

Dungeon Siege, I think, is definetely revolutionary. There are so many great things, that no one would think of putting into an RPG, that truely make this game an experience. The graphics are on a 3d world, not a grid or map. There are pack mules, which, quite geniously, have a large inventory to cary your extra items. The sound effects are great, with the help of Creative's EAX. Lastly, dungeon siege is very flexible, letting you change your mind on the fly.

The graphics in Dungeon Seige are incredible. There has never been an RPG out yet that has as good a graphics engine as DS. It is not on a map or grid, but in a 3d rendered world. I also enjoy the fact that I have never seen a loading screem, and never will, thanks to the engine.

The Packmules are genious! Every RPG should have something like a packmule for now on. The packmules are great. They have 3 times the inventory size of your character, making it easy to cary many excess items, that you may have use for later on. They are also very smart. The AI is literally very good. When you get into a battle, the pack mule will run away until the battle is over, and it will then come back. Also, if the mule gets attacked by an enemy, it will kick it. Although this is good, it isn't very strong. You still have to watch your little packmule to see what kind of trouble it gets into. If a swarm of enemies like a swarm of fireshooting krugs, it will most likely be trapped, thus making you be the one to save it.

With the help of Creative's EAX, dungeon siege has the best sound effects I have ever heard in a computer game. I also enjoyed the background music. The music would have decreshendos and creshendos, making the game more exciting. It is like being in a horror movie!

The gameplay for DS is also great! You only have to click once to kill an enemy!!! Finally! My hands will not fall assleep from clicking and clicking repetively to kill an enemy like in Diablo 2! This is a great feature, but another good feature in gameplay is the flexibility. Chris Taylor, the creator and leader of Gas Powered Games, has made the game so flexible, that you can change your mind on the fly. In the beginnning of the game, you start out as a farmer, not noing much of any skill, like melee, range, or combat and nature skills. You are basically equal in evrey aspect, but very low. It is not in D2, where you chose someone with different skills, different attacks, and different weapon choices. No. In DS, you develope your character as you go along. You choose wheather you want to be a mage, or a melee weapon user, or an archer. That is all up to you. You can even say, "Well, I have enough archers in my party, so I want to have a combat and nature mage." You have 8 people in your party, so it is always easy to change people around without having to many of one skill.

Downsides, yes, there are some downsides to the game. First off, the game is very brainless. You just go into the cave filled with monsters, find that the entrance/exit is blocked off, need to find the other caved filled with monsters, go into endless rooms filled with the same creatures, and exit it, and then blow up the entrance, or whatever.

I was surprised to hear this, but I have heard from people farhter in the game than me that there are vehicles, grenades, and guns. Now, I have no idea what time this game takes place in (there is not much of a story line, i will talk about that next), but to the looks, this game takes place in mid-evil times. But you have to remember that you can be a woman, and at mid-evil times, people did not have women fighting (no offense to any woman out there reading this), so this game could take place in the future. Who knows.

Like I mentioned above, there is absolutely no story line to the game. There is a short cinematic in the beginning, saying how the kingdom of Ehb (where the game takes place) is peaceful, and then some monsters come and terrorize it. Next thing you know, your friend dies infront of you, and then the game begins.

So, all in all, this game is revolutionary, but I don't know if people will be playing this game for a long time. You should still buy this game because it is revolutionary, and it is very fun. I am just going to warn you that many serrious RPG gamers will not appreciate this game. Most people will find it enjoyable, but, according to your own tastes, it will depend on how long you like the game and play it.

Rating:
Summary: Currently this is how I see the game
Review: Whenever you release a game there is a possibility of many bugs. This one has very few. There is a clipping problem when your characters get near each other (four people can stand inside one guy). The only other negative thing is the weak auto map that you cannot write on and doesnt really tell you anything about all the buildings. Overall it is a very good experience. The graphics from far away to UP CLOSE and personal are leading edge and look great. Every piece of gear looks exactly like it is both on the paper doll and in 3D on the character. The fighting and combat system are solid and the interface is very easy to work with. The story line is okay but there are no threating villans until toward the end. Many objects you buy in the game cannot be used for a long time. Even one of the wizards staffs that you have to track down cant be used and IT is SUPPOSED to be his personal item. The final problem is the Siege Editor that it is advertising did not come with the game and is due to be released later. This is not a big deal because it gives us all time to play the game before mods start falling out of the sky. I think with a patch to fix a few VERY MINOR bugs and then with new mods with the editor it will be a 4-5 star game. Overall 3 stars BUT just for now. I give it 4 very soon. Great work on this game though.

Rating:
Summary: could have been much better
Review: i bought this game just a few days ago and i thought it would be something grand and spectacular. it was all hyped up to be a great game. music and enviroment were spectacular. game was fun though for about an hour. then it just got extremely dull. the plot of the story is rather mundane and mediocre. the whole rags to riches theme used all over with trials and boring adventures in the middle. does not have the free flowing movement which other games of the genre do have. baldurs gate is of the few that come to mind. if you are looking for a game within this genre stick with the baldurs gate series, icewind dale, or wait for neverwinter nights. other games to look for are in the ultima series and diablo series as well.

Rating:
Summary: Dungeon Siege 5 on 5!
Review: When I first played this game, it was at my friend's place. We were playing Dungeon Siege on a network. At first we had discussed about it, and he told me it was a little like Diablo II. I wasn't very excited because of that. (I don't like Diablo II's graphics that much, and the gameplay is not much compared to Dungeon Siege.) Then my friend decided to download the demo. Since we haven't bought the full game yet. We finished the demo in about an hour and a half. I found the game so much fun, that I decided it was really worth a 5 on 5. Extraordinary gameplay, the unlimited arrows adds fun to the game. Now we both planned to buy the game this Week-End. I'm telling you everyone. This is a must have! RTS and RPG fans will love this game. Even if you're a FPS style player, you might like this game very much. So have fun everyone!

Rating:
Summary: Loving it!
Review: First of all, I'm a girl. Let's just make that perfectly clear. I'm a stereotypical girl, too. Which means I don't like blood and violence. Deathmatch games make me cry. I get my feelings hurt when someone shoots me with a chain gun. I don't know how to follow a target. I'm a camper. And so on, and so on.

This game, like Diablo II before it, I really do love. As a magic-user specializing in Nature Magic, and working primarily in multi-player games on our local house LAN with my four other friends, I'm an integral part of a cooperative party of ranged and melee characters. They can't survive without me, and I can't survive without them. The sophistication and complexity involved in the cooperative, supportive team-play is very satisfying.

I have a Very Fast Computer [tm], so I can run in high resolutions with lots of colors and suffer no framerate problems. (My god, is this game gorgeous.) My friends who have less impressive computers enjoy themselves in Single Player mode, but occasionally experience the "slide show" effect when there's five of us and 20 monsters on the screen at once, you know? We go slowly into new levels, sometimes, to make sure everyone has a chance to load before combat begins, otherwise we have melee people shouting, "WHERE AM I? HAVE I LEFT THE DOORWAY? DO I NEED TO TAKE A POTION?" until their screen updates 5 seconds later. So, my recommendation: Your system must exceed the requirements listed for this software.

This game is beautiful. The weather, ambient sound, natural environment, and so forth are so beautifully designed I have walked my character into a forest just to enjoy the background noise while I do other things with my time. The user interface is intuitive, beautifully wrought, the transparency effects are fabulous, the "camera" has few glitches... although be aware that the level-designers KNOW how the camera works, and incorporate its limitations into the difficulty rating of an area. For example, in very high levels you will be given an extremely narrow passage to navigate, or you'll have to walk through a stone tunnel to reach the monsters. This hinders the camera, makes it difficult to retreat (the clickable space is as narrow as the hall) or makes it difficult to see (the camera "auto-zooms" to right above your head). I believe this is deliberate. The camera works very well 95% of the time.

I can't recommend this game highly enough. My friends who love gore get their gore. And I get my cooperation and healing magic. It's ALL GOOD. :)

Rating:
Summary: A brief review
Review: I really enjoy the Baldur's Gate series (so you know my area of interests) and I enjoyed Asheron's Call before it became big.

What I really like about this game is that you determine how your skills are accumulated; it has beautiful scenery, music, and seamless gameplay. The camera angles are very cool, and again, seamless. Alot of detail work went into this. Also, the story itself is pretty neat.....

I don't like that you cannot fully control your characters (round based) in combat- it's alot of "meet monster, attack hack and slash". Strategy is tough.

If you are looking for a casual game to blow a couple of hours a week on and feel graphics and sound are important this is perfect for you.