Dungeon Siege

"Take a piece of Diablo 2, add a bit of Baulders Gate 2, and you get this completely awesome game!"

Hello, I have been a lurker here for a long time, but never made a post, FAQ, or review. The lack of material on this game compelled me to do just that. When I bought this game, I had played more than enough Diablo 2 and BG2, and was hoping this was the game to break my semi-addiction. I was right, this game takes the best elements of both games, blends them with the ideas inside Chris Taylor's head, and fine-tunes them to perfection. On to the Review.

Graphics: 10/10
Beautiful graphics. The game's strongest point by far, enough to make you just wander around looking at the details. There is an area called the crystal caverns that will bring almost bring a tear to your eye. If there was a rating higher than 10, this category would take it.

Sound/Music: 10/10
Another great aspect of this game. The music is incredible, and the battle sounds make you feel like you are right there. Music might not mean too much to some gamers, but everyone must agree it is essential.

Gameplay: 9.5/10
Single Player is the heart of this game. Pack mules to act as mobile stashes, NPCs to assist you through the game, and very well done quests to move you through the world. Although the majority of the quest rewards aren't as great as in Diablo 2 or even Baulders Gate 2, they are still there. The skill system is excellent, similar to that of Asheron's Call. You start out a farmer, and become better at what you do, be it melee, range etc. The only regret I have is the NPC's lack of personality, but that a very small regret.

Multiplayer: 8/10
This is the worst category of the review. The game's are run off the host's computer, so there is a good deal of synchronizing involved. The game is very open to hacks, but there is also no real incentive to do so, due to the lack of a ladder and value of items. Pack mules and NPC will not join you in multiplayer, but future patches might bring us this. The plus side of multiplayer is the multiplayer only world, with new towns, quests, and merchants.

Overall: 9/10
This game is definitely a buy game, if only to look at the graphics. There are a few problems, but nothing major. I would recommend this game to any Diablo player, as well as someone who has never played a computer game in their life.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/09/02, Updated 04/09/02