Dungeon Siege

"Diablo 2 in full 3D!! well, sort of... Overall, superb game!"

This game is very similar to Diablo 2, but in a full 3D environment. The item types are a bit more varied then D2, while possible item magical properties are much less varied. You will find identical items more often then in D2. One strange thing is that base properties (damage or defense) are also based on magical properties. You may find ''Leather Boots'' with weak magical properties that have a base defense of 3, while another pair with strong magical properties may have 20. Stat requirements work the same way.

There is no class-choosing system in character creation. You get better at what you do (melee fighting, archery, and 2 different types of magic) so your character be anything. The more you fight one way, the better you get. Stats work the same way. If you fight with a hand-to-hand weapon, you will gain strength the fastest. Ranged fighting with a bow or crossbow will make your dexterity increase fastest, and casting spells will make intelligence increase the most. The only customization you do in character creation is your character's appearance.

Dungeons are spectacular. MUCH more varied in appearance and fun to explore then D2 dungeons. Some are a bit long and tedious though, especially if you keep finding valuable items and run out of space, but you can buy mules to carry more items. The background animation is great. Colors, light and shadows are brilliant. There are MANY scenes in the game that are really something to behold. Enemy animation is incredible. Sometimes, enemies are dismembered upon death. If an enemy is killed at the edge of a cliff or pit, you can even watch pieces of it falling to the ground below or down into oblivion. Environmental audio effects are top of the line. I was in a dungeon with an echoing effect, then went into deep water (until I was totally submerged) and the echo cut off completely (it sounded like I was really under water). Sound positioning is no worse. You can hear where a noise is coming from and how far away it is. Background sound effects are very realistic. Howling of far off wolves is my personal favorite.

The game has several unique monsters in it, like Diablo 2 (not as many though). They are colored differently and have rays of dim light cast down on them to make them easier to distinguish from regular enemies). As expected, they drop more stuff and higher quality items. There are also boss monsters. They can be distinguished from regular enemies because they are alot bigger and have more health. You will know when you stumble upon a boss. They drop LOTS of stuff and most is of higher quality then anything else in the area or that youve seen previously.

As far as storyline is concerned, Dungeon Siege is not terribly strong. The storyline isnt the best but it works. Its more of a gameplay-game then a storyline-game.

Summary: Nice gameplay, fun battle sequences, superb sound effects and animation. Excellent and stunning graphics, pretty good background music. Overall, an Exceptional game!!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/04/02, Updated 06/04/02