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Review: 'Dungeon Siege III' does dungeon crawling right [The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.](Charleston Gazette, The (WV) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 08--Hack-and-slash action role-playing games, affectionately known as dungeon crawlers, have been a part of the video-game landscape for decades, though only recently has the genre begun to gain traction on consoles. Titles like "Torchlight," "Sacred 2" and "Too Human" have shown the genre can succeed without the keyboard-and-mouse controls afforded by PCs, but no console dungeon crawler has been able to reach the heights achieved by PC stalwarts "Baldur's Gate" and "Diablo 2." "Dungeon Siege III" is the latest game to make a run at those legendary names, though in the end, it too falls short of greatness. But just barely. By combining basic role-playing elements and a seemingly endless stream of loot with intense combat and a surprisingly engaging story, "Dungeon Siege III" rises to the top of the list of console dungeon crawlers. Your quest to restore the 10th Legion and rescue the kingdom of Ehb from the clutches of Jeyne Kassynder begins with the selection of your hero. Instead of giving players the option of creating their own character from scratch, you must pick one of four unique heroes, each with their own skills and traits. Players are free to then mold their hero by purchasing and upgrading abilities, proficiencies and talents. Abilities are skills that you can call upon during combat, such as powerful sword attacks or healing powers. Proficiencies augment these abilities, allowing you to fine-tune each skill in one of two ways. Up to five proficiencies can be purchased for each ability, so there is plenty of room to customize your hero as you see fit. Talents are passive traits that further help improve your character. With all of these options at your fingertips, the amount of customization is actually quite staggering. Staggering also describes the amount of loot thrown at players. Weapons, armor and other assorted goodies are constantly dropped by defeated foes and come spilling out of hidden treasure chests. A handy screen lets you compare your new gear to your current equipment, but the game doesn't do a proper job of explaining all the benefits each item brings. Also I would have loved an auto-equip option to help me outfit my character in with the best stuff in my inventory. As it was, I found myself pausing the game every time I discovered something new to check its stats against what I was already carrying. While finding new loot is certainly an addictive quality of "Dungeon Siege III," I was most impressed with the combat system. Each character has two unique combat stances, each with their own skills and abilities. For example, the Lucas Montbarron character can switch between a two-handed weapon and using a sword and shield. Each stance offers benefits during combat scenarios, and switching between stances -- a must if you want to stay alive -- can be done on the fly with the push of a button. The action here is fast and furious, with enemies often attacking in groups and utilizing smart tactics like keeping ranged attackers at a distance. Luckily, your hero isn't alone in his fight. "Dungeon Siege III" features some of the most intelligent companion AI I've seen in quite some time, with your ally performing admirably during combat. They also did a good job of reviving me when I had fallen -- there are no health potions in "Dungeon Siege III," so be prepared to fall often. My AI companion made excellent use of their own unique skills, and the ability to customize them as I did my own hero allowed me to create the ideal support character. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give the AI is that I actually enjoyed playing "Dungeon Siege III" more by myself than with other human players -- the game supports up to four players online or two players on the same console. Graphically, "Dungeon Siege III" is a mixed bag. The environments are beautiful and run the gamut from spooky swamps to haunted castles. Likewise, battles light up the screen with colorful spell effects that can make it easy to forget where your character is targeting. But the character models during cutscenes and interactions with non-playable characters -- the game uses a "Mass Effect"-style conversation wheel -- look decidedly last-gen and feature a strange glow about them. "Dungeon Siege III" offers something for everybody, especially fans looking for a lengthy, loot-filled dungeon crawl on consoles. But its deep character customization and intriguing story should appease RPG enthusiasts, while the tactical action should appeal to those looking for a fun hack-and-slash adventure. Regardless of what you're looking to get out of it, "Dungeon Siege III" delivers. "Dungeon Siege III" Developer: Obsidian Entertainment Publisher: Square Enix Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($59.99) Rating: M for mature Score: 8.0/10 ___ To see more of The Charleston Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wvgazette.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) |