Console: Xbox 360/ PlayStation 3/ PC /
Players: Single or Two player co-op
Release Date: 21st July 2011
Developers: Obsidian Entertainment
Publishers: Square Enix
Genre: Action Role-play, Dungeon Diver
Price: €49.99*
In 2002, the Dungeon Siege series was created by Chris Taylor, a role-playing game where you took on the role of a farmer turned warrior as you battled to rid the Kingdom of Ehb of vicious creatures and put an end to the reign of terror caused by the Seck and their tyrannical leader Gom. Originally developed by Gas Powered Games, the charge of developing fell into the hands of Obsidian Entertainment and this is the first game published by Square Enix since it acquired complete rights to the franchise.
Any fans of the series will be up to speed on the world of Aranna but for those not in the know, the games largely take place in a world wrought with mysterious creatures, untold treasures and diabolical villains. The 10th Legion once served as an army and peace keeping forced across the world but since their destruction at the hands of Jayne Keesender thirty years prior to the events of DS3, the country of Ehb has been torn apart by civil war.
Dungeon Siege III takes place thirty years after the demise of the Legion and its only surviving member Odo now seeks to reunite the lost children of the Legion soldiers and bring an end to the war that has ravaged Ehb. This is where you come in; you can take on the role of any one of four characters – Lucas, the warrior, Anjali the Archon, Reinhart the mage or Katarina the gunner, each with their own abilities, traits and of course back stories.
It is up to you to reunite the people of Ehb and end the war and as is the going trend in most action rpgs these days you are given the freedom to choose along the way!
In terms of graphics the game is stunning with some finally detailed characters and backgrounds, we’re talking intricate but smooth which is all the more evident when you zoom in on your character and surroundings. The game offers two points of view, an aerial view giving you more freedom to watch your back and enemies or a close up letting you watch with nerdish delight as your skewer monsters or set them ablaze! The cut scenes are not animated but are given a nice story feel with an old scorched scroll added to fill in the narrative, something we have come to appreciate as the artwork is amazing.
One of our favourite elements of the game is the music used throughout and why shouldn’t it be it features the work of Timothy Wynn (Command & Conquer 4, Supernatural) and Jason Graves (Dead Space), it has an element of Fable about it but doesn’t delve into the comical sounds of that world.
Game mechanics are basic any players of the X-Men games or Ultimate Alliance will peg the similar style of play. Defeating enemies and completing quests will award you with experience points which then allow you to level up, upon gaining a new level, new powers, boosts and traits are unlocked and can be added to increase the strength of your character as your progress through the game. Abilities are keyed into X Y B and LT is used to access a second set of powers that are considered defensive. Players can also choose between two modes of fighting style for each of the characters, in our case we went with Anjali first, in her first stance she wields a spear which is ideal for large groups and her second form is that of her true nature, the Archon, transforming her into a fire wielding creature, she hurls powerful blasts of fire magic and single targets.
The game isn’t going to win any awards for its ingenuity or for throwing anything new at us but who cares we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our play through of the game and have been immersed into the world of the Legion and the Kingdom of Ehb and loved every second of it. The game does exactly as it says on the cover; it’s all about the dungeons and crawling your way through hordes of enemies – if you’re looking for something simple, engaging with an interesting story then you can definitely check out Dungeon Siege III.
Good Points
Visuals and soundtrack are a treat
Action Role-play that won’t bore you
You will play it again
Bad Points
Limited character development
Hardcore mode lacks a challenge
Rating
82/100
