Dungeon Siege III
The Diablo style RPG makes a great transition to the Console scene.
I'm new to the Dungeon Siege series, and this game makes a great impression. It's pretty, most textures look realistic, and the story is heartfelt and moving. It features couch co-op and four player online. Random and unique loot aren't in short supply and it can get very hectic. So far though, I've beaten the game on 2 out of 4 characters and it has gotten a bit old and repetative. Let's see how the game scores shall we?
I'll be deviating away from my usual scoring this time. I'll be adding a new category in addition to the other 5. Since I feel that RPGs need Likable characters there'll be a a Character category.
Gameplay - 6/10
Like most RPGs, you must kill monsters, fight bosses, and shine people's shoes. Unlike most RPGs though, many of such trivial tasks will progress the story, add lore, or result in a nice piece or pieces of loot. People make it worth your time in this game which is a nice change of pace. However, at the core, the hack and slash values can get repetative. Your character features a one handed stance and a two handed stance. Each character's stances are different. Lucas is the standard warrior. He gets a Sword and Shield, and a large and very sharp two hander. Katrina is a gun wielding witch. She carries a Rifle, and two small side arms. Anjali is a Archon. She wields a spear and can change into a element of fire at will. Reinhart is a mage. He can rend time and space. He features a debilataing stance which can attack from afar, and a dynamic stance which provide close range defense. Each one has a few great points, and a few bad ones. What matters most is their equipment.
There is an outstanding amout of loot in this game. However big it may seem though, it is extemely limited. There are very few core items and even less prefixes and suffixes. I found myself using something I found early on in the game to the very end, because I could not find anything better. It simply gets boring to find that 3rd frostforged carbine. If I was any other person, I would have beaten the game once and traded it to Gamestop. I did find the mutliple difficulties appealing in any case. The story is around 15 hours on hardcore, 10 on normal, and less on casual. Since I have not stooped to casual I cannot provide a precise finish time.
Story - 8/10
I thouroghly enjoyed the stories and characters. It doesn't follow the traditional RPG trend, which is a nice change of pace. The story itself is short, but based upon your decisions, you will see the outcomes before the credits. The story may be good, but it certainly doesn't warrant more than a second playthrough. By the time you reach the 3rd character, you will find yourself skipping cutscenes and mashing buttons to get through conversations. I have to hand it to Obsidian, they are masterful story tellers. The Characters are likable and sometimes pitable, and they really show what I think is Obsidian's future in RPGs should be like. Just a bit less linear though.
Characters - 9/10
The Characters of DSIII can be described as interesting, mold breaking and reveloutionary. For example Reinhart. He is a mage who is know for unconventional thinking. He is also a wordy little bastard. I can hardly understand some of the things that fly out of his mouth. Sometimes you wanna laugh, and cry, but after he finishes you realize he's serious. Some other characters may be somewhat cookie cutter on the surface, but almost everyone has something more. You may just have to look a bit deeper sometimes.
The game also has a influence feature. You may notice that some of the characters approve of your decisions. It reveals a bit more about them. It doesn't tell you when they disapprove, and many of them will react to some of the same choices. Making it seem like they all share some core values.
Graphics - 8/10
The graphics are crisp clear and suitable for this gen. Rocks and other surfaces look proper and distinguished. The caves themselves aren't as boring as many other games. A torch here, a stone steppe there. No, they put not only torches, but things like floating spirits if it suits, or a red hue if it's hot. Crystals if it's a mine, and interactable objects alone the way to curb any confusion. At their best though, they aren't varied enough. Play a couple playthroughs and you'll be dreading that one rock you passed a 15th time. Esepcially on hardcore when you're just about to get a much needed change of scenery then one enemy bumps you back to that save 15 minutes ago.
Technical Gremlins and such things - 9/10
I have encountered mild slowdowns and some long loading times, but the game is almost perfect. No save deletions. I have not gotten stuck, or fallen through the floor. This is a massive improvement over the bug riddled and termite infested house that was Fallout: New Vegas. I have to admit I wasn't expecting such smooth gameplay and transitions, and am pleasently surprised.
Replay and Revisit value - 4/10
The game iself gets boring and the loots are unvaried. The story can be done in 15 hours or less and everything can be seen and done in 2 playthroughs. The game is definitely worth a rental, or used buy. I strongly reccommend not buying the game new.
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Final Score: 7
Reviewer's Score: 7
The game itself is solid, but lacks in the areas that it shouldn't.
The Diablo style RPG makes a great transition to the Console scene.
I'm new to the Dungeon Siege series, and this game makes a great impression. It's pretty, most textures look realistic, and the story is heartfelt and moving. It features couch co-op and four player online. Random and unique loot aren't in short supply and it can get very hectic. So far though, I've beaten the game on 2 out of 4 characters and it has gotten a bit old and repetative. Let's see how the game scores shall we?
I'll be deviating away from my usual scoring this time. I'll be adding a new category in addition to the other 5. Since I feel that RPGs need Likable characters there'll be a a Character category.
Gameplay - 6/10
Like most RPGs, you must kill monsters, fight bosses, and shine people's shoes. Unlike most RPGs though, many of such trivial tasks will progress the story, add lore, or result in a nice piece or pieces of loot. People make it worth your time in this game which is a nice change of pace. However, at the core, the hack and slash values can get repetative. Your character features a one handed stance and a two handed stance. Each character's stances are different. Lucas is the standard warrior. He gets a Sword and Shield, and a large and very sharp two hander. Katrina is a gun wielding witch. She carries a Rifle, and two small side arms. Anjali is a Archon. She wields a spear and can change into a element of fire at will. Reinhart is a mage. He can rend time and space. He features a debilataing stance which can attack from afar, and a dynamic stance which provide close range defense. Each one has a few great points, and a few bad ones. What matters most is their equipment.
There is an outstanding amout of loot in this game. However big it may seem though, it is extemely limited. There are very few core items and even less prefixes and suffixes. I found myself using something I found early on in the game to the very end, because I could not find anything better. It simply gets boring to find that 3rd frostforged carbine. If I was any other person, I would have beaten the game once and traded it to Gamestop. I did find the mutliple difficulties appealing in any case. The story is around 15 hours on hardcore, 10 on normal, and less on casual. Since I have not stooped to casual I cannot provide a precise finish time.
Story - 8/10
I thouroghly enjoyed the stories and characters. It doesn't follow the traditional RPG trend, which is a nice change of pace. The story itself is short, but based upon your decisions, you will see the outcomes before the credits. The story may be good, but it certainly doesn't warrant more than a second playthrough. By the time you reach the 3rd character, you will find yourself skipping cutscenes and mashing buttons to get through conversations. I have to hand it to Obsidian, they are masterful story tellers. The Characters are likable and sometimes pitable, and they really show what I think is Obsidian's future in RPGs should be like. Just a bit less linear though.
Characters - 9/10
The Characters of DSIII can be described as interesting, mold breaking and reveloutionary. For example Reinhart. He is a mage who is know for unconventional thinking. He is also a wordy little bastard. I can hardly understand some of the things that fly out of his mouth. Sometimes you wanna laugh, and cry, but after he finishes you realize he's serious. Some other characters may be somewhat cookie cutter on the surface, but almost everyone has something more. You may just have to look a bit deeper sometimes.
The game also has a influence feature. You may notice that some of the characters approve of your decisions. It reveals a bit more about them. It doesn't tell you when they disapprove, and many of them will react to some of the same choices. Making it seem like they all share some core values.
Graphics - 8/10
The graphics are crisp clear and suitable for this gen. Rocks and other surfaces look proper and distinguished. The caves themselves aren't as boring as many other games. A torch here, a stone steppe there. No, they put not only torches, but things like floating spirits if it suits, or a red hue if it's hot. Crystals if it's a mine, and interactable objects alone the way to curb any confusion. At their best though, they aren't varied enough. Play a couple playthroughs and you'll be dreading that one rock you passed a 15th time. Esepcially on hardcore when you're just about to get a much needed change of scenery then one enemy bumps you back to that save 15 minutes ago.
Technical Gremlins and such things - 9/10
I have encountered mild slowdowns and some long loading times, but the game is almost perfect. No save deletions. I have not gotten stuck, or fallen through the floor. This is a massive improvement over the bug riddled and termite infested house that was Fallout: New Vegas. I have to admit I wasn't expecting such smooth gameplay and transitions, and am pleasently surprised.
Replay and Revisit value - 4/10
The game iself gets boring and the loots are unvaried. The story can be done in 15 hours or less and everything can be seen and done in 2 playthroughs. The game is definitely worth a rental, or used buy. I strongly reccommend not buying the game new.
---
Final Score: 7
Reviewer's Score: 7
The game itself is solid, but lacks in the areas that it shouldn't.
