Dungeon Siege

The Good
There's not much to like in Dungeon Siege except it's name (that has nothing to do with the game) and it's graphics (even though it slows down even on a top end machine). It's unfortunately not really an RPG, but more of a constant fight along different corridors disguised as playing areas. The controls were pretty good.

The Bad
I didn't like the fact that this sets out to be an RPG, but since Microsoft removed the role from that word, it's just a Playing Game. For kids. There's not a single problem to be solved in the entire length of code. You basically go from battle to battle, pausing to drink a potion every now and then, before the "map" leads you to a "town" where you buy the most expensive gear you can find, before heading into the corridor-like maps again for more fights. Everything is so streamlined you only have to press ONE button to switch all your characters from long distance fighting to close combat fighting. And every area has only TWO exits. One you came from and the one you're supposed to exit from. You NEVER have to turn back and take the same route twice, which makes the entire game feel like a corridor full of fights.

The Bottom Line
A totally brainless hack'n'slash that doesn't deserve to be called an RPG. It boasts great graphics and the usual Microsoft presentation so it probably appeals to the younger audience.

The Good
I love RPG's. But I hate turn based, or as I like to call them, luck based RPG's. Many would say that I'm not a true RPG fan if I don't enjoy the fundamental elements of 12 sided dice, pen and paper battles and didn't spend my school lunch times hunched over a table surrounded by statistics but so what? I like my action realtime and my fighting furious and as such games like Dungeon Siege were made for RPG fans like me. An epic quest played out in realtime with beautiful lush graphics and a stirring orchestral score sounds like a dream come true, and in many ways it is. I'm a big fan of Diablo but the thing that always bugged me about it was that I never really felt like I was going anywhere. Even in the sequel, the different locations were more like several separate versions of Diablo 1. Dungeon Siege has the answer to this because the journey is all there is. Going from place to place you really feel like you're in a huge world and with over 40 hours of game time there's no question that you are abiet a virtual one. The outdoor areas are stunning to look at. Light filters through the trees, bushes rustle and critters scamper. Of course there are loads of dungeons as well which also look very nice but it's the outdoor areas which really shine. Game play is very Diablo-esque. Controlled primarily with the mouse and a smattering of hotkeys you guide yourself and up to seven companion characters through the world hacking, shooting and blasting every enemy in sight. Every now and again you'll encounter a boss creature that takes a lot of hacking to kill and there are items and weapons etc to find along the way in droves. Characters can be leveled up however you see fit so anyone can become an archer, warrior or magician if you train them in that direction. This is done as simply as using a character in the profession you'd like them to choose making stats and so on very easy to manage. Towns are of course here too and contain all the expected places to buy equipment, listen to gossip or recruit more companions. You can even buy a pack mule to carry all your stuff, adding even further to the adventurous feel of the game.

The Bad
The story is basic and horribly under-developed. Your characters have no character. They just are, while any vague story elements are usually conveyed in books which makes the whole world seem almost optional. The traveling element has been over done I must admit. You never find yourself stopping for more than a few moments and once you leave somewhere you never return making it impossible to form any kind of attachment to the world and its inhabitants. Control at times can be awkward thanks to the lack of any kind of running keys to control your characters. You have to click on the ground where you want your party to go and you can't just hold the button to keep them running ala Summoner. This often leads you to click on the wrong thing and have half your party go the wrong way.

The Bottom Line
A very good hack and slash RPG but with little more than consistent fighting involved. Old school hardcore RPG'ers may find it a bit basic.

The Good
Great graphics, seamless loading, various automations such as gather loot, follow leader, formations, etc., plenty of graphical touches such as varied swings, lots of enemies

The Bad
Only one type of damage means there's no "resistance" at all, impossible to grow characters beyond a certain level without cheating, no persistent savegame in MP

The Bottom Line
Dungeon Siege can be described as a streamlined version of Diablo with various improvements. Instead of controlling a single person, you control a party. Instead of grabbing loot manually you now can carry almost infinite gold as well as automatically collect gold and loot. There's no poison to worry about, and potion can be sipped instead of drank whole. The graphics have also been improved to truly gorgeous 3D. It's almost someone read the "wishlist" for Diablo series.

However, such things come at a cost. Diablo had multiple types of damage, fire / ice / magic / physical. In DS there's only one type: damage. That takes a lot of decisions out player's hands. Also, the weapons "top out" after a certain point, making growth beyond a certain point EXTREMELY slow. Also, the game mechanics are not quite the same in MP vs. SP. In MP you are limited to a single character, and the world state is not saved, just personal state. Thus can be very confusing.

The fan community has released variety of new content, from simple new weapons to full campaigns with their own stories and such. Still, longevity of the game may be a problem as the game simply ceases to be fun after a certain level. While you can replay the game as different classes and specialize in different areas and such, starting over may not be for everyone.

Overall, this one is a 7 / 10. It gets most things right, but has some faults that prevents it from being "great".