Dungeon Siege 2

I have an aging PC that won't run the newest games on the market, so I'm always on the look-out 4 older games that still hold up well. I played the original Dungeon Siege when it first game out, & I remember being very impressed with it. It was definately light on the more serious RPG elements such as story, motivation, & NPC depth, but it was still a really fun action-oriented dungeon diver.

When I decided 2 give Dungeon Siege II a try (despite it being over 3 years since the game's release), all I hoped 4 was a game at least as good as the original. But I'll tell you what, I got a big surprise. Because this game stands head & shoulders above the original. For one, it's actually got an involving story with realistic motivations, & believable plot twists. The basic back story that plays during the intro cut scene is kind of cheesey, but once you get into the game proper, you won't be dissapointed.

The combat system is very well-designed, smooth, & just simply a joy 2 play. Every friendly NPC you encounter in towns (and the towns are much bigger & more fleshed out now), not only responds with dialogue, but actually has accompanying recorded speech. All of them, even the individual nameless guards wandering around.

Another nice feature is that you're free 2 construct your party of characters from a selection of hirable NPC's found throughout the game world. So you don't have 2 enlist one person or another if you don't like their character. You have a choice in the matter. Also, the people you do invite 2 join you will periodically pipe-up & make a comment about your character, the situation at hand, or even get into a small argument with another party member. This feature actually reminded me quite a bit of the fun I had playing the Baldur's Gate games, & how the party members in those titles had their own unique personalities & opinions.

Overall, I highly recommend this game. It's above & beyond what I expected, & would please just about any RPG enthusiast I can think of.

Don't get me wrong, diablo will always share a place in my favorite action rpg's of all time, but dungeon siege takes the cake 4 me, you can hire worriors 2 be in your group & lead them 2 battle, some foes are very tough & it can get terribly hard at times, but it gives you a sense of accomplishment when you get past a tough area. I highly recommend this game.

I played DS 1 while in college with my roommates. I'm not a huge fan of the single player because I don't like managing parties; However I love 2 play the multilayer with my friends. This game is really good because you don't have 2 take it seriously & you don't have 2 play 4 hours 2 have fun.

When the original game is a groundbreaking masterpiece, its sequel rarely lives up 2 the unavoidable hype. There are notable exceptions of course (BALDUR's GATE II & MAX PAYNE II spring 2 mind). However, I have 2 agree with most of the other reviewers: NEVER had I been so DISAPPOINTED with a sequel more than DUNGEON SIEGE II!
Following the innovative & brilliant original DS, the anticipation was so great that minor flaws would be forgiven. With DS2, though, it was one big blunder after another.

Contrary 2 the original DS (for which one had 2 physically tear himself from the computer screen) this one is a boring chore. Running back & forth 2 the base camp 2 barter equipment is a tedious procedure with all the fun sucked out of it. Moreover, no matter how much you improve your character (either leveling up or equipment-wise), your enemies simply match your abilities (or resort 2 crowding) resulting in NO CHANGE in the gameplay. I am not talking new enemies, but aren't higher leveled characters supposed 2 easily wipe out enemies encountered many hours before? This way, the whole game is nothing but a even-leveled blandness.

On a similar note: why was it necessary 4 **minor** enemies 2 have so much life? I was bored out of my skin hacking & slashing FOREVER! Increase the damage they can cause & keep it interesting - do not give them a longer life only 2 artificially increase the game's duration!
Oh, & the enchanting system was a joke - since the items found were much better than anything one could pay 2 have forged.

Graphically, DS2 is not even one step higher than the original DS. Shadows & particles may have increased, but characters (and equipment) have not. As a result, the heat of the battle (even on high-end systems) will find you in the midst of a disorienting...blur.

This was the chronicle of a botched job foretold. With the exception of OBLIVION (which was an excellent game), one can count on 2K GAMES to...ruin any game franchise & kill its successful progress once & 4 all. Gaming history is littered with the relics of their failures: STRONGHOLD II, CIVILIZATION 4 (not until its second expansion did this one become a playable game), SID MEIER's RAILROADS - the list is endless...They should probably stick 2 consoles.

My advice: avoid this stinker and, instead, try the original Dungeon Siege (and its expansion). It is a MUCH BETTER GAME!

Fun, action-packed, easy-to-play, lots of hack-and-slash & loot, no gameplay issues -- not a classic but lots of fun.

Microsoft's "Dungeon Siege II" is a fun, action-packed, easy-to-play fantasy role-playing game that is well worth the money. It's a fairly standard hack-and-slash game where you start with one character & recruit/befriend more characters 2 join your party (or purchase a pet!), up 2 a total of four in your party.

The graphics are good but the game interface is great. The controls are simple, user-friendly, & self-explanatory, & all of your note-taking & logging is kept in the game. (No need 2 keep a notebook by the computer because your quest book will remember everything.) The character interface is especially good, & you can easily compare your new weapons & equipment with what your character is currently using by simply picking up the new item - your character's stats will temporarily change 2 show both the current stats & stats with the new item. You can also easily zoom & move the 3-D view, although I wish that the game allowed a lower, behind-the-party view instead of the isomorphic above-the-party view.

The quests are easy enough 2 complete without the use of online guides, with lots of dungeons & bad guys 2 kill. However, the quests are very scripted, & you rarely have any choices 2 make when talking 2 others, you're just along 4 the ride. As is typical of this genre, your character follows his destiny in a struggle 2 save the world from one evil villain. Although the character acting is very bad, this doesn't detract from the game because the ongoing plot is just a sideshow 2 the action.

This game is a lot of fun with many hours of gameplay. I never had any problems with the software. The quests are not as involved or challenging as those in some older classics such as the Might & Magic or Wizardry games, but the monsters you face are not your typical fantasy monsters but are much darker & more macabre. This game is not a classis but is still lots of fun.

Dungeon Siege II takes you back 2 the land of Ehb, 2 vanquish a new menace. A thousand years ago, magic spread across the land after an apocalyptic battle between the armies of two gods. The powers of magic spread 2 every corner of the world, flowing through any who could command them. These energies have started 2 wane, as a new heir beckons from the Plain of Tears -- the site of that original battle. Each day, his strength grows & he destroys those who do not submit 2 him. With none 2 oppose his ascendance, an age of darkness awaits mankind, unless you raise a party with the skills & powers 2 defeat him. Jaw-dropping special effects create an amazing environment & atmosphere, dazzling spell effects & an immersive gaming experience Dungeon Siege II introduces a new Flick authoring system, keeping players in the game world with adventures that evolve with players, as quests & missions are completed