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At last,
the much delayed review of DS. Sorry guys, I usually try to
get them out a little sooner.. But I just couldn't stop playing
this thing... And.. Well....I like to get quite a ways into
a game before I review it. :) So here we go:
First off, I'm not a big fan of RPGs. I used to play them
quite a bit. To give you an idea of how long ago this was,
the game I used to play alot was the first Bard's Tale from
EA on my C64. Many moons have passed, and other than the first
Diablo in 1997 I've not played any RPGs since then that I've
found to be worthy.(And yes, I know that Diablo isn't REALLY
an RPG to you hard-core Baldur's Gate guys. Screw you.) DAOC
was an exception along the way. It always seems to me that
there's too much BS micromanagement and too many stupid puzzles
and hundreds of hours of boring game play and wandering around.
You have to understand that I'm a shooter guy. I play other
genres, but somehow always come back to shooters... I think
it's the constant action, and quick fix that appeals to me.
And if the success of Diablo is any indication, I'm not alone
in my RPG heresy.
Dungeon
Siege may just change my mind about RPGs however, and I may
have to start borrowing some of Skeezix's games and give the
genre more of a fair go. I'm hooked, and loving it. I just
looked and I'm 14 hours of gameplay in, and I have this feeling
I've got tons more to go. Don't look for a really, really
deep story here however. DS is mostly about action and kicking
some ass, along with the development of your party. There's
nothing really new to the genre here, (Heh. Talking about
RPG stereotypes, most of the big guys are stupid, and the
dwarves all have Scottish accents!) but the dev teams has
tied together all of the elements that make a good RPG AND
a good action game together just right and come up with something
that's genuinely fun to play. No surprise here, considering
that the man behind the game is Chris Taylor, whom I personally
consider to be a game design genius. (I still think his Total
Annihilation is the finest RTS out there, even after all these
years.) Anyhows, on with the review!
Premise
Ages ago, there was a mighty war. Your ancestors made a pact
with something they shouldn't have, and created a kingdom
and held it against all comers. For centuries there has been
peace. But now evil is afoot in the world once again, and
as an unlikely hero you've got to save yourself, and everyone
else. It's your usual fantasy story line. As you journey through
the lands, the plot will be given to you by various characters
you meet and talk to, as well as brief cut scenes.
Gameplay
The game
view is pretty much standard RPG fare. You're in a zoomable
isometric view above your party. Click on an area, item or
character to perform the logical action. Clicking on an empty
area will cause the party to move there, attempting to stay
in the formation you set out for them.
More on combat and controls a little later in the review.
Graphics/Environments
Eye candy,
eye candy! I have to say this is the sexiest single player
RPG I've seen to date. Everything is 3D rendered, and the
backgrounds are just gorgeous. Spell effects are nicely done,
Maps are positively massive, and you'll be stunned by some
areas. Very nice work by the graphics and texturing guys.
One very nice effect they've done is the tree/obstacle transparency.
If a tree, archway or another object comes between your camera
and the party, it fades to transparent. Nicely done, and makes
life much easier considering how many times you wind up fighting
in the bushes with ambushing monsters.
You'll
be fighting and adventuring (mostly fighting) you way through
a huge variety of environments, from lush forests and mountainsides
to eerie dark swamps and goblin infested dungeons and underground
lairs. The weather and other environmental effects such as
fog and snow add a definite level of realism to the game,
and just look sweet.
Sound and Music
Wow.
Phenomenal job done here. The music really gets you into the
mood of the game, and the sound effects are top notch throughout.
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