Dungeon Siege 3 - Review Roundup
 

Well, Dungeon Siege 3 is out in EU and the early reviews are in. The response is quite favourable, with these scores a little over or under 8/10. The camera and loot get some criticism but the coop is widely praised and most find the campaign satisfying, despite some niggles.
A general intro from VG Revolution - 8.4/10, X360:
Eurogamer on combat and difficulty - 8/10, X360:
CVG - 7.9/10, X360:
ActionTrip, who played on the PC. 7.8/10, PC:
PC Gamer on the story campaign - 78%, PC:
[quote] The real shocker for Dungeon Siege fans is the terrific 18-hour story’s memorable characters and choices, where a spared enemy might turn out to be a convenient ally later.

But adding story depth seemed to cause Obsidian to forget some action-RPG fundamentals. The mini-map provides no indication of which direction you should be going, conv…More information.

I've seen most reviews of 7's and 8's mostly. One site I visited even said its better than The Witcher 2. I couldn't stop laughing my ass off.:lol:They gave The Witcher 2 a 6.5 and DS3 a 7.5.

Well, according to the trailers I saw from the game and the demo's reception, I thought this game is going to mostly score around 4 or 5 out of 10. I am surprised by these positive reactions. ( Especially by Eurogamer's positive reaction. )

Most reviews i have seen are all console reviews, and we all know you have to lower your standards for those toys. Very angry at console gaming for lowering gaming quality.

I'm likewise surprised by the very positive reviews (that EG one in particular; though they may not exactly be old school RPG gamers I didn't expect someone affiliated with the PC-centric Rock Paper Shotgun blog to care much about a game like DS3 at all).

Personally I can't see much point in buying a linear-ish hack'n slasher now that I'm currently busy with games like Two Worlds II and Witcher 2, but when the PC version gets cheap(er) I just might pick it up…

I think 7-8 is about right as a console game in the same vein as Dark Alliance. As a PC game with the DS legacy - I'd have to say 8 is too high. 7 at the most, and I'd probably rate it 6.5 myself.

Well I thoought the controls sucked and that is -2 right there and while the graphics weren't the best I though they were quite charming. It is a style. Also they pc reviews claim the game is 18 hours (bit short but better than 10). Still definitely not a $50 game;esp with some wonderful indies games out there these days for $10 and $15.

As much as I hate this game's controls, menus etc, I find it amazing, they are asking $20 less for a PC version (amazon). Still, the asking price is about 3times more compared to what I would pay.

Nice collection of reviews. Got me the feeling these reviewers some wrote to fill space, having little to say on the game.

The guy's review with the story of identity crisis is the funniest to read.

Very little information on the coop quality through five reviews.

I laugh at your elitist views. Ha!

And that's exactly what it is. And it does this quite well! On the Xbox 360 (one of my "toys" lol), the controls are pretty much flawless, one of the best I've experienced on the platform (a few camera issues aside). It is paced well, the story is interesting and the graphics are pretty good.

So it is linear… as far as I'm concerned, it is supposed to be that. And I love it for it! I don't get this "it needs to be open world or it sucks" attitude. Sometimes I want the former, sometimes the latter. The platformers we used to love in the '80s were linear to the extreme. So? Anyhow, it's a mindless hack-and-slasher, as most of them are. And that's what I want to play sometimes as opposed to The Witcher 2 or some of the other "deeper" games.

Compared to DS1 and DS2? I wouldn't know. I do smell their influences in the art and level design.

Only two words: boooooring, ugly

Thaurin, If you played DS2 and expantion you would understand why people are complaining about the controls and the linearity. Its a step backwards from the originals . My question is why would they it be a less than experience from a game made 5 or 6 years ago.

Linearity of DS3 is only one problem. DS2 had so much more going for it in this way, though. It had HUGE expansive levels with a ton of worthwhile backtracking - many interesting puzzles and secrets to be found.

My primary issues are about simplistic character mechanics, limited selection of classes with no gender option, inflexible multiplayer options, lack of ability to take your character through the game at progressively higher difficulty levels - increasing longevity, relatively short length, counterproductive focus on story given the multiplayer legacy of the franchise, simplistic loot diversity, lack of strategic gameplay, unforgivably poor mouse/kb implementation, checkpoint saving, low-res textures on PC, and more.

In short, Obsidian completely ignored the history of the franchise and they just didn't get the strengths of Dungeon Siege.

What they DID do instead, was create a decent little timewaster hack/slash with a good story.

That's fine, but they should have called the game something else.

See, i have no trouble taking the game on it's own. It probably helps that I was craving for a game like this. I have played both DS1 and 2, the first one almost to the end before I lost interest. They are not really the same, DS3 and it's prequels, but so far it is a very competent game for what it tries to do, I.e. admittedly console hack and slash. That has nothing to do with less quality, but yet I feel the same neurons firing when playing this. Calling this simplistic is just perspective. I could be much simpler and I do recall people complaining about 1 & 2 that the game almost "played itself". Don't suddenly pretend the first games were deep experiences, because they were not. They were mindless hack and slash just the same. This has better story and dialogue. Can't comment on the skills/talents/proficiency system yet.

Seriously though? No gender choice? Who fucking cares, it's a hack and slash.

There is no gender choice - but a choice between a male or a female character.

The first game was crap, in my opinion - but it had some strengths that should have been kept intact.

The second game is vastly more deep and complex than you give it credit for, and I doubt you've really played it - or you should be remembering it better. DS2 is a fantastic hack/slash game - end of story.

It's fine that you like DS3 for what it is, but don't get upset because other people have higher demands :)

I happen to like investing myself even in a hack/slash game, and for that - I don't like playing female characters. It doesn't work well for me.

So, I fucking care.

Can someone explain about this?
I hope it doesn't mean you can save your progress and XP points you gained only at certain points.

Checkpoint saving was turned off in the demo - in the demo there was no saving at all …

That's exactly what it means.

But, from what I played of it - the checkpoints are rather generously placed.

So, it's not a big concern - simply an unnecessary and annoying console concession.

Im glad people are enjoying it . Im sure its a great game when playing on console. The PC calls for a better experiance that why i will put my money on Grim Dawn, TL2, D3. Hope they reach consoles so they can see how a hack and slash is suposed to be developed. People say dont expect greatness , its a decent game for what it is . What it is is another dumbed down port. Its a hollowed out hack and slash. People still play diablo2 . I mean 18 hours Really ? I still Sacred 2 .

At least I have Diablo 3 and a couple of indie action-rpgs that will put this game to shame on the horizon. You have to give them credit for having a bug free game finally.
Its a decent game for what is but its a game you will forget after playing it.

How is it 18 hours? I did all the quests and beat the game in 10 hours. Granted i beat games faster than most peopel but 18 hours is just no right.

Some people beat Mass Effect games in 8 hours and some people take 60. People play much differently.

I might pick it up for the Xbox. I'm not a gaming snob, though. I play games for fun.

I like games that are fun too. Im just not easily amused.

I don't have fun with every game out there, so I'm obviously the biggest snob in the world.

Of course you are! ;)

Proud of it! ;)

Then again, I can actually see myself having fun with DS3 on my XBox 360 - playing coop with the GF. The only thing missing that would make it a sure thing is the ability to take my character through 3 progressively harder difficulty modes - which is the genre default. It lends the game the kind of perspective I think it needs to make the investment of time worthwhile. There's just something wrong with investing in character builds and proper loot configuration, when you know the game will end after 12-15 hours - and they've balanced the end-game so all characters/builds can get through it. It's not enough.

I know many wil be able to just hack/slash their way through and forget about everything - but I grew up playing Nethack -> Diablo -> Diablo 2. I can't just ignore the best things about the genre like they're not important. To think how incredibly easy it would have been for Obsidian to spread out the loot and scale the encounters for such a thing… Makes me want to slap Feargus and force him to play the games establishing the genre.

I might buy it eventually, when it's cheaper.

I'd give it a 7-8ish as well, so the scores sound about right.

Glad to see it's getting decent scores despite the massacre related to the demo.

The demo was apparently too short to let us see that the controls, menus, combat, skill and equipment screens are not horribly designed.

Also, not scaling to the actual display resolution? In 2011?
No, this is definitely not a good PC game.

Having played through the PC version of the game once, I'd say a score of 7 or 8 sounds about right to me.

As far as controls, the keybinding is sorely missed (and will be added in a patch). But other than that, I find it works very well as long as you get rid of your pre-conceived notions of how hack'n'slashers *should* control. Which you should because the core gameplay is far more directly in the hands of the player anyways, it's much more action-oriented and "twitchy" than Diablo or the old DS games. A bit into the game, the controls became second-nature for me at least. Even in the busier fights (and some are very busy indeed) I had little problems moving around, evading and killing.

My main areas of complaint personally would be that I had wished less linear levels as well as better loot. DArtagnan has a good point in that the loot just feels like it lacks "oomph" because you're sorta building your characters towards an end of the game, and the campaign is fairly short. The loot is plentiful enough (and I love the little animations/sounds when it pops out of chests) but you just don't care that much about it, though I found it more important on Hardcore definitely.

Everything taken into consideration, it's one of the better hack'n'slashers I've played in a really long time. The combat system is especially fun and challenging if you play on Hardcore and the characters are fun to play. That's the real highlight in my book and it is a lot better than I thought it would be.
The story and characters are lightweight but well made. The choices you get to make here and there are a small icing on the cake.

I have no real attachments to the older games though, I think they are absolute rubbish and some of the worst examples of how hack'n'slashers should not play. So I'm glad that DS3 moved away from them. If you really liked the older games then you'd probably be pissed at a lot of things in DS3.

I find that a LOT of people totally dismiss Dungeon Siege 2, based on the first game. Especially because they look almost identical.

However, underneath, Dungeon Siege 2 is one of the best hack/slash games out there - and I think only Diablo 2 and Hellgate can top it.

Subjective, yes, but I sort of get the vibe that many players either completely missed DS2 - or didn't give it a fair chance.

I got both DS1 and 2 for free because I pre-ordered DS3 from Steam. I'll probably give them a whirl soon(ish).

Funny enough DS1 is what got me into RPGs! I never played a single RPG before then as I was into RTS big time. Then one day I saw guy at work(!) playing it on his PC and asked about it. I like the graphics and I liked loot hoarding and killing mobs. So I made a copy (!!) of the game from him and spent a entire weekend playing and finishing it!

So I did purchase (not copy!) DS2 but for some reason I did not like it very much hence I did not finish it. I think when DS2 came out, I have played many other RPGs and my taste have changed.

I wasn't going to get DS3 at all, H&S does not interest me any more (plus lots of bad reviews after the demo) like it used to but I think I will buy it now after reading Maylander's review.

What do you mean by "in 2011?" 16:9 only is a trend that started a few years ago and is getting more popular, not less. It being 2011 makes it more expected for a game to only use 16:9 aspect ratio, not less.

Also 16:10 and 4:3 are dead aspect ratios. Dead as Hoffa, whether we like it or not.

There's no accounting for taste :)

Personally, I didn't care for DS1 because I felt it was too simplistic. The engine was great, and I suppose it was a decent real-time tactical game - but it just didn't work well as a character building/loot driven game.

DS2 had a good engaging story, much better character mechanics, much better loot diversity, all kinds of neat little sidequests/puzzles, wonderful locations, and more.

They just anounced a REAL hack and slash over at joystick aclled Realms of Ancient War, looks amazing. Check it out, mobs and hords and loot oh my.

As a gamer who have played and finished first two Dungeon Siege games, I must say DS3 is quite different. While DS1 is a rather dull hack&slash with a little character customization, it has a great party based control system like we used to in Baldur's Gate (of course you have to turned off all this annoying auto attacks). DS2 is much more advanced in terms of story, characters, char customization and quests, but party control was changed with a more Diablo style gameplay.

The first shock I lived with DS3 is the controls. What I expected was a Diablo style gameplay, but it's more like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Actually much more thar BG: DA. DS3 is the most actiony game in the series. After cursing the controls a bit, I saw that it fits perfectly to the gameplay. With all the dodging, attacking, spinning I saw that I use every button in the keyboard mouse layout. Left mb attack, middle mb camera, right mb running, Q changing the combat stance, space for block/dodge. It all fits well, and there's no better way to put these buttons other than that I think. But, the one thing that sometimes drives me crazy is the camera. Camera zoom in and out to its mind and blocking your view to see the enemies. I think most of the people who have problem about the gameplay stems actually from this weird camera system.

The other thing that I dislike about the game is the corridor feeling. One of the most important feature of the first two games is to traverse different terrains without any loading time and Obsidian did that with DS3. But it's not only that, when you are in a forest in DS1/2 you fell yourself in a vast forest. Not in a corridor whose walls made of trees.

Graphics not impressed me. I hate this bloom thing. And they use that much. Like Two Worlds 2 and Fable 3 they overuse bloom in order to conceal the low resolution of the textures. While it might not be a problem in a console, I want to see sharp graphics in my PC. You can turn off that bloom in TW2 and F3, but I can't find an option in DS3. It's so bad that my character's face is shining like a lightbulb. I hope they will release a high res texture pack in the future with the option to turn off bloom. Another annoying thing for me is DS3 isn't support 4:3 in the game menu. You have to tweak the ini file to do that. But the position of the HUD doesn't change, but it's much better than seing black bars in the screen.

What Obsidian did right with the game is the characters and the story. While the story seems cliche, the presentation is perfect and the characters are believable. It's the best thing that Obsidian/Black Isle does since the time of Fallout 1.

I don't know the length of the game but I heard some comments in forums that it can be finished in 12 hours. If that's the case it's so short. I don't know. I'm still in the beginning of the game.

Overall a decent action RPG, which is more "action" RPG than Diablo style games. Try it and decide yourself. But give yourself some time to get used to controls.

Ooh, this might be the first time ever, but I agree with DA about Dungeon Siege 2. That was a really fun game. It was quite deep and you needed to go back to earlier areas to learn some of its secrets. I played it through twice straight, and I can't say that about many games that aren't made by Bethesda or Jon Van Caneghem.

No. In 2011, one would expect that game developers know the magic of proper ratio scaling. Instead, they have chosen the most common ratio and used that. It's the same level of laziness we see in web development - on this very webpage. But instead of going with the popular, web developers have stayed in 1999, designing pages 800 pixels wide, ignoring at least half of the width of current displays.

But as I said before, DS3 is $20 cheaper on the PC, which makes up for these issues with imperfect port.