Review Boomtown calls LoA old-skool role-playing. Imagine that

Tags: Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna

<a href=http://www.boomtown.net>Boomtown</a> posted this short <a href=http://www.boomtown.net/en_uk/articles/art.view.php?id=3901>review</a> of <a href=http://www.microsoft.com/games/dungeonsiegeloa/default.asp>Legends of Aranna</a> giving it <b>8 out of 10</b>
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<blockquote> Legends Of Aranna's only fundamental flaws are exactly the same things that make it, and Dungeon Siege, a success. It's accessible by being shallow; it's addictive because it's based on repetitive dynamic. The linear nature of the campaign also means you'll be less willing to revisit it a second time round in multiplayer, which is sorely limited. Still if you can stomach another serving of Microsoft’s magic and monsters meal (and don't mind shelling out more than you should really have to), this is well worth sinking your teeth into. Just don't expect a revolution. This is an evolution; the refinement of a successful RPG. </blockquote>
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Evidently some people have no shame and would write anything to earn a brownie point.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="www.gengamers.com">GenGamers</A>

 

Well if you want to get into it, the fact is linear-progression, hack'n'slash dungeon crawlers were "old-skool roleplaying" for many people. Wizardry 1, and Ultima 1 for instance, were basically large hack'n'slash games, but they were considered RPGs at their time. With the basic aspects of DS - linear quests, exarcebated combat, statistical management - it's pretty much what one would expect from an old-skool game. I think its not so much the problem of someone considering DS an old-skool RPG by those elements alone, but rather congratulating DS for using elements which have been done to death, and much better.

Successful? Dungeon Siege was already being neglected few weeks after its release, and unless the addition of auto-targetting nearby crates counts as evoultion, i fail to see any. Unless extreme streamlining of gameplay elements are nowadays counted as evolution.

 

I don't recall Wiz and Ultima 1 playing themselves for you.

 

But no they didn't play themselves for me.

 

I disagree, the basic aspect of DS, imo, is the fact that it's basically a screensaver, something that old-skool games never were. If we agree on that it's irrelevant whether it has linear or non-linear gameplay and statistical management. Btw, what statistical management are you talking about? Are we talking about the same game?

 

Ha! Good one :wink:

Well, we would agree on this, but let's face it, for better or worse it's considered an action/RPG, and as such as to be looked at on every RPG element it might have. O'course that doesn't stop the game from working better as an interactive screensave than an action/RPG

Well, the basic elements of skill and levels are there. DS is very limited in that department, but it has them, regardless. So did Diablo 2, for that matter, though D2 actually handled those better. DS still retains (unfortunately to those that don't like it being called an RPG) those characteristics. Yes, it's only got four skills and three attributes, but they are there, and they can be manageable to distinctively mold a character. It's not intensive, deep, interesting or fulfilling by any means, but it is there

 

I remember back in my old school rpg days I would always just hand the DM my character sheet and dice and let him go to town while I would do important stuff like watching the hair on my arms grow...

 

I'd still like to know why it's even called an action CRPG when it plays itself. AutoCRPG would be a much better term.

 

I vote we declare DS not a CRPG and stop covering it.

 

Since when did Dungeon Siege have statistical management? It does not. Diablo would be old school roleplaying, Dungeon Siege is just an interactive screensaver. Diablo II allowed you to mold your character (based on 5 protoclasses) into a very wide variety of player classes. Here's a few:

Paladin: Zealot, Avenger, Hammerdin, Healer/Cleric, Charger
Sorceress: Ice, Fire I (Meteor), Fire II (Hydra), Electrical
Necromancer: Summoner, Poisoner, Ranged/Magical
Druid: Summoner, Elemental
Assassin: Trapassin, Elemental, Explosive, Poisoner
Barbarian: Whirlwind, Berserker, Commander/Howler
Amazon: Strafe Archer, Elemental (Fire), Elemental (Ice), Javelin, Lancer

You wouldn't be able to come up with 1/5th of those variants for Dungeon Siege.

 

Come to think of it, there weren't any stats whatsoever in that game. Just the three combat skills. LOL... the game sucks more than I thought!

 

Did you know that if you built the Sorceress up with the right stats and skills, she could become the most powerful tank in the Diablo 2? No shit. I was wading into enemies with my Sorc that my friend's Barbarian couldn't even survive. Everytime I tried a different class, I would always end up going back to the Sorceress just to see what else I could do with her.
I also liked the Paladin though.

 

More like the ability to choose which one you raise. Yes not exactly the same, but still. D2 does have it, though.