Review Dungeon Siege 2 lub at GamesFirst

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Dungeon Siege 2

<A href="http://www.gamesfirst.com/">GamesFirst</a> has a <a href="http://www.gamesfirst.com/?id=430">review</A> of <A href="http://www.gaspowered.com/ds2">Dungeon Siege 2</a> where it scores a <b>4/5 stars</b>. There's only a few criticisms, like terrain blocking ranged combat often. Anyway, here's a bit on the story again:
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<blockquote>DSII is dripping with story and plot. You must, and I repeat must, get past the first five or so hours, which are essentially slow and uneventful. After that the quests and missions pile on and offer the average player 50-60 hours of good gamming. The levels and missions do set you on a sort of auto pilot to the finish line, but there is a wealth of quests and side adventures that will keep players gaming even after the last enemy is slain. This game is deep, my friends, and you won't be disappointed in the breadth of its offerings.</blockquote>
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Anyone picked this game up yet? I'm curious how much "deeper" the quests and such get after the demo area.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.bluesnews.com">Blue's News</A>

 

[coaxmetal]

i'm just not interested.

 

[Sheriff05]

I got it

here's the highlights/review

Packagaging is a DVD case / manual is color/ CD key stuck to case so you can't lose it all that stuff= 10/10

Dungeons and enviroments are excellent though the rolling hills of the first game still seem to look better or "as good" as this game. Underground areas are excellent. The graphics, despite claims its really not that much better than the first game (which were good) Graphics, etc 8/10

I am finding the story "not terrible" except for all the lame shit with the dryads whom I wish I could just slaughter immediately. Story 7/10

Quests are standard fed ex stuff, find me this find me that. 5/10

Character skills are a plus from the first game, everything else is same old, same old they streamlined the loot so there isn't so much of it as in the first game and what your getting seems balanced for where you should be. Character development 6/10

the AI is idiotic and you can always run away from bad guys heal up and return. and if spaced teleporters were not enough to help you return to town and back . They also added town portal spells. so you can return anytime you want! to sell your loot and heal up. Game Challenge / strategy = 1/10

(DS was way tougher, you get to get the next teleporter or start from the last one all over again) Also everything is scaled so you really fight the same shit over and over again, its just the numbers of hit points and damage just go up.

Roleplaying , choices , dialogs are all relatively meaningless except for giving you information as far as I can tell, earlier in the game there were a few dialog choices
that were basically, "the nice answer" and the " not so nice answer" as far as I can both achive the same result. this is a 3/10, ( up from a 0/10 in DS1)

While it's way less ofan interactive screen saver than the first game. The first game just had more of a dark and creepy atmospheric enviroment than this game (so far anyway)


So that's 40 out of possible 70 points. Pretty mediocre/ average, Sacred is a better game in many respects. In short you might as well just play Diablo 2 as it way better than both games at this sort of thing. (except in the graphics department). I'm sure I will keep playing it occasionally when I cant find anythign better to do, but I am bored already and not even out of the first act. ( of 3)

If I thought hard about 3 more catagories I'd still be hard pressed to get better than a 60% score on this. I really don't understand how the assholes that make these games think they are doing anything "special", this is standard schlock for the new breed of RPG moron. This is a throughly average game that is nothing more than a casual distraction.by Christmas time it will be in the bargin bin so if your bored and need something new to look at pick it up toward the end of the year.

EDIT: to answer your question about the quests Saint, I am not finding shit about the "quests" deep, period. I played the first MP beta and I swear they changed the cube puzzle in the elven shrine post- beta and made it EASIER. so now it takes zero thought, when orignially you had to think for 15 seconds.

 

[Trash]

It's a fairly simple dungeon crawler that has one great plus point....it's fucking huge. Plenty of (standard but not boring) quests in ever changing and wonderfull inviroments against differing (but not so brilliant) enemies. One moment you slough through a jungle, later on ice caves, drap dungeons and hellish wastelands.
It's not great, but it's a neat timesink and those that like exploration and a sizable game experience will love it.

 

[Whipporowill]

There are a lot harder puzzles later in the game than the elven shrine in the demo - just stumbled upon my first "hard" one which was split into two parts. Considering there are puzzles at all - I'm a happy camper, there's way to few games with these kinds of things around, and the original ds had only a few easy ones. Quests aren't awfully deep, but it does get better as you go along, and there's a certain athmosphere to several of the towns you visit...

I'd give it about an 8 out of 10.

 

[Sheriff05]

There are a lot harder puzzles later in the game than the elven shrine in the demo - just stumbled upon my first "hard" one which was split into two parts. Considering there are puzzles at all - I'm a happy camper, there's way to few games with these kinds of things around, and the original ds had only a few easy ones. Quests aren't awfully deep, but it does get better as you go along, and there's a certain athmosphere to several of the towns you visit...

I'd give it about an 8 out of 10.

Wow, whip I guess I will give more of a chance, I am currently in Desert and as you read am less than impressed. I'll definitely keep going.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Dungeons and enviroments are excellent though the rolling hills of the first game still seem to look better or "as good" as this game. Underground areas are excellent. The graphics, despite claims its really not that much better than the first game (which were good) Graphics, etc 8/10

I fired up the first one after playing the demo to check out the graphics. I think the first one actually looks a little better in terms of monsters and character models. The terrain and such look about the same. I'm pretty disappointed in the graphics because the first one was at least eye candy if little else.

I am finding the story "not terrible" except for all the lame shit with the dryads whom I wish I could just slaughter immediately. Story 7/10

Quests are standard fed ex stuff, find me this find me that. 5/10

So, it gets better after the dryad area?

Character skills are a plus from the first game, everything else is same old, same old they streamlined the loot so there isn't so much of it as in the first game and what your getting seems balanced for where you should be. Character development 6/10

That's one thing about the game that bugs me. If you're playing a pure type of class, then I can see the skill system getting really boring really fast - especially if you're just pure melee.

the AI is idiotic and you can always run away from bad guys heal up and return. and if spaced teleporters were not enough to help you return to town and back . They also added town portal spells. so you can return anytime you want! to sell your loot and heal up. Game Challenge / strategy = 1/10

Well, it doesn't bother me that you can run away and have them not follow you, even if that is a little exploitive. Then again, I remember betatesting EQ and being chased for 45 minutes by an orc who wouldn't stop chasing me until I ran across a guard that killed him for me.

(DS was way tougher, you get to get the next teleporter or start from the last one all over again) Also everything is scaled so you really fight the same shit over and over again, its just the numbers of hit points and damage just go up.

Oblivion is going to do that. I never really cared much for silly game devices like that. They say it makes it more challenging, but I agree with you that it just makes things more generic feeling.

EDIT: to answer your question about the quests Saint, I am not finding shit about the "quests" deep, period. I played the first MP beta and I swear they changed the cube puzzle in the elven shrine post- beta and made it EASIER. so now it takes zero thought, when orignially you had to think for 15 seconds.

Well, puzzles are fine and dandy when they work within the game world and don't just feel like "WE DESIGNERS HAVE PLACED A PUZZLE HERE JUST FOR YOU!"

 

[HanoverF]

It's pretty dull, quests (while haveing some nice variety) are fairly bland, story seems standard fantasy tripe, as mentioned you're fighting some of the same stuff in region after region (but in the desert its weak ice/resist fire, and arctic its weak fire/resist ice, so its really a whole new creature ) and combat is tedious.

I really haven't seen too much in the way of puzzles, mainly just look in the radar screen for the blue toggle switch to open secret doors. There was some quest where I had to answer some questions about gods visiting a spirit, but there was nothing in the way of clues in the vacinity so it was pretty much clicking the four different choices until I got it right.

Plus it has the Bioware system of annoying followers talking your ear off at inopportune times. Some of the dialogues are good, but theres litterally a lot like:

"ooh I have a headache... I'm having another vision."

And they can happen in the middle of a big battle.

Another problem with the quests, lots of backtracking, and there isn't really an automap, not a very good combination.

 

[Whipporowill]

There is an automap - dumbass, just press tab...

As for the tomb and the spirit, you get a clue from the guy giving you a quest to it. By returing what said asks for you'll later trigger a quest related to it, by not returning it - you're doing the "good" thing (as the guy's very supicious-looking), but will miss out on the quest. There's also at least one quest where you can choose the "evil" route - killing the good Haku rather than the bad. There are several dungeons with puzzles that requires solving to pass, but most of them are optional - sidequest and/or nice drops.

The Journal works great and the filler backstory for the world presented in the books you find are suprisingly interesting, although the game itself isn't terribly deep.

Albeit much better than ds1 in several areas it's not much of an rpg (dialogue, story, characters), but as an action/explore-rpg it's very good. The only good thing that's gone missing is the formation system. What the hell?

 

[Second Chance]

I honestly couldn't care less about single player. The only two good things on DS1 were a seamless loading engine (very good for its days) and attractive multiplayer gaming in a huge world.

The DS2 engine seems worse than the DS1 engine so I'm not too hopeful. How's the multiplayer? Any huge map like DS1's Utranean Peninsula?

 

[Trash]

The character system can indeed be a bit too boring, especially with games like dd and diablo 2 around. Currently my char is a melee fighter, and frankly I don't spend too much effort and attention on his level scheme anymore. Luckily you can buy slots for extra party members. so you have more types of character to try and play with. I'm amazed how able Taar (a nature mage) is becoming. Pets are fun as well, though they seem a bit too apt at becoming top killers. My dire wolf slaughters anything the game throws at him.

 

[Whipporowill]

The DS2 engine seems worse than the DS1 engine

It's the same basic engine, so I don't get your point here?

Any huge map like DS1's Utranean Peninsula?

Yeah, I missed that one in DS2, a lot more suitable for mp - but as of yet there's only the official one - while ds1 had TWO full maps even if they were re-using art assets and such. Ds2 has a lot more quests, dialogue and story on the other hand.

 

[HanoverF]

The tab map sucks, you seriously think that hokey little thing thats just the radar extended is usefull with the amount of backtracking some quests require? I meant a map you could look at and manipulate, so I dont have to trudge around wondering where that ghost is in relation to the chant shrine, or the broken lift, or the circle of mushrooms it'd be nice to have a map where I can mark those things down, and the one avalible sucks unless you're the type who gets lost in the fairly straight and narrow rails the game puts you on.

 

[Whipporowill]

Having a markable map would certainly help, but I haven't misses the function - I think those quest are meant to be optional, and possibly up to you to read your journal if you want to complete them. I mean, the ghosts aren't exactly hard to find - esp after reading the journal notes?

 

[Second Chance]

The DS2 engine seems worse than the DS1 engine

It's the same basic engine, so I don't get your point here?

The 3D objects on DS1 seemed all clear and distinct. DS2 seems more "blurry". I think there's a technical term for this... lower polygon count? Not sure.

Any huge map like DS1's Utranean Peninsula?

Yeah, I missed that one in DS2, a lot more suitable for mp - but as of yet there's only the official one - while ds1 had TWO full maps even if they were re-using art assets and such. Ds2 has a lot more quests, dialogue and story on the other hand.

How is MP handled then? same linear story on same linear map? One nice thing about DS1's UP map was that you could go anywhere anytime (if you could survive of course). Let's hope they give us one HUGE map for DS2 like they did for DS1.

Otherwise DS2 seems as useless as possible!

 

[Sheriff05]

Whip- that's a good point the journal is certainly one the better ones I've seen done in any game.

Saint - after the dryad stuff (once you're cut loose and free to head "home
You run into this elderly scholar and that is where the meat of the story kicks in, much more interesting than "Big bad guy is trying to Kill nice Dryads" nonsense you start with.

 

[Digit]

I skipped alot of this thread cos I am short on time. But they guys and gals at GPG know how to make a good dungeon crawler, and with the addition of puzzles and secret areas it really is a lot of fun. I was trying to think about the complaints of it being easy, and so far I have been killed quite a few times, I don't have a nature mage in my party however, and am doing it all with potions. I believe the nature guys are the unbalancing factor possibly, but later on you find bosses that "Hates people who cast healing spells" and if do they get 'angry' at you which means faster and more powerful attacks. I also noticed one guy was only using some spells, until I made him angry and then he cast some big AoE one.

Also the sound and particle effects are really good. I have my first proper lightning spell and it is so purty...

Digit
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Forum fly...

 

[Whipporowill]

. I have my first proper lightning spell and it is so purty... .

It might be purty, but what's ever so much cooler is the rolling thunder afterwards... the enemies are all dead and you hear the roiling echo of what killed them. Nice touch.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Stop whining. Like whip said, it's a good game.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Give it a month, then Rex will hate it.

Can't say I'm interested in trying out anymore Diablo clones. Fate and Sacred have been enough for me this year. There'd have to be something pretty impressive to make me think more about them.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Have you played Divine Divinity?

 

[Digit]

. I have my first proper lightning spell and it is so purty... .

It might be purty, but what's ever so much cooler is the rolling thunder afterwards... the enemies are all dead and you hear the roiling echo of what killed them. Nice touch.

Yeah true, I did say sound was awesome. *sniff* Also I quite like the enemies, so far I haven't found any boring stupid ones. The Hak'u are totally cool and rather amusing. They are like the Fetish in Diablo 2. Their sound effects are great, like the little puffing and panting they do as they run around.

Also another thing about the lightning, is that they have sort of sparks that fly off and branches that arc out, but not always. It could be to do with damage I don't know, sometimes I do massive damage and it looks like a huge lightning bolt. Other times just a zap. I do wish autocast would kick in as soon as there is no player input, instead of when the player animation idles.

Digit
====
Forum fly...

 

[Second Chance]

DS2 is even worse than its predecessor. Steer clear from it.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Anything interactive is better than DS1. And to tell you the truth, DS2 is actually alright, at least worthy of 1 playthrough.

 

[Sarvis]

. I have my first proper lightning spell and it is so purty... .

It might be purty, but what's ever so much cooler is the rolling thunder afterwards... the enemies are all dead and you hear the roiling echo of what killed them. Nice touch.

Interesting... may have to start playing with the sound on... and playing a caster.