What Dungeon Siege lacks in creativity it makes up for in solid gameplay execution
Dungeon Siege is an action role-playing game, meaning you will be able to level-up, hack-and-slash, equip new weapons and/or learn spells, and take a long journey of discovery to ward evil. Dungeon Siege does not pretend to be original or unique. You follow your character in a three-dimensional, three-quarter adjustable overhead view through the Kingdom of Ehb. Your character can learn magic, archery, or melee combat, which will determine their ability to equip certain weapons and armor, gain health, and the like.
Along the way your young farmer avatar will meet many residents of Ehb. Some will agree to come along on your journey for reasons of revenge or justice, while others will come along for a small fee. Deciding who to add and who to let go when your party becomes full will be often be a difficult decision balancing character strengths and weaknesses. Each party member is capable of carrying a certain amount of goods, and typically specializes in one of the areas your own character specializes in, such as nature magic or fighting.
Dungeon Siege is about journeying through the land of Ehb and immersing yourself in its environment, which is easily as diverse as the mythical land of Middle-Earth. You will travel from lush forests through beautiful snowy mountains and canyons to beaches and underground mines. Indeed, some of the regions of Ehb rival those of Rohan, Moria, or the Shire. Your journey is extremely linear, you cannot get lost, and exploration would equate to about a city block from your path at any given time. But do not mistake the narrow trails for a lack of content, as the visuals are impressive even five years on, with snow falling daintily and water bubbling along in quiet brooks.
Gas Powered Games overlooked no detail; characters and creatures are highly detailed even at the closest visual setting. Equipped armor and weapons appear on your characters, magical staffs crackle with power and crossbows load bolts before firing. Enemies are suitably impressive as well, wielding their own weapons or intrinsic magics. Indeed, Dungeon Siege is a video game monstrous compendium covering everything from Beholders to Goblins and the Undead. Battles between the party and creatures of Ehb will take many forms, including being overwhelmed by numbers and encountering enormous bosses.
The frenetic pace of battle, casting spells, and tromping through swamps and badlands is impressively scored with a heroic and sometimes foreboding classical score, setting the mood. Swords clang, footsteps echo in dark hallways, evil creatures cry out, and magical fire rings through the forests. Non-player characters are also voiced with intensity, with greedy merchants sounding just as you would expect them, and murderous bandits emitting jaded notes of disgust.
The party itself is easy and intuitive to control right down to camera movements and aiming. For the most part, a few simple clicks will have the party moving in the right direction or concentrating fire on the appropriate enemy. Managing treasure and equipment is straightforward, though there is so much plunder to be had that the player might add a mule to the party to carry it all. The mule cannot attack - at least not well - but it holds twice the booty of any character, allowing for some rewarding trips through the lands of Ehb.
Dungeon Siege is not a challenging game; players need only equip the latest weapons and armor and set the party to heal appropriately to win most battles. Micromanaging is certainly not essential to victory. However, somewhere along the way the player will likely find themselves feeling as if they, too, have traveled through a kingdom rich in detail and long in history. What the game lacks in originality it makes up for in simple execution and brilliant style.
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This review does not cover the multiplayer aspect of Dungeon Siege