It’s been a generation since you vanquished the evil that plagued the Land of Ehb, and now…a new menace has awakened. In Dungeon Siege II, the sequel to the best-selling RPG from Gas Powered Games, you will be called on to again wield sword and spell to save the world from a growing abomination many years in the making. A thousand years ago, the crusaders of Azunai crossed swords with the legions of Zaramoth in the final battle of a century-long rebellion. As the tyrannical god Zaramoth struck the final blow through Azunai’s trembling shield, the earth shook. In that moment, the forces of magic were unchained, and both armies were consumed in a brilliant cataclysm that stretched for leagues across the Plain of Tears. Only a scarred wasteland remained as final testament to the First Age of Man. And for a millennium, magic has continued to spread to the farthest corners of the world, freely flowing to any who would command it. But the tide of magic has begun to wane, heeding instead the call of an ancient legacy. From the Plain of Tears a new heir beckons, and with each day his strength grows. Consuming those who submit, eradicating those who resist. With none to oppose his ascendance, the circle will be complete, and an ancient age will begin anew. What fate will befall the Second Age of Man? The time for judgment is nigh.
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- The best dungeon siege game, very fun combat and character building.
- Must be modded now to be played on newer machines.
- Plot is serviceable, world is very big and exploring it is very fun.
- The combat is where this game truly shines with controlling multiple characters and making sure the build works and you aren't getting steamrolled at every fight.
- Difficulty can be very spiky at points and final boss is one of the grindest things you can do in an ARPG.
- Must be modded now to be played on newer machines.
- Plot is serviceable, world is very big and exploring it is very fun.
- The combat is where this game truly shines with controlling multiple characters and making sure the build works and you aren't getting steamrolled at every fight.
- Difficulty can be very spiky at points and final boss is one of the grindest things you can do in an ARPG.
I bought and played it relatively close to the release. Unfortunately, it didn't really grab me back then. I think the graphics style was the main reason for this. I tried it several times and started again and again and played a bit, but I just couldn't get into it. This game proved to me that I'm not interested in a game if I'm not interested in the world. It doesn't even need an amazing story or great dialog or whatever but the world has to be interesting to me and unfortunately it wasn't here. Maybe I should look at it again as an adult, but I'm not sure.
This review contains spoilers
Warning: spoilers
Good game with fresh new look and mechanics, compared to the original.
I liked Dungeon Siege 2. It is a big, open world game with many new features, mechanics, characters and story elements. However, I think the game has changed so much from the original in terms of overall feeling, atmosphere and story, that I consider it a standalone title. This is certainly not a bad thing in any way however.
In Dungeon Siege II, you start as a mercenary in the army of Valdis, a Dark Wizard that acquired the magical Sword of Zaramoth. You fight your way to a temple that you need to conquer but are knocked unconscious. You wake in a Dryad village. The Dryads are suspicious of you and you soon learn that Valdis is the bad guy and is destroying the entire kingdom. You earn the trust of the Dryads by helping them out and make a change of heart, dedicating yourself to fight Valdis.
You learn that the only way to defeat Valdis (and his badass insta kill sword), is by assembling all the pieces of the Shield of Azunai. You gather the pieces through your adventures and take the fight to Valdis. He shatters his sword on your shield, losing his edge. You defeat him and save the kingdom. Classic.
In the original game, you progress through one large, static, road, through different environments and dungeons. It was executed perfectly in my opinion for the time, but in the end, it was just one lengthy path towards the end goal, without room to explore. This has been improved in Dungeon Siege 2, with the addition of checkpoints to teleport between areas, different sub areas you can explore and optional quests and caves. Another noticeable difference is the Diablo II style mechanic in which enemies respawn after each session of the game, removing the hard cap of a fixed number of enemies and experience.
The progression system remains intact from the first game. Instead of gaining levels and improve certain stats, you start with a “blank slate” and gain experience through the weapon or spell that you frequently use. If you focus on melee combat for example, you level this skill, and with it, your strength so you can equip heavier armor for example. This also means that you can theoretically become a multi class master of all trades, but this is not recommended because your overall damage and effectiveness will suffer over it.
The graphics in Dungeon Siege II look amazing for the time and the stiff animations from the first game are gone. They are replaced by fluent RPG combat that feels a lot more natural. Effects from spells look great and I can only praise the overall look of the game.
In terms of sound, a lot has been improved here too. For one, there is the improved voice acting, making the game feel much more “alive”. Effects from melee, ranged, and spell hits all sound great and the sound monsters make in this game are greatly improved from the first game.
Dungeon Siege II controls a lot better too. The movement, attack and responsiveness of the first game let a lot to be desired, but here, it all feels fluent and natural.
Lastly, some new features have been added to the game, like the Hero Powers, which the player can use for some extra edge over a fight, like invincibility for example. You can still recruit NPC’s for your party, like the first game, but in addition, you can now also recruit pets that grow stronger when you feed it items. So awesome. The balance and difference between Combat Magic and Nature Magic is also greatly improved. In the first game, you could achieve exactly the same with both schools, the only difference being that one focused on Ice Magic and the other on Fire Magic. In Dungeon Siege II, Combat Magic is pure destruction and death, while Nature Magic is summoning and healing.
Overall, I liked Dungeon Siege II a lot, However, although it still follows the events from the first game, it felt a little disconnected and more “stand alone”. Nevertheless, the improvements and fresh new presentation were enough for me to surely recommend this game.
Good game with fresh new look and mechanics, compared to the original.
I liked Dungeon Siege 2. It is a big, open world game with many new features, mechanics, characters and story elements. However, I think the game has changed so much from the original in terms of overall feeling, atmosphere and story, that I consider it a standalone title. This is certainly not a bad thing in any way however.
In Dungeon Siege II, you start as a mercenary in the army of Valdis, a Dark Wizard that acquired the magical Sword of Zaramoth. You fight your way to a temple that you need to conquer but are knocked unconscious. You wake in a Dryad village. The Dryads are suspicious of you and you soon learn that Valdis is the bad guy and is destroying the entire kingdom. You earn the trust of the Dryads by helping them out and make a change of heart, dedicating yourself to fight Valdis.
You learn that the only way to defeat Valdis (and his badass insta kill sword), is by assembling all the pieces of the Shield of Azunai. You gather the pieces through your adventures and take the fight to Valdis. He shatters his sword on your shield, losing his edge. You defeat him and save the kingdom. Classic.
In the original game, you progress through one large, static, road, through different environments and dungeons. It was executed perfectly in my opinion for the time, but in the end, it was just one lengthy path towards the end goal, without room to explore. This has been improved in Dungeon Siege 2, with the addition of checkpoints to teleport between areas, different sub areas you can explore and optional quests and caves. Another noticeable difference is the Diablo II style mechanic in which enemies respawn after each session of the game, removing the hard cap of a fixed number of enemies and experience.
The progression system remains intact from the first game. Instead of gaining levels and improve certain stats, you start with a “blank slate” and gain experience through the weapon or spell that you frequently use. If you focus on melee combat for example, you level this skill, and with it, your strength so you can equip heavier armor for example. This also means that you can theoretically become a multi class master of all trades, but this is not recommended because your overall damage and effectiveness will suffer over it.
The graphics in Dungeon Siege II look amazing for the time and the stiff animations from the first game are gone. They are replaced by fluent RPG combat that feels a lot more natural. Effects from spells look great and I can only praise the overall look of the game.
In terms of sound, a lot has been improved here too. For one, there is the improved voice acting, making the game feel much more “alive”. Effects from melee, ranged, and spell hits all sound great and the sound monsters make in this game are greatly improved from the first game.
Dungeon Siege II controls a lot better too. The movement, attack and responsiveness of the first game let a lot to be desired, but here, it all feels fluent and natural.
Lastly, some new features have been added to the game, like the Hero Powers, which the player can use for some extra edge over a fight, like invincibility for example. You can still recruit NPC’s for your party, like the first game, but in addition, you can now also recruit pets that grow stronger when you feed it items. So awesome. The balance and difference between Combat Magic and Nature Magic is also greatly improved. In the first game, you could achieve exactly the same with both schools, the only difference being that one focused on Ice Magic and the other on Fire Magic. In Dungeon Siege II, Combat Magic is pure destruction and death, while Nature Magic is summoning and healing.
Overall, I liked Dungeon Siege II a lot, However, although it still follows the events from the first game, it felt a little disconnected and more “stand alone”. Nevertheless, the improvements and fresh new presentation were enough for me to surely recommend this game.
I sieged your mother's dungeon, too.
Dude I like this game. It's got budget for days and it's got satisfying smooth brain fighting that somehow feels more rewarding than games that require more input on your attacks. Pretty interesting.
Dude I like this game. It's got budget for days and it's got satisfying smooth brain fighting that somehow feels more rewarding than games that require more input on your attacks. Pretty interesting.
Das Spiel hat meinen Vater mit einem Genjutsu belegt und ihn glauben lassen der Controller ist ein Basketball.
Disclaimer: I would still recommend both this and Dungeon Siege 1 for shits and giggles while on a sale. They're great windows into early 00s CRPG game design and do offer a few hours of fun per title, but your mileage may vary. I think I got both of these for less than $2 each, maybe less than $1, and look back fondly on them as the little IP that couldn't quite make it.
But alas, just like it's predecessor, it tries to do so many RPG genres that it ends it up doing none of them well: it tries to blend the character progression of a D&D CRPG with the combat of a Diablo game and never feels quite right nor well-thought out. The story isn't as good as Fallout; the combat isn't as satisfying nor deep as Diablo; it's not as tactical as Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter; the exploration is too linear; and the lore isn't nearly as interesting as any of its contemporaries at the time. In fact, to that last point, the naming conventions of all the enemies and this big, epic story it tried to tell reminded me a high schooler's notebook full of "badass" ideas.
It is way, WAY better than the first game in just about every regard, but I reached a point of such sheer boredom that I can't find myself completing this game any time soon. I wish Steam had a neutral or middle-of-the-road review, but here we are.
But alas, just like it's predecessor, it tries to do so many RPG genres that it ends it up doing none of them well: it tries to blend the character progression of a D&D CRPG with the combat of a Diablo game and never feels quite right nor well-thought out. The story isn't as good as Fallout; the combat isn't as satisfying nor deep as Diablo; it's not as tactical as Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter; the exploration is too linear; and the lore isn't nearly as interesting as any of its contemporaries at the time. In fact, to that last point, the naming conventions of all the enemies and this big, epic story it tried to tell reminded me a high schooler's notebook full of "badass" ideas.
It is way, WAY better than the first game in just about every regard, but I reached a point of such sheer boredom that I can't find myself completing this game any time soon. I wish Steam had a neutral or middle-of-the-road review, but here we are.