Dungeon Siege II
| Dungeon Siege II | |
|---|---|
| File:Ds2box.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Gas Powered Games |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft |
| Designer(s) | Chris Taylor |
| Engine | Custom (based on Dungeon Siege engine) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | August 16, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single & multiplayer |
Dungeon Siege II (DS2) is a computer role-playing game and is the sequel to 2002's popular Dungeon Siege. It was developed by Gas Powered Games and released on August 16 2005, one year delayed from original projections.
Story
The player plays a mercenary working for the warlord Valdis. The plot starts with the player invading the beach of an unknown land with his or her elf-friend. The story is set a hundred years after the events that transpired in the Legends of Aranna. The game's website states it has a more complex and varied storyline as compared to Dungeon Siege.
Gameplay
Unlike Dungeon Siege, Dungeon Siege II takes a more varied approach to its gameplay. The original game was criticized for being too automated and lacking replay value. Developer Gas Powered Games improved the old system into a more versatile one that incorporates additional elements of strategy.
Combat Automation
By default, the new system turns off much of the original game's combat automation and requires players to click once for each individual attack of their selected character.
Fortunately for people who liked the combat system of the previous version, the new system can be made to behave more like it. Clicking on a monster and holding the right mouse key makes the character continuously attack until the monster dies; this is similar to the attack system in the Diablo games. There are also options that allow the player's characters to automatically defend themselves and/or automatically continue to attack their targets, much like in the old system.
Specialities & Skills
In the original Dungeon Siege, the four character specialities (also known as classes) differed only in the items and spells they were allowed to use. In Dungeon Siege II, each speciality (Melee, Ranged, Nature Magic, Combat Magic) has a unique set of skills, arranged in a skill tree reminiscent of those in Diablo II, that determines a character's particular strengths. For example, melee-oriented characters can get better at using a shield to defend their allies or they can improve their two-handed weapon skills to more effectively attack opponents.
As in the original game, multi-classing (distributing experience and skills to more than one class) is possible, but it is best to do so with caution: A character learning skills in too many different areas may find him or herself spread too thin and unable to perform any role effectively.
Powers
Another change in Dungeon Siege 2 is the addition of the Hero Powers system. Powers are special abilities that characters can use when normal attacks do not suffice; they include abilities like invincibility for the entire party and the power to summon a lightning strike that damages all enemies in the area.
Like the skills in the skill trees, Powers increase in potency as characters level.
Parties and Pets
Like its predecessor, Dungeon Siege II is a party-based RPG. Players can have up to 4 characters in a party under the first difficulty setting (Mercenary), 5 characters in Veteran difficulty, and 6 in Elite difficulty. Aside from being able to recruit non-player characters (NPCs) that function much like the player's own character, players can also buy pets that grow after being fed items.
Pets start off with a basic attack (and spell if applicable), gain a Power upon reaching the 3rd level of growth, and finally gain an emanation upon becoming Mature. Emanations are special pet-only auras that emanate outwards from the pet; they provide beneficial effects to friendly characters within range (such as increased mana regeneration).
Spells
The magic system in Dungeon Siege 2 remains largely unchanged. Combat Mages and Nature Mages still have access to separate spell lines that increase in power as the character levels.
Parties are limited to a maximum of two concurrent buffs. Pets' spells count towards this buff limit, but their emanations (see above) do not.
Each enemy may only have one debuff placed on it at a time. All negative effects count towards this limit, including curses and stuns.
Death and Unconsciousness
Dungeon Siege II's "game over" system is similar to that in many other games'. When a character loses enough health, he or she usually falls into a state of unconsciousness. The character falls to the ground, unable to move, and must wait for his or her health to slowly regenerate itself or ask for magical healing from another character.
If a character is hit hard enough by an enemy, or if an enemy is persistent in attacking an unconscious character, the character may eventually be killed. Once death occurs, the character can no longer be healed and must be resurrected by another character or by a special NPC in town.
If the entire party is slain, it can respawn back in town, but all equipment is left at their corpses. The party must then find a way to retrieve its fallen equipment, either by adventuring back to the characters' corpses or by having them summoned to town by a NPC for a small charge.
Multiplayer
Dungeon Siege 2 supports multiplayer cooperative gaming over LAN, the Internet, and a GameSpy network. Multiple people can play together in separate-but-allied parties. There is a total limit of 6 characters, regardless of whether they're player-controlled or NPCs. Purchased pets count towards this limit but summoned creatures (from spells) do not.
For LAN and Internet play, saved games are stored on the players' own computers.
For GameSpy play, saved games and characters are stored on GameSpy's servers. The GameSpy environment limits the amount of online cheating that can take place, but as of late beta, the possibility still existed.
GameSpy characters can be downloaded from the GameSpy servers to players' computers, where they can then be used for Internet, LAN, and single-player games. The reverse is not true: GameSpy characters can only be created and leveled on the GameSpy network itself. GameSpy supports only original games, piracy copies is blocked due to CD-KEY control. Is not recommend buy an used original game or illegal copy if you want to play online.
Expansion
In the end of 2005, on the official newsletter GPG announces that a expansion is currently in development.
See also
External links
Official websites
- Official Dungeon Siege II site hosted by Gas Powered Games
- Official Dungeon Siege II site hosted by Microsoft
- Official GPG Community Support site hosted by Gas Powered Games
Reviews
- Dungeon Siege II entry on GameFaqs
- Dungeon Siege II entry on Mobygames
- Dungeon Siege II entry on Metacritic