60 Second Preview of…

Dungeon Siege at E3 2001

The Specs

Dungeon Siege is an action-oriented RPG a la Diablo. It plays in 3D from a top-down perspective, but the camera can be moved around. The player starts with one character but can eventually field up to eight characters in a party. Characters level up by using their skills, so character progression is determined by the gameplay: use magic and become skilled at magic; use a bow and become skilled in archery, etc. Dungeon Siege features multiplayer support and an editor for creating and sharing new levels. It uses streaming technology so players will never have to wait for areas or levels to load.

The Speculation

Mark's Comments: Wow. I loved this game. It's Diablo for the next millennium. This is one game I actually spent some time playing while at E3, about 45 minutes or so, and it seemed like it could ship tomorrow. The gameplay is fast-paced but never seemed overwhelming, and the game is filled with brilliant touches. Secret areas double back and deposit you near the entrance so you don't have to backtrack. Potions are only partially drained to restore full health instead of consumed outright. Arrows stick in monsters. Just lasso loot and right click on it to automatically pick it up. The game is designed to maximize fun and minimize tedium. Then to top it off, it will come with a robust editor and multiplayer options. Neverwinter Nights should be a worried.

Tom's Comments: Dungeon Siege turned out a lot better than I would have thought a Diablo clone by Total Annihilation's Chris Taylor would have turned out. Plus, you can have a mule to carry all your stuff. Instead of fitting your loot onto a grid like something half way between playing Tetris and packing for a move, you just pile it on a poor dumb mule. Any game where a mule carries my stuff is okay by me. But it occurs to me that Nox was a pretty good game that I'm not still playing because I've already played it; without random levels being generated on the fly, it's tought to compete with Blizzard's Diablo for longevity. Nevertheless, Dungeon Siege was another big surprise at this year's E3. And not just because of the mule.