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Posted on Feb 26, 2007 in Electronic Games, Front Page Features

Dungeon Siege 2: Deluxe Edition – Game Review (PC)

By Ryan Stepalavich

Graphically, Dungeon Siege 2 does well enough on its own. Combat animations were fluid, very quick, and overall very entertaining. The full motion video is engaging and, more importantly, seamless in transition from in-game to video. Teleporting from one area to another greets the player with a transition to video and back again with very little lag in between. The particle effects for spells and explosions are par for the course, with smoke and fog aplomb. It was a little disconcerting, considering the slightly-above-average graphics, that the game had an exceptional amount of slowdown in scenes that wouldn’t normally require it. For example, setting fire to a singular building, with no combat in the area, will slow many PCs down to a crawl from time to time. It can be very frustrating, and will only serve to incite the gamer to merely wish the quest to end, instead of enjoying the fruits of his or her labor.

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The sounds in Dungeon Siege 2 were very entertaining. Enemies make their war cries before going in for the attack, with a good musical score keeping track of what the player is doing and adapting appropriately. Some of the death cries are a tad overplayed, and sometimes even painfully so. Spells are also a bit on the cheesy side, where certain all-powerful spells only get a mere tinkle of chimes before the enemy spontaneously combusts all over the screen.

The network play is decent, with good stability and very little lag. However, a gamer would be hard pressed to see a good player vs. player room, or even a decent questing area to go through. That would probably be because there’s not much offered in the multiplayer section to begin with. In all actuality, there’s very little difference in experience between questing with a buddy, and doing so alone.

Overall, the experience played in Dungeon Siege 2: Deluxe Edition was not something unfamiliar. There is certainly a great deal of game time in the pack, which gives the gamer a good bang for the buck. The question is whether or not he or she wishes to play "yet another" action RPG. There just isn’t anything fresh or exciting to be played in Dungeon Siege 2. While the storyline is good, the gameplay solid, and the graphics crisp and clean, all of the above are things that have already been seen in RPGs in the past. Dungeon Siege 2 is a good RPG, but not one that would be recommended for those who are searching for something new in their collection.

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