Dungeon Siege 3

As far as adjectives go, being called "satisfying" isn't generally considered a wildly enthusiastic compliment. I doubt it's a word that game developers choose as a benchmark for their projects, preferring to hear the likes of "awe-inspiring" or "sublime" associated with what they have created. Yet in the case of Obsidian's action RPG Dungeon Siege 3, "satisfying" is the word which most accurately describes the experience, and it's meant in the most positive manner possible. Just about every element, from the story to the combat, is handled in a straightforward but pleasantly entertaining way. All of these bits and pieces together result in a Western RPG which doesn't try very hard, but should leave you feeling... well, satisfied.

As you'll have figured out from the title, this is indeed the third release in the Dungeon Siege series, but newcomers need not panic - Dungeon Siege 3 may be set in the same universe as it's forebears, but following this new story doesn't require knowledge of the past games. For this meaty adventure your quest begins in the Kingdom of Ehb, a part of the world once controlled by the Legion but which has since fallen under the sword of one Jayne Kassender and her forces. The Legion was all but decimated, leaving only a small number of decendants scattered and in hiding across the kingdom. With Kassender's total domination of the land imminent, an ex-Legion spy moves to regroup what is left of the Tenth Legion and to make one final stand before all is lost. Playing as one of the few remaining Legionnaires, you take up your sword (or rifle, or fire spear, or magic wand thing) and head out to join the Legion for its big comeback tour.

There are four characters to choose from at the start, each representing a different player class - Lucas the heavy handed sword-swinger; Anjali the mystical flame-throwing elemental; Katarina the fleet-footed ranged weapons specialist; and Reinhart, your typical sorcerer type, with obligatory beard. It's worth spending some time carefully selecting a player, because while through the course of your adventure you will be able to switch between the other three as your companion, you only ever control your primary character. The personality which you take on as your own for your journey through the Kingdom of Ehb does affect the course of the story in small ways too, with each of them having a different backstory and different interactions with the various NPCs which populate the world.

While your choice of character does have some bearing on the narrative, it's the different character's combat styles which impact the game most significantly. For an action RPG, Dungeon Siege 3 puts a whole lot of emphasis on the ‘action' part of that moniker. Considering the relative limitations of a gamepad (compared to a keyboard) for button input mapping and controls, Obsidian has done well to make combat both relatively straightforward and surprisingly deep - a good thing, since you will be battling beasties a whole lot more often than you'll be chatting up damsels in distress. Each character has two combat stances, each with associated attacks and defensive moves - some spell-based, others using your character's standard weapons, some for close combat and others for ranged attacks. Beyond this, there are also amplified versions of the different abilities, as well as passive perks and skills which can be unlocked. This all works together far better than you may think, although there are times where the different button configurations can become a little cumbersome in the heat of battle. The only thing that detracts from the combat is the camera placement, which never really feels like it's exactly where you want it.

As can be expected, all of this combat results in two things: levelling and loot. Kill enough pointy-eared swamp trolls and you'll soon be on your way to that much-desired "Level Up" chime, giving you a chance to improve and modify your characters skill set to suit your style. Anyone expecting an in-depth character building component here must keep in mind that Dungeon Siege 3 isn't that kind of RPG - character development as a whole is a relatively dumbed down, streamlined affair. Loot, on the other hand, is here and in abundance. This is a dungeon crawler at heart, in the vein of the classic Diablo series, or the recent XBLA gem Torchlight, and that means loot pours from fallen enemies like a shiny fountain. Treasure chests are everywhere, from the attics of deserted castles to the darkest, dingiest corners of a forgotten swamp, just begging to be hacked open to release their bounty. Selecting which of your discovered loot to actually use isn't quite so exciting, because you basically just equip the most expensive items you own at any time. Still, just seeing those glimmering piles of gold coins and trinkets shining in the moonlight is reason enough to smash every crate, kill every monster and search every corner of the world.

It's a pretty big world to explore too, spread across a variety of environments, each with a distinct look and feel. Level maps are big but never overly complicated, mostly guiding your party down a fairly linear path. Swamps suffocating in thick fog and underground caverns dotted with glistening gems buried in the rock walls, along with suitably quaint medieval towns are all portrayed with a charming visual flair. Obsidian has by no means pushed the boundaries of what is possible on current generation hardware, but the entire Kingdom of Ehb is consistently pleasant to look at. Subtle details abound, with impressive environmental textures creating an attractive but not overtly realistic fantasy world. Repeated visits to some areas can lead to a mild case of overexposure though, especially during quiet times where there are no enemies to keep you occupied, making those same alluring forests look a little tired.

Hacking and slashing your way through the campaign, which should take around 15 hours or so, isn't much of a challenge once you've worked out the best attack and defence strategies for the different player classes and enemies. The narrative isn't going to win awards, but it should keep all but the most easily distracted gamers entertained, especially with the bevy of side quests which pop up all along the way. If 15 hours sounds like a very long time to spend lost in the forest on your own, you may be glad to hear that you can play the entire quest from start to finish with up to three friends in the co-operative mode. It's a very "modern" take on co-op RPG gaming though - a kind of Rock Band drop-in, drop-out gameplay mechanic which means that you can pull in and join a random game at any point along the way, kill a few meanies, and then bugger off once the kettle has boiled. Personally, I didn't care for it. There really doesn't seem to be much point to it - you can't use your single-player character, or even keep any of the bits and pieces you collect along the way, and if the camera angle issue bothered you during single-player sessions, be prepared for frustration in the co-op mode, as it's locked in a very annoying position.

Multiplayer concerns aside (the concern being "why did they bother?"), Dungeon Siege 3 is an almost brilliant fantasy adventure. The story has enough momentum to drag you along at a fair pace, complimented by a combat mechanic which is simple yet still encourages strategic play. Each kill, each completed quest, each big, glowing "Level Up!" that sears across the screen when you hit that next Experience Point milestone leaves you feeling... satisfied. By not trying too hard to wow us with amazing technology or diverse gameplay styles, Obsidian has scored a pretty solid action RPG hit that should have most gamers eager for yet another Dungeon Siege to follow. Satisfying indeed.

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