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[V_Arnold]

What is Dungeon Siege 3?
Dungeon Siege 3 is a hack'n'slash game with lots of loot and much more focus on the story than one would expect from a game in this genre - the developers are Obsidian Entertainment, after all. The official release date is june 17th, 2011.

Platforms:
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC (Windows)

System Requirements for PC: (Recommended in () )
OS: Windows XP SP3, Vista SP1, Windows 7 (Windows 7)
Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz or equivalent (Core i5 750 2.67 GHz or equivalent)
Memory: 1.5 GB (2gb)
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3870 or NVIDIA 9800 GT (ATI Radeon HD 4870 or NVIDIA GTX 260)
DirectX®: DirectX® 9.0c
Hard Drive: 4 GB for full installation
Sound: No accelerated sound hardware required
Source: STEAM Store

But how does it relate to the previous games?
Do not expect too much, other than being placed in the same world. This game not only has a different developer (Obsidian Entertainment) and publisher (Square Enix), but it moves away to a more action-based direction - if you were a hardcore fan of the originals, it is far from guaranteed that you will like the DS3 for the same reasons. Also, this one is not exclusively made for PC, and it currently controls best with a 360 pad, instead of the keyboard+mouse duo.

Characters:

(From the left, to the right)
Reinhart Max - introduction video

Reinhart Manx is descended from a long line of Legion mages. He has spent most of his life at the Stonebridge Collegium, immersed in the study and practice of magic. Reinhart is known for his unconventional thinking and innovative magical techniques.
A scholar of arcane magic, Reinhart warps the forces of creation and destruction to his will. Although it leaves him open to attack, his Entropic magic can blast a wide area with life-extinguishing force. It is perfect for destroying crowds of enemies, as long as he keeps them at a distance. His Dynamic magic is channeled through an arcane gauntlet and capacitor. This deadly device creates currents of energy with a mere motion of his hand, allowing Reinhart to quickly incapacitate a single target at close range.

Anjali - introduction video

Anjali is an archon - a legend, come to life. In the old stories, archons were spirits of fire, who served the long-lost creator gods. But Anjali was raised by friends of the Legion, and she does not know how she came to this world, or what happened to the others of her kind.
Anjali can shift freely between her human form and an incarnation of elemental fire. In human form, she fights with a staff or a spear, allowing her to fend off multiple attackers while leaping in and out of the fray. In her fiery incarnation, she can hurl bolts of flame at ranged targets, flood areas with heat and fire, or inflict searing wounds that injure her foes over time.

Lucas Montbarron - introduction video

Lucas Montbarron is the son of the former Grand Master of the Legion. He is the last of a noble and respected line. Raised in a series of safehouses by families loyal to his father's memory, Lucas will not rest until the Legion is rebuilt, and his family's honour is restored. Lucas has been taught the art of combat in the ancient and deadly style of the Legion.
Lucas is a skilled swordsman, and a master of two combat stances. He can fight with a sword and shield, which allows him to attack quickly, deal heavy damage, and interrupt and stun single targets. When outnumbered, he wields a massive two-handed sword. While slower to swing and less practical for one-on-one combat, it can strike multiple foes and knock them back, making it an ideal weapon for crowd control.

Katarina - introduction video

Katarina is the illegitimate daughter of Hugh Montbarron - the former Grand Master of the Legion - and a Lescanzi witch. Her mother's people are nomads and wanderers, distrusted by many people in Ehb... but they are skilled in both warfare and magic, and Katarina has been trained in their ways.
Katarina takes a thoroughly practical approach to conflict resolution: stay out of sword's reach, and settle your problems with firearms. With her rifle in hand, she can fell distant foes, and even the most resilient enemy can be brought down by her ensorcelled bullets and debilitating curses. When forced into close combat, Katarina uses sorcery and a pair of short-range shotguns to repel attackers.

I want to mock this game so bad, can you help me with this?
Unfortunately, yes.
Step 1: Check out THIS video.
Step 2: There is no step two. Proceed to laugh for whatever amount of time feels neccessary for you.

Are the first reviews out yet?
Yes, there has been a few out, links to them:
EGM: 8/10
CVG Dungeon Siege 3 review - 7.9
Game Informer 8/10
Dungeon Siege 3 Eurogamer review (8/10)
Dungeon Siege 3 review by Suicide Girls
Dungeon Siege 3 Game Revolution review (B)

Spoiler

First official thread ever, hope it does not suck too much

 

[Corky]

I never played the previous games but my soul has a huge hole where a dungen crawler loot fest game fits right now.

 

[Fredescu]

Steam time tracking and achievements don't seem to be working. Has it unlocked in the US yet?

 

[piratepwnsninja]

Already ordered on Steam. Plays great with a controller and co-op was fun with with my son.

 

[Moaradin]

Plays good with the controller, but I can see where the keyboard complaints are coming from.

 

[V_Arnold]

I have to say, I already fell in love with Anjali's design.

 

[Gravijah]

A review by... Suicide Girls? I suppose Solidsnakex will enjoy that.

 

[Naeblish]

I totally gave up on this game after reading the demo thread, then eurogamer gave it an 8/10. Gonna try the demo and see for myself.

 

[Mashing]

Plays good with the controller, but I can see where the keyboard complaints are coming from.

Goddamnit, this needs to stop. PC games MUST be able to be played well on PC even if they are designed for consoles first. You shouldn't have to mod the fucking game to have it play well on PC.

 

[MurkyZebra2417]

I love Dungeon Siege 1+2. After playing the Steam demo it was clear to me that this was targeted for consoles, so I bought it for PS3 today. After the first shock about the graphics (On my PC the game looks so damn awesome... on PS3... yeah it's OKAY) I have to say I really like the game. I'm only 2 hours in or so, but I am currently exploring a big haunted manor and I really like the serious atmosphere this game has.

 

[theDeeDubs]

I think GI gave this an 8 as well. I can't wait to get this next week. <3 Obsidian.

 

[Derrick01]

Game Informer also gave it a 8 by the way, just got the mag a couple of days ago.

Solid scores for a game that doesn't look all that great but the demo hooked me in a weird way. Sort of like a "I know this is bad but I can't stop playing anyway" feeling.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Does the PC version have built in Xbox 360 pad support then, if kb/m is so bad?

 

[2San]

Goddamnit, this needs to stop. PC games MUST be able to be played well on PC even if they are designed for consoles first. You shouldn't have to mod the fucking game to have it play well on PC.

While this is somewhat true, why don't you have a wired 360 controller yet though? It works great. Having to mod a PC game to run well has been true since forever though.

 

[butsomuch]

EGM gave 8/10 to DSIII too.

 

[cleveridea]

preordered from amazon, its a steal at $40 on PC ($50 but with $10 credit back), I would have paid $60 for it after loving the pc demo

bought boxed product hoping it has a real nice color manual (unlike alice madness return)

 

[stuminus3]

I can see this getting a panning (at least commercially, if not critically), but I'm all pre-loaded and looking forward to it.

A bit of mindless hack and slashing mixed with Obsidian's ability to write a good script seems like a pleasant way to spend a summer evening.

Does the PC version have built in Xbox 360 pad support then, if kb/m is so bad?

Yes, proper button prompts and everything.

 

[Hyphen]

I never played the previous games but my soul has a huge hole where a dungen crawler loot fest game fits right now.

I feel the same. I'm currently going through Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. And although it's enjoyable, it doesn't quite hit all the right notes for me. The main thing being the theme - I need something with a more quasi-'LotR' environment. And this looks nice.

 

[Fredescu]

Does the PC version have built in Xbox 360 pad support then, if kb/m is so bad?

Yep. You can still use kbd to chat too while you're using it.

 

[derFeef]

Oh wow, that was a fast OT. *kicks banners into trash*
Downloading on Steam now.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

I can see this getting a panning (at least commercially, if not critically), but I'm all pre-loaded and looking forward to it.

It's surprisingly getting pretty much straight 8s right now, which is fantastic for a genre that doesn't tend to score particularly high in general.

 

[Interfectum]

How much of a "lootwhore" game is this? Torchlight level? Also, does your appearance change when you equip new armor?

 

[-tetsuo-]

Suicide Girls review?

 

[Confidence Man]

Didn't care for the demo at all (PC). Couldn't zoom out enough or tilt the camera to see far enough ahead, HUD seems about twice the size it needs to be, controls were pretty lousy (I will not play with a damn controller), abilities/loot seemed pretty limited, black borders in 16:10, just a blatant console port all around.

 

[Corky]

How much of a "lootwhore" game is this? Torchlight level? Also, does your appearance change when you equip new armor?

Yeah I'd like to know this as well ,depending on the answer I'll buy it within the blink of an eye or wait for the summer sale.

 

[Fredescu]

Didn't care for the demo at all (PC). Couldn't zoom out enough or tilt the camera to see far enough ahead, HUD seems about twice the size it needs to be, controls were pretty lousy (I will not play with a damn controller), abilities/loot seemed pretty limited, black borders in 16:10, just a blatant console port all around.

All of what you say is true except for that. There are 23 (twenty three!) different stats. Loot has the ability to wildly alter your character in different ways.

 

[Relix]

Ill buy this when it undoubtedly drops to $40 or $30 in the next months.

 

[Fredescu]

Also, does your appearance change when you equip new armor?

Yes, but it's a lot more subtle than a lot of games.

 

[Fredescu]

By the way, if you're playing the demo, or just starting out in the game, play on Hardcore. Forget Normal.

 

[Corky]

By the way, if you're playing the demo, or just starting out in the game, play on Hardcore. Forget Normal.

Is normal too easy? I don't mind hack n slash games not being challenging per se but I want to be able to atleast have to be on my toes from time to time.

 

[Mashing]

While this is somewhat true, why don't you have a wired 360 controller yet though? It works great. Having to mod a PC game to run well has been true since forever though.

Actually no I don't (obviously it's time to invest in one though).

 

[Gram Negative Cocci]

Demo was OK.

It's just not a Dungeon Siege game... better call it Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance III.

 

[derFeef]

By the way, if you're playing the demo, or just starting out in the game, play on Hardcore. Forget Normal.

I died with Anjali at the end of the demo SEVERAL times on normal. That said, I just got the stance and dance skills nailed at the end.

 

[Patryn]

I feel like we've progressed beyond such limitations when it comes to character customization.

Then again, Torchlight 2 also only has four classes (right?). It's just something about this game is screaming to me "LIMITED CHOICE!"

Well, I bought it a while ago, so I guess I'll give it chance.

 

[cleveridea]

Is normal too easy? I don't mind hack n slash games not being challenging per se but I want to be able to atleast have to be on my toes from time to time.

eurogamer mentioned its pretty easy on normal

 

[Rollo Lawson]

played the demo and i am fully sold on this. i love it. it reminds of sacred 2, which is one of the more addicting games i've played this gen. ill definitely be buying it soon

 

[webrunner]

Why can't games be easy on easy and hard on hard. Why do they have to be easy or hard on normal.

 

[Fredescu]

Is normal too easy? I don't mind hack n slash games not being challenging per se but I want to be able to atleast have to be on my toes from time to time.

On normal it's almost possible to get by using regular attacks only, which is not really what the gameplay is about. The regular attacks should really only be used to replenish your focus bar.

I died with Anjali at the end of the Ddemo SEVERAL times on normal. That said, I just got the stance and dance skills nailed at the end.

Yeah, I died on my first try against that boss too. Apparently that boss is one of the easier fights in the game. An Obsidian rep on SA was saying "DS3 has, by far, the best/most epic boss fights of any Obsidian game." Looking forward to that then.

 

[Clevinger]

I never played the previous games but my soul has a huge hole where a dungen crawler loot fest game fits right now.

You'd probably be better off putting the money aside for Torchlight 2.

 

[derFeef]

Yeah, I died on my first try against that boss too. Apparently that boss is one of the easier fights in the game. An Obsidian rep on SA was saying "DS3 has, by far, the best/most epic boss fights of any Obsidian game." Looking forward to that then.

Awesome, thanks. I am going to play Katarina first, she looks hot. Love woman with guns

 

[MurkyZebra2417]

While most of the standard combat so far has been relatively easy, the bosses are different. I didn't die so far, but there was more than one critical situation. If you "just" want to hack 'n slay a bit I would recommend normal difficulty on the first playthrough, because I don't think the game gets easier later on ^^

 

[v0mitg0d]

Played a few hours in coop with the final retail (PS3) last night and had a good time. It's not a perfect game by any means--it's got its issues--but at the end of the night we both agreed it was a lot of fun.

So some random thoughts of the good, the bad and the ugly:

- The graphics on the PS3 version are mediocre at best. Occasionally the frame rate dropped during busy scenes, but it was never unplayable due to this.

- We played as the duo Reinhart and Lucas. It seemed like a good match up once we started leveling up and unlocking abilities.

- My initial impression with the abilities, proficiencies, talents and deeps was...confusion. I don't think the game does a very good job of teaching the player what the everything really does. Yes, you get a wall of text during the tutorial, however I had a bit of a hard time making sense of it all. After a few hours it all makes sense though.

- This game is surprisingly deep in its RPG elements for a console RPG. And it's not on an Oblivion level, but it's much deeper than Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance (my console RPG standard for fun).

- Reinhart starts off slowly and awkwardly, but once you get a few levels in he gets some really wicked spells--especially the one we called the "Pain Mat". It's a spell that not only slows down mobs that walk over it, but does damage.

- We had one boss fight that lasted a good 10 minutes, and it felt fairly epic once we downed him. The cool thing is we were totally changing up tactics, switching positions and complimenting each other along the way. It was a really good boss fight. I hope the are more like it!

- Gold is shared, doesnt matter who picks it up.

- Loot appears to go whomever the item is fitted for, no matter who picks it up.

- We played on the normal difficulty and (once we got past the demo area) we wiped a few times. Once during a mini-boss fight, once where we both got rushed in a hallway and another because we were laughing too hard (we were just having a good time with it all).

- The ability to revive someone by holding the R1 button over their body is cool and helps to avoid frustration. If you get hit by something during the rez, the meter goes back to 0.

- The chatty Mass Effect-like wheel is fine I suppose, but something about makes it feel boring. I cant put my thumb on it just yet.

- At first loot didnt appear to show up on the character, but I finally got a pretty awesome magic globe and in my characters hands you could see the fire--it was cool.

- There are side quests, they are fun, they are typical of what you'd expect for this genre (kill someone, get this lost ring, kill someone, I lost my husband, kill someone, FedEx, kill someone).

- So far the environments have been enjoyably varied.

- If you're playing local coop and the other play steps away, after 1 minute of sitting idle his player will begin to follow you where you go.

- If there is a way to give each other something we didn't see it (that doesn't mean it doesn't exist!).

- Reinhart is a badass!

in short: I'm having a really good time with the game via local coop despite it's issues. If you got any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.

 

[Fredescu]

- Kenny Rogers is a badass!

He sure is.

 

[lamotia]

Played a few hours in coop with the final retail (PS3) last night and had a good time. It's not a perfect game by any means--it's got its issues--but at the end of the night we both agreed it was a lot of fun.

So some random thoughts of the good, the bad and the ugly:

- The graphics on the PS3 version are mediocre at best. Occasionally the frame rate dropped during busy scenes, but it was never unplayable due to this.

- We played as the duo Reinhart and Lucas. It seemed like a good match up once we started leveling up and unlocking abilities.

- My initial impression with the abilities, proficiencies, talents and deeps was...confusion. I don't think the game does a very good job of teaching the player what the everything really does. Yes, you get a wall of text during the tutorial, however I had a bit of a hard time making sense of it all. After a few hours it all makes sense though.

- This game is surprisingly deep in its RPG elements for a console RPG. And it's not on an Oblivion level, but it's much deeper than Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance (my console RPG standard for fun).

- Reinhart starts off slowly and awkwardly, but once you get a few levels in he gets some really wicked spells--especially the one we called the "Pain Mat". It's a spell that not only slows down mobs that walk over it, but does damage.

- We had one boss fight that lasted a good 10 minutes, and it felt fairly epic once we downed him. The cool thing is we were totally changing up tactics, switching positions and complimenting each other along the way. It was a really good boss fight. I hope the are more like it!

- Gold is shared, doesnt matter who picks it up.

- Loot appears to go whomever the item is fitted for, no matter who picks it up.

- We played on the normal difficulty and (once we got past the demo area) we wiped a few times. Once during a mini-boss fight, once where we both got rushed in a hallway and another because we were laughing too hard (we were just having a good time with it all).

- The ability to revive someone by holding the R1 button over their body is cool and helps to avoid frustration. If you get hit by something during the rez, the meter goes back to 0.

- The chatty Mass Effect-like wheel is fine I suppose, but something about makes it feel boring. I cant put my thumb on it just yet.

- At first loot didnt appear to show up on the character, but I finally got a pretty awesome magic globe and in my characters hands you could see the fire--it was cool.

- There are side quests, they are fun, they are typical of what you'd expect for this genre (kill someone, get this lost ring, kill someone, I lost my husband, kill someone, FedEx, kill someone).

- So far the environments have been enjoyably varied.

- If you're playing local coop and the other play steps away, after 1 minute of sitting idle his player will begin to follow you where you go.

- If there is a way to give each other something we didn't see it (that doesn't mean it doesn't exist!).

- Reinhart is a badass!

in short: I'm having a really good time with the game via local coop despite it's issues. If you got any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.

Is the offline coop split-screen? Is it good that way?

 

[Fredescu]

Pressing in the left stick auto loots coin and orbs by the way. I don't think the game tells you this anywhere.

 

[near]

Got my copy today, but I also ended up buying Portal 2 and Child of Eden at the same time. So I probably won't start this until tomorrow or at least until I finish P2 which shouldn't take too long.

 

[truly101]

Latest issue of EGM gave DSIII an 8/10

EDIT: Beaten a few posts up. Drat

 

[spiderman123]

Can someone write a review in the review thread? I have lost faith ever since the 2K incident (not to say I haven't lost faith before the incident). Also, can't do it myself since you can say, I lack the intellect to write a fluid review.

edit: What is Suicide girls? Never heard of that one.

 

[legbone]

edit: What is Suicide girls? Never heard of that one.

you are in for quite an interesting google search adventure if you choose to look it up. anyway, i didn't really like the demo but the loot whore in me keeps telling me to buy it anyway and hope for the best. does the game ever get better than the demo? it felt so mediocre (graphics and gameplay). maybe i'll redownload the demo and give it one more chance. tried the 360 version last time. i'll try the ps3 one this time.

 

[V_Arnold]

At this point I might just as well remove that one review. I picked that up from the trailer thread, it was linked there.Once the important site's review kick in, that one will not have too much importance, I guess.

Also, should I *google* that one? Was hoping that phrase is nothing but some ...name.

EDIT: But also, the review itself is quite well written anyway