Dungeon Siege III

So, in the end, what we have is an exceptional local-multiplayer action RPG with a good story and great combat and production values, fused with some of the best-loved trappings of the hack-and-slash loot-grab genre.

Dungeon Siege III is among the finer ways you can dungeon-crawl on your 360 these days, and if the developers can iron out its quirks, a sequel (which this game sets up nicely) could be epic.

Dungeon Siege III isn't extraordinary, but is it a highly satisfying way to spend time gaming with a friend or three.

Fans of the series will appreciate the class system and the numerous characters, while newcomers will enjoy the approachable combat and beautiful worlds. It's a win-win across the board, and we'll take that any day of the week over a recycled Final Fantasy adventure.

Dungeon Siege III revealed to be a good action-RPG with a satisfying combat system, an enjoyable co-op mode, good graphics and great sound. Too bad for the undelwhelming plot.

It's a game that offers few surprises then, but one that offers plenty of enjoyment. It has nowhere near the depth of Obsidian's last RPG, Fallout: New Vegas and in this case it suits.

It may have a few hiccups here and there, but there's no doubting the fact that Dungeon Siege III scratches that itch for a good dungeon crawler.

Dungeon Siege 3 is a worthy successor to the Dungeon Siege Saga, and the legitimate heir to the Throne of Console Dungeon Crawlers. However, PC fanatics will feel as if they're playing a slightly dumped down version of the first two epic games of the franchise.

If you're looking for an exciting romp through impressive-looking dungeons where you smash monsters, get loot, use tactics to win, and level up a lot of fun abilities, then this game delivers that in a way that's more true to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance than it is to either the past Dungeon Siege games or the Diablo series. And if you want something with the kind of wide-open online play that lasts for years, well, you're better off saving your money and waiting for Diablo III.

With most of the action taking place in castles, forests, caves, factories, mountains, swamps and numerous other locations, there are very few dungeons to be found at all within the game. Which overall speaks volumes for potential expectations one may have with the game, and in failing to meet them could be an unfair catalyst in dismissing what is a fun, polished, and streamlined action RPG experience that deserves your attention.

The game is designed to simply let you get on with it. The lack of loading screens means you can continuously chug through a 10-12 hour game without the usual stop-and-start pausing at static screens, like you're being bullied by a traffic warden.

I recommend Dungeon Siege III to anyone that wants to connect with friends and kill a whole mess of monsters together. [July 2011, p.84]

Not big, but reasonably clever, and like so much else in life, best enjoyed with friends. [Sept 2011, p.94]

Our main quibble is that there's not much variety here: a whole lot of sieging in a whole lot of dungeons. If you've fought tooth-and-nail through one dungeon, you've fought tooth-and-nail through them all.

Dungeon Siege III might not be the best dungeon crawler ever to have graces the world of gaming – but it is a very accessible introduction for those who might be new to the genre.

As much as this review may come across as "negative", Dungeon Siege III is a fun and easy to pick up game and certainly the best technical effort from Obsidian Entertainment in recent memory. If there were more complaints than praise it's because I really wanted this new entry in the DS franchise to be the best Action-RPG cooperative offering it could have been.

If you love action-oriented, fast-paced fights with a bit of controller acrobatic placed in pretty linear dungeons, you will love Dungeon Siege III. Looking for a dungeon crawl? You'll be disappointed here.

Luckily for Dungeon Siege III, the loot – generally a major in games like these – and the flaws in the multiplayer can be covered for by the many other positives brought to the table. The slick action, the tidy levelling system, and the presentation all create a game well worth playing. Grab a friend, grab a couple of drinks and any problems seem to vanish.

Dungeon Siege III may not be a perfect game, but for dungeon crawler fans, it offers up hours of enjoyment with solid combat complemented by a dash of humor. It's not going to appeal to everyone out there, but if you're part of the target market, it's an excellent way to pass the time while waiting for Blizzard to hurry up and finish Diablo III.

It's a real shame that the online wasn't better implemented; otherwise this would have been one of my bigger surprise hits for this year. Just a few key changes could have made that experience great, and I'm not sure why the developers felt the need to make it so limiting.

With better co-op, this could have been a truly great experience, but it's still highly enjoyable, and you can't demand much more than that.

So what you're essentially paying for in the difference is the graphical polish of the environments, a satisfactory storyline, and clean craftsmanship. If that sounds like a fine deal, then Dungeon Siege III is the right dungeon crawler for you.

Dungeon Siege III doesn't reinvent the wheel by any stretch of the imagination, but if you're into these sorts of D&D style, loot collecting, hack and slashers, then it's definitely worth a look. For me though, I ended up disappointed. While the game can be fun, the surprising linearity, terrible camera (both online and off), uninteresting (and seemingly uninterested) characters, and the lack of a New Game + mode made this dungeon crawler feel like a lost opportunity.

While Dungeon Siege III doesn't quite measure up to its predecessors, its streamlined approach is a solid and enjoyable Action-RPG.

Putting the number three behind the title should mean progression. Unfortunately, this feels more like a transgression.

It's an average action RPG, filled with cliches and some actually funny combat. The real shame goes on the coop mode, which could've been a great appealing factor, but goes totally wasted. Consider it only if you're looking for some single player, light RPG action.

It doesn't push the envelope aside from experimenting with gameplay but if you like this type of game you'll probably enjoy yourself as long as you speed through the story.

An enjoyable, if unremarkable, throwback. [Issue#74, p.80]

In the end, Dungeon Siege III is an interesting game and works on most of its basic levels. It may not change the genre dramatically but it still provides a sturdy gaming engine with a relatively interesting story. It's a shame that the multiplayer aspect of the game is severely hampered by its limitations but as a single-player, Dungeon Siege III thankfully works.

Dungeon Siege III isn't a bad game but you have to like the genre. If you like to explore a world and love to see your character grow, you will like this game. If you're looking for an RPG, there are better games available.

Dungeon Siege 3 doesn't stand out in anything, except in its four-player cooperative mode, which will please those looking for some hack and slash fun with their friends.

Dungeon Siege 3 doesn't do anything special and the controls can get quite annoying. But with The Witcher 2 fresh on the market and Skyrim and Diablo III still on the horizon, Dungeon Siege 3 can be a descent way to get through the quit summer months. If your cooperative partner is willing to join you without getting anything in return, that is.

Constructed off the standard model for dungeon crawling, Dungeon Siege III doesn't reinvent the crawl, it only provides a pleasant ride within its confined genre.

I love playing Dungeon Siege III despite its many flaws, and if you don't mind that the overall experience is pretty shallow and meant for single player, you probably will, too.

As a single-player game, Dungeon Siege III succeeds as a fun action-RPG. It doesn't offer anything particularly new, but gamers that enjoy hacking and looting by themselves should have fun. As a multiplayer game, Dungeon Siege III is disappointing.

It's just a shame the co-op isn't better implemented -- without a compelling multiplayer component, Dungeon Siege 3 lags behind its role-playing competitors.

Obsidian does try new things out and the Onyx engine looks great, despite a slightly claustrophobic camera. But the actual game is... well, it's either dated or classique, depending on your willingness to use words like classique. Dungeon Siege III comes with a moderate recommendation - but you'll have a lot more fun discussing strategies with a friend.

A mediocre title that fulfils the basic requirements of a console role playing game. At times, it shows promise and it does have enough going for it to keep casual gamers entertained.

A few too many problems to recommend to anyone but hardcore hack-and-slash fans, but even they're going to find the game's loot underwhelming.

A fun game in places, but after one run through of the game you will not really have the urge to go back for more. This will certainly help you pass a few hours but beyond that it is hard to see it as little more than filler for bigger and better things.

If the online actually 'worked' and wasn't completely useless I know I would have enjoyed Dungeon Siege III much more and for a much longer period of time like I did the original two games, sadly now I have a game I finished in a few days and is already on the shelf to collect dust.

Obsidian's attempt at adding story elements fails to impress this time -- which stands out even more due to how plenty of other RPGs (especially Obsidian's) pull off a much better narrative.

Dungeon Siege III is a decent game; it just let itself down by not living up to what it could have been and by making some sloppy mistakes and over generalization that took away from any individuality or change in experience from one play through to another.

Dungeon Siege III is a dungeon crawler with a boring loot table, poorly implemented multiplayer, and little lasting incentive to continue running around the world once the tedious story ends.

Dungeon Siege III is a fun but unambitious dungeon crawler that fails to live up to the games that came before it.

Dungeon Siege III should best be considered a distant cousin to its predecessors that's ultimately half as well-wrought as those older games, and a third as ambitious.

Dungeon Siege III falls victim to its lack of ambition. With a little extra guts, the developers could have installed an engaging narrative, memorable characters and an online component that would prolong the title's life. Instead, what we have is an emotionless, unrewarding journey that shies away from doing anything special.

Dungeon Siege III is a perfect example of an average game. Not quite pretty, but not ugly either, with a dull plot but one that is not as insipid as some others from poor JRPGs, and a wimpish gameplay that remains ok for the gamers that don't really want to be asked for too much effort. Multiplayer and liking of the global atmosphere will be the two decisive criteria in deciding whether you'll see a half-empty or half-full cup when contemplating DS3.

It's difficult to wrap my head around just who Dungeon Siege 3 is aimed at. It doesn't offer the depth that fans of dungeon crawlers have come to expect and, on the other hand, it refuses to incorporate enough modern elements to appeal to the new generation of RPG fans. The result is a game that generally functions as intended but largely falls flat and struggles to impose a sense of personality.

No real highlights and some terrible voice acting in this one. But at least some decent fights.

DS3 is an ambitious game, to be sure, and it brings a lot of nifty innovations to the action-RPG genre. In fact, it brings too darn many -- that is, it bites off more than its control system, or the average player, can chew.

By the end of the campaign we were satisfied with the admittedly-average story, but the stale combat and chaotic multiplayer that are supposed to sell this game just aren't built well enough. On the cheap, you could probably do worse than this, but we can say for a fact that you can do a hell of a lot better.

Quotation forthcoming.