‘Dungeon
Siege III'
Third time isn't always a charm
(T) ***
Square Enix
Xbox 360
Dungeon crawlers capitalize on two of video gaming's (and perhaps life's) universal
pleasures: killing hideous monsters and searching corpses for loot. The "Dungeon
Siege" series has offered plenty of both over the course of two titles
released on PC. "Dungeon Siege III" brings the franchise to home consoles
and, as is often the case when a PC game switches to consoles, the game's mechanics
have been streamlined (i.e. dumbed down). Customization options have taken a
huge hit, which means you won't spend nearly as much time staring at items on
menu screens. It also means there isn't as much to do with the spoils taken
from your slain enemies, so after a while, it feels more like you're picking
up litter than loot.
In an effort to better emulate console RPGs, "Dungeon Siege III" puts
a greater emphasis on story, allowing you to choose the dialogue that pushes
along the narrative. Unfortunately, the story focuses on characters who tend
to be one-note, and that one note is solemn. The game works best when you do
all of your communicating with your sword, or one of the other specialized weapons
used by your four archetypal protagonists. All four can play together at once
via online co-op, but players are forced to stick together on a single screen,
often creating camera angles that are advantageous to no one in your party.
Hopefully "Dungeon Siege IV" will return to its roots, rather than
try to blend in with the myriad other action-RPGs available on consoles. CV
