Log In




Forgot your password?

Dungeon Siege 3 Co-Op Review

Review
Twitter facebook googlebuzz

Dungeon Siege 3 places players in the role of one of four distinctly different characters. Each character is filled with their own back story as the role of a member of the 10th Legion. Players can choose to play as Lucas (melee), Katarina (ranged/guns), Anjali (magic/fighter), or Reinhart (magic). The story takes place long after the events of the first game in the kingdom of Ehb and 30 years after Jeyne Kassynder all but wiped out the Legionnaires who were the protectors of the kingdom.

Right from the get go you are introduced to a solid action/rpg experience. All the ingredients are there - XP, hit points, abilities to unlock, and plenty of loot with slick names to collect. Graphically the game is a standout - there’s continuous sweeping environments with huge draw distances, plenty of colors and effects, and solid fighting animations. There’s almost no visible loading while playing save for a few slight pauses or doors in your path. It really is quite impressive and there’s a good variety of environments to boot.

I played through most of the game as Katarina, she utilizes guns as her main weapons. Every player has two battle stances - one for close combat and one for ranged. This can be done on the fly and mid battle so you can quickly mix up strategies in the heat of combat. For the most part combat is satisfying and there’s plenty of little touches that give you some visceral feedback. For instance, one of Katarina’s abilities is called “Heart Shot” which aims a big rifle blast at an enemy’s chest with an increased chance for a critical hit - at times when finishing off an enemy with this attack they’ll go flying clear across the map as if hit by a cannonball.

Abilities, called proficiencies in the game, are divided into three categories - attack, buff and defense. On the console these correspond to your top three button buttons and an alternate set can be loaded by pulling the left trigger. Attack abilities are self-explanatory. Buffs can be a temporary spell or ability to improve your stats, or it could be something that hurts the stats of an enemy or area. Defensive abilities usually are some manner of healing.

The depth of Dungeon Siege 3 becomes apparent when you level up and start unlocking these abilities. While, by the end of the game you’ll unlock all 9 of your character’s abilities, you won’t however be able to master each one. Each ability has two bonuses that can have up to 6 points of proficiency applied to. So, if you want your Heart Shot ability to ricochet instead of causing damage over time, you’d put a point in that. During your next level up you could put it in the damage over time and now there’s a chance your ability will do both. Every single ability can be customized this way with a whole variety of modifiers at your disposal.

But wait...there’s more.



 
Reads: 31972
 
Author
Nicholas "bapenguin" Puleo
Owner and Managing Editor

Related Articles




samoza
11:13 AM
7/1/2011

It's a shame that the game does not give all players an equal standard of game. I sounds like I may have to play through it at least twice, once as a host, the other to help my friend in his game.


BigBadBob113
11:45 AM
7/1/2011

I joined a game online but didn't realize that the action kept going while I was in the inventory screen. That was a featured I liked in MUA2, and it really should become a staple for future games of this genre, where there is a lot of menu-hopping.

Also, I didn't realize that the online guest players got trophies. When playing online there were two trophies that I should have gotten but did not. I'll have to try it again.

I do agree that the game is a very solid RPG. The only thing better on current gen systems, in my opinion, is Sacred 2. I was pleased with the game, and when Gamefly sent me a $5 Independence Day coupon, I decided to keep the game.


CoopDad
11:45 AM
7/1/2011

I about spit out my coffee laughing at the mule in the picture. I will still get this game because the wife and I can't get enough local coop games.


BigBadBob113
12:18 PM
7/1/2011

--- Replying to CoopDad -----

I definitely think this game is an awesome local co-option!


Xeon
12:36 PM
7/1/2011

What kind of moron thought this would be a good way to handle co-op?


Shardik
1:38 PM
7/1/2011

this is one of the few genres that works perfectly in couch co-op, not a big fan of split screen if I can avoid it. we're having a ton of fun working through this too. I just wish the host could change his character, I'm a little tired of reinhart.


wynams
2:10 PM
7/1/2011

will wait for sub $20, should not be long


Refritz
2:15 PM
7/1/2011

In couch co-op, what they've done is the best way.
It's sad that they have used the same system for online play. It just doesn't work.

The co-op really wasn't up to modern standards for online play.


kevinclough
4:31 PM
7/1/2011

We can always hope that co-op gets fixed via a patch. I was planning on buying two copies of this game for 4p co-op, but I rented it and sent it back. The character saving thing isn't that much of a problem for me because I was going to play with people I know, but the shared screen is a total pain. The shared screen is very small/zoomed in.


rafoca
4:47 PM
7/1/2011

--- Replying to BigBadBob113 -----

My DS3 copy just arrived and I will play tonight, but I bet Sacred 2 is better. Sacred 2 is a legend, my friend. if only the company had not been bankrupted, we would have an even better game today. I played it 2 days ago and it looks betten than DS3. A game from 2008 looking better than a 2011 game.

Sacred 2 is a monster.


Mugsy
5:08 PM
7/1/2011

Will probably wait for this to get cheap first before buying but the local co-op sounds like something I'd look forward to. I like the lite-RPGs (Diablo, Borderlands, etc) and this seems to fit the bill. I have Sacred 2 on PC while my bro and I tried in co-op but we just couldn't get into it.

DS3 at least got the local co-op right (despite having to look at each other's inventory screens... something I must admit that Borderlands got right).


Raines
6:49 PM
7/1/2011

As far as online co-op, the only real reasons to play are achievements/Trophies, or if you've got friends who don't mind screen sharing. That's what bugs me more than anything else. I was playing with random XBL people and there's always some jerk who goes the opposite direction everyone else goes just to be a griefer a-hole.

As a single player game though, it's fantastic, but for me Sacred 2 is still the action RPG king for Xbox.


Armor Biff
8:02 PM
7/1/2011

Many Sacred 2 players here it seems. I think its a great game, eventhough 99% of the time I've been playing it alone.

Shame that Dungeon Siege 3 wont let players go on their separate ways (as in Sacred 2). And did I understand it correctly, that players who join a game online, wont get any exp or loot at all ? If true, then I just lost all interest in this game.


Shardik
11:28 PM
7/1/2011

---replying to armor biff---

yeah you are essentially playing one of the host's characters, so while you get to level the character and equip it with gear, when you leave it remains with them for the next person to use.


Raines
3:26 AM
7/2/2011

Yeah, it's like Fable 2, except in Fable 2 you at least went back to your game with some of the gold you collected playing in someone else's world.


TuT
10:30 AM
7/2/2011

Too kind with the coop score in this game, outside of couch.


BigBadBob113
11:42 AM
7/2/2011

--- Replying to TuT -----

I think it's just right. I was very disappointed with the online setup, but I wouldn't drop the quality of a game (as far as a review goes) that much just for this fact.


CappinCanuck
9:55 PM
7/2/2011

Boo, despite only 3/5 I still wish I had won the giveaway I'm hoping for a fantastic price on the Steam Summer Sale -- even though it's a new title.


Sherene
10:20 PM
7/3/2011

OK my husband and I have been playing this game for 2 straight days in local co-op mode. There are some novelties that make the game kinda fun, but my neck hurts from tilting it unconsciously as I try to peer ahead to see where the frack we are going! I see all the screen shots they use and I can tell that the game either in online or single-player mode may be beautiful, but KNOW THIS if you play locally - get used to looking at the ground. There is a rigidly top-down camera mode that makes gameplay soooo irritating- it feels like a 10 year old game interface. Walking across Stonebridge's famous bridge, all we got to see were the pretty pavers making up the surface of the bridge. None of the scenery off to the sides... That's when it struck me how much you miss in local co-op mode, and it really sucks. I would give local co-op play a 2.5.


Raines
9:41 AM
7/17/2011

--- Replying to Sherene -----
It's the same way online, and it's damned annoying.


Mo-licious
8:55 PM
9/25/2011

I picked it up recently and my husband & I are really enjoying the couch coop. Reminded us of that old game 'Hunter The Reckoning' which we played a lot way back when.

Login to Comment

Forgot your password?

Register

CoG UserName:
CoG Password:

Login or Register for Co-Optimus to meet other co-op gamers, comment on articles, and create and post your own blog. You can even use your Facebook account to quickly create a Co-Optimus account and login with one click. You may also use your Colony of Gamers account to comment.

Total Comments: 21

Release Date: 06.21.2011
Genre: RPG
ESRB: Teen

UPCOMING CO-OP RELEASE DATES

Golden Axe Collection(XBLA)05.30.2012
Streets of Rage Collection(XBLA)05.30.2012
Inversion(360,PS3)06.05.2012
Madagascar 3: The Video Game(Wii,PS3,360)06.05.2012
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion(PC)06.05.2012
 Visit our Full Co-Op Release Calendar

INTERESTING ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB