E3 first impressions

[Tigranes]

Wait, What! A year? How long has Obs been developing this?

 

We've been hearing about 'Mystary Fantasy Title' for quite a while now, at least 2 years is my guess.

 

Also, now that you think about it, we really should have guessed this one... Space Siege was offered with AP preorders, wasn't it?

[WorstUsernameEver]

Also, now that you think about it, we really should have guessed this one... Space Siege was offered with AP preorders, wasn't it?

 

Space Siege was published by SEGA wasn't it?

And it was an ARPG.

I doubt the connection was deeper than that.

[funcroc]

GamingTrend preview

...Storyline aside, the mechanics of the game have been re-tooled to work for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. It still runs in a

[funcroc]

The Games Eye preview

Another new thing that DSIII brings to the table are "Vistas". These are vantage points spread throughout the world that allow players to zoom in on far away areas that were critical to the quest. In one the demo's scenarios the character stood on a cliff to get a bird's eye view of a town down below. Another scenario revealed a cavern. Vistas provide plotting for the vast map, so players will have to take advantage of them when encountered.

[taviow]

I, for one, am pretty desperate for screenshots/videos/ANYTHING.

[WorstUsernameEver]

I, for one, am pretty desperate for screenshots/videos/ANYTHING.

 

It looks like the guardian is indeed the model photoshopped on the concept arts.

And yeah, I want a damn screenshot.

Is it that difficult Squenix? Huh? Is it that difficult?

[Starwars]

Two things I don't like so far:

 

1) Bread crumb trail (please god let it be a toggle for this)

2) The 'shortened' dialogue responses a'la ME or AP

 

But yep, screenshots and/or a gameplay trailer would be really nice to see.

[Purkake]

Having something that shows you which direction to go in is essential to keep the gameflow going in a co-op game, especially with 4 people.

[felix88]

1) Bread crumb trail (please god let it be a toggle for this)

 

If I read it right, it is optional, and turn off by default.

[funcroc]

PC Gamer E3 impressions

...They

Edited June 23, 2010 by funcroc

[WorstUsernameEver]

They're also the only one that note in the previews that apparently the quest they were shown in the demo was just a proof of concept to showcase the game's combat and not a real quest.

It will be interesting to know how real quests in the game are structured then.

[funcroc]

Fidgit: The feature everyone should steal from Dungeon Siege 3

When Square/Enix announced that the next Dungeon Siege game was going to be developed by Obsidian, those of us deciding whether to kill Shaheed or enlist his help were baffled. What would a developer known for complex shifting narratives in games like Alpha Protocol bring to a glib action RPG?

 

The demo at E3 was obviously one of those early mock-ups that are little more than eye candy while the developer talks. But Obsidian CEO Feargus "Ha, I Can Use My Real Name as My Character Name in a Fantasy RPG!" Urquhart confessed that part of the attraction to a game in the Dungeon Siege series is its difference from their previous projects, which include Alpha Protocol, Knights of the Old Republic 2, and Neverwinter Nights 2.

 

"I don't want to use the word lighter," says Urquhart, who then goes on to use the word "lighter" when he talks about how it's a welcome change of pace. "But," he eventually adds, "lighter doesn't mean it won't be deep."

 

Dungeon Siege 3 will include Obsidian's characteristic forks in the dialog that split the game down separate paths. Furthermore, Obsidian plans on making at least three classes that are completely distinct from each other. There will be no shared spells, abilities, or equipment. Everything will be unique to a specific class. That won't be easy to do, but the trade off is that it will encourage co-operative multiplayer and replay value.

 

Perhaps my favorite touch is a little thing that I hope every developer of action RPGs will steal forthwith. When the tooltip appears for dropped loot, it includes the specific value of the loot before you pick it up. This is a far better way than the usual color-code to judge whether to tote something around. It means you won't have to sort through your inventory to decide what to carry back to town for the maximum dollar return on your inventory space. Of course, Obsidian hasn't decided how or whether to bring the pack mule to Dungeon Siege 3 yet, so it may be a moot point. If you can carry everything, who cares how much it's worth?

 

But I still hope to see other action RPG developers steal this feature.

[Pidesco]

All this talk about the graphics being gorgeous has me salivating for some screenies.

[WorstUsernameEver]

It's certainly... strange to hear someone praising Obsidian for an action rpg and saying other hack'n'slash developers should steal the feature.

Really.

It is.

I mean it.

[SirPetrakus]

I, for one, am pretty desperate for screenshots/videos/ANYTHING.

 

I want a damn screenshot.

Is it that difficult Squenix? Huh? Is it that difficult?

 

 

All this talk about the graphics being gorgeous has me salivating for some screenies.

 

I second, third and so forth, this request. Come ONNNNNN! Just a few screenies! Where's the harm in that? And please, something more than magical tree roots? Not that those weren't awesome magical tree roots, mind you.

[Starwars]

I almost fear it will be some sort of bizarro experience where the mainstream will love the game but I'll hate it because its lack of depth, no consequences, no interesting character and OH GOD WHATEVER HAPPENED TO YOU OEI YOU USED TO BE COOL?!

 

Almost.

[WorstUsernameEver]

I almost fear it will be some sort of bizarro experience where the mainstream will love the game but I'll hate it because its lack of depth, no consequences, no interesting character and OH GOD WHATEVER HAPPENED TO YOU OEI YOU USED TO BE COOL?!

 

Almost.

 

As long as it's a fun game... Storm Of Zehir probably would have been if not for the fact that it was built on an engine that clearly didn't support that kind of playstile and the combat wasn't really balanced.

It could have also used a little bit more depth, but then again, it was an expansion.

 

Obviously, though, the game would be much better if there were real choices & consequences and interesting characters.

[funcroc]

Big Download E3 impressions

[Monte Carlo]

If DS3 is a bit like SoZ in spirit then this callsign will be quite happy.

[funcroc]

Examiner impressions

One thing that they wanted to do was make the world of Dungeon Siege III much more open, giving the player more things to explore and the option to backtrack to previously visited areas, than the previous titles. Obsidian also wanted to cut down on the amount of dialog that we are accustomed to seeing and focus more on the action and game itself, so while the character will still make much of the decision making there will be fewer cut scenes with long dialog than we may be used to seeing from them. One thing you may recognize from Obsidian though is the use of the dialog tree, which is actually shaped like a tree this time, in which players will choose their dialog option.

 

Overall Dungeon Siege III looked extremely well done in terms of gameplay and visually one of the better looking games that I saw during E3 this year. It was a surprise though to hear that the main focus was the consoles, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, instead of the PC. Obsidian did say however that they did not forget the PC gamers and that it would still offer a great experience for everyone. With Square Enix backing Obsidian on Dungeon Siege III as well as still working with Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games to stay true to the Dungeon Siege world there is a lot of potential for the game to be something incredible when it releases in stores for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 early 2011.

[funcroc]

Eurogamer E3 preview

...The Guardian has a few special abilities available, but he's also switching between one-handed and two-handed stances - the first dealing heavy one-on-one damage with his enormous sword, the second enabling him to cope better with large groups of enemies. By the look of his portrait in the bottom left, he's expending a fast-recharging stamina resource to fight. The action is lightly tactical, quite fast and seems to have a tactile crunch to it...

 

..."We want the game to be about multiplayer, and we want it to be as easy as possible," says lead designer Nathaniel Chapman, noting that his girlfriend would watch him play Mass Effect 2 to follow the story, and wanted to be able to jump in and take control of Tali. Intriguingly, Obsidian is working on multiplayer aspects to the conversation system, too. "Multiplayer and single-player are not two separate games. They're totally integrated. That was a very important point for us," he says...

 

...Dungeon Siege is a fun, pick-up-and-play game and Obsidian makes deep, story-driven RPGs, and we really look at Dungeon Siege III as a hybrid of those two styles of game," adds Chapman. "You're still going to get a story, you're still going to get your companions and have dialogue with all of them - and you're still going to be playing an action-RPG."

 

There's a middle-ground to be found here: we ask if the game will go to the same extreme lengths as Alpha Protocol in the pursuit of Obsidian's mantra of "choice and consequence". "No, not at all," says Urquhart. "The idea is to have some very specific points in the story where you make these decisions, so you feel like it's your story and not just the story we're forcing down your throat. But we're still doing that," he jokes...

 

 

- "Square Enix has only released concept art so far; no idea why, because the game looks lovely in the flesh."

- "In terms of atmosphere and colour palette, though, these paintings give you a good idea what to expect."

- "There won't be difficulty levels that crank up hit points, but there will be optional side-quests with more complex encounters that will be 'really hard'."

Edited June 24, 2010 by funcroc

[WorstUsernameEver]

I've had enough with these motherf***ing concept arts in my motherf***ing previews! Bring it on with the screenshots!

[Oner]

- "There won't be difficulty levels that crank up hit points, but there will be optional side-quests with more complex encounters that will be 'really hard'."

Mmmmmmmm..

[WorstUsernameEver]

- "There won't be difficulty levels that crank up hit points, but there will be optional side-quests with more complex encounters that will be 'really hard'."

Mmmmmmmm..

 

Seems in line with Nathaniel Chapman's philosophy of dealing with difficulty.

[Archaven]

Overall Dungeon Siege III looked extremely well done in terms of gameplay and visually one of the better looking games that I saw during E3 this year. It was a surprise though to hear that the main focus was the consoles, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, instead of the PC.

 

This kinda make me worried. I hope i'm proven wrong.