As expected and yet surprisingly well done

[Cantousent]

I tihnk DS3 shows off some of the talent we've come to expect in Obsidz games. The story and dialogue are splendid. I haven't read any other posts in this section since I just purchased the game recently and only got a chance to start playing yesterday, but I'm sure I'm not alone in appreciating the value. I just hope I can finish with my character of choice, the mage, before vacation ends.

 

I suppose some folks might not like it, but the way the dialogue wheel works is great. I've seen it in other games and sometimes enjoyed it and sometimes not. The gist of what the player wants to say is sufficiently clear that I haven't been irritated that I've intended one thing but said something different. On the other hand, the extended responses have been well done, seemed perfectly natural, and reflected my choice. This is one of the things that Obsidz always does well.

 

The game has a real Dungeons and Dragons feel in many locations. For example, I did the haunted mansion a while back. The whole thing is apparently a side quest and there was a side quest branching out from that story line as well. It managed to move as quickly as any other action RPG, but I was struck by how well the environmental aspects drew me into the story, such as the sound effects, the quick bits of dialogue, and the various items. For example, the lever had at least four different choices for intereaction. It's not a lot, nor would I expect or even want much more time on interaction in an action game, but it is enough to make it interesting. ...And that's just a lever.

 

I say the game is surprisingly well done because one of the major gripes I've had with Obsidz games in the past is stability in the engine. The graphics are pretty, the game is stable, and the interface is interesting. I was pleasantly surprised that all these things came together.

 

My one true gripe at the moment is that I find the ability to interact with my inventory takes longer than I'd like. I guess I'd better look at the STEAM manual and find out if there are shortcuts I haven't seen yet. If I could just press one button to bring up the inventory without the cute little animation that I find increasingly irritating as I play, then I think I'd be happy with the setup. Overall, the inventory seems a little weird to me, but not particularly bad per se. Maybe it's a console related thing. I suspect there's some way for me to switch between characters rather than always running the main PC, but I'll have to find that in the manual also. So far I've been happy with the way the npcs take care of themselves in combat, so no big deal.

 

BTW: What the hell happened to the forum? Must have gone through a major upgrade or something since the last time I signed on.

[Cantousent]

Having no better place to post further observations of the game, I'm going to double post. If it offends anyone, or they even care about it at all, I suppose the moderators could delete the thread or move it to the graveyard. Whatever.

 

Anyhow, I've played the game throughout the time since I first posted as best I could. That's the better part of twelve straight hours. Apparently long enough that I couldn't edit the original post. I was a little leery of it at first, since it seemed to me that it wasn't going to be as fun as the first two games. I was wrong. It's addictive and I think it might actually be the best of the three. In the first one, the player could make a pretty kickass multi-class character. I think the strongest character in terms of survivability and damage in the first game was either fire/melee or nature/melee. As I saw it, the second game punished the player for multi-classing. You saw your end game talent, and went to it as fast as possible. This one doesn't let you multiclass, which is just fine. You still have some ways to customize your character, which is cool, but the fact that you start with one of four presets and then pick up the other choices works very well for me. To be fair, I hate over engineering my characters, so I suppose some braniac with a 5k IQ and a degree in game theory could tell me a million ways in which I'm wrong, but I play the game for myself and that how I see it.

 

Probably the only reason I'm posting is because of the dead mule, which made me laugh out loud. I've gotten to stonebridge and the cat herding humor works for me, which is undoubtedly a result of my less than refined tastes. Also, I notice that Sawyer is having a lot of fun with the game. I had my suspicions about the hound when I found the lore early, but between the Jackal and the Black Hound in the talent tree, I think it's pretty clear we're getting some of the flavor that might have made it into other titles that might have been. All good stuff. Diogenes would be proud.

 

I put off the purchase until recently, but it would have been well worth it at original price. Of course, I probably couldn't have played it very much until now even if I'd purchased it earlier, but I would gladly have supported it with a full price payment had I known it would be this good. Still not as fine a game as New Vegas, but I still view New Vegas as a masterpiece. Hard to compete with that.

 

I didn't use any spoiler tags, but I didn't post anything specific about the plot and the stuff about talents isn't hidden from the player in the first place. Locked, yes. Hidden, no.

[C2B]

Sawyer didn't work on it. The project director (Richard Taylor) worked on Black Hound back at Black Isle as a programmer though.

Edited March 28, 2012 by C2B

[Cantousent]

^{Thanks for the info, C2B.}

 

^{I got to a point where I could choose two different paths to take and, at that same point, the DLC path was also available, so I went to the DLC. Last night, I chose to take the DLC path and ended up with the only really tough fight I've seen in the game so far. I'm playing on normal, which I almost always do on first runs, and the Daeva Statue was a real bitch. I tried several times last night and kept getting the smack down. When I got the chance to take a swipe at her today, I beat her on the first shot. Granted, I changed up strats and was much better (not to mention much more alert) about reacting to her specials. The multi-armed bimbo got the beat down she deserved. Overall, I'm happy with the DLC. I think I'm done with most of the side quests, which makes it pretty short, but I guess that's common for DLCs in general.}

 

^{If there's some other thread into whch the mods want to merge this one to clean things up, I don't mind. I just didn't want to slog through months worth of threads.}

 

^{I don't know why the font size was so small in my post, but I edited it to make it larger. weird.}

Edited March 29, 2012 by Cantousent

[Starwars]

I recommend retrying the game on the hardest mode once you complete it. I think it makes the main game a great deal more exciting, though I had to turn down the difficulty to normal when doing the DLC. Plus, the characters are different enough to play from one another and it's fun to explore a new playing style.

[Cantousent]

• I definitely plan on replaying as I get the chance. I like Reinhhart, but I think I might enjoy playing the warrior dude or the archon.
  

[Cantousent]

I finished the DLC. I hit every side quest along with the main story line. The influence thing is a little under-done, at least to my mind, but it's not bad. I think it might enhance replayability. The only problem I have at this point, having gotten to Stonebridge and done the DLC, is this:

 

 

I haven't gotten the fighter guy into my group yet. I've only had Katrina and the archon chic for a long time.

 

[C2B]

I finished the DLC. I hit every side quest along with the main story line. The influence thing is a little under-done, at least to my mind, but it's not bad. I think it might enhance replayability. The only problem I have at this point, having gotten to Stonebridge and done the DLC, is this:

 

 

I haven't gotten the fighter guy into my group yet. I've only had Katrina and the archon chic for a long time.

 

 

There's a quest in the Meisterhall you have to do and he appears after it.

 

[Cantousent]

Thanks for the heads up, C2B. I've finished finished the DLC and one path. Now I'm on the alternative path. I don't know if there's any difference between doing one or the other first, but I'll find out next run. I also don't know how much longer the game has. Assuming I'm about half way done, it'll be a fairly standard length, I think. If I'm over two thirds done, I think it'll a bit short. With replay, it will be well worth buying, though. Most games are short these days, although the FO and TES franchises make for some long games.

[HoonDing]

I'm two hours in with Katarina and while the controls are not that bad now that it is possible to use WASD and control the camera with right mouse button, a pause function would've been welcome for those moments when you don't know what the hell is going on because the camera is all over the place.

 

I can't even imagine having to play a melee character with a camera like that.

[Cantousent]

Yeah, I only purchased the game recently as a bundle off of STEAM, so they might have fixed camera issues and whatnot. I will say that I am sometimes frustrated with where certain powers take effect. The fight that's taken me the most tries so far is the Daeva Statue on normal. I virtually always play a game the first time either on normal or, if there are more than three settings, the next one off of the hardest. This game does seem a bit easy, but the camera can be a pain at times. Of course, I feel that way about a lot of games, though, so I don't think much of it.

 

As for this run, I'm past Stonebridge now, so I must be getting fairly close to the end. I think the whole 'dungeon siege' idea is clever and humorous. It didn't make me laugh out loud like some of the other things, but I noticed it and appreciated the joke. I think the humor is actually well done. It doesn't relentlessly break character to parody itself, and yet they managed to poke fun at the genre and even the title itself. So far so good. I'm really enjoying the game. It makes me want to replay Dungeon Siege something fierce, but oddly I don't feel the same way about DS2. I think a lot of die-hard fans might have complained about DS3, but I think DS2 was more of a departure for me personally. Since that's the case, I just take what I can get in terms of the DS core features.

 

Anyhow, I don't know which character I will try next. My next run will, by necessity, be a lot slower, so I want to choose the character I'll enjoy most. I thought it was down to Anaji or the knight fellow, but I like the gypsy lady also, I think, so now I can't decide. There's a thread around here somewhere about characters that I'm going to find and read. Oh, i just reread your post. Katarina is her name and I'm actually kind of leaning towards her by just a smidge.

[HoonDing]

Katarina is really fun to play, shooting enemies in the face with a gun is what I always wanted to do in a hack 'n slash game.

 

IIRC Dungeon Siege did let you use some of the goblin flamethrowers and/or lightning guns, but they broke too quickly.

 

And of course, there are the fond memories of "Mirabelle" in Jade Empire. Well, and Fable 3 incorporated guns as well. Good times, good times.

Edited April 1, 2012 by virumor

[Starwars]

I think I like Reinart the best to play. Pretty unusual playstyle and pretty damn hard at times if you play on Harcore.

 

Lucas is also surprisingly fun to play, again, on Hardcore. Didn't expect to like him much with the sword style but since he has almost only melee attacks, you have to really be on your toes on the hardest mode.

[Cantousent]

I finished the game last night and I really enjoyed Reinhart. I also got the perfectionist. lol That sort of desire to complete every side quest really kills me in games like Fallout and TES. I really enjoyed the game and I probably won't complete another full run for a while, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. The hardest fight, at least in terms of number of attempts, was the Daeva Statue.

 

I do have to say that I get irritated with end bosses these days.

I mean, how many times do I have to smite the end boss before she stays dead only before I find out that there's a real end boss.

haha But that's every game these days it seems to me. Great fun, though. I think I'm going to replay Dungeon Siege again. I actually think I like the first and third games the best, although I had a lot of fun in a lan based party playing DS2.

[HoonDing]

Just ran through Heroes' Crypt. It was nice to see all DS1 suckers entombed, though I only ever used Ulora, Norick, Gloern, Sikra, Phaedriel, Bolingar and Merick.

 

Funny, though, how the Farmer was turned into a chick.

 

Problem, Jason Statham?

 

I must say, loot is pretty boring compared to the first two games. Having to click three times to get to inventory is annoying as well, but consoles and all that jazz.

 

The game is also really, really corridor-y. With me playing as Katarina, it really feels a lot like Space Siege.

Edited April 2, 2012 by virumor

[Starwars]

You can open the inventory directly with 'F' I believe.

[Flouride]

Katarina is really fun to play, shooting enemies in the face with a gun is what I always wanted to do in a hack 'n slash game.

 

IIRC Dungeon Siege did let you use some of the goblin flamethrowers and/or lightning guns, but they broke too quickly.

 

 

Once I tried Katarina, I never even tried the other chars. She was just that much fun to play.

[Cantousent]

That's going to be useful, SW! Thanks for the heads up.

 

I don't think DS3 is really any more corridory than the previous two titles, but I completely agree that loot drops are less entertaining. Really, I think abilities are much more of a focus in the game, but it's really quite different altogether in terms of level cap and the way the player builds a character.

[MechanicalLemon]

For those of you that have the DLC, how is it? Money's tight right now and I missed the Steam sale last week so I'd like to hear opinions on it.

 

I've only played Lucas and Katarina so far and I infinitely prefer her, especially on Hardcore.

[Starwars]

The DLC is good, adds a fair amount of length to the game.

 

It's not like the New Vegas DLCs though where each one was pretty different in gameplay and theme. DS3 DLC feels like more of the same and fits right in with the main campaign. It has some good improvements, in my opinion the most welcome one being more open areas. It's also pretty goddamn hard on Hardcore and there are fights I have not been able to beat yet there.

 

If you didn't like the main campaign of DS3, then the DLC certainly won't change your mind. But if you enjoyed the gameplay and want more, it's a good investment I think.

[Cantousent]

I enjoyed the DLC, but it was part of the game from the very beginning because I bought it as a package on Steam. I enjoyed it and the toughest fights, as a lot of folks have said, are in the DLC areas.

[HoonDing]

Once I tried Katarina, I never even tried the other chars. She was just that much fun to play.

Her voice kinda reminds me of Jaheira, which is a very good thing.

 

With her agility pumped high enough, she can get critical hit chance over 50%, which is pretty overpowered once you get that machine gun ability.

 

Only negative is that she appears to have a will of her own and tends to shoot the wrong targets.

[GhostofAnakin]

Strangely enough, Katrina's the only one I haven't finished a game as yet. I've completed the game with the three other characters, but gave up (forgot why now ...) about midway through my Katrina play through.

 

I've always intended to go back to finish it.

[Alvin Nelson]

Katarina was my second favorite. I think you'll like playing as her.

[Cantousent]

Well, yeah, but who's your first favorite? <.< Seriously, I'm hoping eventually to get a shot at all of them. I always play the mage first.