Dungeon Siege III: The Secret of Mana, Zelda, Mass Effect Mash Up

[Tom Goldman]

Dungeon Siege III: The Secret of Mana, Zelda, Mass Effect Mash Up

The collaboration between Obsidian Entertainment and Square Enix on Dungeon Siege III may end up producing something beyond expectations.

When Square Enix acquired ownership of the Alpha Protocol [http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Siege-Pc/dp/B00005KBRD/ref=sr_1_6?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1294413089&sr=1-6]. As it turns out, that's exactly what the two companies are going for.

In an interview with CVG, Obsidian lead designer Nathanial Chapman said that Dungeon Siege III is being designed to work in a similar way to the Dungeon Siege titles of the past, but with a touch of Square Enix and a dash of Obsidian. Both are bringing some of their signature elements to the game to create a new Dungeon Siege experience.

Chapman revealed that Dungeon Siege III will have a "full branching dialogue system" just like those from Alpha Protocol or Mass Effect [http://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-2-Pc/dp/B001VJ4DHK/ref=sr_1_8?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1294413385&sr=1-8], which wasn't an aspect of previous Dungeon Siege titles. He didn't expand on what this means exactly for the game, but it hints toward a storyline where players can choose to be lawful good or chaotic evil.

Square Enix is adding its touch to Dungeon Siege III by ensuring that Obsidian focuses more on story that it normally might. Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games, serving in an advisory role on the title, says that Square Enix's primary influence is "taking the story and saying 'you're going to spend a lot more on the story than you typically would if you were left to your own devices.'" Square's "core agenda" is basically to make a bigger and better storyline for the game.

Conversely, Chapman emphasized that story doesn't carry a game by itself, and Obsidian also realizes that core gameplay mechanics need to be strong to make something worth playing. The studio is taking inspiration from a mass of other successful action games and action-RPGs.

Chapman says: "I looked at Dungeon Siege 1 on PC and thought how can I take that game, Secret of Mana and Ninja Gaiden [http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Skyward-Sword-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B002BSC54I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294413898&sr=8-1] have inspired certain Dungeon Siege III mechanics. Whew.

By the way, the game also has four-player drop-in-drop-out co-op on PC and console. It's all just talk right now, but Dungeon Siege III is apparently being set up as more than a hack-and-slash Diablo [http://www.amazon.com/Diablo-III-Pc/dp/B00178630A/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1294414105&sr=1-1] clone. We'll see if Obsidian and Square Enix can pull off their lofty goals for the title when it's released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC sometime in 2011.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=282223]

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[Virgil]

Based on the last games in the series, I really hope Dungeon Siege III has a lot less Dungeon Siege and a lot more Square-Enix/Obsidian. The previous two were so bland that I can barely even remember what the games were about.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

Forced-co-op sucks, stop saddling me with moronic team members. That was why I stopped playing DS1 despite the better technology than D2.

The merc in D2 LOD 1.09 was fine because it didn't matter if they died, and one was actually useful.

And the fact that obsidian has it means the result will be an awesome game concept that is so poorly executed that it will take years of community mods to make it playable.

 

[MurderousToaster]

I hope Obsidian remember to try and fix the glitches before their games are released this time. Perhaps they can try and make their reputation for making "good but flawed" games into a reputation for just making "good" games.

 

[DSK-]

I'll wait till I see the reviews first. I didn't mind the first two games, considering gas powered hadn't created RPG's before I'd say they weren't overly bad.

 

[Dastardly]

Based on the last games in the series, I really hope Dungeon Siege III has a lot less Dungeon Siege and a lot more Square-Enix/Obsidian. The previous two were so bland that I can barely even remember what the games were about.

Too many flavors makes for an unmemorable experience, too. They may suffer from an excess of scope on this one.

 

[Ghengis John]

Based on the last games in the series, I really hope Dungeon Siege III has a lot less Dungeon Siege and a lot more Square-Enix/Obsidian. The previous two were so bland that I can barely even remember what the games were about.

Too many flavors makes for an unmemorable experience, too. They may suffer from an excess of scope on this one.

Well when they all come together just right they can create an experience just as good in it's own right and as a whole. Like Doctor Pepper.

 

[znix]

Will it be awesome? All signs point to yes.

Shut up and go home and whine, whiners

 

[mjc0961]

Square's "core agenda" is basically to make a bigger and better storyline for the game.

Then maybe they should stop having anything to do with the game's development. From what I've played in Square Enix games, they don't know how to make a good storyline. So they should just step back and let Obsidian work.

 

[Dastardly]

Based on the last games in the series, I really hope Dungeon Siege III has a lot less Dungeon Siege and a lot more Square-Enix/Obsidian. The previous two were so bland that I can barely even remember what the games were about.

Too many flavors makes for an unmemorable experience, too. They may suffer from an excess of scope on this one.

Well when they all come together just right they can create an experience just as good in it's own right and as a whole. Like Doctor Pepper.

But let's not forget Dr. Pepper put in at least two more years of rigorous graduate work in his field. This is why, to this day, his work remains well ahead of Mr. Pibb. (In the cases of Dr. Thunder and Dr. Perky, I suspect there was some plagiarism in their respective dissertations.)

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Alpha Protocol dialogue system with actual fun gameplay and coop?

Well, I'm psyched.

It would be all too perfect of course, so we still have to remember it's Obsidian we're talking about. Bugs ahoy!

 

[GiantRaven]

Eugh, Obsidian. Just a little message for you here after having read about this.

Thank you so very much for me having to add another game to my already bursting at the seams list of games I would love to buy in 2011.

Assholes. The lot of you.


But, in all serious, fuck yeah. The Alpha Protocol dialogue system is perfection in dialogue system form.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

I loved DS 1 I want more that and less generic Dablio clone sadly I bet DS3 will be Space siege all over again *shudders*

 

[Blind0bserver]

In an interview with CVG, Obsidian lead designer Nathanial Chapman said that Dungeon Siege III is being designed to work in a similar way to the Dungeon Siege titles of the past, but with a touch of Square Enix and a dash of Obsidian. Both are bringing some of their signature elements to the game to create a new Dungeon Siege experience.

Is this the part where somebody makes the obligatory joke about how this will be exactly like Dungeon Siege but with more angsty androgynous male leads and no Q&A testing?

 

[Robyrt]

The only thing that could get me interested in DS3 is this: "Chris Taylor serving in an advisory role." He is demonstrably unable to make a full Dungeon Siege game these days, and on the other hand his trademark attention to interface and physics really gives the game a unique flavor, so an advisory position is perfect.

 

[Yossarian1507]

I put my trust in Obsidian. Whine and ***** about KotOR II, Alpha Protocol and New Vegas all you you want, but I loved those games, and I'm confident this one will be good as well.

 

[70R4N]

Omg, Obsidian is writing a fantasy story? Sign me up! Anyone remember the story in Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer? It was awesome, one of my favorites.

 

[xDHxD148L0]

Hmmm, I'm just going to remain hopefully optimistic, both if them make great games but they have also let me down in the past, especially you *looks at square enix*

 

[HentMas]

Based on the last games in the series, I really hope Dungeon Siege III has a lot less Dungeon Siege and a lot more Square-Enix/Obsidian. The previous two were so bland that I can barely even remember what the games were about.

oh, come on, i played the first one and it wasnt so bad, it was fairly linear, no real side quests and you were forced to fill your party whit mules just so you wont end up leaving behind anything that could be sellable, but it was a fun game, and "Dungeon Siege" was a perfect name! you entered a dungeon and couldnt get out untill you had crossed it, which was kind of a good mechanic, it actually felt as if you had just sieged a dungeon, and the final battle in the last dungeon felt actually epic compared to simmilar games of its age IMO, some things needed twicking and others actually mayor fixing, but i dont think it was a bad game, neither forgetable (i still remember my character fighting his ass of while all the other 3 where trying to keep him alive with all the healing spells they had in their power while fighting the last boss)