Downloadable Dungeons and Dragons Action Coming Next Year

[Scott Bullock]

Downloadable Dungeons and Dragons Action Coming Next Year

The Forgotten Realms are being raided for videogame content again for Bedlam Games' hack n' slash dungeon-crawl simulator Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale, the world's most alliterative D&D game yet.

Daggerdale, despite being saddled with a silly name, is something I'm looking forward to. The concept is a simple one, and familiar to any gamer, tabletop or otherwise. "There's a bad dude doing bad things. He's way over there. There are monsters between him and you. Kill them with pointy things." Today's brand of bad dude is Rezlus, who seems to be an evil wizard who has unleashed minions upon an unsuspecting Nentir Vale.

You, as one of four choices of hero (my guess being fighter, rogue, wizard, and... cleric?) are tasked with defeating Rezlus and clearing the vale of his minions, and like any adventurer worth his +1 Masterwork Longsword, you brought some friends. The game will feature couch and online co-op for up to four people, and based on the trailer, will pit you against some classic D&D foes, including Stone Golems, orcs, and legions of skeletons. As you fight, you will obtain loot, powers, and feats to improve your character, letting you hack (and also slash) your way through the armies of evil with greater ferociousness.

So we have a straightforward, uncomplicated adventure, 4 adventurers, legions of undead, loot, silly names ... this could be the most true-to-life videogame rendition of Dungeons and Dragons yet. I see only two glaring problems, the first of which is Bedlam Games.

The only game Bedlam Games has made thus far is Scratch: The Ultimate DJ. It's a new company, so I'll give it a chance, but the lack of experience still causes a bit of concern. The other major problem is that your character will have "powers"; call me paranoid, but to me this implies the game will be based on the Fourth Edition rules. I don't want to start any edition wars if I don't have to, but I'm not a fan.

Of course, even if it is, perhaps 4e rules will lend themselves spectacularly to a videogame. Time will tell.

The game is set to be available for download in 2011 on XBLA, PSN, and PC.

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/dungeons-and-dragons-daggerdale-coming-to-xbla-psn-and-pc-next/]



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[WrongSprite]

Is it just me or does the camera make it look really....'enclosed'? Almost 2D gameplay...

Ah well, I'll give it a chance, if future trailers look better.

 

[Amnestic]

I'm going to admit, I'm mildly interested. Sure, it won't be as good a DnD game as Baldur's Gate 2, but as long as it admits straight off "We're just a fun hack'n'slash romp" and doesn't pretend to be otherwise I probably won't have much of an issue. I think the choice to use 4th is probably best for this type of game as well. Curious, but cautious.

Also, Magical Weapons are already assumed to be Masterwork, so that's a bit redundant

 

[babinro]

So many undead minions, hopefully that party focused on close and burst attacks or they'll be in for a TPK.

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

I am going to get my friends to buy this.


We haven't been able to get our D&D group together because of busy schedules, but this would be soooo amazing.


We could argue for 2 hours...


ON A VIDEOGAME!

 

[Slycne]

The other major problem is that your character will have "powers"; call me paranoid, but to me this implies the game will be based on the Fourth Edition rules. I don't want to start any edition wars if I don't have to, but I'm not a fan.

If it's using the Nentir Vale as a framing point, it's most likely 4e, as I believe that's only a part of the 4e world. Technically/canonically I don't think it's actually a part of Forgotten Realms either though.

 

[Misho-]

Funk! Give us Shadow over Mystara and Tower of Doom for PSN, XBLA and maybe ill get those... The idea that it might be based on 4th edition turns me off right away but who knows... Still Shadow over Mystara... Cmon Atari, share your stuff with Capcom so they can relaunch those awesome games!

 

[Jumwa]

The past D&D rulesets never worked well in a video game setting, so I can't say I'm sad to see them not go that route again. The previous D&D rulesets always felt clunky, too simple (but complicated to understand for non-D&D players), and antiquated in a world of videogames where the math behind actions is grossly complex but mostly hidden from you.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

I'd say this looks like standard pseudo-god-of-war fare, but that wouldn't be correct. It's more like the old arcade game D&D: Tower of doom rather than anything else - well, if it was combined with God of war. But if the original poster is correct, well, I figure that it reeks of unoriginality and standard action-rpg bollocks. Melee class, ranged class, spellcaster, healer (why can no one ever include all 3.5 player's handbook 1 core classes? We've played fighter/arcane spellcaster - that could be spec'd to heal/rogue in DA: O and pretty much every goddamn fantasy rpg as of late.) I want to track shit as a ranger together with my animal companion. I want to cast 9th level druid spells that let me fly and shoot lightning from my eyes. I want to be able to pull off cleric spells other than heal. I want to be a bard, jack of all trades. I want to be quick and tough as a barbarian, relying on trapsense, Damage reduction etc. I want to be a fighter with glorious vesatility in both weapons and armor, plus specializing through seleciton of bonus feats. I want to be horrendously overpowered as a teleporting, self-healing, no-aging, all-language-speaking monk. I want to be able to play as both a sorcerer and a wizard and feel the difference. I want to be a fighter with disease and fear immunity, up-to-4th-level spells, lay on hands and a mount. I want to blend into the shadows and sneak attack as a rogue. So you could say I want a faithful reproduction of the 3.5 rules, which many feel codified, maybe even perfected what D&D is today.

Also, While I am wary of saying this, perhaps the fourth edition rules will make for a simpler, better gaming experience. But there is no reason that the 3.5 rules would not do the same, so I digress. Still, I'm going to check it out at least, if only because it is interesting to see the D&D license used for something other than stagnating.

 

[Orange Monkey]

The big thing that keeps me away from 4th edition is that my party and I JUST got the hang of the bloody 3.5 rules so we're sure as hell not gonna mess with that.

 

[Falseprophet]

Funk! Give us Shadow over Mystara and Tower of Doom for PSN, XBLA and maybe ill get those...

Seconded. I really liked those games. Though I'm keeping an eye on this one in the hopes it's actually decent.

 

[aegios187]

I wish they would use the Eberron or another setting like Greyhawk or Krynn. I know Eberron is used for DDO but I have 0 interest in DDO. The Forgotten Realms is like the de facto game world when I think of D&D. You can only facelift it so many times.

 

[Skjalg Kreutzer]

Of course it will be based on 4E. Basing a game on a dead IP makes no sense at all.

 

[LadyRhian]

Daggerdale is part of the Realms. It's part of the Dalelands. And I am such a nerd, I recognized the flaming skeleton as a Blazebones, and that thing at the end with spikes looks like an Earth Elemental.

 

[Shadeovblack]

Meh, when I want to play D&D, a videogame does not satisfy.

 

[maddog015]

Well, 4e does suit the video gaming audience. I have a feeling they adjusted it that way for this exact reason. Wonder how many other 4e D&D games will be heading our way.

 

[D Moness]

4th edition D&D you mean WoW in tabletop format.

The biggest reason we stepped to Pathfinder rules.

I just hate the 4th edition what it did to the forgotten realms and the gods.

Could work better for a game since the rules are more simple and more for powerplay.

 

[Con Carne]

I know many people aren't fans of 4th Edition. Although, if you look closely enough at how the game works. It actually plays like an MMO. With that being said, an MMO is much closer to being am action RPG than the older edition rules will ever be.
So I'm willing to give this game a shot.

 

[Dyp100]

What ruleset do you expect them to base it off? The most recent of course. Either way, 3/3.5 wasn't a very balanced system so if this is a pure combat game it'd be silly basing it on 3.5.

Probably won't even feel like DnD, I mean, did Baldurs Gate feel like you were playing 2nd Edition or just a Forgotten Realms video game?

 

[Zechnophobe]

Well, 4e does suit the video gaming audience. I have a feeling they adjusted it that way for this exact reason. Wonder how many other 4e D&D games will be heading our way.

There is one called "Neverwinter" (no Nights).

I'm not sure 4e even suits video gaming. It is arguably more complicated than 3rd edition, and require substantially more choices. Also, all the 'tactical' concepts of shifts, pulls, mark, etc kinda don't make since in a real time experience.