Dungeon Siege II Singleplayer Demo

[RainOfTerror]

Dungeon Siege II is an action fantasy role-playing game featuring an immersive fully 3-D environment. Dungeon Siege II casts players into a land deeply scarred by civil war, where they will lead an elite battle party against a vicious marauder hell-bent on bringing the world under his control, no matter the cost. Dungeon Siege II raises the bar for action-RPGs by introducing a deeper storyline, an extensive quest system and a new AI system creating more challenging and cunning foes.

The latest PCGamer cover DVD has a huge 1.4 gig Dungeon Siege II demo, which has finally been brought online. This demo features some intro movies and a tutorial section up to the Elven Shrine area from the Mercenary campaign.

You can grab the massive Dungeon Siege II demo (http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=27154) (1.4gig) off WorthPlaying

[Averic]

Played this demo about 2 weeks ago from the PC Gamer DvD.

I think my mouse button is now permanently depressed from excessive clicking.

[goc_sin]

I tried the demo too.. but I turned on the option to auto shoot once you select an enemy which helps out the mouse finger. I think I am going to take the plunge and pick this one up.

[ElectricMonk]

1.4 gb?? wow

[Ernst_Jager]

How much different is it than the original?

[Varsity]

HOW big? This could be the first game where I wait for the reviews before I try the demo!

[PIPBoy3000]

That's pretty massive, more than an overnight download for me at home. With this and the FEAR demo coming out Friday, it sounds like the Summer doldrums are starting to end. I'm leaning towards not getting this one, but perhaps a demo will change my mind. The last one was more of a visual tour of some nice 3D landscapes. The gaming aspect was pretty minimal, with the difficult choices seemingly focused on inventory management and purchasing decisions.

[Freakshow Billy]

You say that like it is a bad thing :)... Ahhhh button mashers

[Steve_Erhardt]

HOW big? This could be the first game where I wait for the reviews before I try the demo!
LMAO good one.

[RepoMan]

It's very similar to the original version interface-wise, but in terms of gameplay it is *a lot* deeper. First, your main character now acts as in Diablo -- you have to click to get him to do anything. (Though you can hold down the right mouse button to make him keep attacking, which really helps clickitis.) This avoids a lot of the "it plays itself" feeling from the first game.

Second, there are a hell of a lot of new gameplay systems that weren't in the first one. Specialties (Diablo II-like skill tree), powers (super special attacks that you get as you pick your skills), chants (magic incantations that work only in special shrines), reagents (kind of like slotted gems -- they don't seem to be usable in the demo though), pets that get powered up if you feed them magical items... there's just a lot more gameplay meat on the engine's bones now. And man, the engine! I've NEVER seen such beautiful jungle foliage in a game, and it retains the no-loading-screens can't-stop-playing quality of the original. (Teleporters are kind of like loading screens, but that's OK, they're short.)

I think I might be done with the demo -- I saved RIGHT before entering the elven shrine, and I guess that's where the demo ends? But based on the demo I'm buying this on day one. Between this and the F.E.A.R. demo hitting on Friday, it's been a great couple of weeks for demos :-)

Cheers!
Rob

[DeadPixel]

Thats for the quick review RepoMan, I'm interested in this as well. I love coop games and this one seems like a winner for the summer.

[Draknodred]

I'll probably pick this one up... although I might get the PCGamer with the DVD, probably be easier than trying to download it...

I liked the original a lot, especially in multiplayer (ah the chicken dungeon), and how easy it was to make mods, the only problem is that in multiplayer this lead to a lot of cheating and when you tried to join a server without the right mods turned on or off it wouldn't load, blah-de-blah-de-blah... it was just a disaster for me after I loaded some good mods, I couldn't connect to anything anymore =( but it was still a fun experience

[KarmaGhost]

Can you imagine, back in the day, someone coming up to you and saying that a game demo would be a 1.4 gig download?

"That's bigger than my entire harddrive!!!"

[D_Reaper]

This game is awesome, I got the demo in my PC Gamer magazine, and I got hooked on it. I can't wait to pick this up. The demo won't work on my friend's laptop though, there's no cursor for the mouse. It's pretty strange.

[balamoor]

Sorry just tried the Demo it just didn't grab me and make me its Bitch the way the diablo series did, these days unless a game dose that then I’m not buying. Also… I'm not a graphics whore by any means..but damn this is really bad.

I'll stick with my WoW DII (Especially since the new patch is out) and pass on DS II

[D_Reaper]

I vowed to quit playing DII since all of my characters are probably gone, I figured DSII will be a fresh start. I have convinced some friends to purchase the game too, and we all plan on being different classes.

[Xaerin]

I loved so much of the first Dungeon Siege, even when you got the machine guns and grenade launchers at the end so this is a no brainer for me.
1.4gb just means more free goodness!

[Dirty Harry]

Sorry just tried the Demo it just didn't grab me and make me its Bitch the way the diablo series did, these days unless a game dose that then I’m not buying. Also… I'm not a graphics whore by any means..but damn this is really bad.

I'll stick with my WoW DII (Especially since the new patch is out) and pass on DS II
You should first look at your own pc, personally this looks hell smoking hot.


Karmaghost, i was thinking i have full games that are smaller than this demo.

[Zane]

Can you imagine, back in the day, someone coming up to you and saying that a game demo would be a 1.4 gig download?

"That's bigger than my entire harddrive!!!"

1.4? That's a whole floppy, screw that! Wait... GB?!

[Mason]

Ugh, anyone got a torrent for this? The one on FileRush no go-ee, and WorthPlaying keeps dying.

[TheHulk]

Played the demo over the weekend. I never played the first one because of all the bad things I heard about it. This one reminds me of Diablo II with Neverwinter Nights graphics. It was a great play I thought. Definitely picking this one up. Might even try to find the original.

[bean19]

Great quick review Repoman.

I enjoyed this a lot too. . . as a demo (back when it was released as a "multiplayer beta"). I would even have paid money for it quickly and happily if it released in July sometime when the gaming drought is super heavy, but by 8/16. . . well, I'll probably just save up for the slew of holiday releases that our all "must buys".

[balamoor]

You should first look at your own pc, personally this looks hell smoking hot.




AMD 64 3200
1024 DDR 400
Nforce 4 MOB
Geforce 6800 Untra

all assembled and tweaked by an MCSE/A + cert Tech (me :) ) Yeah I guess it is hell smoking hot..in so much as Lords Of Everquest was Hell Smoking hot. :rolleyes:

[D_Reaper]

Played the demo over the weekend. I never played the first one because of all the bad things I heard about it. This one reminds me of Diablo II with Neverwinter Nights graphics. It was a great play I thought. Definitely picking this one up. Might even try to find the original.

Don't bother with the original, in my opinion it's not worth the 20 bucks. Mainly because it has less than half the features its sequel has, besides it's only thirteen more days till it comes out anyway.

[RepoMan]

AMD 64 3200
1024 DDR 400
Nforce 4 MOB
Geforce 6800 Untra

all assembled and tweaked by an MCSE/A + cert Tech (me :) ) Yeah I guess it is hell smoking hot..in so much as Lords Of Everquest was Hell Smoking hot. :rolleyes:
Well dude, what is your problem with the graphics then? What exactly do you think looks ass-tastic about it? Because my system's about like yours, and to me it looks fricking fabulous. Is your problem frame rate? Art style? Heartburn? What??? ;-)
Cheers!
Rob

[RepoMan]

Great quick review Repoman.

I enjoyed this a lot too. . . as a demo (back when it was released as a "multiplayer beta"). I would even have paid money for it quickly and happily if it released in July sometime when the gaming drought is super heavy, but by 8/16. . . well, I'll probably just save up for the slew of holiday releases that our all "must buys".
I dunno about you man, but I've got a powerful thirst after the recent drought :-)

Now, mind you, I have a new baby, so I only get about six hours PER WEEK for gaming, at *most*. So right now I have Chaos Theory, Freedom Force 2, Silent Storm, and Vampire: Bloodlines not even installed yet, and still working my way through Painkiller, Halo 2, Spider-Man 2, Far Cry, Psychonauts, and Kohan 2 :-) But that won't stop me from buying DS2 when it comes out. Short attention span gamer man, that's me!

[RepoMan]

And while I'm working on getting the Posting Whore of the Day award, here's one more cool thing about this demo:

I decided to play a half-giant two-handed-weapon melee monster character, which I've almost never done in an RPG. I played my way through the demo until I reached melee level 5 and could get the Overbear skill, which you need to wield two-handed weapons. Then I got a nice bastard sword. I'd already upped my critical strike skill a bit. Then I went back out with my newly hired archer ally, and started beating up on some little peon monsters....

And suddenly they started exploding in blood! Yep, it looks like if you do a crit strike that does double or more the monster's hit points, you gib it. With blood spray, bouncing body parts, the whole bit. Suddenly I was chopping my way through mobs with multiple little guys blowing up like bloodbags. Felt like my melee giant was a Myth II dwarf in disguise, or something :-D Good times, good times....

[balamoor]

Well dude, what is your problem with the graphics then? What exactly do you think looks ass-tastic about it? Because my system's about like yours, and to me it looks fricking fabulous. Is your problem frame rate? Art style? Heartburn? What??? ;-)
Cheers!
Rob


There's nothing stylistically appealing about it, in fact it looks almost exactly like DS. I will say the frame rate is very good, and the reflections and shadows are top notch, but it ends there and beyond that the game dose very little for me. I can get the same game fix playing DII, or Sacred, Or Dungeon Lords for that matter. Just not worth spending the jack for.

[D_Reaper]

And while I'm working on getting the Posting Whore of the Day award, here's one more cool thing about this demo:

I decided to play a half-giant two-handed-weapon melee monster character, which I've almost never done in an RPG. I played my way through the demo until I reached melee level 5 and could get the Overbear skill, which you need to wield two-handed weapons. Then I got a nice bastard sword. I'd already upped my critical strike skill a bit. Then I went back out with my newly hired archer ally, and started beating up on some little peon monsters....

And suddenly they started exploding in blood! Yep, it looks like if you do a crit strike that does double or more the monster's hit points, you gib it. With blood spray, bouncing body parts, the whole bit. Suddenly I was chopping my way through mobs with multiple little guys blowing up like bloodbags. Felt like my melee giant was a Myth II dwarf in disguise, or something :-D Good times, good times....

Yeah, it's great seeing the monsters explode, I have plans to make an archer. Thunderous arrow is so cool. (at least i think that is the name)

[ElectricMonk]

well... still downloading...55%

getting slower and slower the more people jump on and i perpetually have 4 hours remaining...

i must say from comments i am mildly excited about this game. i haven't even seen screenshots of it yet. i've also never played the first one. but i've been looking for a well done diablo clone for a while, picked up sacred but it was pretty lame.

[Worldcrafter]

3DGamers is hosting the file now as well. Their bittorrent isn't looking too hot, but their direct downloads tend to work better for me than Worthplaying's.

http://www.3dgamers.com/games/dungeonsiege2/downloads/

[Dirty Harry]

AMD 64 3200
1024 DDR 400
Nforce 4 MOB
Geforce 6800 Untra

all assembled and tweaked by an MCSE/A + cert Tech (me :) ) Yeah I guess it is hell smoking hot..in so much as Lords Of Everquest was Hell Smoking hot. :rolleyes:
Well damn i sure put my foot in my mouth wrong game.

[51|RandoM]

You can get it at fileplanet now too.

I'm getting 1086 KB/sec off of one of the subscription servers, only take me about 20 minutes to download it. :-)

[Chagrinful]

Those monster spawning machines are a real innovation, infact it's never been done before in a game!

I love how innovative and simplistic the combat is, this might just be the best game I've ever played.

The graphics are the most astounding ever shown in a computer game! Especially the character facial animations.

Pre-ordered!

[51|RandoM]

Played for 30 minutes before work. No widescreen resolutions, and no resolutions higher than 1280x1024, least not in the demo config options. Hopefully the full game has those options. Being forced to play in a window, or at a non-native resolution is annoying when you've got a 1920x1200 panel, and the horsepower to drive it.

The game itself, from a graphics standpoint looks very similar to the first one. I remember the first one looking incredible when I first saw it, this one doesn't do that for me. Still, stuff looks pretty good, especially spells and environmental effects. The same system of graphics that shows exactly what you're wearing/using is in place, and there appears to be just as much variety, probably even more than the previous game.

The character development/combat appears deeper, adding branches to the original training paths, and special moves/upgrades for them. Even with the added complexity, it still feels like you just point, click, kill, collect loot, repeat. I didn't see any spots in the demo where tactics matter, much less one where it was critical to success. Save your special moves for the strong mobs, mow down the rest is the only tactic required.

Loot system appears exactly the same, you end up with a pack full of crappy stuff to sort through, looking for that 1pt upgrade. One addition to this area is the ability to add enchantments to a weapon, which is nice. You'll still have to buy/find the reagents for the upgrade you want, but it should be much easier to build the 'perfect' weapon for your character's combat style, instead of rolling the dice over and over in random combat praying for it to drop.

The storyline looks a tad deeper/broader, and it would appear that there are going to be many more quests. Hopefully the main storyline will be less linear than the 1st. Hard to tell from just the demo.

I'll probably get the full version, if only because I'll enjoy exploring the new environments/locations.

[Worldcrafter]

I haven't gotten to play the game itself much yet, but the menu graphics are absolutely terrible! It's hard to get excited about choosing your character when it looks pixelated, like it's being rendered withouth any hardware. I got bored playing the first one, and this one isn't getting me excited either. I feel like I'd rather finish playing the first than buy the second at this point. But then again, I've only played the demo for half an hour.

[Phades]

There's nothing stylistically appealing about it, in fact it looks almost exactly like DS. I will say the frame rate is very good, and the reflections and shadows are top notch, but it ends there and beyond that the game dose very little for me. I can get the same game fix playing DII, or Sacred, Or Dungeon Lords for that matter. Just not worth spending the jack for.

I was interested in your opinion until you mentioned Dungeon Lords. That game is a steaming pile.

So, I grabbed the demo and I agree with you that the graphics aren't fantastic but they're not bad. Part of the problem I think is that we've all gotten so spoiled by Guild Wars and how great it looks for a similarly playing game.

[Phades]

I haven't gotten to play the game itself much yet, but the menu graphics are absolutely terrible! It's hard to get excited about choosing your character when it looks pixelated, like it's being rendered withouth any hardware. I got bored playing the first one, and this one isn't getting me excited either. I feel like I'd rather finish playing the first than buy the second at this point. But then again, I've only played the demo for half an hour.

I agree with you on the menu graphics. I was really surprised at how lousy the characters looked. Strange thing is, they're much better once you get in the game. They're still not the best out there but they're fine. It's odd that they chose low-res, blurry models for the selection screen.

I kinda think this game was just a sort of side project while they continue work on their next RTS. (well, Chris Taylor's next anyway).

[51|RandoM]

I looked up how to hack additional rez support for the original+expansion, I'll try it on the demo tonight, see if it works.

[greensky]

"...Dungeon Lords. That game is a steaming pile."... Agreed. I only played the demo for about 20 minutes, but that was MORE than enough time to find that out... BLEH! I hope this game is better. If I ever find a reliable torrent I may try the demo.

[Xaerin]

This was pretty cool I guess till it decided to restart my pc after a cutscene in the middle of a quest where i hadn't saved in ages. *sigh*

Graphics were very underwhelming. Reminded me of neverwinter nights which look worse than the original, in my opinion.

I really loved the first one but when I played this all I could think was how little had changed apart from some very very similar Diablo 2 elements. Kinda dissapointing.

Playing a giant was cool. Crashing was not, but it's only a demo, I'm sure the full version will be more stable but I probably won't get it. I feel I need something a bit more substantial gaming wise these days.