The Dungeon
Siege games on the PC have developed quite a following – especially those
gamers who have had a soft spot in their hearts for hack-and-slash role-playing
game like the classic Diablo. Yet when it comes to the Sony PSP, the best
we could get are the Untold Legends games that aren’t incredibly bad but
they certainly could have been better. Oh but there’s hope and it comes in the
form of Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony, a PSP game that finally gets
portable hack-and-slash right.
There isn’t much
to the story, although, to be fair, Dungeon Siege fans aren’t hooked in
by the game’s plot. The story revolves around your chosen character that sets
out on a journey not recognized by the famous Council of Three. The world of
Aranna, it seems, is being pulled into a war by a mysterious evil threat that is
somehow tied to the disappearance of the Agallan race thousands of years ago.
Yet your journey is cut short as your ship is destroyed in a violent storm and
you suddenly find yourself stranded on unfamiliar and dangerous territory. All
you have is your wits, your combat skills or magic and your determination to see
this quest to the very end.
You start the
game by picking from three characters or importing your Dungeon Siege 2:
Broken World avatar straight out of the PC. The characters available are
actually good and have their own set of abilities that work for them. There’s
Allistar the Mage who possesses two fire attacks, Serin the Elven Shadow Stalker
who can teleport and wield two weapons and Mogrim the Half-Giant Warlord who has
a strong attack and can heal on his own. From there you can pick from two
different followers for each character. Serin, for example, has the choice of
the Hooded Archer (who is great at slinging arrows with his trusty bow) or War
Hawk (a hawk who can swoop down fast to take out enemies from above). Each
follower makes up for a character’s weakness so if you’re worried that a brute
like Mogrim can’t compete against powerful magic users then his magically
inclined follower Shaelyn, an elf with powerful magic, will aid him.
The game’s world
is separated in sections you can travel to from a 3D map and while there’s a lot
of ground to cover and plenty of areas to explore, this damages the game a
little since it means that there are several load times, many of which are quite
lengthy. Still, even with the frequent load times, the many areas are actually
fun to explore. Each town or locale leads to quests, whether you’re following
the main quest or accepting side quests from characters you encounter throughout
the game. For the most part, most quests related to the story aren’t bad at all
but when it comes to the side quests most of them seem to have you doing the
same thing over and over again. Some quests have you looking for some lost soul
or have you searching for X item you have to collect and bring back to the
person who offered the quest. After awhile, these fetch quests will seem more
like a chore than a pleasant diversion.
One of the many
ways to collect some sparkling loot is by defeating enemies, which takes us to
the game’s combat. It’s pure hack-and-slash action when it comes to the combat
and it’s stuff we’ve seen before but the game pulls it off well. Aside from
bringing a sword, axe or any other blade down on an enemy, the specialty attacks
add some variety. Combat, of course, also means that you can level up different
aspects of your character’s abilities like most RPGs. The cool part is that you
can also upgrade your follower’s skills and attributes as well. Leveling up also
means you can unlock new abilities you can use in battle and you’ll need it
since the enemies you’ll face will get progressively harder to defeat
(especially those magic users). Really, you’ll be thankful for having a follower
and you’ll be even more thankful since the game does allow you to play through
the single-player mode with a friend via Ad Hoc connectivity.
Control-wise,
the game feels great whether you’re setting an enemy on fire thanks to a magical
spell or ripping into a beast with your broadsword. There isn’t a moment in the
game where you will be frustrated by the lack of a second analog stick or wish
for better camera control. The game follows the action perfectly, although there
are times during combat when the game does suffer from some framerate issues.
Still, the good does overshadow the bad in this game and the sheer amount of
items you can purchase and use do give you an advantage during battles so the
main quests won’t seem so incredibly hard.
The game’s
graphics are impressive and are nicely detailed. The environments, for instance,
really stand out and are incredibly detailed. It’s just great to see towns with
swinging sign posts and the dancing flame from a lit torch light the path to an
inn. The characters are also nicely detailed, although on the PSP widescreen
things are tinier. You can, however, tell when your character puts a hood over
their head or notice armor changes. As for the visual effects, the magic spells
cast in the game look great and they do occasionally light up your PSP screen.
As for the
game’s sound, there’s some voice acting in the game mixed in with text dialogue
but for the most part the voice acting is good and it comes out clear through
the PSP speakers. The game isn’t always serious, as you’ll hear when you
encounter a pair of bickering old men and when it comes to the monster sounds
they’re never recycled so no two monsters sound alike. The real treat comes from
the game’s score, which epic in that fantasy film sort of way. Really, the great
soundtrack does make up for the Ok sound effects.
Dungeon
Siege: Throne of Agony
is far from perfect but it is, by far, one of the most enjoyable
hack-and-slash adventures fit for your PSP. Fans of this genre and the series
will definitely like the game’s world and action that seldom feels repetitive
and with a lot to do this game makes the perfect travel companion. While the
quests could have used more variety, the tons of secrets to uncover and areas to
explore will keep you more than busy. This is a must have for fans of the series
or gamers looking for a good hack-and-slash for their PSP.
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Gameplay: 8.2
The swordplay
might not be any different from what we’ve already experience on our PSP but
it’s handled well in this game. While Throne of Agony doesn’t stray from
its PC roots, it’s fun exploring a world with many characters, enemies and
secrets on a handheld platform. Even the game’s RPG elements are better than the
Untold Legends series.
Graphics: 8.0
You’ll wish
the camera zoomed in a little more since the detailed environments and
characters really stand out beautifully. Even the dungeons look pretty good and
the flashy visual effects will not fail to impress.
Sound: 8.0
The voice
acting is actually pretty good and the sound effects are just as detailed as the
visuals. There’s a running score that would fit right at home with an epic
fantasy film.
Difficulty:
Medium
Some enemies
will certainly put up a fight and there are moments in the game where you will
be glad you have a follower whose skills you can upgrade as well. The quests are
actually challenging enough to put you through a lot of trouble.
Concept: 8.5
The characters
aren’t customizable enough at least you can pick your followers. There’s a lot
of ground to cover in the game’s world and plenty of things to do aside from
exploring dungeons. Wireless co-op allows you to play the single-player mode
with a friend.
Multiplayer:
8.0
Tackling on
the single-player mode with a friend through Ad Hoc mode means you can take on
the story campaign with a friend who can join in at any point in the game. The
co-op works beautifully and without any lag so you might just want to consider
playing with a friend.
Overall: 8.5
Dungeon
Siege fans who
have been dreaming about a portable game in the series will find a lot to love
about Throne of Agony. It’s a purely hack-and-slash affair with all the
right elements that make this game an enjoyable experience for fans of the
genre. While some fetch quests are a little dull side, it’s hard to ignore the
game’s originality and fun hack-and-slash action.
