Remember the PC games Dungeon Siege and Dungeon Siege II by Gas Powered Games? Well, they have sold their franchise to beloved RPG developer/published Square Enix, and Square Enix has chosen Obsidian Entertainment to help them develop their first ever Western RPG. The game is still in alpha testing, so we were only able to watch the creators play through a couple of levels, but what we saw looked amazing.
However, the partnership did not want to keep the franchise restricted to the PC as it has been in the past. When the game releases in the first quarter of 2011, it will be available for both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 as well as the PC. As such, they changed up much of the game. It’s still an action-RPG, but it features co-op multiplayer for those who wish to play with friends. Those who wish to play alone can still do so with AI partners. In addition, players can jump in and out of co-op/AI play at any point in the game.
One thing the developers continually harped on in their presentation was that they wanted to keep the game focused on action without letting long cut scenes interrupt too much of play. So while the characters are exploring each area, they will talk to one another without stopping the player from exploring or harvesting.
One of the best features of the game is the lack of loading times. The environments are constantly being streamed through, so players can take their characters in and out of different environments seamlessly. This fact alone has me the most intrigued to try it when I can.
If Square Enix and Obsidian continue at the rate they showed us today, then their first WRPG should be a booming success. It’s just too bad we have to wait until early 2011 to find out.
