Fergus Halliday writes: It’s been quite a while since the last Dungeons and Dragons video game, and while D&D fans should be looking forward to the Neverwinter MMORPG, they will also be happy with the recent announcement of Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale which is coming to digital distribution platforms for the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The story of Daggerdale looks to be typical D&D fare with the player fighting a desperate struggle against an evil mage named Rezlus, who is attempting to conquer the Dalelands where the game is set. The player must uncover the secrets of the Mines of Tethyamar and eventually face Rezlus in the Tower of the Void.
While Daggerdale is set to provide numerous options for
adventurers playing through the game. It should be noted that Daggerdale is
labeled as an ‘action’ game. While it will feature combat, it will also have
questing, character development and exploration mechanics. Players won’t be
able to create their own characters to play as; instead they will choose from
one of four predetermined race/class combinations. Players will be able
to customize their characters according to the D&D 4th edition
rules, gaining skills and abilities as they earn experience points and
level up.
While the RPG options of Daggerdale look to be less than previous
D&D games, Daggerdale will feature a drop-in drop-out cooperative play
feature.
Players will be able to fight through the campaign by themselves or
with up to four friends. Atari has claimed that Daggerdale will feature a good
ten hours of gameplay and it is set to be the first in a trilogy. While
the graphics aren’t cutting edge like Dragon Age 2 or The Witcher 2, Bedlam
Games have made up for it by focusing on the distinct D&D art style.
With
the way that the multiplayer and character options have been described by the
developers, it sounds like Daggerdale will be more like Gauntlet in some ways
than previous D&D games. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing.
While Daggerdale might lack in the character progression department, it
looks like it will make up for it with the solid dungeon crawling that will
give D&D fans something to cheer about.
Mark Quinlan says: Do you
like hack and slash beat-em-up gauntlet-type actionfests? Then you’ll probably
get a kick out of Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale, a lightweight
downloadable title that takes place in the popular Forgotten Realms campaign
setting.
The story of Daggerdale takes place in the lands of
Faerun. An army is amassing to assault the world from both the Mines of
Tethyamar and the Tower of the Void, the primary dungeon locales that the game
will span over its story. It maintains character development along
familiar D&D lines; the completion of quests and defeat of
enemies will build up character levels (improving stats as well as granting new
feats and abilities) and opening opportunities for customization beyond the
basic archetypes. Of course, if story is not in your interest, there is an
action-heavy freeplay mode as well where you can jump right into the combat
with prefab characters or imports.
Predetermined characters are a limitation, but the four
used in the game (dwarven priest, elven rogue, Halfling mage and human fighter)
fit the old-school arcade RPG system wherein similar archetypes cooperated
towards victory despite insane odds. One of each character can be used during
co-op play, although different builds that a player has developed over game
time can be swapped in at any point.
The gameplay itself is designed with the
console Dragon Age system in mind, with user defined buttons for specific
attacks and spells. Action is fast and precise, as players must actively
block and dodge to avoid damage. Treasure is amassed which you can use and
equip, but the option always remains to return to town to visit merchants and
purchase supplies with your newfound wealth.
As a $10 downloadable
title, Bedlam Games’ Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale is proving
that it may stand above similar titles in breadth and depth. Whereas other
dungeon-crawlers focus more on the action, Daggerdale appears to be
conscious of the fanbase that can be utilized by including statistics, questing
and a well-known setting. Even if players are limited to preset characters and
their associated classes, customization is a continual theme, allowing for
different experiences upon replay. D&D: Daggerdale is set to be
published by Atari and released on Xbox Live Arcade, the Playstation Network as
well as on PC by mid-year.