CNET Editors' review
Practice patience. The Dungeon Siege II demo includes lots of cinematic introduction, which explains the 900MB file. Even after the download completes, unzipping, installing, and loading may take more than 30 minutes. Once the demo is finally running, though, the visuals impress, the interface shines, and the action runs nonstop.
You play a mercenary for ominous lord Valdis, fighting to seize an amulet from the Dryads at their Temple of the Coast. Before entering the world of Aranna, you create and customize your character from one of the four races (Human, Elf, Dryad, or Half-Giant). You can add nonplayer characters to your party--one member to start and more as your character levels up.
Though the graphics improve significantly on its predecessor's, Dungeon Siege II falls victim to a common flaw of action RPGs: too much hack and slash. The range of combat options and visuals are impressive, but their appeal wanes after you incinerate your 50th Bracken defender. Interesting additions such as "hero" powers and four types of combat development don't make much difference in the demo. Nonetheless, the entire presentation is so polished and the amount of free content is so plentiful that Dungeon Siege II earns a 5-star rating.
Publisher's Description
From Microsoft Games:
It's been a generation since you vanquished the evil that plagued the Land of Ehb, and now a new menace has awakened. In Dungeon Siege II, the sequel to the best-selling RPG from Gas Powered Games, you will be called on to again wield sword and spell to save the world from a growing abomination many years in the making.
This single-player demo features several introductory cutscenes, as well as gameplay leading up to the Elven Shrine area. The update includes add the updates and fixes from the latest Dungeon Siege II v2.2 patch some introductory cutscenes, and trims the file size by 500MB.
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All versions:
4.1 starsout of 26 votes
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Current version:
4.1 starsout of 20 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"No Idea at all"
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
Really can't say
Cons
Would not download
Summary
I downloaded this from another site, It froze my machine up even though It has more than the required specs. This would not download, Kept getting the "Can not be displayed page" both with IE7 and Mozilla Firefox
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"Dissapointing"
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
First off one thing that sticks out in my mind is the skill branch, I thought that was something new in DS. To be able to wield a dual weapon by activating through a skill branch is pretty nice. They stick with some of the original versons such as traveling without loading. The lvling up is fairly fast. I like the customization of character because in there it includes skin color, hair style, hair color, gender, and race. The race is the most impressive aspect of customization, because there are several selection of race such as human, elves, dwarf, and dryad and perhaps more. There are also classes in this game which I found to be impressive, but that's only in the full game. The story seems a lot better than the first DS, you're a mercenary working for the mordern and the dryads captured you so that you would work for them. It sounds interesting, and less generic. The graphic wasn't great (check the cons) but I liked how the Dryad city looked. Unlike DS there's more quest, which means more challenge, and the quest difficulty is normal in the demo version.
Cons
The graphic wasn't great in my opinion, I thought it was worse than the original DS. The theme of the graphic was more cartoonier...The graphic, all I can say now, just isn't great I think the developers could do a lot better than that. The sound is the same, there's not improvement to it. The music isn't as good as the first, I thought the first DS's music was more intensive. The skill branch can be unnecessary sometimes, like in order to use a shield you need to activate it on a skill branch (minor con). The camera view is pretty bad, I'm use to having the camera view being sticked or focused on my character like a glue most of the time, but the camera doesn't seem to follow the character, instead when the character almost reaches to the edge of the screen the camera moves to catch up with the character. The death system is worse, unlike the first DS, you don't get to be a Ghost so that you can find a shrine to form back into your physical body, you have to go all the way back to the town. The party system becomes impractical, in order to hire more party members in single player mode you need to pay the innkeeper to increase the size. In the original DS you don't have to do that. Overall the Game grew slightly worse than before and it didn't improve in many fields except for customization and skill branch which in my opinion doesn't really make up for all the flaws.
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"DS II demo is certainly large and playable."
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
Love the graphics and the music and the fact that my computer can play it without any freezes. It compares well with the original Dungeon Seige - at least as far as the demo goes. Haven't quite finished it, but I'm going to buy the full game.
Cons
I have to say that I don't like being sent back to the town after saving at a certain place in the game. I expect to be able to continue where I left off and saved. So far I get sent back to Eruliana (sp.) no matter what I do - save or die! Does this happen in the full game or am I doing something wrong?
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"almost best game"
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
just about everything, lots of battles easy to understand,good storyline
Cons
only a demo
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"Good RPG"
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
A must try for anyone who likes RPG games
MASSIVE improvement from Dungeon Siege
If you liked Dungeon Siege, try this, chances are you won't touch Dungeon Siege anymore
No confusing controls and gameplay
Great storyline - You'll want to finish the story by buying the real game
Nice movies and cut scenes (Bad thing from this is a HUGE FILE to download)
Cons
There should be a demo without movies available (So that the download size can be smaller). ITS a demo...Getting the full game to finish off the storyline is a MUST
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"[HPM] Bringing u news about dis game"
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
DIS GAME ROX YALL!!! IF U TINK IT SUX THEN UR A HIPPI
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"marvellous"
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
nice graphics, what is interesting ab't ths game is that we can increase the ability of character by playing more
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"Best game eva tilll you beat it...."
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
It's fun joyfilled and just a great action game.
Cons
it's only the demo so you can't get every far
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"Great game"
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
I like this game because it is an action rpg/strategy game NOT a turn based(don't take it the wrong way I like both)Yet it retain's all the features of the latter.There is ton's of well... everything but most importantly weapons,magic,and abilities.
Cons
I like the first one better.You can probaly get it pretty cheap now that 2 is affordable trust me you won't be disappointed in fact the graphics haven't improved that much since 1.
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"Great game...like DS1 better, though."
Version: Dungeon Siege II single-player demo
Pros
Great single player expeience.
Good graphics.
Good music.
Decent story...better than DS1.
Cons
Decreases size of party from 8 to 4. To get more in your party you have to play the higher difficulty levels (medium level gets you 6 players, hardest gets you the full 8).
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