Dungeon Siege 2: Broken World

In Dungeon Siege II you hunted down the saucy warlord Valdis and served him a sizey platter of what-for up a mountain. But, like all true heroes - I'm thinking mainly of Ghostbusters and the film's sequel (I still can't believe they got sued for their good work) - you can't expect thanks. Your battle has submerged the world into chaos, pissing everyone off - which, for the purposes of this game - will be conveyed by NPCs saying catty things while selling you a sword.

Everything you know from DSII is still here - pets, towns, teleporters, multiplayer, relentless waves of monsters and ambushes. Apart from more of the same, Broken World gives you two more character classes, with two new trees to snick your skill points into. The Blood Assassin and Fist Of Stone address the simplicity of DSII's class system, by combining them slightly. Blood Assassin is a Ranger with spells, and the Fist Of Stone is a Warrior. With spells. There are also recipes, which let you prepare an enchanted robe using fenugreek leaves and basil. Oh, and there's a fifth race, the dwarves. Dwarves are ideal for the Fist Of Stone class, and you can even take your dwarf back to DSII. if you're so inclined.

Simple Pleasures

The problem lies, as it did with DSII. in the game's simplicity and ease. With loot the simplicity is welcome. No-one needs the amount of worthless crap dropped in Titan Quest, and you're not bogged down with sifting through dozens of chipped helmets.

But the levels remain a set of crooked monster-strewn tubes, with recipe ingredients tucked away close to the walls and mini-bosses guarding areas just off the main path. No-one's saying that every game has to be as fenceless as Oblivion. But if you've seen the film Otdboy, then Broken World - like DSII - still feels like watching Oh Dae-su slog his way through that goon-filled corridor. When progress is this straightforward - as dungeon-crawling games are, from Diablo to Titan Quest - you need a real sense of character development and coolstuff accrual to keep you involved. And in the ten hours of play offered here, there's simply not that much to be added to what was offered in the original game.

If you own Dungeon Siege II. you'll already have your own opinions. I daresay you'll know if you want more of the same, in spite of my impotent bluster. So trust yourself, not some idiot reviewer who got over-excited about Diablo - the quest to find its equal seems doomed to eternal disappointment.