Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale Reviews

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on June 2nd, 2011

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Daggerdale has all the elements of a fun dungeon crawler. Poor design decisions, questionable tech implementation, and repetitive, unoriginal action keep the game from that goal. This downloadable game is filled with problems from beginning to end, but a solid leveling system and functional co-op play could make committed players smile through the drudgery.

The game isn't without some other issues either. Unless your setup puts you rather close to your TV, expect some squinting to read some of the smaller text. This probably won't be a problem for those playing on the PC. Various graphic issues also popped up: monsters not transitioning to their dead animation states, occasional screen tearing, and some clipping with the environment or equipment models. I also encountered two specific problems with a certain item, a necklace that regenerated hit points. The first, though more of an annoyance, was that the item had this continual sound effect associated with it (sort of sounded like the wom wom wom of the Star Trek warp engines). Needless to say, it gets really tiresome after more than a few seconds. The other problem with this item was that I discovered it would continue to heal me from the character screens. So if for some reason I drank through my 50 odd potions, all I had to do was bring up the map and walk away from the game for a bit. Lastly, while I personally never experienced anything this bad, someone from the office was telling me about how they fell through the world and respawned at level 1 with none of their gear. Luckily they were able to quit before the game saved and reload with their old characters.

The fact that Daggerdale relies heavily on its D&D roots is perhaps its biggest downfall. From the cliché storyline to the uninspired side quests, muddled graphics, and most of all the bland and repetitive combat, Daggerdale is one place that you'll be reluctant to save, let alone care about.

On balance, it's quite easy to recommend this if it's already your kind of thing and you buy games regularly, but if you're looking to test the loot-infested waters? We'd recommend Torchlight on 360 or Dungeon Hunter Alliance on PS3 first. Perhaps something more full fat? Dungeon Siege III is out soon.

You can't help but wonder whether "Daggerdale" could have been a bit more polished with a few more weeks of development. The current game has moments of fun, and it's plenty fun for the most hardcore D&D gamers.

But this game could easily have made a dungeon crawl impact, tiding everyone over until "Dungeon Siege 3." Instead, it's an almost-but-not-quite.

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