Dungeon Siege

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,904 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Dungeon Siege Game Cover
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In Dungeon Siege, players explore a high fantasy world, battling monsters and completing quests in a seamless, open environment. The game features a range of character classes and skills, as well as the ability to recruit companions to aid in combat. Players must strategically manage their party's inventory and abilities to overcome challenges and progress through the story.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,904 reviews
story158 positive mentions
stability88 negative mentions
  • Dungeon Siege offers a nostalgic experience for fans of classic RPGs, with engaging gameplay and a unique party system that allows control of up to 8 characters.
  • The game features a seamless world with no loading screens, providing an immersive experience as players journey through diverse environments.
  • The leveling system, where skills improve through use, adds depth to character progression and encourages players to experiment with different playstyles.
  • The Steam version lacks the Legends of Aranna expansion and has disabled multiplayer, significantly reducing the game's replayability and overall experience.
  • Many players experience frequent crashes, particularly after defeating the final boss, which can lead to frustration and loss of progress.
  • The graphics and user interface feel dated, and the game can become repetitive, with a linear storyline and limited character development options.
  • story726 mentions

    The story in Dungeon Siege is generally regarded as simplistic and linear, often described as generic high fantasy with minimal character development and few side quests. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and the straightforward narrative that allows for immersive gameplay, many criticize it for being monotonous and lacking depth, with the focus primarily on combat rather than storytelling. Overall, the game offers a basic plot that serves as a backdrop for action rather than a compelling narrative experience.

    • “The story is linear but that means that it is focused and there are fewer inconsistencies.”
    • “Decades later, Dungeon Siege still holds up as a model RPG with surprisingly great UX design and story.”
    • “Dungeon Siege impels the player into one over-the-top battle after the other as the storyline unfolds and a larger plot begins to reveal itself.”
    • “You definitely do not want to play Dungeon Siege for the story, as even if you try to get invested in it you will spend so long fighting through enormous outdoor environments or dungeons that you will likely forget what you are even supposed to be doing, but the game is absolutely shockingly linear for a CRPG with these vibes, as there are maybe a handful of places where you can choose to go left or right and both paths lead to the same place shortly thereafter anyway.”
    • “The overall story is generic as it comes - you're people are the survivors of a war who settled in a new place, but suddenly monsters attack and you, a humble farmer starting at level 1, must suddenly pick up arms and fight for your country.”
    • “The story is nothing to write home about and there is not much to make you care about the world and its characters.”
  • graphics564 mentions

    The graphics of Dungeon Siege, while impressive for its time in 2002, have not aged well and are often described as outdated, resembling early 2000s visuals. Many players appreciate the nostalgic charm and detail of the environments, but acknowledge that the low-resolution textures and models can detract from the experience on modern systems. Despite these graphical limitations, the gameplay remains engaging, and some players find that the visuals still hold a certain appeal when viewed through a retro lens.

    • “Its polished interface, accessible gameplay, and exceptional graphics make it a standout in the genre.”
    • “The environments are brimming with detail, and the art style captures the essence of a medieval fantasy world.”
    • “For a game released in 2002, Dungeon Siege's graphics were revolutionary.”
    • “The graphics have not aged well, and the gameplay is without many of the improvements that have been made in the genre in the last 20 years!”
    • “The graphics are obviously very dated, even when run at highest resolution.”
    • “After hours of trying community patches, graphics are still bugged beyond belief rendering gameplay impossible.”
  • gameplay486 mentions

    Dungeon Siege offers a blend of straightforward and engaging gameplay, reminiscent of classic action RPGs like Diablo and Baldur's Gate, with a focus on party-based mechanics that allow for real-time combat involving up to eight characters. While the game features a polished interface and a satisfying loot system, many players note that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth over time, with some technical issues and dated graphics detracting from the overall experience. Despite its simplicity, the game remains a nostalgic favorite for many, providing hours of immersive dungeon crawling and character progression.

    • “Its polished interface, accessible gameplay, and exceptional graphics make it a standout in the genre.”
    • “With its immersive gameplay, vast landscapes, and engaging mechanics, Dungeon Siege has left an indelible mark on the RPG genre.”
    • “Dungeon Siege excels in its party-based gameplay, allowing you to assemble a group of adventurers with distinct abilities and personalities.”
    • “But the extremely basic gameplay does not justify its length.”
    • “As far as gameplay and mechanical issues go, the dungeon and encounter design in this game is awful.”
    • “Gameplay is boring and you will feel that passing next levels goes on forever.”
  • music288 mentions

    The music in the game, composed by Jeremy Soule, is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its memorable and immersive qualities. While the soundtrack effectively complements the game's environments, some players feel that it doesn't always fit the intensity of combat situations. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features of the game, contributing significantly to its nostalgic appeal and immersive experience.

    • “The orchestral soundtrack adds depth to the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall immersion and complementing the epic scale of your adventures.”
    • “The soundtrack is outstanding and the overall feel of the game is almost unheard of in modern RPGs.”
    • “The music (by Jeremy Soule, who also worked on the Elder Scrolls series, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, Neverwinter Nights, and Baldur's Gate) and ambient sounds create an incredible atmosphere when exploring and traveling that is hard to match in any other game.”
    • “The music doesn't always fit the situation.”
    • “Strangely, there is no combat music, so during the pitched fights, the generally soothing location theme will be played.”
    • “The music is okay but nothing special.”
  • stability96 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and graphical glitches, particularly on newer operating systems like Windows 8 and 10. While some players have managed to find workarounds and community patches to improve performance, many still find the game unplayable due to its persistent issues. Overall, the game is described as buggy and requires considerable troubleshooting to function properly.

    • “No glitches, high framerate, no problems saving/loading, zero crashes.”
    • “I have seen no glitches so far, I am only short into the game but none of the issues that others have mentioned being this early in the game.”
    • “The game is not buggy.”
    • “Game constantly freezes and is completely unplayable.”
    • “I managed to get a 5 hour session the first day then a random crash-to-desktop throws me back half an hour of gameplay. After reloading the game, I found it's now filled with graphical bugs that freeze and crash the game in less than a minute. It's impossible to play; I tried everything from the small amount of info left in dead forums to fix it, but it only made things worse.”
    • “Bought this game, and I can't even play it on Windows 8. It just freezes on the first help screen, and I can't even close it without logging out of Windows, due to the fact that I can't seem to bring up a different tab or the game itself!”
  • grinding88 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, especially as they progress further into the game. While some appreciate the old-school RPG feel and the depth of character development, others criticize the slow pace of leveling and the micromanagement required, which can turn enjoyable gameplay into a chore. Overall, the consensus suggests that while grinding is a core part of the experience, it often detracts from the enjoyment, making it feel like a job rather than a fun activity.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “No re-leveling, no grinding.”
    • “There's definitely some downsides though, the character development is very inflexible (it's hard to do anything except specialize), the gearing in the base game is not too deep, and the gameplay loop is fairly grindy.”
    • “What was fun at hours 2-3 became tedious and repetitive at hours 15-16 as you do the same thing over and over.”
    • “Even if judged on its own merits and disregarding the twenty years of advancement games have made, this is the most tedious simplified game I've ever had the displeasure of forcing myself through.”
  • atmosphere72 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by a memorable orchestral soundtrack and ambient sound effects that complement the fantasy setting. Players appreciate the combination of music and environmental design, which creates a captivating experience during exploration and combat. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as fantastic, with a mix of relaxing and intense elements that draw players into its world.

    • “The orchestral soundtrack adds depth to the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall immersion and complementing the epic scale of your adventures.”
    • “The ambient music and sound effects enhance the atmosphere of the fantasy world you explore, making every battle and exploration even more memorable.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is fantastic; the way that they combined music with its environment is something out of this world, and the sheer immersion and joy of listening to Jeremy Soule is just amazing.”
    • “Diablo with no atmosphere.”
    • “Closer to an adventure than an RPG, it's like Diablo but without the loot, the clicking, the atmosphere, or the character customization.”
    • “The atmosphere of this game is oppressive, and dark, and you will love every minute you spend in here.”
  • replayability38 mentions

    The reviews highlight a mixed perception of replayability in the game, with many praising its high replay value due to character customization, diverse playstyles, and enjoyable group quests. However, some users express disappointment, noting a lack of replayability after completing the game, particularly if certain conditions, like creature respawn, are not met. Overall, while the game offers significant replay potential for some players, others find it lacking in this aspect.

    • “It's got great replay value as your starting character is fully customizable and you can choose to be a warrior, archer, or wizard, or even a hybrid of two or all three.”
    • “Was great then, and is still worth playing, it's a very underrated RPG with a unique take on being isometric yet having action elements, ton of replay value.”
    • “I really enjoy playing this; longevity and replay value are added to the game when you discover you play the version that has the expansion files, which also lets you try out some interesting mods.”
    • “It has no replay value.”
    • “Yes, it's a fun game with an interesting control scheme; however, it has a glaring flaw, and that is that the game, once completed, offers no replay value at all.”
    • “- poor replayability (e.g. the creatures do not respawn; probably you can't play the game again with your developed (maxed-out) character but I am yet to verify this)”
  • humor30 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as both absurd and entertaining, with players finding amusement in the ridiculousness of the story and character interactions, such as a farmer turning into a mass murderer with a blunt knife. The game features comical sound effects, quirky character dynamics, and unexpected scenarios, like a narrator continuing to refer to a kicked-out character as the hero. Despite its flaws, many players find the humor to be a redeeming quality that adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “It's also humorous to get loot from the final boss and then the game ends.”
    • “The sound effects of your character dying are hilarious; and the sounds of monsters and casting spells are also very good!”
    • “Sidenote: even if you kick the main character out of the party, the narrator of the game will still say things like 'the hero did x' and 'now it was time for the hero to y' and stuff like that, it's pretty funny.”
    • “You're not funny!”
    • “You're not funny!”
    • “You're not funny!”
  • optimization28 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and stuttering, particularly on modern systems. Achieving peak performance often requires extensive micromanagement, which can quickly become tedious. While some users find enjoyment in the game despite these challenges, the lack of proper optimization for newer technology leaves it feeling outdated and prone to crashes.

    • “It's still fun even without the multiplayer, and runs smoothly on my PC.”
    • “The item drop system is nowhere near being optimized, but it makes getting a well-rolled item that much more rewarding, and the hunt for min/maxing each character's gear is a fun challenge for me.”
    • “If you can get this game to run smoothly, anything Windows 7 (in Windows XP compatibility mode) and lower, it's a good throwback even if the multiplayer has been removed.”
    • “The performance is just awful.”
    • “Because the game is old, it has huge problems with its performance on modern systems.”
    • “The game is full of bugs as it has never been optimized for newer technology and can crash at any time.”
  • character development22 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while players appreciate the control over specialization and the dynamic growth of party members based on their usage, many find the system inflexible and favoring specialized classes over hybrids. The balance between character stats, storyline, and gameplay is praised, but the grindy nature of the gameplay loop and limited gearing options detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the character development offers interesting mechanics, it could benefit from greater depth and flexibility.

    • “The story line, the character development, the point system, and the weapons and spells are a perfect balance.”
    • “I like the character stats improvement mechanism too - you have real control over character development and specialization.”
    • “Character development is also interesting; your party members develop their combat effectiveness by how you use them (melee, ranged, caster, etc.).”
    • “There's definitely some downsides though, the character development is very inflexible (it's hard to do anything except specialize), the gearing in the base game is not too deep, and the gameplay loop is fairly grindy.”
    • “I normally don't really like RPGs that are light on story and character development, but Dungeon Siege's gameplay has me completely hooked.”
    • “Automated attack allows a casual aspect and control of up to 6 characters allows for playing around with character development.”
  • monetization14 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users expressing frustration over misleading advertising related to censorship and multiplayer support. However, many appreciate the absence of microtransactions and DLC, viewing it as a return to a more consumer-friendly approach that prioritizes gameplay over profit. Overall, the game is seen as a worthwhile purchase for single-player experiences, despite concerns about its marketing practices.

    • “No microtransactions, thank you!”
    • “Microtransactions for a good cause.”
    • “Your willingness to censor your games, while advertising that the games are uncensored is vile.”
    • “If you have purchased a game from this company in which you were tricked by the advertising into purchasing which was posthumously censored.”
    • “I just can't speak highly enough of this game, it's the perfect example of how game companies used to think, before monetization became the priority over innovation.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, often reminiscing about personal experiences and relationships, such as playing with loved ones who have passed away. Despite criticisms of the storyline being simplistic or boring, many still find deep emotional engagement through their interactions with the game's characters and world. Overall, the game evokes nostalgia and a sense of responsibility towards its digital elements.

    • “This game is easily one of my top 3 favorites right next to Neverwinter Nights and EverQuest. Growing up playing it again made me feel like I was sitting there doing co-op with my grandfather who has been deceased.”
    • “No matter how old and simple this game is, even today when playing, I feel an emotional connection with those digital beasts of burden and the need to protect them with my life on my journey.”
    • “Poor and boring storyline.”
    • “Boring story with 'go here, kill this' quest.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

16hMedian play time
130hAverage play time
10-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 26 analyzed playthroughs

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