Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale (XBLA)

Game Info

Let me get this off my chest, yes I played D&D growing up and it was the most intense thing I have ever joined in on for the weekends. Some of today’s gamers may not remember these simpler times of using their imagination to create fulfilling story lines and battles. However, do not worry, Bedlam Games & Atari have updated this classic board game for the “Next Gen” players to enjoy the brand we grown to love.

The game play is very straightforward, you have four races to choice from like Dwarves, Elves, Halflings and Humans. Also four classic D&D classes such as Clerics, Rogues, Wizards and Fighters. If you have played any D&D related games, you will notice these classes as well as races from the board game and free online game DDO.

After you choice your warrior to enter the battlefield , you will encounter a basic character skills page that is very reminiscent of prior D&D games such as your Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma which all have an effect on your HP, AC, MD as well as Attack, Damage and Crit. So choosing the right skills and feats will determine the outcome of your powers in battle.

The game itself is pretty well put together and anyone coming from DDO (Dungeons and Dragons Online) will feel right at home. The basic fighting mechanics are your basic button masher (depending on the character and skills you have chosen) and with simple “trigger powers”, you can select from but I did come into two problems in the game. One problem I encountered was the start menu “Memory” detection. For some reason when I hit “Resume” or “Start New” I get an error about loading a memory device but then I am able to choose my HDD for my Xbox. Not sure if this is because I am running off a Memory Stick but it just scared me when it popped up.

The second issue was the saving itself, When I was half way through a mission I had to save to head out for a while. So I hit start and then “Save Game”, after the game saved I turned off my console. When I came home to finish the mission, the game put me right before the mission I was half way through. I was savage that all the work I put in was lost but I was able to keep my XP and weapons earned throughout the work I have done.  So this was a problem I had because ever time I had to leave mid mission, I would have to leave my Xbox on until my return. I wish the “Save” feature would work when you click on it instead of placing you back before you accepted the mission.

The graphics on the other hand where good for an arcade title. They reminded me of Dragon Age or even Lord Of The Rings Online because they game the player control over the camera angle and whereabouts of his view. I find most RPG games have a set placement for cameras that really ruin the game because you cannot focus on your surroundings. Nevertheless, D&D: Daggerdale has added such a  responsive camera that I cannot seem to find a problem with it. As for the surrounding environment, they incorporated so well in the game to show off the size of an area. I found myself watching moving parts in the background of the areas and thinking to myself “this is an arcade title?”.  The detail is there of a big name title for sure, not saying D&D: Daggerdale is not a big name but for an arcade title, it sure shows that a great looking game can be available for a fraction of the price.

The audio is there and it does not seem to be that overwhelming. It seems responsive to the action my character performs and with parts of the environment surrounding my player. The music ties in well with the area you encounter and this means that audio creates the environment well enough to make you feel like you are present within the world.

The multiplayer is also a great addition to this game. It puts you in an open world with up to three other players to attack enemies head on while pursuing missions given through those areas you encounter. I was able to play with a party of two other gamers and from what I can tell the games multiplayer is well throughout, planned  and put together for users to work as a unit. Though you will still have the random “douche bag” on your team who is always out to get the loot, XP and talk smack even though it is a RPG.

So all and all D&D: Daggerdale offers some interesting game play for veterans and new comers to the huge world that is offered in D&D.  There are many missions available for any player who is embarking on new adventures while keeping some spare gold coins in their pockets. Therefore, drop your 8 sided dice and grab your controller because there is are adventures to be have!

D&D: Daggerdale is Available now on Xbox Marketplace for 1200MSP!

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