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No lawsuit necessary....

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: September 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I've just beat the game and feel the need to write a review since so many people below sound as if they didn't even give the game much of a chance before giving up on it. Perhaps I bought a newer version of the game, but whatever "bugs" are in the game, they didn't hinder its playability that much. Yes, there are some treasure chests that do not open, but that didn't bother me much since there are tons of treasure chests throughout the game, and about 99% of them are random treasures. Usually I'd save the game before opening one up, and then if I got something I didn't like I'd reload my game and try again until I got something I needed. You could do this over and over until you have a full spread of the most powerful armor. So who cares about four chests that don't open? At least the other hundred chests do. Other than that, the game is pretty much complete and engaging. Anyway, what first sucked me into the game was its strong storyline and voice actors. Second, was the ability to learn certain classes, and then build upon that class and upgrade it by completing quests. For instance if you use a female character, you can join the Sisterhood and become a Valkyrie, and then upgrade that to a War Witch, with each upgrade gaining new skills and learning bonuses. There are several classes to choose from, and each has different class changes with unique upgrades. By the time you have reached the third level of any class, you are pretty darn powerful and should have no problem vanquishing any enemy, including most of the bosses. (And speaking of bosses, some of them are quite creepy.) Another plus is the game's process of leveling up, which I simply love. Unlike other RPGs where you have to earn a certain amount of experience in order to level up and increase stats, in Dungeon Lords as you gain experience points by killing enemies, you can immediately "spend" those points to raise either your stats or skills. Of course as you progress, more points will be needed to raise your stats and skill levels, but this way you don't have to wait long periods of time before seeing improvement in your character. Now to explain my rating, I actually enjoyed the game, its graphics and storyline even though it had a weak ending. The only SPOILER I'll give is it leaves the game open for a sequel, but aside from that I wanted more of an ending to reward me for the number of hours needed to defeat this game. I remember spending hours trying to solve certain dungeon puzzles... Regardless, I enjoyed the game and I feel it is worth playing. I'm actually anxious to try out other classes with other characters, but I do recommend waiting until the price of this game goes down.

After patch 1.3.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 17
Date: June 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I played the game to the end once out of the box. Now I'm playing a second time through with the new patch 1.3. The play was good to start with - the patch adds the automap, fixes some quest issues, adds some spells. It still leaves the game unfinished, but not in ways that effect how fun to play this game is.

I hear all those folks who are upset because the game is unfinished. It clearly is. But this is a fun playable game even with its faults.

OK, so I can't change my character's hair. I don't particularly care about that. What *do* I care about with regard to my character? How it plays.

For instance, you have 10 races/gender options to choose from. What you choose changes the way the game plays and how the character develops. You have 4 starting class choices. You have points to spend to customize your character's attributes and skill sets. These affect the play. The play is the thing.

OK, so some of the spells don't work yet. Most do, and a few were added with the new patch. Even with some spells AWOL, there is a lot of remaining magic to play with: there are 4 different kinds of magic. They may be called schools but they are not like other games' "schools." Instead each features magic of entirely different kinds, which work differently, recharge or are created differently and play differently. Each magic is unique - the spells are not duplicated between magic types. Mastering one kind is fun. But wait! there are 3 more (now what would you pay?). This diversity of magic systems makes for the most satisfying and complex magic play I have yet encountered in a CRPG. It also makes for great tactical spell-combat. Honestly, I would like to have the few promised-but-undelivered spells, but I don't miss them.

I read a review where someone said the dungeons did not get put in. Sorry, but wrong!! There are great big beautiful multilevel multi-themed dungeons, including one that takes days to get through. Much, maybe most, of the game is dungeon based, if you count towers, castles, sewers and mazes as "dungeons."

The chest trap puzzles are fun, and they scale with difficulty in an interesting way. It is possible to untrap a chest above your current skill level, but it is hard and requires concentration and dexterity.

The classes have three tiers. Where you might be a warrior to start and a warrior to finish in another game, in this one you get to be five classes by the end of the game. 2 base classes, 2 elite classes and one super-elite class. There are literally dozens of combinations. My new character, this second time, is pursuing a battlemage ninja style career. That means he is a heavily armored magic specialist that in melee combat fights hand to hand, martial arts style, and uses thrown weapons (shurikin). This second game plays a lot differently than it did my first time through. A new, previously unknown, area opened up, there are new quests, new skills, new combat choices. I love that! There are so many possible combinations - I'm already thinking about how I might develop a character to play through again after I finish this game.

The inventory is fixed now and you can hold and sell the excess equipment that you acquire. Speaking of equipment there is a ton of it - armor, swords, bows, shuriken, spears, knives, axes, rings, belts, necklaces, on and on with this or that variation or magic effect.

Most role-playing games when you get to a level you get some points to spend on skills or attributes. In this game, you earn points from winning each combat encounter and you can spend your points whenever you want. Immediately, if you like. It's like hundreds of mini-level-ups.

In addition to the combat related points you also get extra points when crossing to a new level. There are plenty of "regular" level-ups too. By the end of the game my character was level 46 and just as tough and powerful as you would expect.

What about skills? There are a lot of them. 30 or so are available to an individual player-character, which ones are available depend primarily on class choices. There are almost 50 overall in the game. Some open up when you win your way into an elite class. Some open up when you get to a certain point in other skills.

Combat is more than point and click, like Diablo II, but has some of the same addictive qualities. It has been much better implemented than in similar games, such as Morrowind (which I loved too). Think of a simplified version of a game like Street Fighter. As you climb in skill you can do special combos. Different combos are associated with different weapons. Or barehanded - the ninja-type classes open up a whole new set of fighting moves and animations. What combo you use and what weapon you choose are part of the strategy when fighting. Each melee weapon has a speed and a "reach." Choose a long pole weapon to kill giant spiders without being poisoned, for instance.

What else? The automap works after patching to version 1.3. I like it, it looks good, but it was fun using the poster-map too.

So. It's not done, the game should have baked a while longer. No furniture! Some of the fireplaces have no logs. I know these are important to some players, but they don't interfere with the gaming.

Most importantly, what could have killed the game for me: there are no bugs or problems that stopped me from finishing all my quests and the entire mainline story. I did encounter one mission bug, but I had read about it and knew the workaround before I got to it. This was fixed in the 1.3 patch, so you won't need to "read ahead" or even worry about it. As far as I can tell from the forums and my own experience in the single player game, there are no game ending or quest queering bugs. I have read that the multiplayer does still have some funky issues that can foul up certain quests.

Quite a few people have finished the game now - many are like me going back for more. One guy who posts regularly on the (active and helpful) Dreamscape forum is on his sixth time through. He wrote that he's found new things each time through. Others on the forum have validated this. Same thing with the Typhoon Games (they are the Asian distributor) forum.

If you love role-playing games, and your satisfaction is based on if the game is fun, with complex and addictive game-play, engaging combat and unparalleled character development choices, rather than quibbles about eye candy and frosting on top of your frosting (ok, they should not have promised it), then, chances are, you will have a great time.

One other interesting thing about this game. There are people who hate it and just love to hate it. So much that they post for months on the various forums about why they hate it. Over and over again. I see some of them have come here too. I don't really get that. If I hate it, I move on...

Game Is Fun With The 1.3 Patch

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: July 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I started to not get this game because of other reviews, but Im glad that I didn't listen to them. The patch adds the automap to the game and fixs the bugs. I'm playing at 1024 x 768 and I must say that the graphics are pretty darn good and the gameplay is fun. You have to be patient while you gain a few levels and beef you character up and dont use the revive option. Best to save often and just reload, otherwise you will lose advanvement points and stat points.

Im in the large town of Fargrove and just entered the Catacombs. The ambient sound effects are cool and the headless giants are a little tuff.

I'm having a blast with this game and if you like hack/slash and building up your charater then this game delivers. I like that I can be a warrior/mage and use spells, armor, and weapons :-)

uninstall

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 8 / 14
Date: September 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

well i have read all the reviews posted after i bought the game sadly. i can't even get mine to run properly on a new computer. since i doesn't even start up i guess i'll never tell ya'll that this game sucks

UNPLAYABLE

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: May 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I downloaded the demo twice from two different sites and the game screen would not even load. So, I have no idea what the game is like. But hey, it's pretty pathetic when you can't even get a game company's demo to work and it's NOT my system because I am running a top of the line Dell; the fault falls on D.W.Bradley, Heuristic Park Inc, Dreamcatcher; all of them.

A friend of mine bought the game for his new Dell system and couldn't get it to work either. Half the features don't even work! That's just sick. Pure garbage.

So, this is what I think...

1. Every single person that purchased this piece of trash should have their money refunded.

2. D.W. Bradley and everyone else that played a part in the creation and distribution should be sued. (The last time I checked, there WAS and IS a law against false advertising).

3. Every last copy in existence should be burned.

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!

Nervous about the future of this one...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: May 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is such a mixed review... forgive my rambling stream-of-consciousness...

First, I went into this game really looking forward to it. I have to say I was pre-disposed to *wanting* to like it.

And I do like it. I't still a lot of fun.

However, there are so many serious flaws in terms of programming and just basic game design that it becomes almost too overwhelming too ignore. I think we all have moments in any game, even any movie, where we say, "Well, that was dumb why did they/didn't they do that?" I'm talking about many, many moments of these kinds of reflections. There was an expectation of character customization...that wasn't fulfilled. There is a confusing and buggy quest log...which at first is manageable, but the deeper you go into the game the more difficult it becomes to remember things. Yes, I could pull out the old pen and paper --- but why should I HAVE to? If my computer has 1 GB or Ram, AMD64 3000+ and a NX6600GT Nvidia with 128MB ram and a 7200 RPM SATA drive, then why should my computer stutter *every* time a new group of monsters come to call? Why should my helmet look like it's still on...even after I've taken it off.

Again--is the game fun? Yes, indeed. I enjoy it. But so are picnics until the fruit flies start coming one buy one. After a while, no matter how nice the scenery or the food, the fun of the picnic is going to get ruined.

Now, I held off on a review because Heuristic Park and Dreamcatcher seemed responsive to their customers. Their website was up, they released an initial patch fairly quickly, and they seemed open to satisfying and fixing the issues--which are abundant.

However, I went back to the forum at the beginning of this week and now Dreamcatcher has mysteriously dropped their forum. There is zero response. The support online is negligible. I held my game past 7 days (allowed for returns from the retailer where I bought it) because I was expecting more communication with the Dev and publisher. .... now they appear to have gone into hiding.

So...in my opinion, to buy this game right now would be to take a fairly big risk. ... up to you ...

Good beta version

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: May 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

You know this game is actually fun, it has some very good points. However it has way too many bugs. To make things worse when the patches come out to fix the hundreds of bugs all the playing you have done up until that point is gone since your save games will not be compatable with the patches. This is an unfinished game that has no business being sold as a complete game.

I would say wait a month or two before purchasing the game. Once they get the patches out it will be a good game. Like I said I am having fun playing the beta, but it is very frustrating with the bugs and the thought that once they do fix it all my character information up to that point is gone.

Great for those who want a challenge

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: June 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game lacks all the features listed before. Hands down, thats a huge minus. BUT, as someone previously stated, the gameplay is just envigorating. The battles are frequent, the enemies numerous and hard to kill. THIS is the game to buy if you want a challenge. Having no map makes you pull out the crappy paper one, this is the REAL deal. Nothing telling you where you are for you. You navigate yourself or wander in the wildlands for days until the animals finally bring you down. How many adventurers do you ever see walk around with a book, writing down everything that happens to them? Brads perhaps, but not a fighter or knight. And in multiplayer mode you are rid of most of the emptiness feeling. You have allies and numbers and people who respond to you, no need for extra wandering npc's to do the same. And do you think many people are around after years of war and the threat of new war is looming? Only the strongest survive me buck-o's.

Indeed the battle system is hard to grasp and the bugs make it difficult and frustrating... But that is why they gave you the "r" key when you die. you aren't supposed to load after you die you cheaters! Seriously, the game is somewhat enfuriating and NOT for the beginner. But if you are looking for a challenge with a GREAT storyline, this is a game for you.

A serious disappointment

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 12, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game had some potential. Too bad they never even attempted to finish it. The game isn't even an acceptable beta version.

All "completion complaints" aside, they still have a lot a work to do on the rest of the game. The way the enemies spawn is really awful. After you kill a whole set of creatures, if you stand there for any longer than a minute or so, they all respawn around you. I could understand that if you left and came back they could maybe be there again. But they respawn before you've even gotten done looting.

This game was not thought out and designed poorly. Shame on them.

An utter waste of time and money

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 8
Date: July 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game disgusts me to the point where I don't even want to write a review. Call it laziness but look at other negative reviews and my points would be about the same. This game is a complete waste of money and I'm seriously considering lobbying for a class-action lawsuit against the publishers

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