Platform: XB

Genre: RPG

Publisher: Atari

Developer: MicroProse

ETA: October 2003

Review: Dark Cloud 2 (Playstation 2)

Review: Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (PC)

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Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes

The Dungeons & Dragons license has been tapped countless times in the world of RPGs. Some have titles have been great, while others have done a better job at leveling coffee tables that providing a solid game experience. Now MicroProse is taking a stab at the world of D&D with an action RPG in the tradition of the Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance series.

Players will take the role of either a fighter, wizard, cleric, or rogue as they scour the realms in search of Planar Gems while beating down legions of mythical beasts and people with far less scruples than the hero they’re cast as. MicroProse has a number of customization options planned for the game ranging from a weapon upgrade system to learning new skills and feats as your character gains levels. Really, it will come down to execution of the gameplay to make this title standout; otherwise we’ll just have one more cookie cutter action RPG cluttering the shelves.

Features:

Play as one of four distinct hero characters drawn from different races representing the main Dungeons & Dragons classes, Fighter, Wizard, Cleric and Rogue; diverse styles of play for each Hero character ensure a different experience on subsequent play-through.
Four-player cooperative multiplay allows you and up to three friends to select your own heroes and team up against the monstrous threat, playing cooperatively through the single-player campaign.
Authentic D&D monsters, many drawn directly from the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual, including boss-monsters such as towering Iron golems, fire-breathing golden dragons and horrific beholders.
“Heroic” weapon upgrade system that uses a toggle-based Planar Gem system for adding bonus effects to your weapon, with a permanent Rune Stone upgrade system used to improve your base weapon directly.
“Basic Combat Button” controller interface allows you to easily map any of your "actions" such as Attacks, Feats, Skills and Spells to controller buttons, giving you a degree of tactical control when pressed into combat.
Use Skills, Feats and a Character Building system inspired by the rule set from the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook.
Content-rich, interactive levels spanning multiple environments, ranging from a working forge to a magically suspended castle in the sky, each replete with secrets, bonuses and rare items.
Visually stunning Spell and Magical effects.

Mr. Nash

May 11, 2003