| Dungeon Siege II: Broken World | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Gas Powered Games |
| Publisher(s) | 2K |
| Designer(s) | Chris Taylor |
| Series | Dungeon Siege |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Dungeon Siege II: Broken World is the expansion pack for the role-playing video game Dungeon Siege II and continues the unfinished plot of the previous game. It was developed by Gas Powered Games and published by 2K in 2006.
The expansion pack introduced several new features, including two hybrid classes based on existing classes, Dwarf as a playable race, and recipes crafting system, PlayStation Portable crossover items to promote and to be used in conjunction with Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony .
The game continues where Dungeon Siege II left off. As with the main game, Broken World takes place on the continent of Aranna. However the world has changed much following the fall of Valdis and the clash of the Sword of Zaramoth and the Shield of Azunai. The protagonist continues to pursue the Dark Wizard who advised Valdis and masterminded much of what happened during Dungeon Siege II.
The game starts in a Dryad Outpost south of Aman'lu where numerous rogue mages corrupted by the Dark Wizard have appeared and are attacking the local population. Additionally, strange beings known as "bound creatures" started to appear in great numbers in the nearby forests. The hostile bound creatures are identifiable as mutilated creatures native to the forest. The player is asked by a refugee to find and save his brother Kanred, a rogue mage. The player is able to locate Kanred but is forced to kill him. A group of dryad patrol appears at the scene and collects Kanred's magical residue. The dryad patrols are not very happy with player's interference with their affairs. Nonetheless, player continues to pursue the Dark Wizard.
Using Kanred's staff, the player is able to track down the Dark Wizard in the Kelvaran Waste. The Dark Wizard explains to the player that he is the Overmage of the Cinbri and is in an effort to return his people to Aranna. The Overmage promptly escapes. From the conversation, the player learns that Overmage has already brought destruction to Aman'lu, protagonist's hometown. The player then seeks passage to Aman'lu.
Warden Celia, the commander of the Dryad Outpost, has sealed off the passage to Aman'lu for safety reasons and she is away on duty. While trying to reach her, player is forced to kill a rogue mage who turned out to be Celeb'hel the Elder of Aman'lu. After defeating Celeb'hel, Warden Celia appears with number of dryads and starts to collect Celeb'hel's magic residue. Celia refuses to reveal dryad's motive for collecting the magical residues and speaks about a secretive yet auspicious goal. With all the unwelcome vigilantism, Celia is more than happy to send the player away.
Arriving at Aman'lu, player realized that it is only a shadow of its former self. The surviving residents are forced to wall themselves in against the onslaught of bound creatures. It is made clear in Aman'lu that bound creatures are the products of Familiar Surgeons. The Familiars are a race that the elves have previously fought, and nearly lost, had it not been for a group of brave warriors, named "Crimson Hunters".
After venturing deep into the Vai'lutra forests near Aman'lu, the player's company is able to defeat two Familiar Surgeons. While inside one of their strongholds, the protagonist learns that the Overmage is behind the Familiars and that the dryads are helping Familiars collecting magical energy.
After returning to Aman'lu, the player is sent to confront dryad's Great Leader in Solanum. The Great Leader has prepared a portal for the dryads. Just as the player arrives, the attending dryads entered the portal. While alone with the player's group, the Great Leader reveals himself to be Overmage incognito. Overmage was able to escape again by summoning a minion, and changing the destination of the portal. After defeating the minion, player enters the portal and is transported to Glorydeep Enclave.
The dwarf inhabitants of Glorydeep Enclave are surprised by the visit of an outsider. The Overmage have enslaved them for over a hundred years to restore the buried Cinbri City. They are more than willing to help the protagonist, for they know they will be sent to the Familiar Surgeons once they are no longer needed. After freeing the dwarves from their overseers, the dwarves in turn help player enter Cinbri City.
Deep inside Cinbri City, player meets the Overmage and the group of dryads. The Overmage explained to the player that he is going to transform into Zaramoth reborn in order to achieve his goal. After player weakens the Overmage, the Overmage promptly transforms into Zaramoth reborn. While Zaramoth is powerful, it is not something the protagonist cannot handle. After defeating Overmage in his Zaramoth form, the only surviving dryad at the scene Kirani got up and recapped what has transpired. The story ends with a cinematic ending explaining the fate of all the companions.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 62/100 [2] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 1Up.com | C+ [3] |
| Computer Games Magazine |   [4] |
| Computer Gaming World | (average) [5] |
| Game Informer | 7.5/10 [6] |
| GameRevolution | D+ [7] |
| GameSpot | 6.3/10 [8] |
| GameSpy | [9] |
| GameZone | 6.8/10 [10] |
| IGN | 6.3/10 [11] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 59% [12] |
Broken World received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [2]
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension or demiplane, called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called "domains", brought together by a mysterious force known only as the Dark Powers. Each domain is tailored to and mystically ruled by a being called a Darklord who is forever trapped and surrounded by magical mists surrounding the domain. Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire in the original AD&DRavenloft I6 module 1983, became the first Darklord, both ruler and prisoner of his own personal domain of Barovia. The story of how Count von Zarovich became darklord of Barovia was detailed in the 1993 novel I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire. As originally established in the Ravenloft: Realm of Terror boxed set known as "the Black Box" released in 1990, the Ravenloft campaign setting was located in the Ethereal Plane. As a physical manifestation of that plane, lands, monsters and even people were created out of the mysterious mists, and the realm acted as a prison where one could enter or be transported, but means of escape were few. Other Ravenloft Domains and Darklords were eventually added in various AD&D 2nd edition products establishing a core continent attached around Barovia which could be traveled to by others if their respective lords allowed entering or leaving their borders; while some Domains remained isolated in the mists and were referred to as Islands.
Baldur's Gate is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. The game has spawned two series, known as the Bhaalspawn Saga and the Dark Alliance, both taking place mostly within the Western Heartlands, but the Bhaalspawn Saga extends to Amn and Tethyr. The Dark Alliance series was released for consoles and was critically and commercially successful. The Bhaalspawn Saga was critically acclaimed for using pausable realtime gameplay, which is credited with revitalizing the computer role-playing game (CRPG) genre.
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, first published in 1977 by TSR. The Monster Manual was the first hardcover D&D book and includes monsters derived from mythology and folklore, as well as creatures created specifically for D&D. Creature descriptions include game-specific statistics, a brief description of its habits and habitats, and typically an image of the creature. Along with the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide, the Monster Manual is one of the three "core rulebooks" in most editions of the D&D game. As such, new editions of the Monster Manual have been released for each edition of D&D. Due to the level of detail and illustration included in the 1977 release, the book was cited as a pivotal example of a new style of wargame books. Future editions would draw on various sources and act as a compendium of published monsters.
Dungeon Siege is an action role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft in April 2002, for Microsoft Windows, and the following year by Destineer for Mac OS X. Set in the pseudo-medieval kingdom of Ehb, the high fantasy game follows a young farmer and her companions as they journey to defeat an invading force. Initially only seeking to warn the nearby town of the invasion of a race of creatures named the Krug, the farmer and the companions that join her along the way are soon swept up in finding a way to defeat another race called the Seck, resurgent after being trapped for 300 years. Unlike other role-playing video games of the time, the world of Dungeon Siege does not have levels but is a single, continuous area without loading screens that the player journeys through, fighting hordes of enemies. Also, rather than setting character classes and manually controlling all of the characters in the group, the player controls their overall tactics and weapons and magic usage, which direct their character growth.
Dungeon Keeper 2 is a strategy game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. The sequel to Dungeon Keeper, the player takes the role of a 'dungeon keeper', building and defending an underground dungeon from the would-be heroes that invade it, as well as from other keepers. In the campaign mode, the player is charged with recovering the portal gems from each area in order to open a portal to the surface. The player can also construct a dungeon without strict objectives, and multiplayer is supported over a network.
The magic in Dungeons & Dragons consists of the spells and magic systems used in the settings of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). D&D defined the genre of fantasy role-playing games, and remains the most popular table-top version. Many of the original concepts have become widely used in the role-playing community across many different fictional worlds, as well as across all manner of popular media including books, board games, video games, and films.
Count Strahd von Zarovich is a fictional character originally appearing as the feature villain in the highly popular Advanced Dungeons and Dragons adventure module I6: Ravenloft. Later, this character and his world would be explored in follow-up modules, novels, and the Ravenloft campaign setting. Within this setting, Strahd is the first and best-known of Ravenloft's darklords. He is a powerful ancient vampire. He is also a master necromancer, a skilled warrior, and the unquestioned ruler of the domain of Barovia.
An owlbear is a fictional creature originally created for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. An owlbear is depicted as a cross between a bear and an owl, which "hugs" like a bear and attacks with its beak. Inspired by a plastic toy made in Hong Kong, Gary Gygax created the owlbear and introduced the creature to the game in the 1975 Greyhawk supplement; the creature has since appeared in every subsequent edition of the game. Owlbears, or similar beasts, also appear in several other fantasy role-playing games, video games and other media.
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia is a turn-based strategy game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing originally released for Microsoft Windows by The 3DO Company in 1999. Its ports to several computer and console systems followed in 1999–2000. It is the third installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series.
Dungeon Siege II is an action role-playing video game, the sequel to 2002's Dungeon Siege. It was developed by Gas Powered Games and released in 2005. The story is a continuation of the Dungeon Siege storyline. An expansion Broken World was released in 2006.
Heroes of Might and Magic V is the fifth installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic fantasy turn-based strategy video game series. The game was released by Ubisoft in Europe on May 16, and then in the United States and Canada on May 24, 2006, with the publisher guiding Russian studio Nival Interactive in its development. Following the closure of The 3DO Company, Ubisoft bought the rights to the Might and Magic franchise, and used Heroes V as a means to reboot the series with a brand-new setting, called Ashan, and no continuity to previous titles.
Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony is a role-playing video game for PlayStation Portable developed by SuperVillain Studios and published by 2K in the U.S. in 2006, and by Take-Two Interactive in the PAL region in 2007.
The lich is an undead creature found in the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. Liches are spellcasters who seek to defy death by magical means.
The role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), which receives significant attention in the media and in popular culture, has been the subject of numerous controversies. The game sometimes received unfavorable coverage, especially during its early years in the early 1980s. Because the term D&D may be mistakenly used to refer to all types of role-playing games, some controversies regarding D&D mistakenly pertain to role-playing games in general, or to the literary genre of fantasy. Some controversies concern the game and its alleged impact on those who play it, while others concern business issues at the game's original publisher, TSR. The game is now owned by Wizards of the Coast.
The Lorwyn block is a Magic: The Gathering expert-level block consisting of two sets: Lorwyn and Morningtide. A third set, codenamed "Jelly", was originally planned as part of the Lorwyn block, but partway into the design of Lorwyn, it was split into a two-set block. Jelly was revealed as Shadowmoor, the first set of the new two-set block. The two blocks were linked together and rotated through the official tournament formats as a single, four-expansion unit. The primary theme of the Lorwyn block is tribalism.
Dungeon Siege III is an action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment. It was published by Square Enix for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows in June 2011. It is the third full and fifth overall release in the Dungeon Siege series of video games and the first since Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony in 2006. The game is set in the pseudo-medieval kingdom of Ehb, 150 years after the events of Dungeon Siege and follows descendants of survivors of the 10th Legion in their quest to reestablish their military force.
Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale is an action role-playing video game developed by Bedlam Games and published by Atari. The game includes both single and co-operative multiplayer modes and is set in the Forgotten Realms.
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the term "monster" refers to a variety of creatures, some adapted from folk myths and legends and others invented specifically for the game. Included are traditional monsters such as dragons, supernatural creatures such as ghosts, and mundane or fantastic animals. Monsters are typically used as obstacles which the players must overcome to progress through the game. Beginning with the first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game manuals, first called Monsters & Treasure and now commonly known as the Monster Manual. As an essential part of Dungeons & Dragons, many of the game's monsters have become iconic in their own right, becoming influential in video games, fiction, and popular culture.