Dungeon Siege II is an action role-playing video game that follows the story of the original Dungeon Siege from 2002. It was created by Gas Powered Games and released in 2005. The game continues the story from the first game. An expansion called Broken World was added in 2006.

In the game, players choose from classes such as Melee, Ranger, Nature magic, and Combat magic. The expansion pack "Broken World" adds two more classes. The main character changes their group of allies after a friend named Drevin is killed in the story and works to stop the villain Valdis. Players can team up with non-player characters who have unique traits, making the game more interesting.

The game was well received when it was released, earning an 80 score on Metacritic and winning the "Best Roleplaying Game 2005" award from PC Gamer US.

Gameplay

Dungeon Siege II offers a more varied gameplay experience compared to the first game. The original version was criticized for being too automated and lacking replay value. Gas Powered Games improved the system by making it more flexible and adding more strategic elements.

By default, the new system disables much of the original game's automated combat. Players must click once for each attack their character makes. For those who preferred the old system, the new one can be adjusted to allow continuous attacks by holding the right mouse button while targeting a monster. Options are also available to let characters automatically defend or attack, similar to the original game.

In the first Dungeon Siege, the four character classes (Melee, Ranged, Nature Magic, and Combat Magic) only differed in the items and spells they could use. In Dungeon Siege II, each class has a unique set of skills that define their strengths. For example, Melee characters can improve their shield use or two-handed weapon skills. Multi-classing (learning skills from multiple classes) is still possible but should be done carefully, as characters may become too weak if they spread their skills too much.

The "Broken World" expansion for Dungeon Siege II introduced two new multi-class characters: the Fist of Stone (Melee and Nature Magic) and the Blood Assassin (Ranged and Combat Magic). These classes have specialized skill trees that make multi-classing easier. For example, the Fist of Stone can cause small earthquakes during attacks, and the Blood Assassin can make enemies bleed to match the damage of a pure Ranged character.

Dungeon Siege II added the Hero Powers system. These are special abilities used when regular attacks are not enough. Examples include making the entire party invincible or summoning lightning that harms all enemies. Powers are earned by training specific skills to certain levels and become stronger as characters level up.

Like the first game, Dungeon Siege II is a party-based role-playing game. Players can control up to four characters on the easiest difficulty, five on Veteran, and six on Elite. Non-player characters (NPCs) can be recruited and behave like player characters. Pets can also be bought and grow stronger when fed items. Unlike the first game, NPCs have unique personalities, can talk to the player and each other, and have their own side quests. Pets gain a Power at level three and an Emanation (a special aura) when they mature. Emanations help friendly characters by boosting abilities like mana regeneration.

The magic system in Dungeon Siege II is mostly unchanged. Combat Mages and Nature Mages still use separate spell lines that grow stronger as characters level. Combat magic focuses on damaging enemies and weakening them with curses, while Nature magic focuses on healing, summoning, and strengthening allies.

Parties can have up to two active buffs at a time. Pets' spells count toward this limit, but their Emanations and weapon enhancement spells (used by Fist of Stone and Blood Assassin) do not. Each enemy can only have one debuff (a negative effect) at a time.

If a character loses too much health, they fall unconscious and must wait for healing or health to regenerate. If an unconscious character is attacked too much, they may die. Dead characters cannot be healed and must be resurrected by another character or a Necromancer NPC. If all party members die, they can respawn in town without their equipment, which must be retrieved from their corpses or summoned by a Necromancer for a fee.

Dungeon Siege II supports multiplayer cooperative play over LAN, the Internet, and GameSpy networks. Up to eight characters can join, but only four can be controlled by players. Purchased pets count toward the character limit, but summoned creatures (from spells) do not. An "old school" mode allows up to eight players but requires adding "oldschool=true" to the game settings.

Saved games for LAN and Internet play are stored on players' computers. For GameSpy, saved games and characters are stored on GameSpy servers. GameSpy limits online cheating but does not completely prevent it. GameSpy characters can be downloaded to computers for use in Internet, LAN, or single-player games but can only be created or leveled on the GameSpy network. Unlicensed copies of the game may be blocked by the network. The Steam version of Dungeon Siege II does not support multiplayer.

Plot

The story begins with the player-controlled main character and their friend, Drevin, working as soldiers for Valdis, a warlord who teams up with a group of Dark Wizards and uses a powerful magical sword called the Sword of Zaramoth. The main character and Drevin are sent to capture a temple guarded by dryads. After the temple is taken, Valdis betrays them by attacking the soldiers. Drevin is killed, and the main character is knocked unconscious.

The main character wakes up in the care of the dryads. Instead of punishing them, the dryads let the main character prove their worth by helping them fight Valdis. After completing this task, the main character learns they are infected with the Plague, a strange illness caused by the Dark Wizards that makes people lose their minds. They are cured using water from an Elven shrine and return to their hometown.

On the way home, the main character saves an old man from dryads who are driven mad by the Plague. The old man explains that the Great Cataclysm happened when Valdis’s sword, the Sword of Zaramoth, broke a magical shield called the Shield of Azunai. This event ended the First Age. Valdis plans to repeat this disaster by collecting the broken pieces of the Shield of Azunai to destroy it again. The old man also explains that the Plague is caused by crystals formed during the Great Cataclysm, which allow the spirits of Zaramoth’s army to take over living people.

After returning home, the main character collects all the pieces of the shield to rebuild it. They take the pieces to the Agallan giants, who help them reforge the shield. During this process, a medallion is placed in the center of the shield to make it stronger. This medallion was worn by Drevin before he died and given to the main character.

With the shield completed, the main character goes to Valdis’s fortress, called Zaramoth’s Horns. The shield protects them from the Dark Wizards, but fighting Valdis is evenly matched until the old man appears. He takes the shield from the main character and reveals he is a Dark Wizard. Valdis tries to destroy the shield with his sword, but the sword breaks instead. Valdis and the main character continue fighting, and Valdis is killed.

Release

In 2006, 2K Games released an expansion pack called Dungeon Siege II: Broken World. This expansion adds new features, such as an extra story campaign, two new classes that combine traits of existing classes, the ability to play as Dwarves, magic-based "recipes" for creating items, two pets available to buy in the main town of the new campaign (the Pack Ram and Kohl Beast), and special items linked to the PlayStation Portable version of Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony.

The Dungeon Siege II: Deluxe Edition is a special collection for collectors. It includes the original Dungeon Siege II game, the Broken World expansion pack, and collectible items such as maps, portraits, wallpapers, and a video titled "The Making of Dungeon Siege II" on a CD-ROM. This edition was released on October 23, 2006.

Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.

GameSpot said, "Dungeon Siege II is a good game that improves on the first game. It offers a long experience with lots of fighting and will please fans of the genre."

Detroit Free Press gave the game four stars, stating, "It combines the same good idea that made Dungeon Siege a hit with new storylines, new features, and better graphics. It is a great choice for many hours of gameplay this fall." The Times gave it four stars out of five, calling it "a well-designed game with exciting music and the potential to provide weeks of engaging gameplay for serious players." However, The Sydney Morning Herald gave it three-and-a-half stars out of five, noting, "Fast-paced, epic, and easy to play, Microsoft's hack and slash sequel will entertain new players but may not satisfy experienced players looking for more depth and new ideas."

The game won PC Gamer US's "Best Roleplaying Game 2005" award. Greg Vederman said, "It is a rare sequel that improves on its predecessor in almost every way." During the 9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Dungeon Siege II for "Role-Playing Game of the Year," which was ultimately given to Jade Empire.