Obsidian’s First Dungeon Siege Keeps the Loot and Drops the Party

Dungeon Siege III arrived on June 17, 2011, as the first main entry in the series not made by Gas Powered Games. Square Enix had bought the franchise outright, handed development to Obsidian Entertainment, and brought back Chris Taylor — creator of the original Dungeon Siege — as an advisor. The result is a game that knows exactly what it wants to be and mostly gets there.

The 10th Legion Returns to Ehb

The setup is the strongest thing here. Roughly 150 years after the first game, the 10th Legion — the force that kept the Kingdom of Ehb stable for 400 years — has been nearly wiped out. Thirty years before the game opens, Jeyne Kassynder rallied eastern Ehb and the Azunite Church against the Legion, blaming them for the death of King Hendrick, her father. She killed most of them in the Rukkenvahl Forest. Young Queen Roslyn’s royalist army fled into the mines of Glitterdelve. A former Legion spy called the Venerable Odo gathers the survivors’ descendants to rebuild.

Four Characters, One Companion

You pick one of four: Lucas Montbarron, sword-and-shield or two-handed; Anjali, an archon who shifts between human and elemental fire form; Reinhart Manx, a mage descended from Merik; and Katarina, the illegitimate daughter of Hugh Montbarron and a Lescanzi witch, who fights with a long-range rifle. Only one companion travels with you at a time — a real change from earlier Dungeon Siege games, where you commanded a full party.

Isometric Combat, No Load Screens

Combat drops auto-targeting and point-and-click. You aim the character and press attack. The isometric camera stays centered, and the engine streams scenes in the background so there are no load screens. Characters talk while traveling instead of sitting through cut scenes.

What Works, What Doesn’t

1. The world of Ehb — geographic variety, open ground and dungeons, and a seamless engine.
2. The companion AI, which waits for the right moment to use skills.
3. Character builds, with unique armor, weapons and jewelry per character.
4. The story hook, which gives the Legion’s collapse real weight.
5. The single-companion limit, which narrows tactical choice.

Release Schedule

The Verdict on Obsidian’s Dungeon Siege III

Dungeon Siege III is a competent action RPG that trades party depth for console-friendly combat. The lore is the best part. The combat is solid but rarely surprising, and losing the multi-character party removes what made the series distinct. It is not a misfire. It is a game that chose accessibility over ambition.

action RPG · Dungeon Siege III · game review · Obsidian Entertainment · PS3 · Square Enix