Dungeons and Dragons Heroes – XB – Review

It was 150 years before that a band of heroes arrived to challenge the dark
and evil wizard, Kaedin. Kaedin had sought to rule the land of Baele, and the
people cowed before his might – all but four.

The fighter, rogue, wizard and cleric stood before Kaedin and through the
power of ancestral weapons defeated him on the field of battle.

But that was 150 years in the past. In the quiet of the night, a group of
evil clerics, thinking they could harness the power of Kaedin stole into the
crypts. They were wrong. Kaedin is risen yet again, and this time he is more
powerful than before. In the tomb below Castle Baele, those who once stood
against Kaedin are also buried.

Though weakened and bereft of most of the power they once wielded, they are
called forth again to stand against Kaedin.

That is the premise behind Dungeons & Dragons Heroes, a role-playing combat
game from Atari and Wizards of the Coast for the Xbox.

This is a game that bears a lot of graphical similarities in style to
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, and yet still manages to achieve its own style.
With high quality cutscenes, side quests and evolving AI, D&D Heroes makes for
an enjoyable and somewhat addictive game playing experience.

The game begins with the resurrection of one of the older heroes. More than
one player can embark on this quest, and because there were four heroes, the
game will support up to four players playing simultaneously in cooperative game
play.

The awakened hero is told that the ancestral weapon has been broken and
pieces containing the essence of its power are scattered throughout the realm.
The first task is to gather these pieces and reforge the weapon that will be
used to battle Kaedin. Of course, this does not mean you can pop down to your
nearest Lost Relics gift shop and pick up the pieces cheaply. Oh no. You are
going to go on a dungeon crawl and recover them while other NPCs pop up with
‘urgent’ requests for aid.

There is a tutorial that will allow players to ease into the game, but this
is a game that is quite easy to pick up and start playing and even those new to
the genre should have little trouble with the style of play. Items collected in
the tutorial hold over to the game itself. If you collect healing potions, they
will stay with you.

Mobs (NPC – non-playing characters – monsters) drop gold and you will also
pick up weapons and armor which you can outfit your character with. NPCs also
have shops which will buy loot or sell you equipment. As your character levels,
you can train new skills and abilities to become an even more devastating
weapon.

The camera is fully rotatable, and you can zoom in for a closer look at the
action. The environments are very nicely done and there is a map that you can
use to show you where your objective lays so that you are not wandering
aimlessly through the dungeons. But just because there is a map does not mean
you can head in a direct line to the goal.

One of the more disappointing aspects of this game are the traps, which are
rehashes of other games. The first encounter with the spikes popping up through
holes in the floor was a reminder that this title lacks a lot of originality.

Some of the mobs seem to have trouble adapting to a three-dimensional setting
and you can easily avoid some of the missile attacks by finding gaps in the
targeting zone and with a little movement as the missile is in flight. (Ok, you
should be able to – you’re a hero, not a pinata.)

The cutscene graphics and overall look of this game, though is quite good.

Dungeons & Dragons Heroes lacks originality in plot and gameplay. However,
this is a game that is easy to get into and it looks good. It certainly won’t
set new standards or redefine the genre in any way, but it will supply an
entertaining multiplayer (or single-player) experience.

This game is rated Teen for blood and gore and violence.

Gameplay: 7
In some ways this game is a rehash of all those that came before. If you have
played Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, or Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, then you have
basically played the same style of game of D&D Heroes. In terms of gameplay,
there is little that is new or different here. While basically seamless, the
overall gameplay is a rehash of other titles.

Graphics: 8.3
The animation is very well done, for the most part. Some mobs will move a little
awkwardly in areas, and do not seem to grasp the three-dimensional environments
as well as the heroes. The environments themselves are well done and the
cutscenes are excellent.

Sound: 7.8
The vocal characterizations are solid and the musical score is appropriate. The
special effects are stock and there are times when you will hear the same lines
repeated over and over by NPCs simply by crossing the same areas.

Difficulty: Medium
The puzzles are simplistic, and the only real challenge is skilling up your
character enough to clear the increasingly tough mobs as you advance.

Concept: 7
Too much borrowed to score high here.

Multiplayer: 8
The style of the multiplayer game is not original. But while the single-player
game is enjoyable, it is much more fun in a multiplayer setting.

Overall: 8.1
D&D Heroes has its flaws, and lacks originality, but that does not stop this
from being an enjoyable game. Players new to the genre should find this
entertaining while the veterans won’t find it that challenging but a nice
continuation of the genre.