Digital Foundry | Face-Off: Dungeon Siege III

Kudos to Obsidian: in developing its own Onyx engine technology, the studio has managed to create a new action RPG that has its own highly distinctive visual look, rich on incidental detail, atmospheric effects and heavy on dynamic light and shadow. In what is essentially an HD reworking of classics like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance on PlayStation 2 (albeit without the super-smooth frame-rate), Dungeon Siege III offers plenty of RPG-fuelled enjoyment, but essential elements of the game mechanics are lightweight in nature, and the kind of depth we've come to expect from magic and combat dynamics in this genre feels somewhat lacking.