Dungeon Siege II Preview

Speaking of depth, the new character development trees add a welcome sense of customization to the game. Unlike most RPGs, your character isn't locked into any one class at the beginning of the game; instead you gather different types of experience points based on what kinds of actions you take in the game and what skills you select as you level up. Use close-in melee weapons and your character will develop as a melee fighter. Should you stand off a bit and instead rely on spells, your character will instead ascend the levels as a combat mage. There are four basic tracks to follow -- melee combat, ranged combat, combat magic, and nature magic -- each with seven specific powers to unlock. In my case, I decided to focus on combat magic. While all the classes can eventually develop spectacular powers, for me, the appeal of powers like "Detonation" and "Chain Lightning" was just too great to resist. I'm a sucker for the classics.