Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach [PC]

Is there any trademark more associated with role-playing games than Dungeons & Dragons? Ever since Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson created the first pen-and-paper RPG back in 1972, it's been the delight of socially challenged teens and the demon of over-sensitive do-gooders, and it's given rise to many fine computer games along the way. If anything, it's a wonder it's taken this long for Dungeons & Dragons to make the leap into the online massively-multiplayer realm.

So it's appropriate that the developer of D&D: Online is one of the old hands of the profession. Turbine Inc., developer of the much-loved Asheron's Call and its sequel, has been hard at work translating the pen-and-paper rules of the latest Dungeons & Dragons edition into digital form. They've come up with an innovative take on both massively multiplayer and D&D conventions, combining Guild Wars-like all-instanced action combat with slick visuals and quests that might have come straight out of a pen-and-paper rulebook.

Being based on a pen-and-paper system brings both benefits and drawbacks. On the upside, it's a familiar system to most RPG fans already -- if you've played any D&D 3rd edition game, you'll already be familiar with the classes, feats, and general level-up procedures. Even if you're not familiar with traditional RPGs, though, it shouldn't take too long to learn.

On the downside, there's no player-versus-player combat. The Third Edition ruleset doesn't support it, and implementing it would be fraught with imbalance, compromise, and chaos. Co-operative play is all you get, unless Turbine sees fit to add player-versus-player in a future expansion.

Given that the pen-and-paper game is a group activity, you won't be surprised to hear that D&D Online doesn't suit solo players. Unless you like to die a lot. Dungeons are ranked with a level system, but assuming that a level 1 dungeon is a good choice for a solo level 1 character is a good way to get acquainted with the respawn system, especially if you're playing a squishy magic-using class. After the first few dungeons (which are solo-only), you'll need a friend or two (or more) to go further. At least voice chat between party members is supported.

D&D Online's highly structured dungeons feel delightfully old-school. With its small groups and private instances you could almost be playing a traditional multiplayer RPG like Baldur's Gate. There's even a disembodied narrator who passes on gravely-toned observations on your situation from time to time. Thanks to the slightly arcadey right-click-to-swing combat mechanic, and the copious quantity of barrels and boxes to smash, you might even be reminded of Baldur's Gate's lighter console cousin, Dark Alliance.