Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale

Overview

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale is an action role-playing video game developed by Bedlam Games and published by Atari, Inc.. The game includes both single and co-operative multiplayer modes and is set in the Forgotten Realms.

Daggerdale features third-person real-time tactics combat, questing, character development, and exploration. Two modes, campaign and freeplay, are in the game. Single and multiplayer modes are also included, with split-screen multiplayer for up to four players. While some gameplay elements were borrowed from Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, the developers stated that this was taken from the linear part of the game and that the gameplay was inspired by Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes.

Four pre-generated characters are available for players to choose as an avatar: a human male fighter, a dwarf male cleric, a halfling male wizard and an elf female rogue. Players are initially offered limited options for modification of a character, such as choosing the character's name. Additional customization requires the character to gain experience and collect equipment during the game. Each character features abilities and bonuses related to its class and race.

Bedlam Games began development of Daggerdale in March 2010 and 60 developers were reportedly working on the game as of January 2011. By January 2011, Bedlam began operating as a subsidiary of bitHeads, Inc. and continues to operate as a brand-dependent division. bitHeads co-founder, Scott Simpson, has alluded to plans that the company intended to pursue a game model that would allow a gamer to play the same game on both an Xbox 360 and a portable device, such as an iPhone, thus providing a player 24-hour access to the game.

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale was released on May 25, 2011 on Xbox Live Arcade and Microsoft Windows. Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale missed its original PlayStation Network release date of May 31, 2011, and did not appear until the following year on May 22. Daggerdale was the first D&D video game to be released on a console since 2004.

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale received "generally unfavorable" reception as reported by Metacritic. Joystiq rated the game a 1.5 out of a 5 scale. They called it not just a bad game, but also a "terrible" use of Wizards of the Coast's license. GameSpy's Andrew Hayward also gave it a 1.5 "poor" rating out of 5, criticizing its lack of innovation, as well its voice-acting, character models and "dialogue-heavy" story. GameTrailers gave it a 4.8 out of 10 saying that Daggerdale is cheapened by dull quests, bland combat, dreary environments, and an overall unpolished feel.

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up

Developer

Atari, Inc.

Publisher

Bedlam Games

Series

Dungeons & Dragons

Platforms

Windows, Xbox 360

Age rating

ESRB T

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

Yes

Co op

Yes

Age ratings

ESRB

T

PEGI

16

Release dates

Playable today

Credits

Region

US