Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom

UPC: 814582410825

Platform: PlayStation 3

Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment

Developer: Sony Online Entertainment

Category: Role-Playing

Style(s): Third-Person 3D Action RPG

Synopsis: A solo or cooperative journey through 20 levels of magic, corruption, and battle await players in Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom. Beginning after escaping a tyrant king, gamers choose a mage, scout, or warrior to play as their character. The goal is to work through each level and eventually overthrow the rotten ruler. Each selection has ten avatar specific skills and weapons to upgrade as the story progresses. Up to four gamers may connect to the PlayStation network and complete the game together, and players may download additional content such as multiplayer missions, story arcs, and items for use in-game ~ Gracie Leach, All Game Guide

Package Contents: 20-page Instruction Manual

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

There's not much to the story, but the controls are clearly documented, as are the spells and three character classes. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

After viewing the other PS3 launch titles, it's difficult to believe Untold Legends is using even half of the system's potential. Still, the high-def visuals are sharp, the animation fluid, and the action moves at a brisk clip. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Sony's hack-and-slash RPG series has been "super-sized" with Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, moving from the humble confines of the PSP to the technological marvel that is the PS3. This is, of course, surprising, since nothing about the Untold Legends series is particularly distinctive if you're familiar with Gauntlet, Diablo, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, X-Men Legends, and their many, many siblings, both young and old. The secret to this type of game's success is variety, giving players an assortment of moves, items, and characters to experiment with to keep the action from becoming dull and repetitive. Sadly, Dark Kingdom fails miserably in this regard. Things start off ominously when you realize there are only three character classes available (warrior, mage, and scout), with each character only able to wield one weapon type. Yet it's the strong sense of d?j? vu that ultimately hurts this game's appeal, along with a frustrating lack of depth when compared to earlier titles in the genre. Characters can perform magic-based and melee attacks while defending themselves against monsters by either blocking or dodging, but there is no skill tree for deeper customization, there are only nine special attacks or spells per character, and you can't even choose your alter ego's gender. Weapons can be modified to an extent by outfitting them with runes, and you can craft different armor sets, but that's about it. On a positive note, the visuals are clean, with environments such as slums, caves, and cathedrals showing nice detail. The action is also fast and fluid without any frame rate hiccups. The camera is a bit on the spastic side, and the fighting system isn't anything remarkable, either, but it is more combo-driven than similar titles, which will satisfy most button mashers looking to crack some skulls in a fantasy setting. With online support for cooperative play, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom is far from a disaster and is quite playable for those looking for a Gauntlet Legends-style of game and nothing more. Traditional role-playing gamers looking to sink their teeth into something juicier should save their hard-earned gold for the PS3 port of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Multiple difficulty settings and online support enhance the replay value, but you can only play cooperatively online and the game doesn't include voice support. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The soundtrack generally fits the mood of each stage and the voice acting is actually quite good. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Untold Legends is a disappointing effort on PS3 that does little to distinguish itself from similar games on less powerful platforms. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.