The original Dungeon Siege, promoted as the Diablo-killer, was released onto the scene in March of 2002 with a slew of promises. It followed through on those promises, but was met with very mixed results. The most significant gripe was the "groundbreaking" AI built into all your characters. While it did what it was supposed to, reacting to oncoming threats and the like, many believed that it went a little too far. The game itself was well designed, but there were those who felt that characters with so much autonomy left very little for the actual player to do.

However, you'd think that after a year and a half since the release of the original, this expansion would offer more than a few minor improvements to the old game. This is not the case. Love it or hate it, LOA does nothing to tamper with the original formula. Aside from a number of items, most of which can be easily disregarded, some new set items (items that belong to a group), and a pack lizard that likes to take a bite out of bad guys, there is nothing that really makes this a worthwhile expansion. With Chris Taylor and his design team hard at work on Dungeon Siege II, LOA was given to Mad Doc Software to develop. It's pretty clear that this expansion was released solely to remind people of the franchise and get them revved up for the actual sequel. This game would have been great if this had come out in, say, December of 2002, but with no improvements in graphics or gameplay, this game is taking the fast road to the bargain bin!

Commenting on LOA is like talking about Dungeon Siege all over again. We're talking about hours of walking through dungeons, killing monsters, and breaking things in hopes of getting items or money. The story is another rehash of the age-old fantasy role playing adventure. An ancient evil has been reawakened, and you must stop it. In the meantime, you'll be discovering details about the disappearance of your parents too. Then there are side quests, bosses, and everything else you expect from a hack 'n slash RPG - just none of the improvements that fans might expect. This expansion was designed to accommodate new players, so there's no way for gamers to import their old characters. So, essentially, playing LOA is like playing DS all over again. In a game where the only means of leveling up an attribute is through using a particular weapon or spell type over and over again, many players will be put off by that kind of tedium. Items are abound, but 90% of them are useless. There is no noticeable improvement with a sword that does one extra point of damage compared to the one you're holding. Many of the purchasable items are pointless too, and cannot be compared to anything you find in the world. Since it isn't necessary to repair items in DS, money isn't all that useful either.

The great thing about the DS series is that it supports large parties, who can all react individually. However, this feature has been copied and improved upon already by other games. Additionally, once your party gets large enough, almost qualifying as an army, you can plow right through the whole game without having to pause. The tragg (a lizard-like beast of burden) is introduced here, but unlike the pack mule from the original game, this one can actually participate in combat. It's a step in the direction of game improvement, but not enough.

None of the shortcomings are as noticeable as the graphics engine, whose time came and went long ago. While this isn't a bad looking game, graphics from more recent titles like Neverwinter Nights blow it away. Then we have the issue of the AI again. Characters will react to oncoming threats, which is nice when a group of giant spiders rush at you from the dark, but it's not like they'll scatter into formations or anything. In fact, it is possible to get through this game by having nothing but archers and spellcasters, reducing the player's role to making sure all the characters get from point A to B. Much of the time, the AI worked against me because they would turn around and fight when I tell them to flee. Monster AI is designed mainly to hone in on one character, so just have that character run around while the rest of the party kills off the pursuing horde. In actuality, all you need is one character with heavy armor to act as bait, supported by a lot of ranged units, and you'll get through.

The game is also very linear. Most of the map cannot be explored, and while you might make a wrong turn here or there, most will find a way to their destinations with no problem. I guess I would have preferred a little innovation for some of the side quests. There was one character that wanted me to kill a giant bear that was terrorizing the area around his animal traps. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me where he laid his traps, so I was wandering the world trying to help him out. A little map marker would have been nice. Speaking of nice things, the auto-pickup feature for items dropped on the ground is still present. I'd like to one-up the ante by suggesting an auto-loot button. Press it and your characters will automatically go out and vandalize the area, breaking all the crates, barrels, vases, and sarcophagi in the immediate area. It seems like there's so little for the player to do here, automating the looting process should be the logical next step.

The multiplayer aspect is the same as the original. Get together with people, form a party, go kill things. This is all assuming, of course, you can still find people willing to play. The game runs pretty smoothly on both the Internet and on a LAN.

Legends of Aranna is an expansion that came around too late. The high-point of the original Dungeon Siege is gone, and fans are anxiously awaiting the true sequel. While the fact that the original game is included with the expansion, and the free downloadable bonus mission, might attract new or budget minded gamers, this is a weak follow-up to an innovative game. All eyes are set for Dungeon Siege II.