More of the media getting worked up over the upcoming Dungeon Siege title for the PSP. Check out new previews at IGN and GamesRadar. Here's a taste about the pets:

"So, there are two characters down from five. One of these characters is you, obviously, but the second is a constant follower who gains experience throughout the adventure. Known as "pets," these followers help you fight monsters and heal you. They act autonomously, and intelligently from what the demo shows, so there's no babysitting acquired. You only need to pick the right one for the situation. Say, for instance, you know a particular enemy up the road uses harsh attacks; it's a simple matter of selecting a healer pet from your "pet pool" to help you during that one fight. Once the enemy dies, you can then switch back to whatever pet you had before and so on. On the plus side, they all gain experience at the same rate, so even the pets you ignore will always be ready for action."

While everyone is busy playing Dungeon Siege: Broken World in order to get their reviews done, we have a brand-new preview of Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony, courtesy of Gamespot and Yahoo! Games. Here's a taste:

"Since the primary action in the game is hacking-and-slashing, it's encouraging that the game looks so good at this point. Particularly impressive are the smooth visuals and animation, especially as your character romps along the countryside. And, in some cases, the PSP version has better lighting effects than those seen in the PC version. 2K senses that there's an opening in the action role-playing genre on the PSP, and from what we've seen, Throne of Agony could fill that gap quite nicely. The game is scheduled for release this fall."

Still no word yet on how Dungeon Siege's famous lack of loading screens will translate on a PSP. While we're at it, why don't you head over to the official In The Name of The King site and peruse their new gallery. There's a lot of Siegeing coming your way soon!!!

Some more previews for you guys today. RPGVault and IGN. Some not-so-loving reviews are already up at GameSpot and 1UP. 1UP has this (and more) to say:

"Dispensing with the raw button-mashing, Broken World supplements it with tactical factors like position and arsenal. Choosing the right weapon or spell for the job can save you plenty of hassle (and health) against enemies, and you'll need to make sure your guys are in the right place to stick and move. For example, hit one of the exploding baddies when you have party members near it, and they'll take splash damage from the explosion. And as for the "right tool for the job" issue: You can flail away with generic weaponry all you like against a given enemy, but you'll need timing and the proper kind of magic to deliver that final head-butt to the chest."

Dungeon Siege 2: Broken World is shipping today! Oh joy! To celebrate, let's all enjoy the following screenies:

Look for DS2:BW on shelves very, very soon!

Both Computer Games Magazine and PCGamer have articles inside about Dungeon Siege 2: Broken World. IGN has a preview up for DS2:BW. Here's a taste:

"So as you can see, Broken World will knock the dust right off your skills, if you haven't played since Dungeon Siege II. The first boss character you'll fight in BW might take you a few tries before you get the hang of it, because he has some nasty damage and can soak up a good deal on his own. As before, staying mobile is a key tactic, but I also noticed that certain animations indicated certain attacks, allowing you to get out of the way or start strafing before all heck broke loose. Unlike some games I could mention, DS2 and BW don't employ much unavoidable damage. An agile player will be rewarded, as will someone who thinks ahead and chooses the proper weapons and abilities."

It went online a while back, but now it's live! Head On Over!!!

Oh happy days!!! Another developer chat is happening on Wednesday, July 26 at 11am PST / 2pm EST / 7pm GMT. Focusing on the art aspects of the grim world presented in the expansion, the chat will feature GPG’s Marcie Finnila, Matt Mahon, Morien Thomas and Randy Post. For those who know IRC, here's the location info: irc.enterthegame.com, channel #dungeonsiege.

You can connect to EnterTheGame using your favorite IRC Client such as mIRC and connecting to irc.enterthegame.com. Once connected, type “/join #dungeonsiege” and you’ll be ready to go. If you do not have an IRC Client, you can log on via the web at http://www.enterthegame.com/chat.asp.

See you Wednesday!!!

2K GAMES ANNOUNCES DUNGEON SIEGE II: BROKEN WORLD HAS GONE GOLD

-- Add-On To Critically Acclaimed RPG Dungeon Siege II ships to North American Retailers on August 1st --

New York, NY – July 18, 2006 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Gas Powered Games, the renowned video game developer, today announced that Dungeon Siege II: Broken World for PC has gone gold and is off to manufacturing. The game will ship to North American retail stores on August 1st.

Dungeon Siege II: Broken World picks up right where Dungeon Siege II left off with an all new campaign that concludes the story and adds two new character classes, terrifying beasts and monsters, and a newly refined tactical battle sytem. Dungeon Siege II: Broken World will require the full version of Dungeon Siege II to play.

Enjoy!