The battle for the Forgotten Realms goes digital with Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale, a downloadable multiplayer dungeon crawler coming to Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network, and PC this Spring from Atari and Bedlam Games.
Dungeons & Dragons Online is lovely, but I've always had a different vision for an online version of Dungeons & Dragons. I grew up playing prepackaged D&D modules (along with the odd custom adventure), so the idea of a quick downloadable adventure I can run through alone or with a few friends is extremely appealing to me. Perhaps Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale is a step in that direction.
Set in the classic Forgotten Realms world, Daggerdale pits players against the evil Zhentarim organization as it attempts to invade and conquer the Dalelands, which is something the Zhentarim do pretty consistently. Up to four players will explore the mysterious Mines of Tethyamar and the treacherous Tower of the Void on the way to a final confrontation with the Zhentarim forces' leader Rezlus.
"The Dungeons & Dragons franchise remains a priority for Atari as we continue to build upon the ever-evolving narrative with Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale" says Jim Wilson, President and CEO of Atari, Inc. "As the first D&D cross-platform digital download title we look forward to expanding the franchise to a growing gaming audience."
It looks like a hell of a lot of fun, even if the graphics are a little on the simplistic side. All we need now is persistent leveling and the promise of more "modules" to come and I'll be a happy camper.