Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone and Dungeons & Dragons: DragonshardSNEG
I forgive you in the event you by no means bought an opportunity to play 2004’s Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone or 2005’s Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard again within the day. Nevertheless, now that they’re broadly accessible on Steam for simply $9 every, there are far fewer excuses to maintain pushing aside these two glorious D&D video games that every deserve extra love.
Due to the retro revivalists at SNEG, each video games at the moment are obtainable as of this week on Steam—though neither appear to have official Steam Deck compatibility scores. For what it’s price although, I did see one consumer evaluate for Demon Stone already point out it runs nice on Steam Deck. From the seems of it, they’re mainly similar to they have been 20 years in the past and don’t have any actual enhancements or significant modifications.
These releases stunned me a bit as a result of, at the least personally, I had no concept these have been coming. For what it’s price, each Dragonshard and Demon Stone have been obtainable on GOG for effectively over a decade as effectively. Following on the heels of different D&D re-releases like Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Version from Aspyr just some weeks in the past, it’s a superb time to be a fantasy fan.
D&D Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone—Basic Motion
I truly nonetheless personal a PS2 copy of Demon Stone and regardless of some jank and tough bits across the edges, it’s an especially enjoyable and addictive hack ‘n’ slash motion recreation set within the iconic D&D Forgotten Realms.
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Gameplay works just about similar to the Lord of the Rings: Two Towers and Return of the King licensed movie-based console video games. The motion is offered from principally fastened digicam angles and have combo-based motion gameplay. Every thing from the button inputs, on-screen font, recreation circulate and really feel, and normal mechanics really feel like they have been lifted proper out of the LOTR video games.
To be clear: I imply that as a praise.
The primary factor Demon Stone does in a different way, apart from the setting clearly, is that it has you switching between a small band of adventurers all through the sport because the narrative unfolds fairly than selecting particular person characters to stage up on every stage.
Actually, it’s a very good time. For this re-release we’re getting a smoother startup and smoother gameplay, precise widescreen scaling assist, borderless and windowed modes, higher shadows, Xinput controller assist with rumble, and a few extra in-game settings for contemporary computer systems.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard—An Progressive D&D RTS
This one I do know far much less about and have by no means truly performed for myself, however I do keep in mind seeing it round again within the day and had a buddy that performed each RTS and RTS-adjacent recreation he may get his palms on. He mentioned it was good, so it have to be good.
Fairly than being a strict RTS, Dragonshard is extra of a hybrid recreation that mixes in plenty of RPG components as effectively. As you direct your troops throughout the overworld, you’ll additionally handle smaller events that delve under floor to battle beasts in additional fast-paced fight. The loot you collect right here will have an effect on your armies above floor as effectively. In a manner, it’s a bit like two interconnected video games in a single.
With Dragonshard, SNEG added fashionable decision assist, localization-friendly saves and profiles, smoother timers and physics, ASLR compatibility, and some different under-the-hood enhancements to assist it run a bit higher.
SNEG has been arduous at work bringing again the classics. Developing in September, they’re additionally re-releasing 2003’s The Temple of Elemental Evil, an iconic party-based D&D CRPG related in gameplay to the likes of different classical isometric video games of the period like Baldur’s Gate 1 and Baldur’s Gate 2.
You may as well snag their large D&D Classics bundle as effectively which has dozens of outdated D&D PC video games throughout the Silver Field Classics, Gold Field Classics, and lots of others.
UPDATE: Thanks to Mitch Ryan on BlueSky for letting me know these video games have been obtainable on GOG for fairly a while! I added a name out close to the start.
