Dungeons and Dragons Online: StormReach

The Basics:
Platform: PC
Developer: Atari
Price: $39.99
ESRB rating: T (Teen)

Summary: A huge online role-playing game based on the world of D&D. Teens-up.

Note: Parents need to know that the commitment level to this game is high. The game requires Internet access and players are required to pay the approximately $15/month fee on top of the purchase price to play the game. Players gain experience through quests, which usually takes the assistance of other players. The entire quest must be finished to acquire the points, so there is often pressure to play longer than intended.

Families who buy this game may want to discuss the popularity of games that charge a monthly fee on top of the purchase price. Does this add pressure to play, even when you don't have the time? Are there advantages to a game that is played entirely online versus a game played individually?

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Best for ages: 13+
Playability: Medium. Lots of lag can lead to system crashes.
Graphics: Medium. Detailed, and huge world, but dungeons can get repetitious.
Reading Level: Medium. Some reading is necessary to play.
KidScore Rating

Ages 3-7: Red
Ages 8-12: Red
Ages 13-17: Yellow
Violence Amount: Yellow
Fear: Yellow
Illegal/harmful: Yellow
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Green

Review:
Taking the name of the granddaddy of all role-playing games (RPGs), DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS ONLINE: STORMREACH gets many of its cues directly from the pen and paper version of the game. However, while this Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) is entertaining, teens (and their parents) may want to make sure this is the right fit for them before signing up for the $15/month fee the game charges.

The game makes full use of the fact that it is an online game. Social interaction isn't just encouraged-it is very nearly a requirement. Few of the quests are easy enough for a single player to do, requiring players to form parties, mixing and matching the skills of their individual characters to help each other out. This is a great way to meet people and learn how to work together, but it also ties players to the game for longer stretches of time.

Unlike most RPGs that give out points for defeating individual enemies, experience points in D&D Online are awarded only at the completion of the entire quest. So, players will often find it difficult to pull out in the middle of a mission, since other players are depending on them to complete the challenge and get the points. Since quests can easily last 15-20 minutes (typically even longer), it can be difficult to play for short blocks of time.

Players unfamiliar with the pen and paper version of the game may be puzzled by its references to things like "saving rolls" and "skill checks." For example, in true D&D style, damage is indicated in figures like 1d8 + 2 (the roll of one 8-sided die plus 2).

There are impressive displays of scenery in the game, but the quests are typically staged in settings like cramped dungeons, cellars and underground caverns, which rarely seem to showcase the full graphical experience players might expect. As a bit of a consolation, however, the game offers a unique storytelling method. Again, borrowing from the principle of the pen and paper version, a Dungeon Master or DM narrates elements of the game. For example, when entering a dungeon, players may hear the DM telling them something along the lines of, ". . .it's evident this room hasn't been used for years, as the thick dust on the floor is disturbed only by the faint footprints of rats and mice."

A final consideration might be the technical glitches that can mar the overall experience. As with many online games, lag can be issue. Popular common areas like the inns and large quests can get jerky and slow, even to the point of locking up the entire computer. Although the developers are sure to add more server capacity and fixes, it's a constant challenge for online games.

All together, D&D Online seems to fill a niche rather than appeal to every player. Players expecting the game to challenge the immensely popular World of Warcraft will find that D&D Online is a different experience-one that is still fun, but perhaps less "pick-up-playable" than its main rival.