As a big fan of the traditional Dungeons & Dragons pencil-and-paper game, I'm always excited when there's a new D&D game released for the PC. Usually they're super fun, as was the case with the Baldur's Gate series, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights, so I was expecting big things from this release.

I have a lot of good things to say about this game. I was hooked from the start by the graphics. Everything looks great, sounds great, and moves really well, even on my old slow computer. The play control is pretty standard for this type of party-based role-playing game. I had some problems at first with the combat menu interface, but after a little while it all becomes second-nature. There are just so many options available during combat with using various spells, tactical maneuvers, and spell use, it was a bit overwhelming at first. They really did a great job bringing the wealth of options available in the pencil-and-paper RPG to the PC game format. Character creation was another amazing aspect, with 11 character classes to choose from, and the ability to fully customize your characters through allocation of skill points and feats. If you have, for instance, a rogue with lots of skill points put towards social abilities such as Diplomacy, Bluff, or Gather Information, he's gonna be the guy you want to use when talking to folks in town. You'll find that the non-player characters in the game react very differently to the different characters in your party, depending on their skills and ability scores. They'll be cowed by the big, burly fighter with a high Intimidate skill, and maybe flirtatious towards the sorcerer with a high Charisma. A character with low Intelligence will have simplistic speech and fewer options during conversation. With all of the options available, no two players' parties will be the same; my two-weapon wielding ranger who specializes in stealth will be very different from another dude's ranger who may focus more on tracking and marksmanship with a longbow.

The game starts off fairly slow at the beginning, as you have a lot of people to talk to in the starting town of Hommlet. There is a ton of side quests available before the main story line of the game begins, and I recommend completing as many as possible to gain lots of experience before setting off on your journey towards the big bad Temple of Elemental Evil. The side quests and townie interactions were, for me, the most interesting parts of the game. I enjoy stuff like helping out the farmers with their problems, clearing the spiders out of a forest grove for the woodcutter, even playing match-maker for the surly widower.

However, if you're more the hack-and-slash combat type, there's certainly no shortage of that! Once your party gets into the heart of the game and enters the Temple, it's monster after monster after frickin' monster. The Temple itself is huge! There is so much to explore it's ridiculous, really. Personally, I found this part of the game to drag a bit - you get kind of stuck in this meat-grinder scenario where you need to rest after a major battle, but you can't because there are seven minotaurs in the room behind you, and a pack of hungry werewolves in front of you. It seems to me like the monsters dish out a whole lot more damage and hit way more often than your party, so you have to move carefully and choose your battles wisely. A good stealthy scout is one of the most valuable and useful characters you can have in your party. All things considered, this is a really good game with very few drawbacks. It's definitely the best translation of the traditional D&D game to the PC format. The incorporation of the D&D 3.5 Edition ruleset is great, and works a lot better that the severely lacking and awkward Ruins Of Myth Drannor, released earlier this year. Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and the fantasy RPG genre will surely dig on The Temple Of Elemental Evil.