I've always had a soft spot for action orientated role-playing games, and the new Dungeon Siege expansion, Legends of Aranna , really hits that spot. While LoA may not break any trends it's a pretty solid expansion that adds a smattering of new content that fans of the original game will be pleased with and offers the full version of Dungeon Siege in the box for those that didn't pick up the game when it was released last year.

Legends of Aranna revolves around a new evil and a tattered journal that tells the tale of your parents - who coincidently were adventurers of great renowned. The journal leads you to the Island of Utrae, where you'll learn the history of your parents and this strange new place where battles between the magically inclined Utraeans, the saurian Zaurask, and the feline Hassat are still the cause of bloodshed in the region to this day.

For those that aren't familiar with the original, Dungeon Siege is an action orientated role-playing game that lets players control up to eight chracters (including a handy pack animal to carry extra loot). The action is hectic and fast paced and the monsters are ravenous gangs that gravitate to you like flies to a dead animal carcass. Skills are learned as opposed to having a "class" - for instance, using a melee weapon will make you warrior or using a lot of magic will make you a mage, etc. The original game is notorious for throwing a lot of loot at players, which you'll have to spend a lot of time going through - or not. Finding really powerful rare items is.. well, kind of a rarity in and of itself. And that's the game in a nutshell. Dungeon Siege offers a lot of hardcore action and skill building (and stat building) is relative to what equipment and or magic you decide to use.

LoA builds on that concept a tiny bit, adding a few gameplay tweaks, a new single player & multiplayer playable campaign, a new area to explore, new chracters, new special item sets, and a few small tweaks to the original gameplay. In the expansion, which was developed by Mad Doc Software for Gas Powered Games, Players get to explore whole new continent in the land of Ehb and face off against a whole new evil plaguing this region and threatening the former relatively safe and happy populace. The story isn't exactly a page turner, but it's an interesting back drop to move players forward through the new continent. An additional story about the main character's parents is also tossed into the mix for good measure but its impact is minimal - consider it some extra color to the main storyline.

LoA retains the core gameplay of the original but offers a few minor tweaks to gameplay that players will appreciate like a new pack animal that isn't quite as timid as the pack mule; new item sets that offer extra benefits when equipped all at once; new monsters, spells and player characters indigenous to the new content and lots of new areas to explore. Dungeon Siege was all about exploration, treasure hunting and monster bashing, and LoA does not deviate from that formula at all. The battles are still just as chaotic as the original and the loot is just as plentiful as well. At some times the loot is overwhelming and usually not very exciting - a common happenstance in action RPGs. Taking the time to sift through so many items can be a bit too much for some players, but the fastidious treasure hunter will have a lot of fun comparing stats and gaining the slight advantages that these piles of treasure afford.

LoA is a good buy for hardcore Dungeon Siege fans because it adds a lot of little gameplay tweaks that make the game easier to play. A few examples of this include improved control groups, localized attacks (targets the closest monster or treasure containers), multiplayer save function, overhead map, off-screen attack warnings (warns you if someone off screen is being attacked), group awareness (characters not ordered to "hold ground" will now rush to the aid of other characters under attack), transformation spells (shapeshifting), unsummon and untransform function, orb spells (creates special magics that circle your character), Glyph magic (a variety of magical traps that you can set on the ground for unsuspecting enemies) a redistribute potions button (which shares potions across the group evenly), imbued items and treasure sets, backpacks (to increase the amount of loot you can carry), and a special "sell all" button. Of course, there's the new areas to explore, new monsters and a new nine-foot half-giant character that can join your party to close the deal.

Graphically LoA offers a slight improvement over the original, which still manages to hold its own against a lot of the games that have come out this year. Likewise, the music and sound effects are moderately decent and fit the overall theme of the game just fine. While there are no dramatic changes to the graphics in the expansion, it does look good and manages to hold its own. Again, nothing ground breaking, but good enough that it is enjoyable to spend a lot of time having to look at the overall presentation.

LoA is also a good buy for fans of action-RPGs that have never played Dungeon Siege. With a price point of around $30 you get the expansion and the original game. Not too shabby at all. The tools on the CD and a rebate for current owners would have made this expansion a lot more attractive to current Dungeon Siege owners, but those things are by no means deal breakers. If you don't own Dungeon Siege, you'll get the most bang for your buck by buying the expansion. Fans of action role-playing games like Nox, Dark Stone, KnightShift, or even the popular Diablo II (some of my all time favorite action games) should give this expansion a closer look.