For a new kid on the scene, RPG school can be a daunting place. At a time when hit after hit continues to graduate, it’s a difficult place to find yourself, especially when you’re arriving with a history to your name and a level of expectation heaped on you by your predecessors.

Though Dungeon Siege I and II were never a massive success, they always held a discernible place in the action-RPG genre, something this latest entry doesn’t feel entirely comfortable with. It’s flashy, it’s new and it frees itself from the baggage of those who have come before in an effort to impress fellow class members. Alas, while everyone else knows exactly what they want to be in life, Dungeon Siege III hasn’t made up its mind.

Its first attempt is in Drama, where it tells a generic tale. The Kingdom of Ehb is under threat from Jeyne Kassynder, who is intent on dethroning its current rulers and will stop at nothing until she succeeds. From here you assume the role of one of four adventurers ready for the task, setting out alongside an AI (or human) partner on your quest to bring Jeyne’s tyranny to an end, traversing some truly varied, though linear, environments. Sound familiar?

It is here, though, that Obsidian’s influence is most clear, as you come across helpless citizens and army commanders alike all in need of some help. Side-quests, dialogue trees and choices are free flowing. This attempt to weave a narrative through a game in which players are probably here for loot, loot and more loot is an admirable one, though given its flat delivery you’re left wondering why all of the exposition is getting in your way.

As much of a talking point as Jeyne is, this overarching nemesis is hardly seen, and there’s never much context or motivation given to her actions, or those of the other characters, apart from a short introductory sequence. Your hatred of her will come more from the number of times you hear her name than anything she may have done or said, and given that far more engrossing games still struggle with the arbitrary feeling of choice, the disinterest in the game’s characters makes it feel even less important.

Thankfully, this tale’s action sequences are far more enjoyable. For all of the streamlining for streamlining’s sake, the combat system is the game’s most satisfying element. Combo-driven encounters will see you switching between enemies with a welcome gap-bridging roll as each hit brings with it a satisfying impact.

Though there’s limited room for customisation, the abilities available to you offer diverging upgrade paths, allowing you to alter them to your preferred play-style. While the need to mix and match these abilities never truly arises, it’s still fun to blast through a group of enemies with a disorienting attack and then follow it up with a blade-whirling strike which cuts them down where they stand.

As enjoyable as combat is, at any other time it would be a means to an end – the end of a rainbow chock-full of loot. However, the game’s carrot-on-a-stick isn’t as sugar coated as you would expect it to be. Loot drops are few and far between, and instead of a constant sense of progression and empowerment, you’re usually just making it through any encounter, hindered by your AI partner which fails in its task of reviving you any time you’re downed.

A real friend would have been the perfect remedy for such a situation, but Dungeon Siege III doesn’t get along well with others, as it suffers from sweaty palms and acts surprisingly awkward when it’s forced in to group encounters. While the camera has a habit of becoming stuck on geometry during single player, these niggles become all the more noticeable when you’re joined by a partner, as both players are tied to the same screen real-estate, whether local or online. The cramped spaces can become seriously frustrating after just a short period and they’re only accentuated by a constant want to scroll the camera out another stage or three.

Thankfully Dungeon Siege III pulls some all-nighters before finals and during the closing hours you’ll feel truly powerful, able to take on anything or everything. Sadly, you’ll be seeing the closing credits as soon as you begin to gain some real momentum and rhythm and this last-minute flurry of activity is just that. All of that goodwill is washed away once the last of many multi-staged, punitively difficult and checkpoint-free boss encounter rolls around.

Dungeon Siege III does just enough. It’s constantly scraping by while others in its class are flying through with honours and distinctions. It finds itself out there in the big wide world, trying to plead its case as to why it’s the perfect one for the job, the job of filling that gap on your list of games. There’s bound to be one or two of you who have enough time and space for it, but those of you already snowed in under a wealth of choices likely have others who are more qualified for the position.