Dungeons & Dragons Online: Shadowfell Conspiracy Preview

To give us some extra reading material this weekend, MMORPG.com has wrangled up a hands-on preview of Dungeons & Dragons Online: Shadowfell Conspiracy, the soon-to-be-released expansion pack for Turbine's popular free-to-play MMORPG. Here's to hoping I get some time to jump back into the game when this is released:
When wandering about the prison grounds, don't smugly sit back after wiping out that band of criminals. If you're anywhere near any sort of shadow leakage or are considering attacking that group of shadow monsters, beware. Players can be yanked into the Shadowfell for the battle just to keep things spicy.

At any rate, if you like the color purple, you will love Wheloon as it is now. Let's just say that an overabundance of purple and shades of purple colorize the prison. But it makes sense when, as the story progresses, players learn that the Netherese are using the Shadowfell to recruit and create Shar's army, a tool for their own nefarious purpose.

Wheloon Prison features multiple random encounters and an astonishing five dungeons. It's clear that Turbine is doing everything it can to push the envelope of what the game engine and the storytelling team can produce with Shadowfell Conspiracy. There are touches added to the game that have never been seen before in DDO. For instance, any flat roof can be scaled and used as an attack point which gives the game a dimensional play aspect that hasn't previously been seen as much. Getting to those rooftops isn't a piece of cake either. Folks who love jumping puzzles and/or are fans of console and handheld platform games will chortle with glee at the opportunity to strut their stuff.