Dungeon Siege II Preview

GameSpy has published a two-page preview of Dungeon Siege II, after spending some firsthand time with the game at Microsoft Game Studios' headquarters. A snippet:
The rich forests and enormous castles of the original Dungeon Siege definitely won fans over, so it's no surprise that the team is really emphasizing the environments once again. The jungles look amazing: the ground is choked by even more underbrush and swaying fields of grass.

That extra detail impacts gameplay, as well. More than once I saw monsters spring out of the shrubbery in an ambush, or scurry away under a bush when wounded. (New monster AI works together as a team, so it's not uncommon for some enemies to flank you while others charge you head on and a healer lingers behind to heal them.) You can also harvest certain plants: if characters with ranger skills find certain types of shimmering bushes, they can harvest mana or health potions from them. It's a great way to keep your stores fresh while slugging though the wilderness.