Others say...

"great guide 4 noobs like me!"
Although I'm a big fan of the Microsoft Dungeon Siege video games, especially because I could actually finish them (unlike most RPGs I try) and enjoy playing them without much frustration, this new one seemed a lot more complicated than the first two before (Dungeon Siege and the Expansion Legends Of Aranna), and was I ever right. I needed help understanding the multi-layers of play, leveling up, buying/using and leveling up pets, and all the secondary quests. There's a LOT more added to Dungeon Siege II that make a strategy guide a must just to wade through it all. It takes much of the frustration in not understanding it all, from spells, spell types to weapons and creatures out, and makes the game more enjoyable to play.

I highly recommend this for those just starting the Dungeon Siege adventure, and for those like me who've played the less complex versions of the game too.

My only reservation is all throughout the guides, this one also, I would have appeciated some of the "extras" included that not-so-computer-literate folks like me would have liked to have to help aid gameplay, namely what button(s) to use for drinking the regen potions (potions that have both health and mana replenished) and odd little facts like that. I could never find it! If I could I'd give this 4 1/2 stars for all the jam-packed info it does have, and left off just half a star for the extras I needed to know and couldn't find.

(If anyone found that info either in this guide or other DS stategy guides I'd love to know where you found it, or what the info is. Thanks!)

"Pretty good"
Doesn't include everything... but it helps. Nice tips from the developers. Good overview of items and skills. Maps a little hard to follow.

"good overall but..."
This is an excellent guidebook overall. It includes maps and quest walkthroughs. It also includes creature and weapon lists. However, this guide is not designed with the completist in mind. The side quest walkthroughs are in a seperate section and there is little to no guidance included as to when to begin each side quest. But, this is only a minor incovenience in respect to the wealth of information and guidance this book offers.

"A bit disappointing"
First, let me say that this is a useful book. But compared to other guides it falls short.

1. I was disappointed that there was no large map showing the complete DS2 world.

2. The smaller maps (and many are VERY small) were often difficult to understand.

3. Sometimes the help was less than helpful. eg One secondary quest requires you to find four locations. Instead of describing where to find them, it simply says "check the maps in parts 4 thru 6 for precise locations." That means you have to troll through 110 pages! The maps have marked locations, but the legends are never in table form--you have to read through many paragraphs to find what you want.

I found myself using the free walk-thrus available on line more often than the book.

"DS II Game Guide Gets The Most Value From The Game "
A typically excellent Sybex job. Maps of small areas are very helpful, but the larger-scope maps have such tiny detail that using them is sometimes difficult for older eyes. Organization into Primary and Secondary Quest sections may confuse some, but many of the secondary quests extend over areas first visited in each of the three major acts...not linear at all.