Opening missions serve as an extended tutorial, first giving you the basics on how role-playing works, then moving into base-building strategizing where you take the fight to foes on a larger scale.

It also broadens the outlook of the stereotypical fantasy RPG, expanding the limited worldview of a handful of adventurers into the more expansive perspective of a general controlling an army. Though the end result is anything but unified, such a contrasting design keeps you from falling into a consistent routine. SpellForce III fits into the latter category, pairing role-playing and real-time-strategy elements. The extra controls that vary from the PSN version don't add much to the experience, as the functions aren't critical to success in the adventure.Some cross-genre games are blended like ingredients in a mixing bowl, while others let their two halves live side-by-side. Using the dual-touch front screen, you can zoom in and out on the battlefield, and using the back touch pad controls the treasure-hunting fairy that follows the hero around. The Vita brings some subtle additions to Dungeon Hunter: Alliance.

Having multiple classes in a party makes the larger rumbles more pleasant. Loot gets color-coded, so it's easy to discern what new object gets to join your inventory. Jumping into a four-player online game works smoothly, though everyone's locked to the same screen and it's often difficult to get everyone to go to the same location. Multiplayer marks one of the more successful elements of Dungeon Hunter: Alliance. While Dungeon Hunter: Alliance thrives on its huge battles, it's difficult to survive when your life disappears in jagged cuts and mashing your special skills doesn't translate to the stuttering fight onscreen. All of these enemy problems are dwarfed by the true enemy of combat: a terrible frame rate.

Other times, when enemies retreat they'll suddenly disappear for unspecified reasons. This wouldn't be such a problem if the hit detection was better, but we're talking invisible threats. Thus, when a swarm of wolves chase you behind a tree, you're swinging blind, hoping to survive the encounter. While the player shows up as a blue outline behind 3D objects like arches and trees, enemies don't. The plentiful enemies regularly surround and attack the hero, but it's easy to lose track of them. Between loot and the reliance on potions, Dungeon Hunter: Alliance never lets you trounce enemies that regularly rubberband up to match your current strength. While loot is plentiful, it never makes you feel all-powerful. Each area's earmarked by a statue that sells them, and there's no way to battle through a given area without filling up regularly. Most gold goes to purchasing potions, the only way to survive in Dungeon Hunter. Compounded with the option to auto-transmute items into gold, inventory management is super easy and adding coins to your gold stash simple. When bashing in the skull of a skeleton or gargoyle or spider, the loot drops give purpose to the fight Filling up the inventory with varied tools gets a boost from the auto-equip function that automatically throws on more powerful items. When too many enemies show up, things slow down. Even standing in front of a breakable barrel illuminates the inherent problems in hit detection, with containers often taking multiple swings to register a hit. Which enemy loses a sliver of life? Depends on the minute distinction of which direction a player is facing. Ranged attacks and spells hit hard, even when enemies attempt to swarm the hero, but melee attacks feel imprecise, making many battles a lumbering frustration. Fighting through thousands of enemies in a long (yet familiar) quest plays out well, but diving into the framework reveals inherent problems. Dungeon Hunter: Alliance is similar to Diablo, in that enemies drop weapons, armor, and treasure left and right, making it a collector's dream.

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