D&D: Daggerdale gets stabby May 25 on PC/XBL, May 31 on PSN

Dungeons & Dragons fans yearning for the franchise's debut on current-generation consoles won't have to wait much longer. Today publisher Atari dated the downloadable action role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game will arrive May 25--this Wednesday--for Windows systems and Xbox Live, and then take a stab at the PlayStation Network May 31.

Daggerdale has players trying to thwart the nefarious designs of the archvillain Rezlus to save the realm of the Dalelands. This can be done by bringing peace back to the Nentir Vale by discovering the secrets of the Mines of Tethyamar and vanquishing the malevolent forces inside the Tower of the Void. Described by Atari as having "pick-up-and-play combat," Daggerdale will let gamers go it alone or travel in multiplayer parties of up to four.

As previously mentioned, Daggerdale marks this generation's console debut for the Dungeons & Dragons series. While Atari has been busy with the franchise on the PC front with the Neverwinter Nights series and Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, console fans have received no attention since Stormfront Studios' 2004 entry Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone. The series has been slightly more visible on portables, with 2007 seeing the launch of Dungeons & Dragons Tactics for the PSP.

Daggerdale is being developed by Toronto-based Bedlam Games. The studio was previously announced as working on Scratch: The Ultimate DJ after the game's original developer, 7 Studios, was acquired by Activision.