Ah, The Classics ... Redone
Written: Mar 09 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: fun gameplay, good RPG, nice large world to truly roam
Cons: not great graphics, can drag in spots, load times are long
The Bottom Line: If you like a good RPG this one is for you. It's fun and can satisfy most gamers
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| dmarusz's Full Review: HIP INTERACTIVE Divine Divinity for Windows |
What's in a name? Well, obviously a bad choice. However, poorly named a video game this, it can hide a host of little gems within.
Divine Divinity, which I will be calling DD from now on, in hopes that I soon forget title, is a Diablo type RPG which has you scrambling around towns fighting the good fight, going on multiple side quests and, guess what, fighting the devil. Woohoo! Alright, technically you are fighting the Lord of Chaos but, believe me, it doesn't matter what his title is. Its just good old point, click, and bash fun.
It may sound like I am demeaning this game, and probably I am, but good feelings do arise when I think of playing it. The reason for both states is that DD is a very simple game. Don't worry. That is a very good thing. You receive a nice sized manual for this, but for the most part you could probably pick up the game play quickly without it. And since it is easy to pick up, it's not long before you can tap into the strengths of the game.
The first strength is the quests. Most RPGs live and die by this criterion. DD definitely shines over most of its predecessors with very many, excellently laid out quests. They are based on whom, when and where you are in the game. They come out of your character's progression (which you pick at the beginning of the game and then grow). Then, they try fit the quests in to your routine without over challenging you or without giving you too little reward.
The quests add to the easy and fun game play. The quests also set up the plot nicely. Your character will probably not be too beleaguered with these quests and they are used to solve a nonlinear plot. They give you a giant map in which you can go anywhere. This helps with the freedom of the game, but your player's ability gently forces you to follow a general path on the overall plot tree.
As to compare it to Diablo (you can check out my Diablo review if interested), it keeps with the original and doesn't give you the old and tiresome regenerating monsters. An unfortunate mistake of Diablo II, but I drift. The funny part about DD is that its graphics are probably on par with the original Diablo. You'd think that a much newer game would put you in a better visual environment, but (deep pause) no.
The visuals definitely don't take away from the game, and shouldn't keep you from buying it. The sounds don't stick out, in the same vein, but when you pay attention to them, they are fairly well done. I ended up enjoying them and the music. And going back to the visuals, they use the classic isometric view, which I never had a problem with, but in some cases you can't see backside doors. This was a little annoying, but after I figured out you can hit control-alt to make things translucent, my world returned to happy-ville.
The glaring weakness of DD, stems from its large map. Because you can go in to so many places on the same map, when you uncover more and more, the game slows down more and more. It will really bog down in some sections even on a computer that is well above its specs. There was one point where I was worried about hitting the old control-alt-delete. That ain't good. Also because of the large map, load times can be quite long. You may want to take a nap.
All in all, a good show. It's fun, and it's getting pretty cheap now. So if you are a lover of the RPG or just a big fan of things like Diablo, go pick it up. It never gets tiring kicking the devil's butt.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dmarusz
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Member: Dave Maruszewski
Location: Maryland
Reviews written: 56
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
Long live the comic book and PC game! At least for me.
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