THE MARK OF AN EXCELLENT GAME

Very often the mark of an excellent game begins with the amount of support that it receives from its developer and publisher. So many RPG’s that were released this year were missing this vital and crucial component, but one RPG has surfaced among the many to make this reviewer smile. Divine Divinity developed by Larian Studios and recently published and released by CDV is an example of such a game that clearly illustrates the support as well as the talent and creativity that is an integral part of its creation. In the foreword to the game's manual, project leader Swen Vincke of Larian Studios writes, “I hope that when you start playing yourself, you will discover a vast world full of wonders, containing more than you ever expected when you picked up this box.” Read on to see if Divine Divinity accomplished what it set out to do and whether it is an RPG worthy of your time.

THE STORY OF DIVINE DIVINITY

The game takes place within the world of Rivellon. Many diverse and unique races make up the population within this world, from humans, elves, and dwarves, to lizard people and others. You begin the game in the town of Aleroth, which is the home of many famous healers. Unsure of whom you are you begin your quest to recover your identity. As you take up the sword in the pursuit of your destiny, you come across a myriad of locations on your journey that include a cursed abbey, a desecrated church, dungeons, a castle and many others. You will come across all sorts of enemies to fight against, from skeletons, trolls, dragons to a diverse assortment of others. You eventually meet up with the powerful wizard named Zandalar who informs you that you are one of three marked individuals who hold the key to the salvation of the world that is now under the shadow of evil. All three of you have the power to overthrow a black cult of mages referred to as the Black Ring as well as their leader, the evil Lord of Chaos who plots to return to the world through an enchanted and evil sword called the Sword of Lies. It is only then that your story and quest truly unfolds within this epic 50+ hour RPG.

THE GAMEPLAY OF DIVINE DIVINITY

The gameplay within Divine Divinity is very unique and interesting and offers many options for playing the game the way you want to play it. When you first begin the game, you must choose the profession that your character will be. You can choose to be a warrior, wizard or survivor. There are both male and female characters in each of these three different professions that you can select from. As you complete quests within the game, you will be given 5 points to distribute between four different categories that includes: strength, agility, intelligence and constitution. You will also be given 1 point or at times 2 to select from a huge selection of character skills which are classified and grouped into specific categories. You can decide to obtain skills that will improve your attack and defense abilities by selecting it within the way of the warrior path or spells such as deathly discs or lightning within the wizard path. Other notable skills include the ability to summon creatures such as a powerful demonic knight that will aid you in battle, to alchemy skills that you can use to make potions, or interesting skills that will allow you to use mines and bombs.

There are so many skills to choose from that it is left in your hands to decide which skills suit your particular playing style. While other RPG’s may lock you from selecting abilities from other disciplines, Divine Divinity gives you the freedom to choose skills from all the categories that are available. Just because your character is a warrior does not mean that you will not be able to wield powerful spells or other skills that are not part of the warrior path. This is one of the unique features within the game. I also need to mention the excellent interactivity one can find with almost any object in the game's environment. Almost anything within the world can be moved around, such as chairs, beds, and other items that you will find within homes or other areas. Sometimes you may need to find special objects to complete a particular quest and can only find it by moving items such as boxes within a home that may be hiding it. You will be amazed at the level of interactivity evident within this game and how it is used to enhance the gameplay of Divine Divinity.

You will have many opportunities to gain experience as you accomplish many of the quests in the game. Some of the quests are optional while many will be required to advance the story and allow you to complete the game. One quest involves the washing of dishes, while another has you searching for a cat that is more than it seems when you encounter it. A few more notable and memorable quests involve a church, to a salesman, to one that includes a cow thief. In the church you will be witness to the humor that is splashed so gracefully throughout the game as you uncover the reason that the area has become desecrated and is now full of evil and vile creatures. When I had completed the quest and found the source of the desecration, I could not stop laughing at what I had discovered!

The quest involving the salesman is also very humorous; especially when you discover that his items may or may not work. There are quests that are serious in nature and will affect the reputation points that are awarded. When you do something right, something just, such as helping someone without asking for money, you will be given reputation points which you need to earn so that certain quests will become available to you. In the quest involving the cow thief, you must decide whether you will turn the criminal in to the owner whose cows were stolen or keep the knowledge of the thief a secret until you discover their identity and reason for doing it.

THE ART OF DIVINE DIVINITY

This game clearly demonstrates a very masterful and artistic talent in its display of many of the environments. The church is an excellent example of the creativity of the traditional 2D graphics used to enhance the overall enjoyment a player will experience within the game. The way the building is modeled as well as the rich and vibrant colors that are used in its creation is so remarkable and is evidence of the care and attention that has been given to each of the environs and objects within the game. Another memorable moment of artistic brilliance involves the first village in the game, in which you will experience the use of nature to immerse yourself within the environment.

As you traverse through Aleroth, the first village in the game, you will smile as you see butterflies fluttering about and birds flying ever so gracefully as you walk through the streets. Yet this peace only lasts for so long, soon you will be faced with murder and a very large and complex world which will not be as hospitable or as peaceful. Other areas and environments have their own artistic charm. My thanks to the artists for creating a world that is believable, enchanting and very much alive!!

THE MUSIC OF DIVINE DIVINITY

The music within this game is also very appreciated and welcome. It is the type of music that I would love to have a soundtrack of, as it is very appropriate in allowing you to experience many different moods and emotions throughout your travels. Walk into a tavern, and you will hear some very soothing music as you visit these areas. Travel through many of the villages in the game and you will be treated to an assortment of very lively and finely created musical pieces. The musical theme on the title page as you begin the game is also one of the game's finer selections that you will not forget. Be prepared to turn the volume up the first time that you hear a musical selection within this game, as it does a fantastic job in immersing the player within the game.

A MEMORABLE JOURNEY

Divine Divinity took about three years to complete and as I played the game, I could tell that the time had been well spent. The game takes you into a world full of so many options that wait to be discovered. There are so many ways that one can choose to play when picking up this game, so many things to explore and experience. The statement from the project leader above rings true when he mentions that a player would discover a vast world full of wonders. I have experienced laughter, fun, suspense and many other emotions when playing this game. You will discover many unique touches and details, if you take the time to find them. If you look closely enough, you may find out about a sword that belonged to a special hobbit or a letter that may have been written by Romeo, a character from the Shakespearean play.

The support that I talked about above is also evident when you see how active Larian Studios is to its customers at the game's official forums. It is this kind of support that is very rare in this industry and much appreciated when it is seen. Larian Studios is a fine example to be followed by others of the right way to treat customers. While it is clearly evident that the game could have been better in some areas, such as a more focused and detailed story especially near the end or the accurate depiction of all types of armor and weapons on the body, what has been achieved in the final product is an experience that will leave the player breathless. I urge you to buy this game and experience many of things that I have talked about and many of things that still wait to be discovered by you as you undertake your own adventure. Divine Divinity is a definite winner in transporting the player to a world in which story, gameplay, art, and music are successfully combined to produce an unforgettable RPG gaming experience!