Friday, October 20, 2017

Divine Divinity - 2/20 hours

Sometimes, when I'm playing a new game, I'm tempted to wonder if the tutorial level is really worth all the trouble. They tend to be uninteresting and overly simple. And then I play a game that doesn't have one, and I remember - not having one really sucks.

I think I've figured out the basics of Divine Divinity, but I also have the feeling that there's a lot I'm missing out on. I had to look up online how to harvest the various herbs you find around the map. I also had a tough (or at least tougher than it ought to be) time figuring out how to use items and fight in combat.

To top it off, this is one of those old style games that seems to think that not telling me where to go somehow builds character. Call me a wimp if you must, but I love quest markers. I can see how some might think they might diminish the thrill of unguided exploration, but I hate knowing there's somewhere I'm supposed to be and being unable to find it.

But that's just a risk I have to take with older games. If the game itself proves to be fun, it's something that can be overlooked. However, it is still too early for me to make that call. I'm still in the first village and so it's still ambiguous whether any frustration I might have comes from the game itself or the fact that I'm low level and unknowledgeable.

The story itself is nothing special. I woke up with amnesia in a mysterious village of healers, and it's likely that their leader has been driven mad by demonic possession. It's a good setup for a game, but I'm not anticipating any special payoff here. I will heal the leader and then move on and probably never think of this place again.

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