![]() The attractive 16-bit graphics (up to 1024 x 768) help create atmosphere, as does the music, which changes to match the geographical area you're currently in. This gives its locales a more substantial texture, simulating to a limited extent a genuine 3D environment. The point in any case is that Divine Divinity is a fairly interactive world as 2D CRPGs go, much more so than the standard Black Isle Studios or Bioware game. Don't expect to find Morrowind's 70+ herbs and plant species, though you will discover several different kinds of mushrooms that can be made into various useful potions. ![]() You can only consume a couple of items before getting "stuffed.") There are fewer items to interact with outdoors, but that was the case as well with Ultima VII. ![]() (The stomach isn't an infinite stacking location, though. You can steal anything as long as you aren't seen, which seems a bit odd for a savior type.) Each of them is rated for an effect on your metabolism, too, so if you eat some boar meat, you can expect to regain lost hitpoints, as well as a temporary boost of two points to strength. Not to mention food: fish, boar meat, rabbit meat, cheese, apples, tomatoes, oranges, carrots, etc are found everywhere. You'll find barrels, chests and boxes you can move, wardrobes you can open, cattle and chicken roaming about pastureland and coops, glowing gemstones that can be picked up, and torches you can damp or light with a touch. On the other hand, rooms in buildings are extremely detailed, with even pots and pans in a kitchen rated for durability, weight and wear. You also lead only one character in this 2D, isometric game. There are no weather cycles in Divine Divinity, and though day/night occurs, it means nothing in the game: merchants stand around 24/7, which must be hell on the heels (not to mention the kidneys). Nothing 2D has approached it since (except for Ultima VII, part 2), but Divine Divinity comes closest. But what blew most of us away at the time weren't the great graphics or multiple person parties, but the fact that for the first time we could actually walk through a world that moved and regulated itself despite our presence: a world containing its own weather, day and night cycles, merchants who closed up shop at the end of business and went home, and thousands of items that existed as separate objects?including rakes, baskets, dinner plates and desk stamps. Do you remember that 1992 hit, Ultima VII? It hasn't been seen much since then, because the developers, Origin Systems, used a proprietary form of memory management that conflicts with Windows. Let's take a glance at those titles, to see how they strongly influenced the development of Divine Divinity. It's also pretty apparent (at least, to me, but I could be hallucinating) that Divine Divinity draws heavily upon two other famous games for its structure and gameplay. These factors aside, however, Divine Divinity is a truly fine CRPG, more varied and interesting than some recent, far more highly touted titles (cough, Neverwinter Nights, cough) in many respects. Worse still, perhaps, it suffers from a godawful game name that sounds like a Mel Brooks satire. Divine Divinity certainly qualifies on this score, lacking the marketing campaign and heavy commercial presence to draw your attention. One of the most distinctive CRPG/strategy titles I've played, King of Dragon Pass, is only available for purchase on the Web.) And the shame of it is, some really fine products end up being quickly remaindered because of nothing worse than low public visibility and shallow pockets. (Some great products don't even make it that far. A perfectly good game comes along, but it gets little store space and no wild, colorful displays or advertisements, because the producers couldn't afford that.
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