There is a lot going on at E3, and there is no way anyone could hear about all of it. Between the announcements of a new L4D, three new Mario games, Metroid: Other M, and Final Fantasy XIV, it’s easy to miss the features from the smaller publishers. I made it a point to visit these publishers and developers and I’d like to tell you about a couple of those games.
Divinity II
Divinity II
The first is Divinity II from dtp entertainment AG. You may remember my review of Divine Divinity was less than stellar, perhaps even mocking. This sequel, however, looks amazing.
The isometric birds-eye view of Divine Divinity has been changed to the now-standard over-the-shoulder view. The control scheme seems to have been revamped, and the graphics are on par with its modern counterparts. Lastly, the character can’t turn into a cat, unfortunately, but this has been replaced with the ability to turn into a dragon, which has become this game’s major gimmick.
The player will need to switch between dragon and human modes depending on the environment, enemies or the problem to be solved. As before, the game features a branching storyline with numerous decisions that can be morally grey. What I saw was pre-beta, so I wasn’t able to learn everything about it, but I’m certainly looking forward to getting my hands on the finished product.
Black Sigil
Black Sigil
The second game is Black Sigil from Graffiti Entertainment. Graffiti has managed to produce a really slick RPG for the DS that has new and interesting mechanics that still retain the classic jRPG feel. The graphics are right where they need to be, and it looks like the story is going to be an epic in the classic style.
Where Black Sigil seems to shine, however, is in the combat that mixes a party lineup and a tactics-style battleground. Each character in the party can move wherever they want on the board during their turn, and for the most part this does not effect what they can do, or who they attack; some skills however, rely upon the characters being certain distances from each other, or in certain configurations (for example, I saw some area effect spells that damage enemies within a certain radius of the target).
Characters in Black Sigil will develop differently depending on who they spend the most time in the party with. This should encourage the player to develop teams of characters that work well together throughout the game. I only got to play for a couple of minutes, but what I saw looks impressive.
Graffiti and dtp entertainment might not be the biggest or most exciting studios at the show, but keep an eye on these guys, and you’ll be rewarded.
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