Din's Curse

This has just arrived on GOG and is on offer at 50% off:

http://www.gog.com/game/dins_curse

There's also a DLC at half price to go with it that gives additional variables in character creation. There's around 140 in the original game, 190 with the DLC.

Din's Curse looks to be an interesting game as decisions, actions and consequences give rise to a myriad of different outcomes.

I've purchased Din's Curse and will report back when I've had a play.

Sounds interesting, thanks for the heads up Sue.

Well, character creation in this game is fun.  You can choose an ordinary class such as Warrior, Ranger, Rogue etc., and you then have 3 different skill trees to choose from.  Or, you can create a hybrid character and then select one of the three skill trees in each class.  I've created a Thief/Demon Hunter character and it's proving to be an interesting mix.  

You start a game in a town which requires protecting.  The Din and other townsfolk have quests for you and the entrance to the first level dungeon beneath the town is immediately available.  Your character unlocks lower levels as they find the teleports.  There are also teleports which will take you straight back to the town you are trying to save and (as I've discovered) you need to keep track of these.

Fights take place in third person.  They are fluid and using your skills is straightforward.  The engine dynamics are incredibly smooth which makes for immediate immersion - there's no wondering what key to hit when.  Din's Curse is excellent in this respect.  

Your inventory is limited to 16 slots, but you find bags that increase this as you battle your way through the dungeons.  Items are graded in the same way as in the Sacred games, so certain items are keepers, others you can immediately discard or ignore.

What makes this game different to others I've played is the way in which the town is constantly under threat from the demons below.  These demons can erupt and attack the town at any time.  I've already lost one town due to not returning quickly enough.  Even if you do get there in time, some of your quest givers may be dead. This factor makes for a more intense experience than many ARPGs - you need to find your way around and complete quests fast.  

Din tells you that you cannot die.  You can in game and it's permadeath, but - as far as I can work out - your character is being punished and the only way he/she can redeem themselves and be released from the shackles of life is by saving the towns, helping the townsfolk and gaining reputation.  

The graphics in Din's Curse are good.  They're easy on the eye with enough detail to keep you engaged.  Some aspects of the dungeons and how things function reminds me of Dungeon Siege but it's worth mentioning that the dungeon environment isn't stable.  Things collapse, barrels explode, traps catch you out and it's not just the player's actions that generate these events.  The demons fight each other, knock over supports etc.  

This is a game where the game world is constantly evolving and changing.  It's a challenging environment which you can make even more challenging at the start of the game through a series of options.  There is clearly great replay value on offer.  I've really enjoyed the short time I've played this game and it's calling me back already.

Sounds pretty good. There is a demo online, I think I'm going to give it a try.

The game doesn't have any story to speak off and it has some pretty limited (but clean) graphics. If it had better production values it would definitely be the best Diablo like even better than Torchlight 2.

I've never seen such a dynamic game in this genre. The only fact that monsters can fight one another is incredibly awesome.

My only problem playing Din's Curse is the fact that it's going to be pretty hard to go back to the lifeless worlds of Diablo and Torchlight.

Thanks Sue for posting about this little gem.

I have to admit, I really enjoy the game. It's challenging, fun and the pace can be quite furious.

It will be interesting to see exactly how much reputation you have to gain in order to be released from Din's curse.

I agree there is no story to speak of, but the straight forward 'save the town' scenario does have it's appeal. I'm also wondering if you find out more information about your character's past as the game progresses.

Have you checked the UI mod?

The early game can be deceptively easy.

I don't think the game is going to provide much information regarding the character. It's up to you to make up your own story.