PAX 09: cdv Booth Visit

While many big name publishers talk about diversity in their line ups few take this mentality more to heart than cdv Software Entertainment. What other line up has things as varied as dragons, geeks, guns, medieval drama, Marc Ecko, and science experiments? First up during my visit to the cdv booth was Divinity 2: Ego Draconis. As the follow up to 2002's Divine Divinity and the 2004 spin off Beyond Divinity, Larian Studios is looking to expand their world of dragons and dragon slayers with player customization and choice as the driving forces behind it. This single player action RPG lets players craft a dragon slayer in their own image that will set out for an epic adventure in a world that feels as though it can eventually become under their complete control. To give you an idea of just how far reaching player choices were to the game, I was run through what appeared to be a simple fetch quest at first but in fact had over 20 different possible endings depending on how I communicated with other characters, what items I could discover, and who's secret messages I read. Later on in the game when your dragon slayer absorbs a dragon, the player is allowed to explore the richly detailed world by transforming into their inner beast at will. While most "epic adventures" promise a big world to explore, few offer the flexibility and player influence displayed here. While this isn't my traditional choice of gaming fare, the game looked good, played smoothly, and offered enough customization options for me to suggest Fable fans keep an eye on this title. Next I was shown the PC release of Serious Sam HD. While a remake of the "First Encounter" may not sound exciting at first, it's clear that this version is "more definition-ier than ever." cdv is set to release the PC version this fall through traditional channels and digital distribution networks like Steam. Built on the latest Serious Engine, the visuals may have been updated for today's machine's the challenge is still just as stiff as it ever was. Those searching for a unique co-op experience should definitely check out the PC release which promises 16 player rounds. The last game I checked out at cdv was I Heart Geeks, a physics based puzzle game that brings some pretty unique elements together. Featuring 100 puzzles, players construct Rube Goldberg styled contraptions within a cartoony high school world. As a Geek, the player uses these devices hold the Jocks at bay and hopefully one day woo the heart of the beautiful Cheerleader. This casual friendly title encourages players tune and tweak their machines without lives, time limits, or game over screens. The puzzler does include a straightforward multiplayer mode that allows two players to go head to head in a race to complete puzzles first. Geeks sets itself apart from other puzzlers with a fresh look thanks to fashion icon Marc Ecko and should be set to get players to scratching their heads later this year in December when it ships.