Let me get this off of my chest real quick: Deity is not a perfect game. It's really not. That's nothing against it, because it really is a fantastic game, and it's one of the games I most highly recommend to people that haven't played it. But it has its flaws, slight as they are.
For one thing, the game is too short. From the time you're looking at the loading screen wondering about the significance of the title (Am I a Deity or what?) to the time where you're confronted with the credits screen, the game itself can't be much longer than three hours if you're a slow-ass like me. What's worse, is that the pacing feels interrupted in the last hour- you go from a sneaky devil murdering people when they're not looking to a powerhouse of dark energy and it doesn't even feel right. It's the wrong sort of power. You'd have to play it to see, and I don't want to spoil any potential fun, but believe me when I say that it kind of makes the entire game suck more.
But until then, Deity is an engrossing game. It's an isometric stealth game that's controlled entirely with the mouse, sort of like Diablo meets Playstation-era Metal Gear Solid, but it's not quite that, either. It makes clever use of light so that not only does standing in the light make you obvious to the omni-present guards that are milling uselessly around some crates, it actually hurts you if you get too close to the source of the light. In addition, the guards' sheilds hurt you if you get too close (they're glowing fairly brightly) so you either need to dispatch them by clicking them when they're looking away from you, or you need to hide by consuming a lit torch, turning it purple, and waiting for him to walk by. I guess the guards are colorblind.
Regardless, as you play the game, a sort of rivalry between you and the light-wielding forces comes to bear- it becomes obvious that the guards' shields aren't accidentally glowing, it's very intentional. Sorcerers enter the game who have to be taken out with special care, as they can see colors just fine and if they catch you lurking on a purple torch they'll fling light orbs at you that quickly deal horrendous damage. You learn to lurk around the edges of groups, picking them off and then fleeing for your life back to the safety of a particularly distant torch, and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. It's a fantastic feeling- you really do feel like a vengeful devil.
At a price point of zero dollars and with a length of maaaaaybe three hours, there really is no reason that you can't pick up Deity today. Just go get it, you turkey, and let me know what you think.
===
From the developers:
Deity is a stealth action game developed by a team of students at DigiPen Institute of Technology.
Download it now at: deity-game.com
Deity features unique gameplay mechanics, requiring only the mouse to play and was inspired by games such as Diablo, Torchlight and Batman: Arkham Asylum, encompassing stealth action in an isometric view.
DigiPen Institute of Technology students make the best free games it seems.