Divinity: Original Sin II

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Studio Larian Studios
Publisher Larian Studios (PC)
Bandai Namco (consoles)
platform Windows , Mac OS , Xbox One , PlayStation 4 , Nintendo Switch
genre role playing game
Game mode Single player , co-op , multiplayer
control Keyboard , mouse
system advantages
preconditions		 intel core i5 ,
4 GB RAM,
Nvidia GeForce GTX550 or ATI Radeon HD 6XXX, DirectX version 11.0 ,
60 GB hard disk space
medium DVD-ROM , download
language English with German screen texts
Current version 3.6.54.8890B (01/24/2020)
Age rating
USK approved from 16
PEGI from 18
information https://divinity.game/

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a turn-based fantasy role-playing game from the Belgian developer Larian Studios for Windows , Mac OS , Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch . It is the sixth game in the Divinity series and was first released in the Windows version on September 14, 2017. The game received mostly excellent reviews, often as one of the best role-playing games of all time, and was also sold with over 2,000,000 copies a commercial success.

action

Scene of Divinity: Original Sin 2 is, as in all games in the series, the fantasy world Rivellon. The source is essential for the plot. This represents a special form of energy that enables particularly powerful magic to work. The Seven Gods of Rivellon also draw their power from the source. The gods have transferred part of their power to a human being, Lucian, and have given him such divine power. With this power, Lucian the Divine was supposed to close the veil that separates Rivellon from the void. However, Lucian failed. After his death, the veil is so weakened that monsters, the so-called Void Awakened, can reach Rivellon. In this situation the action of the game begins.

prolog

The main character is gifted with source magic. Since the use of source magic is apparently responsible for the emergence of the Void Awakened, it is sanctioned by the Divine Order. The main character is shipped together with other spring magicians from the Order of Healing from the spring to the celebration of joy. The ship is attacked by a spring mage and an octopus and sinks, but the main character survives and reaches the festivities.

The celebrations

There she learns that the intended healing from the source actually leaves only mindless empty shells, and flees from the fortress. In the process, she meets the Seekers, a group that source mages protect from the order. The main character meets her deity for the first time and learns that she is god-awakened, that is, that she is chosen for the ascent to divine power. The main character and the seekers succeed in conquering a ship from the magisters of the order. They managed to escape from the island, but the ship was intercepted on the way to the village of driftwood. Led by Dallis and her assistant Vredemann, the seekers are overwhelmed, but with the help of the half-demon Maladie, the main character manages to escape.

Driftwood

In Driftwood, the main character learns that they have to win over other powerful source magicians from the area as teachers for their source skills. As she gains power over the Source, she repeatedly encounters her deity. She learns from this that the seven gods are weakening and threaten to be destroyed by the void. The seven gods have therefore together given up part of their source and concentrated in the source of ascent. The main character should travel to this source, take in a vast amount of source and thus attain divinity. Like Lucian before, the first to ascend to divinity at the source, the main character is to lead the fight against the void with the resulting power.

The nameless island

On the nameless island, the main character gains access to the ancient academy. There she learns that before the seven gods and the known races there existed a race of beings known as the Eternal. Seven Eternals gained divine power by experimenting with Quelle and thus became the seven gods. The Eternals were banished from the world, in their place the seven gods created the known races. Now that the seven gods are weakened, the Eternals return as Void Awakened under the guidance of the God-King.

In the academy, the main character gains access to the source of ascent, where she is again surprised by Dallis and Vredemann. Dallis absorbs the entire source there and flees, with which the main character is denied the ascent to divinity. The main character has failed in the eyes of her deity and is attacked by this, but she can kill the deity. Again, thanks to Maladie, the escape from the resulting inferno succeeds.

Arx

The main character reaches the town of Arx with Maladie's help. There she learns that she has to enter the crypt of Lucian, her deceased predecessor, to find Dallis. When she reached Lucian's sarcophagus after several tests, she found no trace of his body. It turns out that Lucian is actually still alive and has cooperated with Dallis. Dallis reveals her identity as one of the Eternals, and Lucian explains their common plan to destroy all sources and thus banish the Void Awakened from the world for good. However, Dallis' assistant Vredemann is in truth the revived source king Braccus Rex. Braccus evades Dalli's control and attacks those present together with the Kraken. After the main character has defeated Braccus, she can decide what to do with the power now available. Among other things, she can remove the entire source from the world, share the source with all living beings, or claim power for herself and become divine like Lucian.

Gameplay

It is possible to play the story in single player mode and in co-op mode via LAN or the Internet. In arena mode, up to four players can compete against each other on special arena cards. There is also a gamemaster mode where players can play adventures generated by other players. In the single player mode there is a choice between different levels of difficulty. In the highest grade honor mode , only one game can be saved. This is overwritten as soon as a character in the group of players dies, and the game finally ends when the entire group dies.

Character development

In single player mode, the player can either choose one of six predefined characters, each with its own background story, or create an individual character. There are suggested classes, but these can be customized in almost any way. Talent points are available in the areas of attributes, combat skills and civil abilities, and the points can be distributed almost at will within each area. Attributes determine the basic values ​​of the character in combat, for example attack damage and hit points. Combat skills determine which skills can be learned and how efficiently they can be used. Civil abilities determine how efficiently the character can haggle or sneak undetected, for example. A small number of special talents can also be learned, such as the ability to talk to animals. In addition, each character has predefined features that open up additional specific options in dialogues. and some specific skills

By killing enemies and completing quests, the group receives experience points. All group members receive the experience points, regardless of whether they are part of the group of players. When certain point limits are reached, a new level of experience is achieved. This improves the basic values ​​of the characters and additional talent points can be distributed.

New skills are learned from books, provided a character has the required combat skill points. There is no limit to the number of skills that can be learned, but only a limited number of skills can be remembered. More powerful skills take up several memory spaces. Only the skills in memory can be used, these can only be changed outside of combat.

Exploring the world

The player can explore the world alone or in a group with up to three companions. Each of the six given characters, if not chosen as the main character, can be found in the game and won as a companion, and mercenaries without a background story can be recruited. In contrast to its predecessor, only an individual, limited area is accessible in each chapter of the story. Places from closed chapters can no longer be visited. The group can move freely within the respective area. Fast travel is possible from any location to all fast travel points that have already been discovered.

The player can generally start a conversation and trade with almost all NPCs . Conversations with NPCs who do not belong to the player's group can also be initiated by the other group members. With the appropriate talent, a group member can also have conversations with animals. In addition, the main character learns the ability to see the spirits of the deceased and to communicate with them. Depending on the characteristics a character has, additional answer options become available in conversations. In some situations the character can try to persuade his counterpart, for example to get a higher reward for completing an order.

Any character can be chosen as a target of skills for the members of the player group. In principle, it is possible to attack and kill neutral and allied characters at will, but this usually leads to hostile reactions from the neutral characters. Characters can also be stolen from.

It is possible to interact with numerous objects and destroy them. This can sometimes make new play areas accessible.

The game has a crafting system in which almost all materials and objects can be processed or combined. The necessary materials can be found in the area to a limited extent. You can primarily produce consumables such as potions or special arrows, but you can also produce or improve some equipment yourself.

struggle

The combat system is turn-based. Each character involved receives a limited number of action points per round, which are required for movement, the use of abilities and the use of objects. Unused action points are carried over to the following round to a limited extent. Every character has hit points. Most characters also have physical and magical armor points, which act like additional hit points. Physical or magical damage is deducted from the corresponding armor points first, and only then from the hit points. Most of the negative status effects are also ignored as long as the armor points concerned are not reduced to 0. If his hit points drop to 0, the character dies, but can be revived in combat or afterwards. The characters of the player group can try to escape from the fight to avoid defeat. If all characters in the player group die, the game ends, but you can continue from a previously saved game.

Combat mechanics are heavily based on the interaction between different skills. Each character can have numerous status effects at the same time, which influence their options for action in combat and the effect of other abilities on them. The manipulation of the terrain also plays a major role. Both the ground surface and the clouds above interact with characters moving above or through them. A variety of effects can be triggered, for example fire damage when moving over burning surfaces or slowing down when moving over puddles of oil. Numerous skills and status effects in turn interact with surfaces and clouds, for example a fire spell or a burning character can ignite a pool of oil.

development

The game was announced on 12 August 2015 as well as the partial financing by a swarm financing on Kickstarter from 26 August 2015. The targeted funding of $ 500,000 achieved was within 12 hours. When the extended financing targets were announced, the first two had already been exceeded. In total, over $ 2,000,000 was raised from 42,000 supporters. Larian explained the decision for renewed financing via Kickstarter with the helpful input from the swarm financiers with the predecessor Divinity: Original Sin . In addition, the additional money from the crowd funding gives the opportunity to significantly expand the game.

The game was released as Early Access for Microsoft Windows on September 15, 2016. The full publication followed on September 14, 2017, but without a German translation. The German translation was added with a patch on September 22, 2017. The game reached 75,000 concurrent players within a week and was one of the most widely used games on Steam at the time. On the weekend of the full release, the mark of 500,000 units was reached, of which 320,000 during the Early Access phase and 180,000 more on the weekend of the full release. As of November 29, 2017, more than 1,000,000 copies of the game had been sold. A free expansion to the Definitive Edition was made available to owners of the game on August 31, 2018 . The game was also ported to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and released by Bandai Namco Entertainment on August 31, 2018. Further releases followed on macOS on January 31, 2019 and Nintendo Switch on September 4, 2019. In March and September 2019, two free DLCs 'Gift Bags' were made available, and more are to follow by 2020, according to the developer.

reception

Meta-ratings
Database Rating
GameRankings 92.94%
Metacritic 93%
reviews
publication Rating
4players 88%
Eurogamer Outstanding!
Game Informer 9.75 / 10
GameSpot 10/10
GameStar 93%
IGN 9.6 / 10
PC Gamer US 92%
PC Games 10/10

The game received consistently excellent reviews ( Metacritic : 93%, GameRankings : 92.94%). The complexity of many mechanics, especially with regard to opposing developments in the genre, is often emphasized. Occasionally, however, mild criticism of the inventory system and diary is also made.

Marcus Grundmann from Eurogamer praises that from a technical point of view ("'only' isometric") it is not quite as impressive as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt , but "far surpasses this in the strict, true sense of the genre name." He sees the game in the best tradition of the Baldur's Gate era and consequently as “a game that you must have played as a real role-player, without ifs or buts.” The efforts of the developers to give players “maximum freedom in many respects” are particularly praised to give ”, the interlocking of the game mechanics, the game feels like“ like a piece - every mechanism interlocks with another, everything is somehow connected ”as well as the“ richness of detail in the game world ”. The author concludes, “So in the end I can only say: Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the best isometric RPG you can get right now and it's one of the best RPG ever” and rates the game as “Outstanding!”.

Sascha Penzhorn from Gamestar is enthusiastic about the “sometimes simply crazy ideas” of the developers who make the game “nothing less than the best role-playing game of the year”. The versatile combat mechanics as "endlessly entertaining chemistry kit for creative role-players" are particularly emphasized. And outside of combat there is also enormous freedom, "The solutions for quests are as varied as our options in combat and character creation." This is particularly impressive and pleasing in view of the trend that "more and more options are being dropped in other role-playing games." , Cutscenes and trailers are becoming more and more important than game depth. ”Penzhorn even says,“ I like to moan for my life, but apart from minor, insignificant (and mostly fixed) cosmetic bugs and a less than perfect user interface, there is simply nothing here that harms the fun of the game. "The game receives the conclusion" A great role-playing experience that offers an incomparable amount of freedom and is bursting with content and possibilities. Mandatory purchase! ”And a rating of 93%.

Jörg Luibl from 4Players particularly praises the diversity in the combat system, due to which “you just experiment with a grin in view of the possibilities”, even if this sometimes leads to illogical consequences. However, the “never-ending clutter of loot, recipes, objects” is criticized, which because of the abundance of possibilities disturbs rather than helps. The author concludes "Open, creative, epic: Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a very good beast from a role-playing game that is convincing in terms of combat tactics, chain reactions and puzzling flair." And awards a rating of 88%.

Gamespot's Brett Todd loves that meaningful player choices and superb synchronization create a completely believable world. The combat mechanics offer "challenging and rewarding turn-based battles". And the almost infinite possibilities for creating, customizing and developing the characters made each member of the group a more individual companion than the “usual accumulation of buffs and numbers in most RPGs”. Another positive feature is the quest design. This comes “ closer to the pen & paper feeling than any computer RPG I've ever played”, especially with the possibility of failure in many ways. The only remaining point of criticism was the confusing control panels for skills, equipment and spells in combat. The conclusion is "This immaculately designed and emotionally charged fantasy world, with brilliant tactical combat on top, make it one of the finest games of recent years, and it remains an immediate classic in the pantheon of RPG greats." With a rating of 10/10 Points.

Daniel Tack from Game Informer is also delighted with the numerous freedoms that “anything goes” in the game. At first it was downright overwhelming, but soon made you feel euphoric. The decision for a turn-based combat system is also refreshing in times of real-time combat with a pause function, which most current RPGs use. In addition, the subplots, especially those of the available companions, are numerous and much more than just a decoration of the main plot. The author concludes, "Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the greatest RPGs of all time, and Larian's continued dedication to creating incredible and freely malleable adventures, inspired by pen-and-paper role-playing games, is inspiring and commendable." And awards a 9.75 / 10 points as a rating.

IGN's Leif Johnson describes the game as one of the best RPGs of the kind in years, "especially for fans of the isometric model of Baldur's Gate ". The game is "designed in the spirit of the decades-old RPG Baldur's Gate 2 ", but this legacy is only the "foundation for the extensive game that Larian built on it." He praises the high quality of the side quest, which "doesn't just stand out." by how they are written, but also by how they are found. "This also applies to the turn-based combat system, in particular the environment is" more interactive than anything that even the genre greats BioWare and CD Projekt RED have ever produced. " Overall, the combination of “so broad flexibility” with “a worthwhile fight and a haunting story” is impressive. The author concludes, "Divinity: Original Sin 2 will be remembered as one of the greats." And rates the game with 9.6 / 10 points.

Matthias Dammes from PC Games is impressed by the design of the game world, the cards "bursting with an incredible amount of detail and variety". The wide variety of options was also particularly praised, because "the playful freedom for the player is always in the foreground." Especially in the context of the combat system, the game is therefore "a paradise for tactics tinkerers". However, the inventory system is criticized. Even after improvements through the Definitive Edition, it remains the same: "The possibilities to keep track of the increasingly full inventory are really optimal, but still not." Nevertheless, the game is "One of the best classic role-playing games since Baldur's Gate 2." and receives 10/10 points.

Fraser Brown of PC Gamer place is that Divinity: Original Sin 2 eerily like a pen - & - paper role-playing game feels. He praises one of the best RPG combat systems in his opinion, even if it "undoubtedly requires more patience and practice than most". Where there are limits to playful freedom, these are always well hidden. "Larian has done a phenomenal job of predicting what players might try to do and even how they might crash the game." This also applies to character development without class restrictions and the battles: "Battlefields are actually laboratories, designed for crazy experiments, where magical and martial abilities can be combined with the environment to create everything from healing walls of fire to demonic goblins made from pools of blood. ”The conclusion remains“ Larian has promised a lot and absolutely achieved it to create a unique game that with juggles a variety of complex comprehensive systems and never drops them. ”with a rating of 92%.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gamestar: Divinity: Original Sin is funded through Kickstarter. Retrieved October 22, 2019 (German).
  2. ↑ a b Kickstarter campaign for Divinity: Original Sin 2 ended successfully. Retrieved October 22, 2019 (German).
  3. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Kickstarter Stretchgoals Announced. Retrieved October 22, 2019 (German).
  4. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Release, Gameplay, Early Access, System Requirements - All information about the role-playing game. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  5. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Model Baldur's Gate 2. Accessed on October 23, 2019 (German).
  6. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - From 7 p.m. we will play live with the developers. Retrieved October 28, 2019 (German).
  7. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - released on time despite the power failure - but still without a German version. Retrieved October 28, 2019 (German).
  8. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - First patches including the final German translation. Retrieved October 28, 2019 (German).
  9. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Get off to an extremely good start with 75,000 simultaneous players. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  10. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Thanks to Early Access, 500,000 games have already been sold. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  11. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 has sold more than a million copies. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  12. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2: One million copies sold - far exceeded expectations. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  13. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition will be free for PC game owners. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  14. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition of the fantasy role-playing game available for PS4 and Xbox One. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  15. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2: Definitive Edition now available for Mac; Cross-play with PC players possible. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  16. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition out today for Switch; no local split screen. Retrieved on October 23, 2019 (German).
  17. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Get multiple free DLCs in 2019, first out now. Retrieved October 22, 2019 (German).
  18. ↑ Announcement of the gift bags on Steam. Retrieved October 22, 2019 .
  19. ↑ Homepage of Divinity: Original Sin 2. Retrieved on October 17, 2019 (English).
  20. ↑ a b Metacritic to Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved October 17, 2019 (English).
  21. ↑ Divinity: Original Sin II gamer ranking. Accessed October 17, 2019 .
  22. ↑ Gamestar Test by Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved on October 17, 2019 (German).
  23. ↑ Eurogamer Test by Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved on October 17, 2019 (German).
  24. ↑ 4Players Test of Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved on October 17, 2019 (German).
  25. ↑ Gamespot test from Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved October 17, 2019 (English).
  26. ↑ Game Informer Test by Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved October 17, 2019 .
  27. ↑ IGN Test from Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved October 17, 2019 .
  28. ↑ PC Games Test by Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved on October 17, 2019 (German).
  29. ↑ PC Games Test by Divinity: Original Sin II. Retrieved October 17, 2019 .