Divinity: Original Sin, which was released back in June, follows two heroes, or Source Hunters as they’re known in the game, on a quest to save the world from Sorcery. Larian Studios started a Kickstarter campaign for the game, and after successful fundraising, they brought us this delicious, old-school, classic RPG.
The thing that struck me right off the bat was how the game looked, played, and felt like an AAA game rather than a Kickstarter project. The lush and beautiful graphics consisted of detailed environments, beautifully designed monsters, and a vibrant colour palette that took my breath away.
Harking back to the old days of Fallout 2 and Wasteland, the game is rife with deep lore, fleshed out characters, and a high level of deep customization. The combat is unlike the traditional RPGs that we’re so used to playing these days (think Mass Effect or Dragon Age) in the sense that the combat is a turn-based affair. You initially control two party members, but you can extend your party to a total of four characters.
The game allows you to choose a specific predetermined character class from a list of classes — such as Knights, Battlemages, Wizards, or Rogues — depending on your play style, but your choice is not binding. If you choose to start the game as a Fighter, you can easily turn him into an Archer/Cleric later on in the game.
This game harks back to the traditional RPG roots and reminded me a lot of Baldur’s Gate in that there is no hand holding. It does not tell you where to go, what to do next, or who to talk to. You have to talk to anyone and everyone to progress through the story, and you can take up many side quests along the way in order to increase your level and improve your gear and armour.
The combat is complex and addictive, and the environment plays a huge role. You can use a fire spell on an oil barrel to make it explode, and if the enemy is standing on a puddle of water, you can use lightning spells on the water in order to electrocute them.
A great deal of effort has gone into the soundtrack as well, and I can safely say it is one of the best soundtracks I have heard in quite a while, with slow, soft melodies playing in the background while you’re exploring a city and rising to a crescendo when in combat.
Perhaps the only drawback I found is the inventory system, which can be a chore as it is both frustrating and time-consuming to transfer items to another character.
This is not an easy game, but once you start playing it, it can be difficult to stop. New players are invited to get lost in this game’s hugely detailed world, but it also welcomes old players with open arms. If you’re an RPG fan, do yourself a favour and go get this game.
