Divinity: Original Sin Reviews
Divinity: Original Sin is an absolute masterpiece of a game. It goes to great lengths to let newer gamers experience the CRPG genre but with a modern twist on it.
With its rich story, compelling characters, and wealth of different ways to approach any situation, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a title that plants its flag in the tactical RPG genre and stands heads and tails above its competitors. Requiring plenty of patience to learn the game mechanics and to absorb the immense amount of story thrown at the player; this title may not be for everyone but if you're willing to invest the time this title is one that will be played over and over for years to come.
This is a game everyone with interest in RPGs should have a look at. Inspired by P&P games with a really intelligent combat system and some truly engaging stories, hardly anyone who loves the genre won't enjoy this game, and the Enhanced Edition is even better than the original release.
Technical issues aside, this enhanced re-release of one of our favorite games of recent memory is worth a buy.
Divinity: Original Sin's propensity for the old isn't a simple case of wistful nostalgia. It's a conscious decision on Larian's part to resurrect tried-and-true threads that run deep into the bones of the CRPG genre. It's a culmination of those efforts and an unapologetic celebration of battle-tested concepts backed by solid co-op. Most of all, it comes together as a grand adventure that hearkens back to sleepless nights buoyed by the roll of a die and a pad of grid paper shared between fellow dungeon crawlers.
Divinity: Original Sin is an amazing RPG experience. It falls a bit flat on characterization and writing on occasion, but nails just about everything else. It does a great job of compelling players to roleplay their on-screen characters, putting the "RP" back into RPG. This is a game that any fan of the genre will adore, and is sure to suck in new players and teach them what the genre is all about. It's a love letter, and deserves to be loved back.
It feels like there's a very good game inside Divinity: Original Sin, but it's hidden away behind a thousand glitches and gameplay problems. At its core there lies an enjoyable experience, and those brave enough to reach it will likely sing its praises. If you're willing to battle through obscure systems, poorly designed menus, gameplay issues, a legion of bugs and glitches, and poor support from Larian Studios, you just might find something worth playing. For most, however, it will be a different story. Video games are a form of entertainment, but unfortunately, as the problems mount and mount, this one veers more towards frustration than entertainment. Ultimately, it's difficult to recommend any game which provides more negative moments than positive ones, and that is precisely the kind of game you'll find in Divinity: Original Sin.
Divinity: Original Sin provides endless opportunities for you to play the game how you want. You can spend hours doing nothing but talking to NPCs, or you can venture off into the wildness slaughtering every beast you come across. The inclusion of cooperative play allows for you and a friend to go on an adventure together. At first I was overwhelmed by the complete freedom in the game, as many games tend to handhold players for the first few hours. Expect to spend well over 50 hours with your characters, and that's even without doing everything the game offers.
They may not make games like this anymore, but maybe they should. Larian's latest CRPG is a deeply satisfying turn-based adventure that rewards players with patience.
Divinity: Original Sin might not be an instant classic, but it certainly feels like one at times. During parts of my playthrough I felt as though I was replaying Baldur's Gate, without the terrible graphics and archaic mechanics, but I don't know if it was truly unique enough to be remembered like the games it was attempting to emulate. It's going to please a lot of experienced RPG gamers and those that love a challenge, but with virtually no hand holding and punishing combat mechanics it's going to turn off the more casual player base.
Divinity: Original Sin is likely to be an extremely polarizing game. While many hardcore RPG fans will love its old-school style and fans of innovation in gaming can find a lot to love in its creative character interaction and environmental damage systems, it also presents gamers with a tough ride right out of the gate.
Divinity: Original Sin is a classic RPG from top to bottom. Unfortunately some of those older elements could have used some extra polish and improvement. However, for those looking to relive the glory days of PC RPG's this is the game for you.
However, it's by no means a terrible game. There's a ridiculous amount of fun to be had with combat alone if you can look past these issues. There's even a co-op mode that will add some re-playability. Nonetheless, Larian Studios had plenty of ambition with this game, but just couldn't live up to the hype.
Divinity: Original Sin is one of the deepest and most unforgettable games I've played all year
A potent, frustrating, demanding, amusing, tedious, exhilarating world unto itself.
If there's ever been a time to throw out the words "Indie" or "Developed on a budget" then now is the time. As it proves that time, effort, fan feedback, and passion, are more important than high budgets, annual recycling, scripted Hollywood aesthetics, and glorified tech demos.
Suffice it to say, there's absolutely nothing arousing about this game and yet it made me stop surfing for porn – for a bit. I'd call that one hell of an achievement.
A game that does well as a single-player RPG, and does well as a vast, exploration-based semi-open-world adventure, but excels at neither. Better than many of the RPGs in its ancestry, it nonetheless suffers from frustrating NPC engagement and lacks the intelligent storyline required to make it a classic of the genre.
Despite some minor gripes, Divinity: Original Sin is easily one of the best RPGs in years and every hour I spend with it has it slowly climbing its way into my list of all time favorite RPGs.
But that's really the only big downside of the game. Divintiy: Original Sin shows for the rest that the pure computer role-playing games are alive again and that we can actually uncork the champagne for that fact.
Review in Dutch | Read full review