Divinity Original Sin (PC)
In a gaming world full of hand-holding, uninspired battle systems, and just sheer crap, Divinity is a shining diamond in the rough.
Loot-based, dungeon-crawling RPGs are never known for their graphics so I'm judging this on a level equivalent to similar games like Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3. I'm going to put this simply - Divinity is fucking gorgeous. The art direction is spot on, the colors brightly bring the world to life, and the character designs are great too. You won't feel like you're trudging through the same damn dungeon or cave for the 50th time in a row. Everywhere feels unique. You'll traverse vast forests of green, blistering cold mountain tops, firey fields of skeletons and so much more. It's a well-imagined world that makes the game a jaw dropping experience.
While the visuals are top notch in Divinity, the sound leaves me wanting more. Don't go in expecting full voice overs or anything like that. There will be spoken dialogue from time to time- particularly from your main characters, but for the most part NPCs' dialogue is all written (but very well written mind you). But don't fret too much; someone at Larian Studios knows what they're doing when it comes to music in video games.? The soundtrack is among the best...period.
But we don't just play games for sound and graphics. What I care for most in my games are the story and game play.
You're a Source Hunter (yeah, yeah I know...just another cliche name for a hero known for abolishing evil from the land). But don't let that make you overlook what's an otherwise great story that will take you on a trip you'd never see coming.. You start out by coming to town to solve a murder. I think this mystery-style beginning really helps drive the games game play. Divinity: OS expects you to listen to NPCs, pick up on subtle hints found in text and side character dialogue, and really just discover, discover, discover to unravel the story and new missions.
It's worth noting that some may as a result get really frustrated by this lack of handholding; I on the other hand think it's great and really adds to the game's charm.
It is in my opinion, the gameplay where Divinity truly shines. All aspects of this game are fun. As stated earlier, the clue-finding and unravelling of the story are fun. You'll be posed with hints, clues, and puzzles which will lead to scratching your head, yet always persistant on unlocking the next series of quests.
Beyond this, the interactions amongst your party's characters and NPCs is fun. Divinity includes a rock-paper-scissors style mini-game to determine the outcome of conversations. I know it sounds weird, but it's actually really fun. If an NPC is not particularly interested in giving up information to you, then you can try to beat him at a game of RPS.
Where this game truly shines though is in the battle system. Everything is action point and turn-based driven. Depending on speed and initiative, an order to character turns will be determined at the beginning of the fight (similar to FFX). Character's can obviously use special skills and spells to influence their turn postions. You also have action points for each turn which again is stat-driven based on a characters constitution among other things. Obviously different skills and spells take different amount of points to cast depending on their power and your overall skill level.
So far I'm sure this sounds like a pretty standard turn-based battle system. BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE. Truly the best part about Divinity is the unique use of elemental environments. Characters can cast spells, blow up barrles, and manipulate the environment in all sorts of ways to overcome foes.
Group of enemies standing in a puddle of water? Shoot an electric bolt to make them all stunned for 3 turns. No puddle of water? No problem- cast a rain spell first across the battlefield to create your own puddles then shock it.
Of course that's a simplistic approach that you'll learn how to do in the first 10 minutes of the game. I won't mention the other awesome environmental elements you can manipulate 'cause I think Divinity is one of those games where part or if its spirit is the unknown. There's A LOT to learn in this game. There is, for instance, both crafting and blacksmithing skills in the game, that is so deep and complex, that after 40 hours of playing, I haven't even begun to scratch the surface yet.
Overall, It's one of the best cRPGs I've ever played - hands down. You're really not doing yourself any favors by passing on this game.
UPDATE:
Since the release of the Enhanced Edition - I've been replaying the game with my fiance. Larian Studios have somehow managed to improve what I considered a near flawless game. The controls work wonderfully, the inventory (which was really my only gripe before) has received some much needed tweaks, and the introduction to character building has been fine-tuned to be more welcoming to newcomers. Plainly stated, every rerelease of a game should use this game as their gold standard moving forward.
