REVIEW: Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition


Title	Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition
Developer	Larian Studios
Publisher	Focus Home Interactive
Release Date	October 27
Genre	RPG
Platform	PS4, Xbox One, PC
Age Rating	ESRB – Mature
Official Website

I had not played a Western-style RPG in quite some time and was itching to jump back into one. So, when I got the chance to check out Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition on the PS4, I jumped at it. Sporting over 1,000 enhancements from the previous version and Diablo-style exploration with turn-based battle, it certainly had my full attention. The big question is – did this satisfy my itch or just leave me scratching?

The story begins as two source hunters are called to investigate the murder of the town counselor in Cyseal, a port town in southern Rivellon. Little do they know they are about to embark on a quest to uncover the mystery of the Star Stones. This quest could bend the very fabric of time and space itself and lead the world to certain doom.

While this isn’t the most interesting story I’ve ever played, it has its moments. The characters tend to fall a bit flat, though some of the NPC dialogue is quite humorous, and there some unexpected moments during certain quests that will definitely get your attention. While I feel more time could have been spent developing some characters’ personalities, there is more than enough here to keep you satisfied.

In the sound department, this one holds up really well. There is a ton of voiced dialogue, and you can tell how much care has been put into it. The music has medieval fantasy sound to it — lots of stringed instruments and calming melodies as you venture around town, and more upbeat, heart-pounding music for battle. You get the total package.

You start the game by creating your characters. You can create one male and one female character, and there are plenty of options to choose from when designing your avatars. In addition to looks, there are a lot of job options for you to choose from, as well. You will want to think carefully about how you want to build your character before choosing one, since this will have an impact on the entire way you play. The game explains each class very well, so you’ll have no difficulty finding one that suits your play style.

The gameplay of Divinity is very old school. It looks like the isometric RPG you dreamed of getting as a kid. Much like the RPGs of old, you will wander through towns accepting quests to gain EXP and items to better your characters. I found most of the quests to be very interesting and fun. They really define one thing I love about Western RPGs, that being that there are a lot of different ways to complete some of these quests. Some outcomes will net you better rewards than others or may lose you some moral standing, but I love having all that freedom to choose. The only drawback I found in this area is that a few quests do not place a marker on your map and are kind of vague, so you end up wandering around doing a bit of guesswork from time to time.

Aside from doing quests, you can always explore the world and find some very interesting items and monsters. You can craft tons of different items and upgrade existing items. Gaining a few extra levels never hurt anyone in an RPG ever. I found myself exploring and admiring how great the graphics looked in the game on more than one occasion.

As I mentioned before, the combat is turn based. Your Action Points (AP) will be represented by a line of dots at the bottom of the screen. Moving, attacking and using skills will consume AP. Attacking with bigger weapons will usually use more AP than a smaller one. Combat is very strategy oriented, and you can use anything in the battle to your advantage. For example, if you see an oil barrel on the battlefield, bust it to to cover your foes in oil, then light ’em up for extra damage! There are tons of examples I could use and they make combat fun and interesting every time. Though, I will say, if an NPC tells you that your level is not high enough to venture into a certain area, they really mean it.

The last feature I would like do discuss in the ‘drop in, drop out’ multiplayer. This a great feature that lets your friends online or offline join your adventure at any time. What’s really unique about this is that, when a moral choice comes along in the story, you can discuss how to handle this situation with your friends through in-game dialogue. This really gives it that old school pen and paper RPG feel and is something I’ve missed for many years.

While this review didn’t cover every feature and everything you can do in this giant game, I feel like I covered the most important parts. In short, Divinity has a huge world with tons of things to do, interesting quests, a decent main storyline, great combat and a unique multiplayer option. I would highly recommenced this one to Western RPG fans or anyone looking for a grand adventure in a fantastic world. At the $59.99 price tag, there is a ton of content here to keep you busy. I played well over 40 hours and I feel like I could go back and find a ton of stuff I missed.