Game News Divinity II: Ego Draconis Reviews

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Divinity 2; Larian Studios

Here are 3 reviews of Larian Studios Action RPG.
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<a href="http://www.thegamereviews.com/articlenav-1674-page-2.html">The Game Reviews scores it 7/10:</a>
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">Unfortunately, the difficulty balance of Divinity 2 isn’t finely tuned, as it can be extremely frustrating if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. Enemies of all levels are everywhere, and you really have to pay attention to the advancement of your character if you don’t want to get destroyed by a random countryside encounter. If you aren’t an experienced RPG player, I can see you having a bit of trouble getting accustomed to Divinity’s system, as walking your level four characters into a group of level ten bandits is not a pleasant experience.
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A weakness of the system is that there are no clever tactics you could apply to defeat a lvl10 character when you're lvl4. You can't damage him and you'll die in 2 seconds, that's all there is to it.
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<a href="http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/xbox360/divinity-2-ego-draconis">Game Revolution scores it "C-":</a>
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">A swelled head.
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Here's a sign that a game is trying to push just a little too hard: The instruction manuals is over 60 pages long. That's right, sixty pages for one game (and yes, it was all in English, with no other languages present). Maybe it goes along with that “ego” part of the title, I dunno, but that's my guess as the manual doesn't tell you much you couldn't already figure out. If it was filled with character bios, backstory, a real overview of the world, even a comic book kind of dealie, that would be one thing, but that is only four of the sixty pages that weigh down the packaging. I guess in the original PC version it would make sense - hotkeys and keyboard strokes and all that - but on a pad it's just plain unnecessary.
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">If you learn nothing else from this review, learn this: You will die in this game. A lot. To put it in perspective, I believe I died roughly six times on my first major battle of the storyline... and it wasn't because I entirely suck at playing these types of RPGs. It was because I was rushed like a Beatle/Hanson/Jonas Brother waltzing unprotected through a mall. Even on the easy difficulty setting, you'll still find yourself shot down, beat up, and burning alive by somebody you not only saw coming, but was unable to stop from coming.
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That's right, you can't pwn everything with just furiously clicking. LOL this gaem is prime nerd material, just look at the manual. Avoid at all costs.
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<a href="http://www.gamersinfo.net/articles/3052-divinity-ii-ego-draconis">GamersInfo without a score: </a>
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">Divinity II: Eco Draconis brings you on a journey from a Dragon Slayer to the last Dragon Knight in a rich world. The lore and mystery in the game combined with a sense of exploration really let me enjoy my time playing. While the game does have quite a few rough edges, I found myself often forgetting all about those and just having a lot of fun. Whether it was reading people’s minds or swooping down and destroying goblin towns in dragon form, there isn’t anything quite like it. Divinity II is definitely a unique RPG that is worth a try.
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Is it worth a try, Codex?
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/96775-divinity-ii-ego-draconis-reviews.html">Gamebanshee</A>

 

[Trojan_generic]

To put it in perspective, I believe I died roughly six times on my first major battle of the storyline... and it wasn't because I entirely suck at playing these types of RPGs.

Sir, you suck at playing all types of RPG's.

Yep, it's worth a try.

 

[bezimek]

Is it worth a try, Codex?

Yes

I bought DD 2 for 44,90 PLN ( 4 PLN = 1 Euro)

 

[Droog White Smile]

Here's a sign that a game is trying to push just a little too hard: The instruction manuals is over 60 pages long. That's right, sixty pages for one game

Haha, WTF. I guess, this guy's head would explode if he saw manuals for Arcanum and Fallout, which are 190 and 124 pages long, respectively.

Those consoletard reviews are almost always retarded.

 

[shihonage]

Here's a sign that a game is trying to push just a little too hard: The instruction manuals is over 60 pages long. That's right, sixty pages for one game

I just opened my KOTOR manual. It is 73 pages.

If it was filled with character bios, backstory, a real overview of the world, even a comic book kind of dealie, that would be one thing, but that is only four of the sixty pages that weigh down the packaging.

ARE THE OTHER 56 PAGES BLANK OR WHAT ? IT IS A MYSTARY !!

And what is with "weighing down the packaging" ? Is the game too heavy for him to carry ?

Well, even with that as a set-up, the way it all goes down is just a flicker to the flame, if you will. The game encourages you to look around all over, talk to and check everything, but the problem is that there just isn't enough that's very interesting to keep you looking around.

That guy is a horrible writer.

...but it's mostly freakin' out

I don't even know what the fuck :shock:

 

[Shannow]

Starts off fun in pacing as well as NPC interaction, then you quickly start pwning everything in sight (roughly at level 10) and NPC interaction goes down to a bare minimum.
If the gameplay itself had been less "rough" I might have trudged further into the story. As it was, I stopped shortly before the real dragon transformation.

Worth a "try". (Try = extensive demo or not removing from inventory)

 

[Ch1ef]

Here's a sign that a game is trying to push just a little too hard: The instruction manuals is over 60 pages long. That's right, sixty pages for one game

ITS OVER SIXTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY !

 

[Zlaja]

I died roughly six times on my first major battle of the storyline

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I like how he talks about a huge manual as if that's a bad thing

I like, want to play a like, rpg, but like, I don't really, like, want to READ, ya know

Now I know why Modern Warfare 2 has (just counted) four pages. There are 9 pages, but only 4 have actual game content (which mostly explains what ech option on the menu does, and controls).

 

[Droog White Smile]

Truth to be told Divinity 2 is pretty unforgiving (especially in the beginning), and rather unbalanced in many places. Like, in one area you may die lots of times, but in another monsters can barely touch you.

 

[Konjad]

How did he read 60 pages long manual? Wasn't that beyond him? My manual for Baldur's Gate is 300 pages long, does that mean it is more complicated than Europa Universalis?

 

[Forest Dweller]

So, is this game more of an action rog like the The Witcher/Bio/Obsidian games, or is it more an adventure-rpg ala Gothic? (I think you know what I mean.)

Also, will there be a Codex review?

And can you carry your save over from the demo into the real game?

 

[Volourn]

"My manual for Baldur's Gate is 300 pages long, does that mean it is more complicated than Europa Universalis?"

I doubt the BG manual is 300 pages. BG2 which had more to cover isn't even 25O pages. FFS Why the fuck would BG need 300 pages for?

 

[Jaesun]

FYI I'm sitting at my desk which has my awesome PC gaming rig (I'm currently playing the awesome Action/RPG lite Mass Effect 2... gonna get me some hot black Jacob cock hubba hubba)!, and I have all my game manuals in the drawer next to me.

Some FACTS (Last numbered page with text, not the blank pages):

Baldur's Gate II is 258
Baldurs Gate is 156
Our beloved jRPG Toment is only 39... r00fles!
Icewind Dale 153
Arcanum 189
Wizardry 8 133
Fallout 2 161

Mass Effect 2 - a whopping total of TWENTY EIGHT pages!

Apparently what can change the nature of an RPG is... the number of pages. :shock:

 

[entertainer]

FFS Why

 

[Lyesmith]

My manual for Baldur's Gate is 300 pages long, does that mean it is more complicated than Europa Universalis?

It must be since EU manual is only roughly 130 pages.

 

[Volourn]

"Mass Effect 2 - a whopping total of TWENTY EIGHT pages!"

The difference between games with long manual and short ones is the long ones tends to cover background, characters, and what not. ME2 manual simply covers game play, controls, and character system. And, since ME2 character system is dumbed down. *shrug*

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

BG2 wins... again.

 

[Melcar]

How many pages dedicated to the gameplay did the BG and BG2 manuals have? Don't recall (and I'm too lazy to dig them out), but the pages dedicated to story weren't that many.
And 28 pages to explain the in-game mechanics? Fuck, I remember old NES/SNES games dedicating more to gameplay.

 

[Volourn]

Nonsense. old SNES/NES games had relatively small manuals. In fact, it's alrgely a conole thing because of the packages they come in. Many PC games come in boxes while console games come in cases just slightly bigger than the discs.

As for the BG2 vs ME2 manual thing, i did say afterall that ME2 mechnaics wise is dumbed down. And, of course, the Codex blasted me for it. LMFAO

 

[Melcar]

Bullshit.

 

[DraQ]

Unfortunately, the difficulty balance of Divinity 2 isn’t finely tuned, as it can be extremely frustrating if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. Enemies of all levels are everywhere, and you really have to pay attention to the advancement of your character if you don’t want to get destroyed by a random countryside encounter.


Here's a sign that a game is trying to push just a little too hard: The instruction manuals is over 60 pages long.

Also, CD-Action gave it 3/10, from what I have gathered from the review, because it was teh hard n stuff. That's when I decided to buy it.

Is it worth a try, Codex?

Depends.

First, it depends on what you want. If what you want happens to be an unreasonably epic and high fantasy hack and slash that nevertheless is fully palatable and shows a lot of charm thanks to not taking itself too seriously and thanks to the imagination shown by the makers, spiced up by some C&C, then yes, it's totally worth it. Lulzy dialogue options are also in.

If you expect something heavier, both in RPG aspects and tone, then no, it isn't worth it.

Second, it depends on your gaming rig.
The game, you see, runs on gamebryo which powered oblivion and just happens to be terribly unoptimized crap. While Divinty 2 looks much more interesting visually, it's crisper and it's makers evidently decided to do it hard way and make the game actually pleasant visually and, you know, designed, rather than ripping off elven armour from LoTR, then drowning plastic fugliness of about everything in excessive bloom (the HDR in this game actually makes difference - positively), it's still gamebryo, meaning that another game with similar visuals, but running on something written by actual programmers would run about five times faster.

My only complaints are lack of visual consistency (sparkly, glowy loot bags), boring beginning, somewhat unimpressive array of special abilities and spells, and the fact that dragon form isn't as fun to fly as Arokh in Drakan, pretty fugly in design compared to both Arokh and dragons from The I of the Dragon, and doesn't have as much awesome destructive potential as dragons from both games (especially dragons from otherwise dull "IoTD" wielded impressive array of offensive spells, most powerful of which could level a city in a single casting) - in particular combat against enemy ground troops is apparently non-existant.

 

[Phelot]

Hi all! I've literally been playing games for 6 years and reviewing them for 3 of those years. That's why I'm in a position to give some tips to all those budding gaming journalists out there!

To begin, you can typically tell if a game is going to be good before you even play it! The first key is how big the manual is. Is it more then 20 pages? If so then the manual is trying to make up for the game itself being poor. Some companies are also a bit pretentious when it comes to their games and they tend to use far too many controls. A good game should only have 6 keys needed to play. 4 for movement and 2 for attack (and alternate attack) Also, some games may use "c" for their cover system and "shift/space" to jump. Although this is frowned upon by us game reviewers, we typically don't mark down games for this. Note to developers: Keep it simple!

Playing the Game-
Now that we're actually playing the game there are a few things you should be looking for:

1. Graphics: Is there enough bloom? How about motion blur? Is the trail of my swinging sword red or green? Keep in mind, a good game doesn't allow you to see anything in detail, it should just look good. Also, every area of the game should be well lit. No area should be dark, even when underground. I want to kill enemies, not run into walls!

2. Tutorial: Tutorials should be mandatory and players should be reminded of controls even if they've played the game a dozen times before. I shouldn't have to guess how to move my character. That's just bad design.

3. More Tutorial: Even after the tutorial it is important to show the player more information such as: left clicking on containers to open them, pressing button "x" to jump, etc.

4. How Mature is the game? Look, not to knock an old (and awesome!) game, but Oblivion was lacking in the maturity level. Most gamers want to face mature and gritty subjects so when reviewing a game keep on the look out for how many breasts are shown. Is there romance in the game? There should be. Also, games shouldn't be made by the GOP, lets have some homosexual romances here! This is key, the player should be able to romance any character, except if their ugly, though ugly characters shouldn't be in the game anyways, so make sure you mark accordingly. Also, games should have racism and conflict to meet the gritty level that modern gamers expect to see.

Difficulty: Should you ever die when playing a game you can be sure that the game mechanics are broken and the game is likely not worth playing. Like most gamers, I don't want a challenge, I want to be immersed in the world by experiencing romance, racism, and difficult choices. Dieing is a distraction and only frustrates the player. I should be able to kill any opponent at any point in the game and if I can't then the developer is probably trying to cover poor design with frustration.

Story: The story typically doesn't matter so long as it is on an epic scale. If the fate of the universe isn't at stake then the game isn't worth playing. I'd take off at least 40 % of the score just for that. As mentioned, the story should be some sort of combination of mature, gritty, and dark (but not the graphics)

Every bit of dialogue should be one to two sentences max. Anymore and the game is being pretentious. Also, all dialogue should be voice acted by reasonably big stars. The better the voice actor, the more important the dialogue.

Music/Sound: The sound doesn't matter, but the music should be by a big name composer. If it's not then you can assume that most players won't be able to stand it.

Hey thanks for giving me a chance to help some of you get into my passion! Until next time

 

[Shannow]

Wow, failalot actually made a post that started out funny. But you should just stop emulating Wyrmlord.
E.g., whining about games receiving good scores for not being dark (literally) and having gay romances is simply stupid. For one thing, recent games (and films) suffer more from being too dark (unrealistically so, not to mention that the gameplay suffers from it) than from not being dark enough. Just go out at night and see if you are totally blind or not to check. I'm sure you'll be able to sneak past your mommy. Alternatively you can try sleeping with the lights turned off and again check if you are totally blind or if your eyes adapt to the lighting. No monster will eat you, I promise.
Secondly there is hardly any dev (none?) apart from Bio that puts gay romances into their games. And while Bio receives good scores it hardly ever has to do with those gay romances.

So less would have been more. Try to be more focussed next time. I've been giving unwanted advice for 26 years so you can trust me on that

 

[A user named cat]

I really could not get into D2, it simply felt like a clunkier version of Gothic/Risen. Didn't help how choppy everything seemed either.

I wish Larian would look at what made Divinity 1 great (aside from the combat) and just build on that, instead of simply resorting to 3D. Would love a new Divinity with the old iso view and some updated mechanics/visuals.

 

[relootz]

Is it worth a try, Codex?

Yes

I bought DD 2 for 44,90 PLN ( 4 PLN = 1 Euro)

.........

Why are games so cheap in Poland?