Divinity II: Ego Draconis Reviews

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Written by BuckGB on September 6th, 2009

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I intensely dislike the way the engine makes the graphics look. The graphics themselves are perfectly well-designed, if only rarely inspired. But the engine which reminded both of us of Gothic III, which is not a good thing somehow manages to make everything look flat, and it's very hard to recognize details. (Yes, my computer can handle the game pretty well. But my computer is a bit of a monster.) It's a shame, really, because many of the locations are very impressive.

I'm also a little unhappy with the world. Not in terms of design, but in terms of worldbuilding. There's plenty of detail, but it's basically all a bunch of fantasy clichés or at least that's what it looks like so far. There are some bright points, which I shall mention later, but in general I could've done with more originality.

The world is big and open, although you quickly notice when you've strayed too far for your current level. (I mean that as a compliment, Oblivion has taught me to fear games with leveling enemies. If I never see a level 40 Xivilai again I'll die a happy woman.) The fighting system is simple, too simple, I might even say, as there is little variation to the attacks that you can choose from, especially at the beginning. The story is adequate, although nowhere near as good as, say, Gothic 1 and 2. And best of all: You can turn into a dragon. Not at first, and I have to admit that I haven't gotten there yet, but hey, you can turn into a bloody dragon. So shut up and don't complain.

Advancing your character stays hard throughout the game and especially at the beginning you'll curse the absence of (good) weaponry. When you level the game isn't too generous on the attribute and skill points, so I'd suggest to choose wisely what you raise and what not. If you think this is a bad thing you might do well to reconsider buying the game. Personally I think it is wonderful. There is nothing more refreshing as five minutes of agonized indecision as to where to put your next skill point. (I AM trying to be as un-sarcastic as possible here, I mean it.) Also it really makes you appreciate your first level 20 goblin chief and the 1000 xp that he brings along as a present.

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