Divinity II: Ego Draconis is the sequel to the award winning Divine Divinity that was released on the PC in 2002. It was one of those RPGs that made a splash and garnered both critical and public acclaim. Now that we’re in a new generation of gaming, RPGs are starting to be scarce in all platforms. There are only a few RPGs that are really good, but will Divinity II: Ego Draconis fit in that category?
RPGs are becoming more repetitive over time and we need something new that will make us come back to the genre. No more boring conversations or repetitive gameplay. With Divinity II: Ego Draconis finally out, should we expect the same thing? Let’s take a look at the HOTs and NOTs:
HOT
Tons of Quests
Expect to play through lots of quest in Divinity II. There are over 40 side missions that you can participate in. The quest giver can be found throughout the map and these quests vary from killing someone to getting a certain item. The difficulty of these quests tend to be fairly tame, none gave me a very hard time. After the completion of a quest, you will receive experience points and a reward where you can pick out of the five choices given to you. These choices vary from another batch of experience points or a rare armor.
Your Decision Changes Everything
The way you talk to people that you meet throughout your journey will impact how the game plays out. You will be given choices that can change the whole storyline or sometimes, if you talk to a merchant and he likes you, you will get cheaper items from him. You will be facing a lot of tough decisions and it’s recommended that you save more than one file.
Fly like a Dragon
This is unique. The ability to fly as a dragon in Divinity II: Ego Draconis is one of the features that really impressed me. To me, it gives the game a fresh feel and is a fun way to travel, rather than the typical wandering on foot. When in a Dragon form, there will be times you will be battling your way through waves of enemies and you will have no choice but to take them down.
Mind Reading
Another way to know more about the character you’re talking to is the ability to read their mind. As a Dragon Slayer, you will be able to read minds and get useful information that you won’t get from talking to them normally. This feature is indeed great because with this, you can get passwords out of their heads when needed. Just remember when reading someone’s mind you will be using your EXP points.
Interesting Storyline
No RPG is complete without an interesting storyline. In Divnity II: Ego Draconis, you will start off as a Dragon Slayer. You will get to customize your characters looks and gender before setting off on a timeless adventure. The Dragon Slayer faces some tough challenges on his quest.
Real RPG
Dragon Age: Origins is good but what makes Divinity II: Ego Draconis even better is that I can feel its classic aura. Back in the day, games like these were popular but now, it’s being forgotten as a new type of RPG gains popularity. Expect to do a lot of the things you would normally do in an RPG. If you are a classic RPG lover, you will fall in love with this game.
Battle Tower and Your Servants
In certain parts of the game, you will be able to control a creature that will help you in your journey. These creatures can be used to help you out.
NOT
Presentation
If we compared the graphics of Dragon Age: Origins by Divinity II: Ego Draconis, one of the things that you will see is that the graphics used in Divinity II is outdated. When I first played the game, I was happy to see the awesome CG cutscene. but as soon as the game started I was slightly disappointed because I felt like I’m playing an old school RPG due to its graphics. But after spending hours and hours on it, I managed to get used to it.
Glitches
There are a lot of glitches in this game. I don’t even know why this game was released in the first place. One of the most annoying glitches is the save glitch. If you somehow overwrite the save file you are using and load it up, you will encounter a huge glitch that might make you start over again if you don’t save multiple files. There will be times where you’ll be locked in a room with no path to go to or worse, the required item you are looking for won’t appear in the game due to the glitch you encountered.
Aside from save glitch, there is some slight screen tearing but not too much. A patch is currently in the works and should be released on Xbox 360 soon.
Get lost real easy
With so many quests to do, it’s fairly easy to get lost. What I hate about this game so much is that each town you go to, you will have no idea where the shops and other places are. Sure, there is a map on the HUD but it’s not helpful enough when it can’t show you the places such as the Merchant or the Blacksmith. Just make sure you have enough time to actually look for them.
Weird Controls
The learning curve of the game can be hard. When it comes to controls of the game, expect to spend a lot of time just getting used to them. None of the controls make any sense and it will take a lot to get used to them.
VERDICT
Overall, Divinity II: Ego Draconis is not a bad game, but it’s not good either! What makes it stand out from the rest of RPGs released right now is the attempt to give gamers something new and refreshing with ability to play both as a Human and a Dragon. You will not get the same feel as you did with Dragon Age: Origins, but the interesting storyline will keep you hooked. One of the things that will disappoint you is the save glitch but I am sure once that issue is addressed, you will have a smooth RPG experience. If you’re looking for a RPG besides Dragon Age: Origins, try this out.