A Sense of Scale- Divinity II: Ego Draconis Review

With box art showcasing an armor-clad protagonist flanked by a coiled dragon silhouette, recent release Divinity II: Ego Draconis is certain to draw comparisons to a certain Bioware-developed role-playing game. Just beneath the surface, both present players with abundant dialog trees, an interminable amount of sub-missions, and a curiously uneven art style. Beyond those shallow similarities, Divinity II has a number of elements that allow the game to forge its own unique personality- from the ability to shape-shift into a formidable fire breathing dragon to relinquishing the rigid class system that is typical for the genre. It’s a shame that an odd assortment of quirks dampen the otherwise gratifying proceedings.

Divinity II is the sequel to 2002’s Divine Divinity, a title noteworthy for its sense of scale. With 150 NPCs and a purported 20,000 screen landscape, the game’s scope was peerless. Divinity II revisits the expansive realm of Rivellon, as players are introduced to the title’s seasoned protagonist. At the commencement of the game, our hero receives a powerful mind implant. This mental augmentation embeds the collective memories of dragons into the slayer’s skull, allowing him to fully understand his scaly opponent. Expectedly, this power is accompanied by significant side effects. All of the protagonist’s combat training must be relearned, but also, our warrior is given the ability to read minds. Remarkably, a player’s journey through Rivellon is wonderfully open-ended; gamers choose what goals to complete as they make their way through the game’s sprawling geography.

Combat in Divinity II is divided between high-flying airborne sequences, and ground based squabbles.  While in dragon form, searing flying foes with a well-placed blast of fire is sufficiently gratifying, and soaring through chasms achieves the sense of exhilaration that titles like Lair or Drakengard 2 only hinted at. Scrapping on soil is nearly as enjoyable, as the game’s variety of melee and ranged enhancements compels players to be persistent in their pursuit of experience.  Gamers will appreciate the title’s liberal distribution of wealth and abilities- Rivellon is teaming with clusters of foes that will annihilate careless adventurers.

Several other elements elevate Divinity II from it sword and sorcery-minded peers. Players can collect body parts from defeated foes to fulfill their Dr. Frankenstein-inspired desires. By utilizing different organs, a multitude of creatures can be created, from bulky behemoths to defensive-minded minions. Additionally, the game’s skill system allows players to distribute their abilities across every vocation, and eliminations armor and weapon restrictions. Sadly, this innovation is complemented by a modest amount of complication. Players will need to save often while playing Divinity II– crashes do happen sporadically. Additionally, the game’s incorporation of dialog choices wasn’t integrated well; different attitudes in conversions have no effect on gameplay. 

Visually, Ego Draconis enigmatically fluctuates between extravagance and squalor. Vistas can look especially opulent, with brilliant sky textures, cascading waterfalls, and an array of shadowy flora. Small details like fish springing from a placid pond contribute to the game’s sense of immersion. Sadly, that attention to detail isn’t ubiquitous- dialog sequences display woefully low-res characters, while the game’s animation can often be regretfully stiff.  Divinity II’s soundtrack is commendable, mixing modern rhythms with medieval instrumentation, as is the game’s splendid voice-over work.