Divinity 2: Ego Draconis

[newc0253]

i'm disappointed frankly that they didn't make more of the title.

 

after all, as a game 'divine divinity' was merely a mediocre action CRPG.

 

but as a title? 'divine divinity' wasn't just a bad title. it was special olympics bad. it was exactly the kind of cool-sounding fantasy title an idiot would think up to impress other idiots, only for the idiot to discover that - by foolish accident - he had inadvertantly stumbled upon a gateway to a whole new epic dimension of spectacularly triumphant witless stupidity.

 

i reckon they should have made a virtue of this, by naming each sequel with even stupider titles:

 

divine divinity 2: diviness reloaded

 

divine divinity 3: diviner harder with a vengance

 

divine divinity 4: the wet water chronicles

 

divine divinity 5: deification

[mkreku]

Divine Divinity was originally named Divinity: Sword of Lies, but the publishers insisted they'd change the name "to the better". Make of it what you will.

 

Divine Divinity was a game that started off really bad (the Diablo-esque starting village), but opened up and became pretty good after you were released into the world. It was huge, had tons of interesting side-quests and a pretty decent character development scheme. Unfortunately it was too combat heavy for anyone but the most hardened hack'n'slash fans. Me and my girlfriend managed to play through the entire game together and although the ending was a disappointment (why must every game in existence have a Hell level?), it was overall a very enjoyable experience.

[Gromnir]

"...had tons of interesting side-quests and a pretty decent character development scheme."

 

...

 

 

rrriiiigggghhhhtttt.

 

mostly fed-ex nonsense and a damned shallow and ultimately meaningless character development system.

 

we got pretty far into game 'cause we were playing on recommendation, so is not as if we only played opening village & dungeon levels. were pretty much diabloesque all the way... which is fine. diablo and diablo 2 is the two most popular action-rpg games ever. if you is gonna clone, might as well clone the most successful. even so, fact that there were side-quests not mean they were interesting save to folks expecting very little, and the character building system ain't exactly inspired other developers to recreate in other games 'cause o' streamlined elegance and depth. divine divinity had strengths, but the "interesting side-quests" and the "character development scheme" were not exactly worth noting... save in comparison to some really terrible games.

 

hack n' 1007.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[mkreku]

we got pretty far into game...

rrriiiigggghhhhtttt.

 

"Where this game shines, however, is the evolution of game play beyond the mindless hack-and-slash of its Action-RPG counterparts. Quests in Divine Divinity are more than just go kill enemy X, take item Y back to person Z, here quests are much more involved, requiring you to solve puzzles, decide moral dilemmas, and uh... kill monsters."

 

That's a pretty decent description of Divine Divinity (it's not mine). But hey, let's trust the guy who "got pretty far into the game". I bet you had time to try the 96 skills to see just how shallow they were too, rrriiiigggghhhhtttt?

 

Just read a walkthrough of the game (since you obviously didn't bother to play it) to realize how wrong you are. Not that you'd ever admit it, but hey, maybe you'll grow up too some day. Arguing for arguing's sake without backing anything up is so much fun, rrriiiigggghhhhtttt?

 

Walkthrough: http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/371215/19678

[Kelverin]

Boy is this gonna be great

:Graps the popcorn:

Edited August 26, 2008 by Kelverin

[Gromnir]

"http://www.gamebanshee.com/divinedivinity/locations/wastelandsoverview.php"

 

hey, we got further than we thought... and why should we trust some random quote you pulled? please note all the wonderfully involved gameplay available on the map we linked... beyond the mindless hack n' slash.

 

"You don't need to finish a game before forming an opinion. Personally I used to play long enough for it to be unlikely that the game would surprise me anymore."

 

now, who said that?

 

HA!

 

"I must admit - after reading most of the reviews on the net - that I'm surprised about the parent lack of criticism of Divine Divinity. Although it has some good elements, it's just a poorly done remake of Ultima VII.

Especially the interface should be commented on: It lacks so much finish and design, that 2.6 GB of gameplay the game has, can be thrown out the window. Lousy pathfinding, a camera perspective where you often find yourself not seeing where youre character are and a thousand other, small annoying problems. There is of course a chance, that you can used to these major flaws, but that doesn't make it a good game. Not compared to the big rpg-titles on the market right now."

 

see, we can do same thing with lifted quotes.

 

and yeah, looks at the actual side-quests included on the map/walk through we linked. is mostly very brief and mindless

 

as for character development... diablo 2 skill trees were better balanced and resulted in genuine different approaches to gameplay, so am not quite sure how you thinks you backed up your opinion, but so be it.

 

ps over at games ratings, the average user rating for HoW were better than divine divinity... gothic 3 were worse.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited August 26, 2008 by Gromnir

[mkreku]

"http://www.gamebanshee.com/divinedivinity/locations/wastelandsoverview.php"

 

hey, we got further than we thought... and why should we trust some random quote you pulled? please note all the wonderfully involved gameplay available on the map we linked... beyond the mindless hack n' slash.

Or you could link to a map from the same game that actually shows one of the populated areas. Or just maybe one house..?

 

http://www.gamebanshee.com/divinedivinity/...lrathshouse.php

 

I bet you just accidentally chose a map called "Wasteland" out of the 20 or so maps available, rrriiiigggghhhhtttt?

 

But it's pretty much pointless to discuss a game I've played with a person with a prejudice towards a game he hasn't played. Arguing for arguing's sake and all that.

[Gromnir]

"http://www.gamebanshee.com/divinedivinity/locations/wastelandsoverview.php"

 

hey, we got further than we thought... and why should we trust some random quote you pulled? please note all the wonderfully involved gameplay available on the map we linked... beyond the mindless hack n' slash.

Or you could link to a map from the same game that actually shows one of the populated areas. Or just maybe one house..?

 

http://www.gamebanshee.com/divinedivinity/...lrathshouse.php

 

I bet you just accidentally chose a map called "Wasteland" out of the 20 or so maps available, rrriiiigggghhhhtttt?

 

But it's pretty much pointless to discuss a game I've played with a person with a prejudice towards a game he hasn't played. Arguing for arguing's sake and all that.

 

 

*sigh*

 

1) we virtual finished game 'ccording to where the wasteland shows up in the walk through

 

2) you is the guy we quoted referencing how complete game is unimportant. guess that makes you a hypocrite as well as kinda lost.

 

3) the map you link shows a house and a dungeon with hardly anything to actually do. find a key... implicate the bad guy... kill some baddies. if you is gonna choose an example, choose something that is better than stuff that were lame when bg1 were released.

 

4) Gromnir is indeed prejudiced 'gainst games with lame gameplay

 

5) am gonna agree that it is mostly pointless to continue you an argument you were never fit to engage in from the start.

 

game got some good reviews and some bad, but in end what you got is a diablo clone with wonky translation. and again, is nothing wrong with cloning diablo 2 as it were very popular... but neither divine divinity nor diablo impress insofar as quest is concerned... and at least diablo2 has character development that others has tried to replicate. character building in divine divinity were hardly worth noting, and has been ignored by industry.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[mkreku]

Ok, I'll humour you. You don't get why it's so obvious you're lying about how far you've played this game?

 

Your own quote about Divine Divinity: "were pretty much diabloesque all the way...".

 

From the quote you were trying to discredit me with: "it's just a poorly done remake of Ultima VII.".

 

Sure. You played it to the Wasteland and you failed to notice anything but FedEx quests and Diabloesque gameplay. You trouble yourself by looking up a negative review of the game which still compares it to Ultima VII, one of the greatest games in the genre, but you failed to see any of that yourself? "rrriiiigggghhhhtttt".

 

But I've done this before with you. You'll desperately seek out more and more obscure quotes of mine, conveniently dragged out of their context, you'll go further and further away from your original claim (that Divine Divinity is nothing but a bad Diablo clone) by spinning your tiresome arguments over and over. Why? Because you think you can "win" an argument. You think it's important to act like you've "won" something by never, ever admitting that you were wrong. Want me to do a Gromnir and dig up an old post where you even take some sort of childish pride in thinking you've somehow "defeated" me? So consider this another win for you, I'm pulling out.

 

Ps. Point 3 in your little list shows how much you've played the game. Noone who actually played it forgets the amount of work required to solve that seemingly simple quest. Welcome into the trap, old man.

[Gromnir]

you gotta be kidding.

 

first, we didn't pull out an obscure quote by you... rather a relative recent one that speaks direct to the issue. you wanna take exception with the quote? is your fault for saying such obviously contradictory stuff so recent that even Gromnir recalls. heck, we recall in particular 'cause it were one o' the few things you said that we agreed with. play an entire or even most o' game to form basis o' a review? why?

 

don't blame Gromnir 'cause you gets caught in backtracking and fibbery. is not that you is arguing that you didn't say, but rather that Gromnir found an obscure quote? what kinda response is that?

 

also, while di don't seem to be on speaking terms with Gromnir, she could probably back up our claims 'bout how far we played, 'cause she were the one that convinced us to play in first place. she apologized to us when we complained of inability to finish, but we noted that it weren't her fault that she liked the game... just different taste. even so, the game were a diabloesque clone that we played a number o' years ago. we got to orc camp with some tents and a pit... were repetitive stoopid to get to this point so we almost quit. after that we goes to some new map (to the south) where we is constantly attacked by ghosty things every ten seconds or so. tedium. is just like diablo with the constant attack o' seemingly mindless enemies. eventually get to wasteland after the Big Secret and Cut Scene stuff... so we finally quit.

 

want more detail? tough. if game were better it would stick in our mind. we saw first half of the movie "Leprechaun" too, but we can't tell you Any details of that experience... other than that am pretty sure that the leprechaun were played by the dwarf guy from Willow. go ahead an accuse us of lying 'bout that too.

 

btw, the quote of the guy who compared to ultima gave it a 2 out o' 10... 'cause it were that Bad in comparison. can find folks who compared to diablo too... which is easy 'cause it were an action rpg and virtual all action rpgs get compared to diablo at some time.

 

regardless, the game got player feedback similar to obsidian's worst game based on the game rating site. is hardly a glowing endorsement. were loads o' complaints by fans 'bout seemingly pointless character development and banal quests... which explains why the player rankings were pretty lukewarm. nevertheless, if you wanna give game attributes it not possess, be our guest.

 

yeah, pull out now. shoulda' pulled out a while ago... before you did 180s and made wacky accusations

 

HA! Good Fun!

[~Di]

...

also, while di don't seem to be on speaking terms with Gromnir, she could probably back up our claims 'bout how far we played, 'cause she were the one that convinced us to play in first place. she apologized to us when we complained of inability to finish, but we noted that it weren't her fault that she liked the game... just different taste. even so, the game were a diabloesque clone that we played a number o' years ago. we got to orc camp with some tents and a pit... were repetitive stoopid to get to this point so we almost quit. after that we goes to some new map (to the south) where we is constantly attacked by ghosty things every ten seconds or so. tedium. is just like diablo with the constant attack o' seemingly mindless enemies. eventually get to wasteland after the Big Secret and Cut Scene stuff... so we finally quit.

 

Okay, I must confess. I hated Diablo 1 and 2. Couldn't finish either of them. Yet I still had a rolliicking good time with Divine Divinity and I did indeed tell Grommy that I thought it great fun, if not particularly brilliant in the RPG department. I still thought it a worthwhile diversion until the final scenes, which were utterly gruesome and dull. Grommy hated it. I understand that. I'm a bit more relaxed in my entertainment than Grommy is, and a bit more forgiving. He is right. Divine Divinity was an action RPG with little character developement and a mediocre story... but I, being a bit less critical and a bit more forgiving so long as I had a fun diversion and was entertained, enjoyed it more than he did. He tried to finish DD... but frankly gave up, because it was simply not up to the kind of story he found worthwhile. I knew it was a 50/50 stretch when I suggested it. However, Grommy did make it to the final chapter... which even I found to be frustratingly hack-and-slash without redemption. We discussed it at length. Grommy and I are quite different in what we enjoy in an RPG. I am much more forgiving for obvious plots and mediocre writing than he is; I am also more inclined to enjoy something that gives me a few hours of escapism as opposed to a few hours of briliance. I admit this. I thought he'd have fun with DD, and I recommended it to him. He found it seriously lacking. Not the first time we have disagreed on what is an enjoyable diversion and what is intellectual genius... although we both agree on certain genre stars like PS:T.

 

I can confirm, however, that Grommy completed more than 3/4th of DD before he gave up on it, because we discussed it years ago. It's just that although we can agree on certain games that pushed the envelope of genius, we disagree on other games that were merely good fun for me, yet mediocre attempts by him. No big deal. Nobody agrees on everything, and I am more desperate for diversion than he is.

 

As I have said, I hated Larian's second game "Beyond Divinity", to the point that I could not force myself to finish it. I will probably purchase Divine Divinity 2 only because I believe that a talented gaming company like Larian should be supported... but I have lowered my expectations for it. However, those who accuse Grommy of not giving Divine Divinity a legitimate try are quite wrong. He spent hours giving Divine Divinity a serious effort based on my recommendation. He and I simply do not always have compatible expectations, and in this instance he was not able to enjoy the original DD to the extent that I did. I feel bad about that, because I was not able to appropriately describe the pros and cons of the game in a manner that let him decide whether it was something he would actually enjoy. I feel bad that he didn't have fun with it, as I did, but he is correct in that he purchased the game solely on my recommendation and was disappointed by it.

 

Although Grommy and I respect each other, we don't always enjoy the same kind of games. I'm easy, I guess. Please don't tell my husband.

[Nightshape]

There are many things pointless in this world, arguing with Grommy is one of them. Not because he is right, it's just he argue's for a living.

 

Now in regards to DD... Absolute dross in my opinion, why? I couldn't even be captivated enough to get out of the first village, just not for me, I actually enjoied diablo more, atleast diablo has a purpose in that it is perhaps the best hangover gaming available.

[mkreku]

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/39184.html

 

Pretty cool video. The dragon battles remind me of the old game Drakan: Order of the Flame, if anyone remembers that one.

[Morgoth]

Small Amazon video (in German) of Divinity 2. Click

 

Pretty cool. It's also confirmed for a July release, so that's pretty soon. Prolly will pick it up unless something bad happens to it.

[Maria Caliban]

I went to the official site and it's still listed as TBA for the release date.

[Morgoth]

I went to the official site and it's still listed as TBA for the release date.

That's because there hasn't been a publisher signed up outside German-speaking countries yet.

[Majek]

Do tell your impressions when you get it. If there won't be any sign of a english version i'll just go buy the german one. I think i'd understand the most of it.

[Morgoth]

I think there should be an English release at least in Europe, sometime in September I heard. But no signs of a NA publisher yet.

[Humodour]

This game will be good. See the first page of this thread.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Krezack

[Majek]

I think there should be an English release at least in Europe, sometime in September I heard. But no signs of a NA publisher yet.

I heard October but i'm happy eitheway as long as i get to play it this year

[Humodour]

I think there should be an English release at least in Europe, sometime in September I heard. But no signs of a NA publisher yet.

I heard October but i'm happy eitheway as long as i get to play it this year

 

Same. There's been a paucity of RPGs this year.

[Morgoth]

And then, WAM!, they all get released in the same friggin month.

 

Risen

Dragon Age

Divinity 2 (?)

Alpha Protocol

 

All in October. Now we only need Arcania confirmed for October and the list would be perfect.

[Majek]

Well, at least i'll have something to do while recovering from knee arthroscopy.

[Jaesun]

If Di recommends this.... I'll probably like it.

 

So I'll wait for her review.

[~Di]

If Di recommends this.... I'll probably like it.

 

So I'll wait for her review.

 

Awww... *hugs*

 

I've been watching this game with cautious optimism. Divine Divinity was rollicking good fun, except for a ponderously overdone and boring final chapter. It was an old-style game that didn't take itself too seriously. Their next game, Beyond Divinity, was a real let down. I couldn't even finish it. It took itself TOO seriously, and lost the element of fun. Dull. Dark. Boring. Poorly executed.

 

So I'm not sure what to expect for DD2. Hoping for the best... I'll probably look for some player feedback before I buy this time.